Nonhomestead property includes commercial and industrial property, rental housing, second homes, and open land.
A homestead does not protect you against: Foreclosure of your home by mortgage lender if you are behind on payments; The enforcement of a mechanic's lien; A judgment for child or spousal support.
Homesteaders included citizens, immigrants seeking naturalization, women, men, African Americans, and whites. American Indians, who were not recognized as U.S. citizens, were excluded.
Generally, homestead laws exempt a portion of the equity in your principal residence from attachment by creditors to whom you owe unsecured debts (e.g., medical bills, credit card balances, and personal Page 3 loans), even if the creditor has obtained a court judgment against you.
You must own the property and have an equity interest in it. This includes houses, condominiums, co-ops, and mobile homes. Your home equity must fall within the exemption limits for your county: $179,950 for the counties of Kings, Queens, New York, Bronx, Richmond, Nassau, Suffolk, Rockland, Westchester, and Putnam.
California exempts the first $7,000 of residential homestead from property taxes. Colorado allows a 50% deduction for up to the first $200,000 (equivalent to a $100,000 exemption if the property is valued at $200,000 or above) for seniors (over age 65) who have lived in their property for ten consecutive years.
Final answer: An automatic homestead exemption protects all types of homes, including mobile homes and condominiums, whereas a declared homestead only protects real property.
The Homestead Act, enacted during the Civil War in 1862, provided that any adult citizen, or intended citizen, who had never borne arms against the U.S. government could claim 160 acres of surveyed government land.
Exemption applications must be filed with your local assessor's office. See our Municipal Profiles for your local assessor's mailing address. Do not file any exemption applications with the NYS Department of Taxation and Finance or with the Office of Real Property Tax Services.
Homestead can be applied to condominiums, mobile homes, and manufactured homes. However, you can have only one homestead residence. You cannot split it between two different pieces of real property, even if they are both here in Florida or even within the same county.