Palm Beach

Property taxes in Palm Beach are assessed annually by the Palm Beach County Property Appraiser. Once the school, county, and municipal millages are combined, effective rates typically land between 1.8% and 2.3% of taxable value — meaningfully below most Northeast and West Coast markets, but higher than the headline "Florida has no state income tax" sometimes implies. Tax bills mail in November and earn a 4% discount when paid in November (1% off per month through February). The Hoffmann Group can pull the exact prior-year tax bill and millage breakdown from the Palm Beach County Property Appraiser before you make an offer so there are no surprises at closing.

If you make a Palm Beach home your permanent Florida residence and file by March 1 of the year after closing, you qualify for the homestead exemption: the first $25,000 of assessed value is fully exempt, and an additional $25,000 is exempt from non-school taxes — up to $50,000 in total exemption. Just as importantly, the Save Our Homes cap then limits annual increases in your assessed value to 3% (or CPI, whichever is lower) for as long as you keep the homestead, which compounds into substantial tax savings over time. New residents moving from another Florida home can also "port" up to $500,000 of accrued Save Our Homes benefit to Palm Beach. Investment properties and second homes do not qualify and will be reassessed at full market value every year.

Most of the Town of Palm Beach is single-family and either has no HOA or a light voluntary one. The few condo buildings along South Ocean Boulevard and Worth Avenue carry dues of $1.50–$3.00+ per square foot, reflecting hurricane-grade insurance, beach club access, valet, and white-glove service. Country club bonds (Mar-a-Lago, Bath & Tennis, Everglades, Palm Beach Country Club) are separate purchase requirements that can reach six and seven figures. Before closing, always request the current annual budget, the reserve study, and any structural integrity reserve study (SIRS) the building has on file. Florida's post-Surfside SB 4-D requires every condominium three stories or taller to fully fund reserves and complete a milestone inspection at 30 years (25 years for coastal buildings) — many older South Florida buildings have raised dues or levied special assessments to comply, and you want that fully disclosed before you sign.

Almost the entire Town of Palm Beach sits in FEMA Zone AE or VE. Any property inside a FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area (Zone AE or VE) requires flood insurance if you finance it with a federally backed mortgage; cash buyers can technically waive it, but almost no South Florida buyer does. Citizens Property Insurance and a handful of private carriers will quote based on the elevation certificate, foundation type, and distance to the coast. Premiums range from a few hundred dollars a year for a high-rise condo unit above the base flood elevation to several thousand for an older single-family home near the water. The Hoffmann Group can pull the FEMA flood map and a preliminary insurance quote on any specific Palm Beach address before you go under contract.

The Town of Palm Beach prohibits rentals shorter than three months and bans more than two rentals per dwelling in any 12-month period — among the strictest STR ordinances in Florida. The major condo buildings layer additional 3- or 6-month minimums on top. Palm Beach is essentially a seasonal-lease or full-time-residence market. On top of any city rules, the State of Florida requires every short-term rental to hold a DBPR vacation rental license and to collect both the 6% state sales tax and the local tourist development tax (6% in Miami-Dade, 6% in Broward, 6% in Palm Beach). The Hoffmann Group can pull the specific zoning designation and any existing condo or HOA declaration for any Palm Beach address before you write an offer that depends on rental income.