The Florida homestead exemption is a property tax break that's offered based on your home's assessed value and provides exemptions within a certain value limit. To qualify for the homeowners' exemption, the home must have been the principal residence of the owner as of January 1 of that tax year.You cannot transfer your homestead exemption when you move from a previous Florida homestead to a new Florida homestead. A homestead exemption can benefit homeowners if one spouse in a twoincome household dies. To claim the exemption, the homeowner must make a one-time filing with the county assessor where the property is located. A homestead exemption can save you thousands of dollars in property taxes and it can also save you from certain liabilities. In FL you can't even apply for a homestead exemption until you've been in the house for a year. As with Texas, the homestead exemption for Florida has no value cap (making the federal homestead exemption inferior). A homestead protects some of the equity in your home. If you live in the home you own, you already have an automatic homestead exemption.