Homestead Act In Simple Terms In Nevada
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The new law established a three-fold homestead acquisition process: file an application, improve the land, and file for deed of title. Any U.S. citizen, or intended citizen, who had never borne arms against the U.S. Government could file an application and lay claim to 160 acres of surveyed Government land.
Landmark Legislation: The Homestead Act of 1862. To help develop the American West and spur economic growth, Congress passed the Homestead Act of 1862, which provided 160 acres of federal land to anyone who agreed to farm the land. The act distributed millions of acres of western land to individual settlers.
For most people, the main aspects of a homestead are owning their land and the buildings on it, and doing small-scale farming with the goal of being self-sufficient, or at least limiting their reliance on outside sources.
The new law established a three-fold homestead acquisition process: file an application, improve the land, and file for deed of title. Any U.S. citizen, or intended citizen, who had never borne arms against the U.S. Government could file an application and lay claim to 160 acres of surveyed Government land.
Originally intended to protect families from losing their farms, homestead laws now apply to homes, condos and residential cooperatives. Nevada's homestead law calls for an automatic exemption that protects equity in a home up to $550,000.
Due to changes made to Chapter 115 of the Nevada Revised Statutes (NRS) by the Nevada Legislature in 2019, the Homestead Exemption amount that a Nevada homeowner can claim has been increased from $550,000 to $605,000 in equity value.
Originally intended to protect families from losing their farms, homestead laws now apply to homes, condos and residential cooperatives. Nevada's homestead law calls for an automatic exemption that protects equity in a home up to $550,000.
The Homestead exemption remains in effect if the property is conveyed into a revocable trust for the benefit of the person or persons who filed the Homestead Declaration.
You can contact the Washoe County Assessor's Office for ownership information at 775-328-2277. For a very recent transfer of ownership you can search our records online.
Finally, the notarized Declaration of Homestead must be filed with the County Recorder in the county in which the property is located. There are small fees for notarization of documents and for their recording with the County Recorder.
