When Combined Property Tax and Mortgage Payments are Required. If you hold less than 20% of the property (LTV > 80%) or you are a first-time homebuyer, most lenders will require that you pay your property taxes through them, especially if they are offering competitive rates.
Homesteading is a spectrum. Ultimately, the broadest definition is that it is a lifestyle with a commitment to self-sufficiency. This can encompass growing and preserving food; providing your own electricity with solar, wind or water; and even making your own fabric and clothing.
Homestead Act definition A law passed in the 1860s that offered up to 160 acres of public land to any head of a family who paid a registration fee, lived on the land for five years, and cultivated it or built on it.