Waterfront Homes in Palm Beach Gardens

Lakefront, canal and Intracoastal: three different purchases

Waterfront in Palm Beach Gardens falls into three groups, and they behave differently on price, insurance and upkeep.

• Lakefront inside a planned community. This is the most common type. Many gated and club communities in the city are built around stormwater lakes. You get a view and a back yard on the water, but usually no boating beyond what the association allows. These lakes are part of the drainage system, and the association or a water control district manages them.
• Canal homes with boat access. Fewer in number and mostly toward the east side of the city. The value depends on the canal's depth, its width and how many bridges stand between the dock and open water.
• Intracoastal frontage. The smallest and most expensive group, usually in club or estate communities on the eastern edge. Frenchmans Creek, which Zillow lists at about $3,322,329, is one of the communities with Intracoastal frontage.

When you search listings, the waterfront filter treats all three the same way. Read the description and look at an aerial before booking a showing.

Boating access, bridges and inlets

For a boat owner, the house is only as good as the route out. From northern Palm Beach County, boats reach the Atlantic through the Jupiter Inlet to the north or the Lake Worth Inlet to the south, by way of the Intracoastal Waterway. Before you fall for a dock, check:

• Fixed bridges on the route and their clearance at high tide. A low fixed bridge can rule out a sailboat or a tall center console, regardless of how deep the canal is.
• Water depth at the dock and in the canal at low tide, from a recent survey if the seller has one.
• Travel time to the inlet at no-wake speed, which can be longer than the map suggests.
• Dock length and lift capacity relative to the boat you own or plan to buy.

On lakefront lots, ask whether any motorized boats are allowed at all. Many associations permit only small electric or non-motorized craft, if anything.

Seawalls, docks and permits

A seawall is a structural item with a finite life, and replacing one is a large expense. On any canal or Intracoastal home, hire a marine contractor or engineer to inspect the cap, panels, tiebacks and any cracks or soil loss behind the wall. Ask the seller for the wall's age and permit records.

• Docks, lifts and seawall work need permits, and work along the Intracoastal or in state waters may involve state and federal approvals on top of local ones.
• Unpermitted docks or lifts can complicate insurance and resale. Check the permit history before closing.
• On lakefront lots, ask who owns and maintains the lake bank. Erosion repair can fall on the owner, the association or a district, depending on the plat and the documents.

Elevation, flood zones and the elevation certificate

Flood risk varies more between two waterfront lots than between two neighborhoods. Start with the FEMA map for the specific parcel. Homes along tidal water may fall in AE zones, and lakefront homes in planned communities are often in lower-risk zones, but the map, not the view, decides. Ask the seller for an elevation certificate. If none exists, ordering one during your inspection period gives the flood insurer the lowest floor elevation relative to the base flood elevation, and that number drives the premium.

A lender will require flood insurance in high-risk A and V zones. Even outside them, a flood quote on a waterfront house is worth getting before you commit. Flood coverage is separate from your homeowners policy and can come from the NFIP or a private carrier.

Wind, salt air and the insurance quote

The city's median home was built in 1995. On a waterfront house that age, insurers will look at roof age, roof-to-wall connections and whether the windows and doors are impact rated. A wind mitigation report documents all of it and is the cheapest way to lower the wind premium. Older houses may also need a 4-point inspection.

Close to salt water, metal wears faster. Have your inspector look closely at AC condensers, pool equipment, screen enclosure frames, sliding door tracks and any exposed fasteners on the dock and lift. These items show up in the repair budget within a few years of buying.

Your hurricane deductible will be a percentage of dwelling coverage. On a higher-value waterfront house, a 5% deductible is a large number, so look at the dollar amount when comparing quotes.

Pricing a waterfront house against the city

Because the Zillow numbers here cover the whole city, use them as a floor. The typical single-family house is about $790,250, up 4.7% in a year, a four-bedroom about $1,150,309, and the upper third of the market starts around $1,580,691. Many canal and Intracoastal homes sit in that upper third. Lakefront homes inside a community usually carry a premium over the dry lots in the same community, and comparing them with recent lakefront sales in that community gives the most honest number.

Tax-wise, the assessment resets to the purchase price. A permanent resident's homestead exemption takes up to $51,411 off assessed value, and future increases are capped at 3% or CPI. A second-home owner gets no exemption, and the non-school assessment can rise as much as 10% a year. If you tell me the boat, the budget and the kind of water you want, I can sort the current listings down to the ones that actually fit.