Questions about buying and living in a condo in or near Palm Beach Fla.
December 2, 2014 6:49 AM Subscribe
The spousal unit and I are sick of Winter weather in the northern US and urgently wish to move to Palm Beach (NOT West Palm Beach). Our initial plan is to move into rental housing for a few months so we can be local while we shop for our new Condo home, but we have some questions about both life in the Palm Beach area and life in multi-unit HOA-run housing. We hope some Mefites with East-Florida-specific experience can provide insights.
This question is anonymous because I do not want my employers or clients knowing about my plans to relocate before I tell them formally. The things we want to know are as follows:
1) What is it like living in Palm Beach year-round? In particular we are concerned about periodic storm damage or road flooding/washouts from Hurricane season. Also any information about local culture or the neighborhoods’ atmosphere.
2) What questions should we be asking to ensure we buy into a building with proper sound insulation so we are not subjected to our condo neighbors’ stomping or musical tastes? Is there some specific construction method or certification standard we should be asking about?
3) What is a good independent resource to find data about the history and character of specific HOA organizations? Are HOA financial records open to non-members in Florida? We specifically wish to avoid joining a group of authoritarian busybodies, or being subjected to excessively frequent special assessment jackpots for maintenance or other foreseeable expenses.
This question is anonymous because I do not want my employers or clients knowing about my plans to relocate before I tell them formally. The things we want to know are as follows:
1) What is it like living in Palm Beach year-round? In particular we are concerned about periodic storm damage or road flooding/washouts from Hurricane season. Also any information about local culture or the neighborhoods’ atmosphere.
2) What questions should we be asking to ensure we buy into a building with proper sound insulation so we are not subjected to our condo neighbors’ stomping or musical tastes? Is there some specific construction method or certification standard we should be asking about?
3) What is a good independent resource to find data about the history and character of specific HOA organizations? Are HOA financial records open to non-members in Florida? We specifically wish to avoid joining a group of authoritarian busybodies, or being subjected to excessively frequent special assessment jackpots for maintenance or other foreseeable expenses.
My father, when he was in his early 50s, lived in Palm Beach (near the Breakers -- is that Palm Beach?). He lived in a small condo building. He never once mentioned noise. He did say that the off season was a trade off. Loved the fewer people, liked the small town feel in the off season, but as Daily Alice pointed out, it was hot and humid. I have been down there a few times in the summer to see Dave Mathews and it was hotter than teenage sex. I think he had hurricaine shutters or something, but his condo never had any material damage. Mostly, landscaping issues.
posted by 724A at 7:23 AM on December 2, 2014
posted by 724A at 7:23 AM on December 2, 2014
It's hot and miserable for 6 months of the year. Just miserable. If you DO move here, make sure your condo has covered parking/a garage for your car. Getting into a car that has been parked in the sun on an August day is painful.
The winter season is wonderful with lots of arts, music, green markets and other outdoor activities. Palm Beach itself is well maintained and buildings built after Andrew all must be built to Miami-Dade hurricane codes. We haven't had a storm in over a decade, but big summer storms come through and there is flooding and some property damage, but nothing that would cause large scale closures or power outages lasting for days (vs hours)
I live in western Palm Beach county (Wellington area) and have for the last 6 years. When I moved here, I was not prepared for the attitude down here. NOBODY'S shit stinks here- or so they think. The roads are like a road rage free-for-all. If you are from The South and think this area is at all like The South, you will be disappointed. There are no manners here. I would be out of here in a heartbeat, but the heart of our business is here and we just can not move right now. (I grew up in central FL, the heat and attitude are far worse here in PBC.)
As far as HOAs go, I'm pretty sure they do have to file the yearly budgets with either the county or the state. I think your best bet to suss out the busybody-ness of a particular board is to talk to people in the community. Keep in mind, the board one year is not necessarily the board you get the next year. (We own an investment property an the board has gone from great to nightmarish over the last few years). It's pretty 'luck of the draw' I think.
What draws you to the Palm Beach area? Are there other places that meet those needs? Is it weather only? How about farther up the coast, even up into GA/SC? Is it the arts culture? The beaches? My view is tainted by my own experience of course, but I would see if other locales offer the same benefits you're looking for. It's HOT and rude here.
posted by PorcineWithMe at 8:20 AM on December 2, 2014
The winter season is wonderful with lots of arts, music, green markets and other outdoor activities. Palm Beach itself is well maintained and buildings built after Andrew all must be built to Miami-Dade hurricane codes. We haven't had a storm in over a decade, but big summer storms come through and there is flooding and some property damage, but nothing that would cause large scale closures or power outages lasting for days (vs hours)
I live in western Palm Beach county (Wellington area) and have for the last 6 years. When I moved here, I was not prepared for the attitude down here. NOBODY'S shit stinks here- or so they think. The roads are like a road rage free-for-all. If you are from The South and think this area is at all like The South, you will be disappointed. There are no manners here. I would be out of here in a heartbeat, but the heart of our business is here and we just can not move right now. (I grew up in central FL, the heat and attitude are far worse here in PBC.)
