The homestead can't exceed one acre in a city or 160 acres in a rural area. This can provide asset protection from creditors for at least some of house's value.You will need to file the Declaration with the Clerk and Recorder's Office in the county where the homestead is located. Need More Information? Section 8 of the Homestead Act of 1862 allowed persons who did not want to wait five years to complete their entries to. What is the Principal Residence Exemption or "Homestead" exemption? Your homestead is in Michigan (whether you rent or own). A homestead is the house or mobile home that a person lives in and land on which it sits.