The claimed homestead could include the same land which they had previously filed a preemption claim (on up to 160 acres at $1.25 per acre, or up to 80 acres of subdivided and surveyed land at $2.50 per acre), and they could expand their current ownership to contiguous adjacent land up to 160 acres total.
Homeowners may qualify for different homestead exemptions from the various taxing jurisdictions including school system, cities, and Fulton County. Once granted, exemptions are automatically renewed each year as long as the homeowner continually occupies the property under the same ownership.
President Abraham Lincoln made the Homestead Act a law by signing it on . This law gave 160 acres of land away to individuals who met certain requirements. In order to file a claim, an individual had to be at least 21 years of age or be the head of household.
You must be 65 years old or older. You must be living in the home to which the exemption applies on January 1 of the year for which the exemption applies. Your net income, or the combined net income of you and your spouse must not be greater than $10,000 for the preceding year.
If you and your spouse own more than one home, you CANNOT claim multiple exemptions, even if one house is in your name and the other is in your spouses name. Only one owner needs to meet the requirements to qualify for the full exemption.
Though you may not be able to raise a year's worth of food on 1/4 acre in the suburbs, you also don't need a 20 acre homestead. For the average family of four, you can expect to grow a year's worth of food on three to five acres.