As far as HOAs go, I'm pretty sure they do have to file the yearly budgets with either the county or the state. I think your best bet to suss out the busybody-ness of a particular board is to talk to people in the community. Keep in mind, the board one year is not necessarily the board you get the next year. (We own an investment property an the board has gone from great to nightmarish over the last few years). It's pretty 'luck of the draw' I think.
What draws you to the Palm Beach area? Are there other places that meet those needs? Is it weather only? How about farther up the coast, even up into GA/SC? Is it the arts culture? The beaches? My view is tainted by my own experience of course, but I would see if other locales offer the same benefits you're looking for. It's HOT and rude here.
posted by PorcineWithMe at 8:20 AM on December 2, 2014
Oh yeah, this is the only place I've ever lived where almost everybody leaves their shopping carts in parking spaces rather than putting them back in the cart corral. It's like they were raised by wolves.
posted by Daily Alice at 10:00 AM on December 2, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by Daily Alice at 10:00 AM on December 2, 2014 [2 favorites]
I lived in Broward County for 15 years. I was on the HOA board.
1. There's no way of not having a bad HOA. I got drafted against my will, but people who WANT to be on the board...are all assholes. HOAs exist to manage a group of units, and people who want to deal with that nonsense do it because they want the place to look a certain way and be a certain way.
2. Assessments. Before you buy you can look over the books of the HOA. They'll either have money in reserves, which means that a percentage of your monthly assessment will go towards reserves. This is DEEPLY unpopular in South Florida. But, if there's money in reserves, then that means less of a hit on assessments. If they do assess, you'll never know what and when. We had to assess to have the cool decking replaced on our walkways. We assessed to add insulation to the attic. We assessed when the schefflera trees invaded the plumbing. We had to double the monthly fees after Hurricane Andrew because Allstate, the insurer of the building for 30 years, pulled out of Florida and we had to scramble with East Bumble Insurance just to let everyone have a mortgage.
3. Becker and Poliakoff handles HOA legal stuff for 98% of all condos in Florida, so you might be able to ask them about a prospective HOA.
4. Soundproofing? I lived in a cement building, with a poured cement ceiling and 12 inch cinder block construction between units. It was bliss until some shitty people moved into the unit above me. They played loud music and that was that. I don't think anyone anywhere can guarantee quietude.
5. In the summer torrential rains occur every day at 2:45. They last from 15 to 30 minutes. It's hot and muggy from April through November. The building where I worked in Ft. Lauderdale would flood and the water would be up to your waist as you'd wade through to the more elevated parking area. Fish would swim around your legs. I'm not joking.
6. Even if you get a little villa/house, there's going to be an HOA.
That said, I like Florida, and I could be persuaded to live there again.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 10:08 AM on December 2, 2014
1. There's no way of not having a bad HOA. I got drafted against my will, but people who WANT to be on the board...are all assholes. HOAs exist to manage a group of units, and people who want to deal with that nonsense do it because they want the place to look a certain way and be a certain way.
2. Assessments. Before you buy you can look over the books of the HOA. They'll either have money in reserves, which means that a percentage of your monthly assessment will go towards reserves. This is DEEPLY unpopular in South Florida. But, if there's money in reserves, then that means less of a hit on assessments. If they do assess, you'll never know what and when. We had to assess to have the cool decking replaced on our walkways. We assessed to add insulation to the attic. We assessed when the schefflera trees invaded the plumbing. We had to double the monthly fees after Hurricane Andrew because Allstate, the insurer of the building for 30 years, pulled out of Florida and we had to scramble with East Bumble Insurance just to let everyone have a mortgage.
3. Becker and Poliakoff handles HOA legal stuff for 98% of all condos in Florida, so you might be able to ask them about a prospective HOA.
4. Soundproofing? I lived in a cement building, with a poured cement ceiling and 12 inch cinder block construction between units. It was bliss until some shitty people moved into the unit above me. They played loud music and that was that. I don't think anyone anywhere can guarantee quietude.
5. In the summer torrential rains occur every day at 2:45. They last from 15 to 30 minutes. It's hot and muggy from April through November. The building where I worked in Ft. Lauderdale would flood and the water would be up to your waist as you'd wade through to the more elevated parking area. Fish would swim around your legs. I'm not joking.
6. Even if you get a little villa/house, there's going to be an HOA.
That said, I like Florida, and I could be persuaded to live there again.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 10:08 AM on December 2, 2014
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posted by Daily Alice at 7:17 AM on December 2, 2014 [1 favorite]