Direct representation
West Palm Beach — direct representation, not an introduction
Ask the awkward questions on the first call. I would rather answer them then than at the inspection.
Direct representationWhat to expect from me
What I can offer in West Palm Beach is availability and continuity: the person who took your first call is the person at the inspection, on the telephone to the lender, and at the closing table. There is nothing clever about that. It simply removes the most common failure in this business, which is a handoff to somebody you were never introduced to and cannot reach.
Price these before you commit
- 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.
The details that move a closing date
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
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.
How long does a Florida closing usually take?
It depends on the financing far more than on the property. A cash purchase can run in weeks; a financed one is governed by the lender’s conditions and the appraisal. Where an association is involved, add time for approval and for the estoppel. I will give you a working calendar early and tell you which dates are firm and which are hopeful, because the gap between those two is where people get hurt.
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Jacob Campbell · Florida Real Estate Sales Associate, license 3623732 · The Keyes Company · 561.301.7130