The
homestead exemption is a legal regime designed to protect the value of the homes of residents from
property taxes,
creditors, and circumstances arising from the death of the homeowner spouse. Laws are found in
state statutes or
constitutional provisions which exist in many states in the
United States. The homestead exemption in certain southern states has its legal origins in colonial Spanish exemption laws. Exemption laws in other states were enacted in response to the effects of
economic depressions in the 19th century.