Save Our Homes Portability for Davie, FL Sellers (2026)

How Does Save Our Homes Portability Work When You Sell in Davie?

Save Our Homes portability lets you move the accumulated tax savings from your old Florida homestead to your next one, up to $500,000 of assessed value difference. For a Davie seller in 2026, this can cut thousands off the property taxes on your next home. You must establish a new Florida homestead within three tax years and file the portability application by March 1.

This is one of the most valuable and most misunderstood parts of selling a homestead in Florida. Many Davie sellers leave real money on the table because they do not know the benefit moves with them. Here is exactly how it works and how to claim it.

What Is the Save Our Homes Cap?

Save Our Homes is a Florida constitutional protection that limits how much the assessed value of your homestead can rise each year. Once you have a homestead exemption, your assessed value cannot increase by more than 3 percent or the change in the Consumer Price Index, whichever is lower, regardless of how much the market value climbs.

Over years of a rising market, that creates a gap. Your market value might be $700,000 while your assessed value, the number your taxes are based on, sits far below it. That gap is your accumulated Save Our Homes benefit, and it is the thing portability lets you keep.

You can see your own market value, assessed value, and the difference on your property record through the Broward County Property Appraiser.

How Much Can You Transfer?

You can transfer up to $500,000 of the difference between your market value and your assessed value to a new Florida homestead. The amount depends on whether you move up or down in price.

• If you buy a home of equal or greater market value, you transfer the full benefit, up to the $500,000 cap.
• If you buy a less expensive home, you transfer a proportional share of the benefit based on the new home’s value relative to the old one.

The Florida Department of Revenue explains the calculation in detail on floridarevenue.com, and the Broward County Property Appraiser will run the exact numbers for your situation when you file.

How Long Do You Have to Move Your Benefit?

You have up to three tax years to establish a new Florida homestead and carry your benefit forward. The clock is measured from January 1 of the year you abandoned or sold your previous homestead.

In practical terms, that means you do not have to buy your next home the same year you sell. A Davie seller who sells in 2026 generally has until they establish a homestead within the following window to claim portability. Miss the window, and the benefit is gone, so timing matters when you plan your move.

How Do You File for Portability?

Portability is not automatic. You have to apply, and the deadline is firm. Here is the order I walk Davie sellers through:

1. File for the standard homestead exemption on your new Florida home using Form DR-501.

2. File the portability application, Form DR-501T, to transfer your Save Our Homes benefit.

3. Submit both to the property appraiser in the county of your new home by March 1.

4. Provide the parcel details of your prior homestead so the appraiser can calculate the transferable amount.

5. Confirm the benefit appears on your new assessment when the tax roll is set, and review it through the Broward County Property Appraiser if your new home is in Broward.

If your new home is also in Davie or elsewhere in Broward County, you file through the same office, which you can reach through the Broward County and Broward County Property Appraiser websites.

One 2026 note worth watching. Several state ballot proposals could change how the cap and the portable benefit work, but none takes effect unless approved by 60 percent of voters in November 2026, with changes beginning in 2027. The rules above are what apply to your sale in 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much Save Our Homes benefit can I transfer in Florida?

You can transfer up to $500,000 of the difference between your homestead’s market value and its capped assessed value. If you buy a home of equal or higher value you move the full benefit up to that cap. If you buy a less expensive home you transfer a proportional share.

How long do I have to use portability after selling my Davie home?

You have up to three tax years to establish a new Florida homestead, measured from January 1 of the year you abandoned the prior homestead. You do not have to buy your next home in the same calendar year that you sell.

Is Save Our Homes portability automatic?

No. You must file Form DR-501 for the homestead exemption on your new home and Form DR-501T to transfer the benefit, and both must reach the property appraiser by March 1. Missing the deadline forfeits the transfer for that year.

Does portability work if I move to a cheaper home in Davie?

Yes, but the benefit is prorated. When you downsize, you transfer a share of your accumulated benefit based on the new home’s market value relative to your old one, rather than the full amount.

Where do I file for portability in Davie?

Davie is in Broward County, so you file your homestead and portability applications through the Broward County Property Appraiser. You will provide the parcel details of your previous homestead so the office can calculate your transferable amount.

Talk to a Davie Real Estate Expert

If you are selling a homestead in Davie and buying your next home, portability should be part of the plan before you list, not after you close. Anthony is a Davie native, a Broker Associate with Coldwell Banker, and the agent who built livingindavieflorida.com. He will help you time your sale and purchase so your Save Our Homes benefit carries forward cleanly. Schedule a free strategy call and keep more of your tax savings.

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Internal Links Used

| Anchor Text | Destination |

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| Buying a home in Davie Florida | /buying-a-home-in-davie-florida/ |

| Davie real estate market 2026 | /davie-florida-real-estate-market-2026/ |

| Subscribe to the Living in Davie newsletter | /davie-market-data/ |

External Links Used

| Anchor Text | Destination | Authority |

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| Broward County Property Appraiser | https://www.bcpa.net | Broward County government |

| Florida Department of Revenue | https://floridarevenue.com | Florida state government |

| Broward County | https://www.broward.org | Broward County government |

Anthony Spitaleri

Living in Davie Florida

954-235-5783

Davie, Florida

livingindavieflorida.com

About Anthony Spitaleri

Anthony Spitaleri is a Broker Associate with Coldwell Banker, the largest residential real estate brand in the world, with over 3,000 offices globally and a 116-year track record. A Davie native who returned home in 2025 after 13 years in Miami Beach, Anthony specializes in luxury homes and estates above $1 million, acreage and equestrian properties with no HOA, and relocation buyers moving to Davie from out of state. He created livingindavieflorida.com, the most comprehensive independent Davie real estate resource available, with in-depth coverage of Davie’s gated communities, acreage and equestrian properties, and luxury estates, plus original weekly market data, interactive tools, Town Council recaps, and a 24/7 AI concierge. Anthony has been licensed in real estate since 2013 (BK3281907), is a Certified Strategic Coach through Coaching Services International (CSI), an active member of the Davie Cooper City Chamber of Commerce, and a weekly volunteer at Bit by Bit Therapeutic Riding Center in Davie.