Buy a declared homestead form from an office-supply store, or download a form from the Registrar-Recorder's website. Homestead Exemption is a civil code provision, which may protect part of the homes equity from creditors.The Property Appraiser mails Homestead Exemption application forms and qualification guidelines to persons who bought homes during the current year. A homestead exemption can benefit homeowners if one spouse in a twoincome household dies. Your homestead must be within the state of Florida to be eligible for protection and you must be a permanent resident of Florida. Preservation of the exemption after the funds requires a bona fide intent to reinvest the sales proceeds into another homestead. If you are eligible, portability allows most Florida homestead owners to transfer their SOH benefit from their old homestead to a new homestead, lowering the. After the first year a home receives a homestead exemp on and the property appraiser assesses it at just value, the assessment for each following year cannot. The homestead exemption will last until the end of the year and you will have until March 1st to apply for homestead exemption. Signatures on the Declaration of Homestead must be notarized.