Liens. A “lien” is a legal claim that gives a creditor the right to take your property if you do not repay a debt . A lien can be placed on your home before and after you file a declaration of homestead, but no one can collect on the lien(s) that were placed on your home after you filed a declaration of homestead.
To protect the value of your property up to one million dollars ($1,000,000) per residence, per family, you must file a document called a “Declaration of Homestead”. You can file this form at the Registry of Deeds in the county or district where your property is located, referencing the title/deed to the property.
As stated above, if you are a homeowner whose primary residence is a property in Massachusetts, you automatically receive up to $125,000 in Homestead Exemption protection. Anyone who owns and occupies a primary residence in Massachusetts may apply for additional Homestead Exemption protection.
The Massachusetts Homestead Act is a law under which a homeowner is protected by an Estate of Homestead. A homestead estate provides limited protection of the value of the home, up to $1,000,000, against unsecured creditor claims.
Clauses 41, 41B, 41C or 41C½ provide exemptions to seniors who meet specific ownership, residency, income and asset requirements. Seniors 70 or older may, alternatively, qualify for exemption under Clauses 17, 17C, 17C½ or 17D, which provide a reduced benefit, but have less strict eligibility requirements.
California. Homeowners' Exemption. Qualifying homeowners can get up to a $7,000 reduction based on the assessed value of their home and primary residence.
As of 2024, the federal homestead exemption is $27,900 for an individual and $55,800 for married couples filing jointly. In contrast, New York's exemption amounts are: $179,950 for the counties of Kings, Queens, New York, Bronx, Richmond, Nassau, Suffolk, Rockland, Westchester, and Putnam.
Homestead tax exemptions usually offer a fixed discount on taxes, such as exempting the first $50,000 of the assessed value with the remainder taxed at the normal rate. With a $50,000 homestead exemption, a home valued at $150,000 would be taxed on only $100,000 of assessed value.