Determine your home's current market value. In New York, the homestead exemption applies to real property, including your home, condominium, or co-op.It also applies to a mobile home. Exemption applications must be filed with your local assessor's office. See our Municipal Profiles for your local assessor's mailing address. This can provide asset protection from creditors for at least some of house's value. Homestead Act of 1862, in U.S. history, significant legislative action that promoted the settlement and development of the American West. This exemption can be applied to all residential property up to five dwelling units of which at least one is owner occupied. Brush your history with a quick overview of the 1862 Homestead Act, one of Abraham Lincoln's crowning legislative achievements. What was the Homestead Act?