The Keyes Company · Palm Beach County

Buying or selling in Royal Palm Beach?

The Florida side of this site, where the answer is yes rather than an introduction.

Direct representation

What to expect from me

A fair number of Royal Palm Beach purchases begin with somebody who is not in Florida yet. That works, but it works better with a plan behind it: walkthrough video that shows the electrical panel and the ceilings rather than the view, an inspection booked before you fly in rather than after, and a clear understanding of what I will and will not sign on your behalf. I represent you on the Florida side. If there is a property to sell where you live now, I can refer you there through The Keyes Company.

What Florida adds to a transaction

  • Windstorm and flood are underwritten separately from the main policy across much of Florida. Price them on the specific address before you are under contract, not after.
  • For condominium buildings of three storeys or more at the relevant age, Florida requires milestone structural inspections and a structural integrity reserve study. Both change assessments and financeability. Read them before waiving anything.
  • The homestead exemption reduces taxable value on a Florida primary residence, and the Save Our Homes cap limits how fast the assessed value rises afterwards. Portability may carry a benefit from a prior Florida homestead. Your county property appraiser is the authority, not your agent.
  • Title in Florida is customarily handled through a title company rather than an attorney as a matter of course, which changes who you call when a question arises mid-contract.

What actually decides a Florida closing

Title work exists to find the things nobody mentioned. An old lien, an unreleased mortgage from a refinance, an estate that was never fully administered, a signature missing from a deed two owners back. Most of it is curable given time and unrecoverable given none, which is why the search should be opened at the beginning of a contract rather than in its final fortnight.

Other cities in Florida

Questions people actually ask

Who handles the closing in Florida?

Customarily a title company rather than an attorney as a matter of course, which differs from practice in a number of other states. The title work confirms the seller can convey what they are selling and turns up the things nobody mentioned: an old lien, an open permit, a boundary that does not match the fence. You may still want your own attorney, particularly on an estate sale or anything unusual, and I will say so when I think it is warranted.

What do I have to disclose as a seller in Florida?

Florida sellers are required to disclose known facts materially affecting the value of the property which are not readily observable — the rule from Johnson v. Davis — and it is broader than most sellers expect. The practical version: if you know about it and a buyer would not see it on a walkthrough, disclose it. Where the boundaries of that duty are genuinely unclear, that is a question for an attorney rather than for me.

What are the four-point and wind mitigation inspections?

Insurance documents rather than buyer protections. Insurers commonly ask for a four-point report on an older property — roof, electrical, plumbing, heating and cooling — before they will quote at all, and a wind mitigation report records construction features that can reduce a premium. Neither replaces a full home inspection. Order them early enough that a refusal to quote is not what you discover a week before closing.

What happens if work on the house was never permitted?

It surfaces, usually at the least convenient moment. Open or missing permits attach to the property rather than to the person who did the work, and they can hold up a closing, an insurance quote, or a sale years later. The city or county building department is the place to check, asking costs nothing, and the answer is far more useful while your contingency periods are still running.

What relationship will we have — are you my agent?

In Florida the presumption is a transaction broker relationship unless something else is agreed in writing, as Section 475.278, Florida Statutes contemplates. That carries a defined set of duties, including dealing honestly and fairly, skill and care, and limited confidentiality. I will tell you plainly and in writing which relationship applies before you rely on me, and none exists until it is agreed.

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Jacob Campbell · Florida Real Estate Sales Associate, license 3623732 · The Keyes Company · 561.301.7130