West Palm Beach has changed faster than almost any city in Florida over the past several years. Downtown towers along Flagler Drive and Okeechobee Boulevard, new office space that has pulled financial firms from the Northeast, historic neighborhoods like El Cid, Flamingo Park and Northwood where a 1920s house can carry a century of title history, and the equestrian and gated communities to the west in Wellington and Royal Palm Beach all generate transactions with their own legal issues. I’m Eric J. Goldman, and I represent buyers, sellers, investors and owners in West Palm Beach and throughout Palm Beach County in closings, contract review, association matters and real estate disputes.
You work with me directly, not with a closing department, and I stay on the file if a problem develops after closing. Call (954) 536-7557 for a free consultation about a West Palm Beach property matter.
Residential Closings in West Palm Beach
A West Palm Beach closing follows the same statutory framework as the rest of Florida, but the property types vary widely. Downtown and waterfront condominiums along Flagler Drive and South Flagler carry association documents, milestone inspection and reserve study requirements for buildings three stories or taller, and estoppel certificates that must be reviewed within the statutory cancellation period. Historic homes in El Cid, Flamingo Park, Grandview Heights and Northwood Shores may sit in a local historic district, which affects what an owner can change and which permits are required. Properties in the SoSo neighborhood south of Southern Boulevard and along the Intracoastal raise seawall, dock and flood insurance questions. And single-family homes in the western communities come with HOA declarations and, in some cases, mandatory club memberships.
I review the contract before signing where possible, examine the title commitment and survey, review the association package, coordinate with the lender and the other side, and review every closing document before my client signs. The full process is described on my real estate closing attorney page.
Wellington, Boynton Beach and the Western Communities
Wellington is the winter equestrian capital of the country, and its real estate reflects that: farms with barns, paddocks and rider housing, properties inside the Palm Beach Point and Grand Prix Village equestrian subdivisions, and homes in the Wellington gated communities. Equestrian property closings involve agricultural zoning and classification, well and septic systems, drainage and water management district permits, and title issues tied to easements and bridle paths. My article on Wellington equestrian property closings covers what buyers should expect.
Boynton Beach, Lake Worth Beach, Greenacres and Royal Palm Beach add a large inventory of condominiums and HOA communities, many built in the 1970s and 1980s and now working through the state’s inspection and reserve requirements. Buyers in those buildings should read how milestone inspection requirements apply to Boynton Beach condos before committing.
Contract Review Before You Sign
The Florida Realtors/Florida Bar contract is a starting point, not a finished agreement. The inspection period, the financing and appraisal contingencies, the association approval contingency, the title cure period and the seller’s disclosure obligations are all negotiated in the addenda, and a buyer or seller who signs without reading them has already given up leverage. I review and mark up contracts before signing whenever a client calls early enough, and I explain what each clause actually lets the other side do. See the contract review page for that service.
HOA and Condominium Disputes
The majority of West Palm Beach area homes are governed by an association, and disputes over special assessments, fines, liens, architectural decisions, leasing restrictions and access to records are a steady part of my practice. Chapter 720 governs homeowners’ associations and Chapter 718 governs condominiums, and both provide procedures, including presuit mediation for many HOA disputes, that must be followed before a lawsuit is filed. I represent owners in those disputes and, separately, associations. The HOA and condominium disputes page describes that work in detail.
Commercial Property in West Palm Beach
West Palm Beach’s downtown office market has drawn hedge funds, family offices and law firms to new Class A buildings, and the retail and restaurant corridors around Rosemary Square, Clematis Street and Antique Row generate a steady flow of leases. I represent landlords and tenants in office, retail and restaurant leases, and buyers and sellers in commercial purchases, from the letter of intent through closing. Investors selling appreciated property often use a 1031 exchange, and I structure those transactions with the qualified intermediary so the deadlines are met.
Palm Beach County Recording and Courts
Deeds and mortgages are recorded with the Palm Beach County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller at the main courthouse on North Dixie Highway in downtown West Palm Beach. Documentary stamp tax on deeds is $0.70 per $100 of consideration, and by custom the seller pays for the owner’s title policy, although the contract controls. Real estate litigation, including partition, quiet title, contract and association cases, is filed in the 15th Judicial Circuit at the same courthouse. County-wide coverage, including Boca Raton, Delray Beach and Jupiter, is described on my Palm Beach County real estate attorney page.
Neighborhoods and Communities I Serve
I represent clients throughout West Palm Beach, including Downtown, Flagler Drive and the waterfront, El Cid, Flamingo Park, Grandview Heights, Northwood, SoSo, Ibis, Bear Lakes and the Village of Golf area, and across the surrounding communities of Palm Beach, Wellington, Royal Palm Beach, Loxahatchee, Greenacres, Lake Worth Beach, Boynton Beach, Riviera Beach, Singer Island, Palm Beach Gardens, North Palm Beach and Jupiter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a real estate attorney for a West Palm Beach closing?
Florida does not require one, but a title company that closes the transaction represents neither party. An attorney on your side reviews the contract, the title commitment, the survey and the association documents for your benefit, and can resolve problems a neutral agent cannot. For historic homes, waterfront property and association-governed communities, that review is where the risk is caught.
What is different about buying a historic home in West Palm Beach?
Properties in the city’s historic districts are subject to review by the Historic Preservation Board for exterior changes, and older homes often have long chains of title, unrecorded lot adjustments and permits that were never closed. A careful title and permit review before the inspection period ends avoids most of the surprises.
How do special assessments affect a condo purchase?
An assessment that has been levied before closing is typically the seller’s responsibility unless the contract says otherwise; one levied afterward falls on the buyer. The estoppel certificate, the budget and the board minutes reveal assessments that are pending or being discussed, and I negotiate who pays before the contract is signed whenever possible.
Do you handle Wellington equestrian property?
Yes. Equestrian closings involve agricultural zoning, water management permits, easements and specialized improvements that require a different due diligence checklist from a standard residential purchase.
Talk to a West Palm Beach Real Estate Attorney
Whether you are buying, selling, leasing, or dealing with an association or a property dispute in West Palm Beach, Wellington, Boynton Beach or anywhere in Palm Beach County, call (954) 536-7557 or use the contact page. The consultation is free.