New York State property owners are being taxed out of their homes. The Welcome Stranger Rule of assessing states that your neighbor who paid an astronomical amount for his home (in comparison to what you paid for yours) cannot be taxed on the amount he paid unless you are taxed on the equivalent basis. This allows assessors to increase the assessed value of your home (and your subsequent taxes) to reflect the neighbor\'s purchase price. Furthermore, due to unfunded educational mandates by the state and federal governments, the school tax burden forced upon the property owners needs to be alleviated through a more equitable method, such as an income tax. We propose a revision of the New York State Homestead Act to cap property tax increases at 3% per year as exists in Florida.