So this is a pretty cool real estate related news for Orlando and Orange County that I have to share!

The Orange County Property Appraisers office is the local government department that values homes in Orange County for property tax purposes. While Orange County does have a Domestic Partner registry the recently elected county Property Appraiser wishes to extend some form of benefits to his employees.

Beginning in 2014, Property Appraiser Rick Singh will offer a stipend to reimburse his office employees who are discriminated against by the federal tax code’s treatment of domestic partner health benefits. It isn’t a salary and is based on what coverage the employee wishes to select during health insurance open enrollment in October. Those employees who participate must be registered with the Orange County Domestic Partner Registry.

Rick Singh says he wants to level the playing field for employees and is the second Orange County Constitutional Officer to provide this benefit, with Tax Collector Scott Randolph announced a similar policy last month. These are definitely great steps forward in the fight for equal rights and it shows how LGBT friendly Orlando is that it’s local representatives in Orange County are ahead of the curve!

With Orlando being such a great place to live and having a very welcoming LGBT community and many friendly neighborhoods, the metro Orlando area is the perfect relocation destination. If you are considering relocating to Orlando and are looking for a beautiful property in the area contact Steve Glose for professional Orlando Real Estate advice.