Some good news might be coming your way if you’re a homeowner in Florida. Governor Ron DeSantis has proposed a concept that would issue $1,000 stimulus checks to homeowners by the end of 2025. This is with the aim of giving homeowners a bit of relief as taxes, along with housing costs, rise.
Here’s what you need to know—simplified.
What’s this $1,000 stimulus all about?
Governor DeSantis wants to give back to Florida homeowners. His new proposal would provide an average $1,000 rebate to anyone who owns a homesteaded property, meaning it’s your primary residence.
The money would be provided in the form of a discount on your property taxes, and if everything goes as planned, checks would be mailed in December 2025.
Why is this happening now?
The cost of living just continues to rise. Property values are rising, and so are the taxes that come with them. Paying property taxes is essentially paying “rent to the government,” DeSantis claims—and he’s hoping to change things.
He’s proposing a couple of other major changes too:
- A $500,000 homestead exemption, so more of the value of your home would be tax-free
- A limit of 15% on how much your property value can increase for tax purposes each year
- Eventually, he wants to end property taxes completely
Who could get the rebate?
This plan is aimed at people who own and live in their homes in Florida. If your home qualifies as a “homestead”, you’d likely be eligible.
The governor’s office figures that about 5.1 million homeowners would qualify for this money. That’s plenty of checks—each for a handy $1,000.
What needs to happen first?
Before any checks can be mailed, the Florida Legislature needs to approve the plan. DeSantis is urging them to act quickly so people can have their money by the end of the year.
He’s also banking on an even bigger change down the line: eliminating property taxes. But that’s no short-term fix. Voters would need to approve in 2026 by changing the Florida Constitution.
What’s the catch?
Getting a $1,000 check might sound nice, but others are raising red flags about the long-term impact.
Property taxes bring in about $55 billion a year to Florida. That pays for:
- Schools
- County and city services
- Roads and emergency services
If those taxes go away, sales taxes would have to go up—from 6% to as much as 12%. That would hurt low- and middle-income families the most.
What’s next?
For now, this is just a proposal. But if lawmakers move forward, and the math adds up, you could be one of the thousands of Floridians to receive a $1,000 property tax rebate by December 2025.
So watch what goes on at the Capitol—depending on what is decided, it may put some extra money in your pocket down the road.
