The reference pages explain how the Florida homestead exemption works; these posts take a single practical question and follow it through, usually one tied to the time of year or to a decision a homeowner is about to make. Each is written by Marc Aschoff, dated, and built on the same sources as the rest of the site — the Florida Statutes, Department of Revenue publications and county property appraiser pages — and none of them is advice about your particular property. When a post and a reference page ever disagree, the reference page and the source it cites control, and a correction through the contact page is welcome.
Your Florida Homestead Proof File: What to Keep After You File
By Marc Aschoff ·
Filing the DR-501 is one step; being able to show later that the home was your permanent residence is another. Here is a simple yearly file built on the evidence Florida's statute actually names.
Protecting Your Homestead and Insurance Papers as Hurricane Season Ends
By Marc Aschoff ·
With hurricane season officially ending November 30, this is a calm moment to decide where your deed, policies and homestead records live, and to make sure a second copy exists somewhere else.
Voting on the Property Tax Amendment November 3? What It Changes for Your Homestead Filing, and What It Doesn't
By Marc Aschoff ·
Whichever way the November 3 vote goes, the March 1 filing, the January 1 test and the school-tax rules stay put. What would change and when, with no position taken.
Filed a Value Adjustment Board Petition in Florida? How to Prepare for the Hearing
By Marc Aschoff ·
VAB petitions have an evidence exchange, a burden-of-proof sequence and payment conditions that can end the case before the merits. A preparation guide for petitioners.
Florida's Senior Homestead Exemption: Check Whether Your County Offers It and Gather Records This Fall
By Marc Aschoff ·
The senior exemptions are local option. How to find out whether your county has adopted one, what the 2026 income limit is, and what to collect before the March 1 deadline.
Selling or Buying a Florida Home Before Year-End: What January 1 Decides
By Marc Aschoff ·
A year-end closing can decide whether a Florida buyer gets homestead for 2027, resets the Save Our Homes cap, and affects how much benefit a seller can port. How the January 1 rule works.
Fall is when to start your homestead exemption paperwork, not February
By Marc Aschoff ·
The March 1 deadline feels far away in September. That's exactly why September is the right month to start gathering proof of ownership and residency — not to file, but to have everything ready before the January rush. A practical checklist and timeline toward March 1.