Boca Raton real estate has layers that a standard closing checklist does not cover. A home in Boca West, Broken Sound or Woodfield comes with a mandatory club membership and a transfer fee that can run into six figures. A condo east of Federal Highway may be three stories or taller and thirty years old, which puts it squarely inside Florida’s milestone inspection and reserve rules. A waterfront property along the Intracoastal raises seawall, dock and flood questions. I’m Eric J. Goldman, and I represent buyers, sellers and owners in Boca Raton and southern Palm Beach County in closings, contract review, association matters and real estate disputes.
I run a small practice by design. You work with me directly from the first contract draft through the recorded deed, and if a problem surfaces, you already have a lawyer who knows the file. Call (954) 536-7557 for a free consultation about a Boca Raton property matter.
Luxury and Country Club Closings in Boca Raton
Boca Raton’s club communities, including Boca West, Broken Sound, Boca Grove, Woodfield, St. Andrews, Boca Pointe and the Royal Palm Yacht and Country Club, each operate under a layered set of documents: the HOA declaration, the club’s membership plan and bylaws, and the purchase contract’s membership addendum. Whether a membership is mandatory, whether it is an equity or non-equity membership, what the initiation fee and annual dues are, how the membership transfers at closing, and whether any portion is refundable on resale are all questions the contract must answer before the buyer’s deposit goes hard. I review the club documents alongside the HOA package and make sure the contract and the membership application line up. My article on country club equity memberships in Boca Raton real estate covers the common surprises.
High-value closings also raise their own logistics: lender requirements on jumbo loans, wire fraud precautions on seven-figure transfers, survey and elevation certificate review for waterfront lots, and coordination of multiple contingency deadlines. The mechanics are described on my real estate closing attorney page.
HOA and Condominium Matters
Nearly every Boca Raton neighborhood is governed by an association. For buyers, that means reviewing the declaration, rules, budget, reserve study and estoppel certificate during the statutory review period, and understanding what the association can restrict: leasing, pets, vehicles, exterior changes and, in the club communities, the club’s own rules. For owners, it means disputes over special assessments, architectural denials, fines and liens, and access to records under Chapter 720 for HOAs and Chapter 718 for condominiums. I represent owners in those disputes and, in separate matters, associations. See my HOA and condominium disputes page and the article on Boca Raton HOA special assessment disputes.
Condo Milestone Inspections and Reserves
Following the 2022 condominium safety legislation, condominium buildings three stories or taller must complete a milestone structural inspection once they reach 30 years of age (earlier in some coastal locations) and every ten years afterward, and associations must complete a structural integrity reserve study and fund reserves for the building’s structural components. Boca Raton has a large inventory of 1970s and 1980s coastal condos along A1A, in the downtown core and around the Boca Raton Resort, and many of them are working through those requirements now. Sellers must provide buyers with the milestone inspection and reserve study information, and buyers should read them before the rescission period ends. I review the inspection reports, the reserve funding, and any pending or anticipated special assessments before a client commits.
Contract Review for Boca Raton Buyers and Sellers
Most Boca Raton residential contracts are written on the Florida Realtors/Florida Bar form, but the addenda, riders and negotiated changes are where the risk lives: the inspection period and repair limits, the financing contingency and appraisal gap, the association approval contingency, the club membership addendum, and the seller’s disclosure obligations. I review contracts before signing whenever possible, and I negotiate the terms buyers and sellers most often regret. The contract review page describes that work.
Palm Beach County Recording and Courts
Deeds and mortgages for Boca Raton property are recorded with the Palm Beach County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller. Documentary stamp tax on the deed is $0.70 per $100 of the purchase price, and by local custom the seller typically pays for the owner’s title insurance policy, although the contract controls. Real estate litigation is filed in the 15th Judicial Circuit, and matters arising in Boca Raton are often heard at the South County Courthouse in Delray Beach rather than the main courthouse in West Palm Beach. For county-wide coverage, see my Palm Beach County real estate attorney page.
Boca Raton Neighborhoods I Serve
I represent clients throughout Boca Raton and its unincorporated county pockets, including Boca West, Broken Sound, Woodfield Country Club, Boca Grove, St. Andrews Country Club, Boca Pointe, Royal Palm Yacht and Country Club, The Sanctuary, Mizner Park and the downtown condominiums, the beachfront along A1A, Boca Del Mar, Boca Falls, and the communities west of the Turnpike, along with neighboring Deerfield Beach, Delray Beach and Highland Beach.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need an attorney to buy a home in Boca Raton?
Florida does not require one, and many Boca closings are handled by title companies that represent neither party. An attorney representing you reads the club and association documents, negotiates the contract, and handles problems that a neutral closing agent cannot. In a market where a single addendum can commit you to a six-figure membership, that review pays for itself.
Is a country club membership really mandatory?
In many Boca Raton club communities, yes. The HOA documents require every owner to hold at least a social membership, and the club’s membership plan sets the initiation fee, dues and transfer rules. Some communities offer optional or tiered memberships. I confirm exactly what is required before my clients sign.
What should I check before buying an older condo in Boca Raton?
The milestone inspection report, the structural integrity reserve study, the current reserve balances, the budget, the minutes for the last year, and any pending or discussed special assessments. If the building has not completed its required inspection or study, that is a red flag that deserves an explanation before closing.
Do you handle commercial property in Boca Raton?
Yes. Boca Raton has a substantial office and retail market along Glades Road, Yamato Road and the Federal Highway corridor, and I represent buyers, sellers, landlords and tenants in commercial purchases and leases there.
Talk to a Boca Raton Real Estate Attorney
Whether you are buying in a club community, selling a condo, dealing with an association, or reviewing a contract before you sign, call (954) 536-7557 or use the contact page. The consultation is free, and I serve all of Boca Raton and Palm Beach County.