Selling your Navarre Beach home and worried about losing your property tax savings? You are not alone. Florida’s homestead rules and Save Our Homes portability can feel technical, especially when timing your sale and next purchase. In this playbook, you will learn how homestead and portability work, the Santa Rosa County deadlines, how the math affects your next home, and the exact steps to protect your savings. Let’s dive in.
Homestead, Save Our Homes, and portability
Florida’s homestead exemption reduces the taxable value of your primary residence and opens the door to the Save Our Homes cap. To qualify, you must own and live in the home on January 1 and apply by March 1 with your county property appraiser. State guidance explains eligibility, filing, and portability rules in detail in the Property Tax Exemptions resources from the Florida Department of Revenue.
The Save Our Homes assessment limit caps annual increases to your assessed value at 3% or CPI, whichever is less. Over time, that cap creates a gap between market value and assessed value. That gap is your Save Our Homes “benefit.” It is personal to you and does not transfer to a buyer. Local guidance makes this clear when explaining the Save Our Homes cap and how it resets for new owners.
Portability lets you transfer some or all of that Save Our Homes benefit to a new Florida homestead, up to $500,000. You must apply for homestead on the new property and file the portability application. Florida voters extended the portability window so you can transfer if you had a homestead exemption in any of the three tax years immediately before establishing the new homestead. Counties calculate that window using January 1 tax-roll years.
How portability lowers your taxes on the next home
Your portable amount is the difference between your prior homestead’s market value and its Save Our Homes assessed value as of January 1. County appraisers use that difference to reduce the assessed value of your new homestead, which lowers your taxable value and tax bill.
Upsize vs. downsize
- Upsize. If your new home’s market value is equal to or higher than the old home’s, you can generally transfer the full Save Our Homes difference, up to $500,000. The new assessed value is the new market value minus the transferred amount.
- Downsize. If your new home’s market value is lower than the old home’s, the transfer is proportional. The appraiser prorates the benefit based on the ratio of the new value to the old value.
Local millage basics for Navarre Beach
Taxable value is multiplied by your tax district’s millage rate. For the Navarre Beach tax district, Santa Rosa County shows a combined millage in the neighborhood of about 13.88 mills in recent years. Individual bills may also include district or parcel specific assessments, such as MSBUs. Always use your parcel’s tax district rates when estimating.
Santa Rosa County timelines and process
Santa Rosa County’s filing cycle follows state rules. New homestead and portability applications are tied to the statutory March 1 deadline for the tax year you want the new exemption to begin. The county posts annual filing and pre-filing windows on the Santa Rosa County Property Appraiser site.
Timeframes hinge on January 1 tax-roll years. If you sell late in the calendar year, your practical window may be shorter because the clock is measured by January 1 dates. Establish the new homestead within the three tax-year window and file on time to preserve your transfer.
Forms you need
- DR-501T Transfer of Homestead Assessment Difference. File this with the property appraiser where your new homestead is located when you apply for that new homestead.
- DR-501TS Designation of Ownership Shares. Use this if spouses or former co-owners will split the ported amount between different new homesteads.
Your Navarre Beach seller playbook
Before you list
- Confirm your homestead and Save Our Homes numbers. Pull your parcel on the Santa Rosa County Property Appraiser site to see market value, Save Our Homes assessed value, and exemptions. Ask the office for your current Save Our Homes benefit and a portability estimate if needed.
- Plan your next move early. If you are buying another Florida home, ask the receiving county appraiser to run portability examples for your target price point. This shows whether you will transfer the full amount or a percentage.
- Coordinate with co-owners. If you and a spouse or former spouse will split benefits, discuss whether DR-501TS is required and how you will divide the amount.
During the sale and closing
- Confirm abandonment timing. Portability requires that the old homestead be abandoned. The appraiser removes homestead status once you no longer qualify, often tied to change of residency or the recorded deed. Ask the Santa Rosa County office how they will treat your specific sale.
- Set buyer expectations. Your Save Our Homes cap does not transfer to your buyer. Their assessed value will typically reset closer to market value, and their taxes may differ from yours.
After closing if you are buying in Florida
- File on time. Apply for the new homestead and submit DR-501T in the county where your new home is located by March 1 of the tax year you want the benefit.
- Keep your documents ready:
- Parcel ID and county for your prior homestead
- TRIM notice or prior tax bill showing market vs assessed values
- Deed and closing statement with sale date
- Florida ID, voter registration, or other residency proofs listed by the county
Common pitfalls to avoid
- Moving out of state. Portability only works from a Florida homestead to another Florida homestead.
- A co-owner still claims the old homestead. You cannot port until all homestead recipients have abandoned the prior homestead.
- Missing the March 1 deadline. Some counties allow limited late filing in certain situations, but you should plan to file on time or pre-file if available.
Selling on Navarre Beach should not mean leaving money on the table. With the right timing, forms, and a clear plan, you can carry your hard-earned Save Our Homes benefit to your next Florida home.
If you want a local strategy session tailored to your address, timeline, and target purchase, reach out to Chris Schultz. I will walk you through the county steps, help you plan your move, and coordinate with the property appraiser so you keep every dollar you can.
FAQs
Do buyers of Navarre Beach homes receive the seller’s homestead cap?
- No. The homestead exemption and Save Our Homes assessment cap are personal to the seller. A buyer must apply for their own homestead, and the assessed value typically resets for the new owner.
How long do I have to use portability after selling a Navarre Beach homestead?
- You can transfer if you had a Florida homestead in any of the three tax years immediately before you establish the new homestead, measured by January 1 tax-roll years.
How much can I transfer to my next Florida home?
- Up to $500,000 of your Save Our Homes assessment difference, subject to upsize or downsize rules, and only when you establish a new Florida homestead.
What happens if I downsize to a lower-valued home?
- The property appraiser applies portability proportionally. Your transferable amount is scaled to the ratio of the new home’s value to the old home’s value.
Where do I file the portability application if I move from Navarre Beach to another county?
- File DR-501T with the property appraiser in the county where your new homestead is located, at the same time you apply for the new homestead exemption.
