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Read my articles for great information on Buying a home in Jupiter Florida.

Can a lawyer be paid a real estate commission?

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In short, NO. Under 475.011 of the Florida Statutes, there are 13 exemptions, i.e., when the rules and regulations of Chapter 475 do not apply.

  1. 475.011(1) An attorney at law within the scope of his or her duties as such.
    An example of this would be a sellers attorney who negotiates the terms of a sales contract for his client “ or an attorney for a tenant who negotiates the terms of the lease for retail space. This exemption does not mean an attorney can be paid a commission. The attorney can receive payment for his or her legal services, i.e., $250 per hour if thats the rate they charge; but unless that attorney also holds a real estate license, they cannot be paid a commission, i.e., any negotiated percentage of a sales price.

1353 Saint Lawrence Drive Palm Beach Gardens Fl

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Tory Joeckel in our office just listed the home at 1353 Saint Lawrence Drive in the Isles for sale asking $539,900. This home is a Divosta ‘built solid’ poured concrete wall home and an Oakmont model. It’s on the lake with a pool and screen enclosure, southern exposure and in the middle of the community between the 2 big concerns, Military and the RR tracks so minimal noise. The home is just 4 houses from the club house, community pool and 4 tennis courts. Original interior finishes but priced accordingly.

Natural light abounds in this home that features 3 bedrooms/2 baths, office/study, SMART security ($5000 high-tech system), & extended porch overlooking the screened-in pool. Enjoy the sunsets while the kids play in the pool, which has a heater and solar blanket for those colder days/nights. The kitchen has brand-new stainless steel appliances (2019) and overlooks the Family/Great room w/ built-in cabinets. Additional features include newer pool pump (2018), newer A/C (2017) and newer washer and dryer (2018). The home has split bedrooms, with the Master Suite having separate His and Her closets & bathrooms. Low HOA fee includes tennis, pool, landscaping, cable, & clubhouse, which is minutes from the house.

How to check a dock permit in Palm Beach County Florida

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How to check a dock permit in Palm Beach County Florida?

OK, I’ve found just the right waterfront house. I looked into it and I found out if the water frontage is Riparian or Littoral. Now how do I tell if the sea wall, rip rap (stone) and most importantly the dock/pier is properly permitted?

Let me preface my answer with this: Hire a Professional Engineer. It’s the only way to be sure.

Start with this. All sea walls, rip rap (stone) and docks MUST be permitted by the Florida DEP. So start by looking up the property, by address at this DEP Site, or browse a map HERE. Or, if it is a drainage canal the you must look at the South Florida Water Management portal, or equivalent. Print out all the information you can. Look at any plans and read through the FULL permit. Does the permit state that it is over sovereign submerged lands? Does it state that the waterway is environmentally sensitive? Does the approved plan ‘look’ like what there? Are boat lifts shown on the DEP permit plan? Are floating docks shown?

Go to the county (Palm Beach) AND the local municipality (say Jupiter) and review ALL the building permit files noting anything that is included like the dock, sea wall, boat lift(s) and electric thereto.

Look at the recorded plat and HOA restrictions for applicable verbiage. Are there any conflicts between what is there and what theses documents restrict the homeowner to do or not do? Did the Owner obtain the required approval from the association?

The DEP permit plan MUST be implemented via a local, county or municipality, building permit. For example, one could get a DEP permit that shows a ‘boat lift’ on the same plan as a dock and sea wall. The owner could then pull a permit for the dock and sea wall (without the lift), complete the work and get the permit closed. Then later go back and pull another local permit for the boat lift using the same DEP Permit as a basis for the local municipal permit. Be sure to note even things like outside dolphin or tie off pilings MUST be on the DEP permit. Everything should be as it shown on the DEP plan which again is the basis for a local permit. Just because something is shown on the DEP permit does not in and of itself make it OK. It must be included on the local permit as well. Look at the last survey and compare that to the plan submitted with the permit. Do they match? And yes, they must match perfectly so check the dimensions.

Now go onto PAPA or Google Earth and look at the old aerials of the property. When did the dock change? Is that when the local permit was dated? If not then it may not have been properly permitted as again, the DEP approved plan must be implemented with a local permit. And ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS check to make sure the local permit was properly closed out. If it was NOT then the dock improvements were NOT properly permitted and what was allowed back then may no longer be permissible.

What about electric? If there’s a lift, lights or shore power then there’s electric to the dock and this MUST also be permitted and is typically a sub permit to the dock and/or lift permit.

If the house in an HOA or some sort such as Admiral’s Cove of Jonathan’s Landing then the association will typically keep track of these things to make sure the work is done properly. But if the property is tucked back a canal or in an unincorporated pocket of the county like Paradise Port then there can be lot’s of work that get’s done the weekend.

Still have questions? Give me a call at the office at 561.626.8550.

Should I use an appraisal Addendum in Florida

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UPDATE: As of November 1, 2021 the new version (6) of the FAR BAR As-Is is in use. ABSENT a separate appraisal addendum rider the appraisal MUST be completed inside the Loan Approval Period. If there are concerns that the property will not appraise or that the appraisal cannot be completed inside the Loan Approval Period then you SHOULD use the appraisal addendum form. If you are a Buyer reading this because your agent doesn’t know, you need a new one, call me, Chris Ryder at 561-626-8550.

If you are submitting an offer on a property and you are concerned that you’re paying too much OR that your lender will not have time to complete an appraisal of the property and want to include a requirement that the property appraise.

OK, no problem, in Florida, most residential real estate is sold using the FAR/BAR As-Is but one could also use the regular (non As-Is) FAR/BAR or the regular FAR or the FAR with an As-Is addendum. GENERALLY SPEAKING, one should use the addendum of the same version as the base contract. So, use the FAR/BAR addendum with the FAR/BAR As-Is Contract, BUT you don’t have to.

Choose one of these appraisal contingent addendum.

Appraisal-AddendumDownload
CR-5x_F.-Appraisal-ContingencyDownload
CRSP15.B.appraisal addendumDownload

Why do we need one? Well, if the Contract does NOT specify that the Buyer will use financing then I typically include one. Yes, one could have the property appraised in the inspection period but it’s tough to get that done in that time line.

If the chosen Contract specified financing then the current version of the FAR/BAR As-Is for example has an appraisal contingency written into the Contract BUT IT IS NOT APPLICABLE AFTER THE LOAN APPROVAL DATE.

“(2) Buyer’s mortgage broker or lender having received an appraisal or alternative valuation of the Property satisfactory to lender, if either is required by lender, which is sufficient to meet the terms required for lender to provide Financing for Buyer and proceed to Closing (“Appraisal”).”

IN this instance where one is using the appraisal contingency written into the Contract, first, it must be obtained by the Buyer’s Lender and second it must be “sufficient to meet the terms required for lender to provide Financing for Buyer and proceed to Closing.” THIS IS AN IMPORTANT POINT. What if the Buyer is strong or has a low LTV and it does not matter to the lender what the property appraises for? With the specific Appraisal Contingency addendum in place then the Property must appraise at or above the Purchase Price otherwise it need only appraise at a number sufficient to meet the underwriting guidelines of the lender.

2019 – NEW Florida Laws affecting real estate

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — May 4, 2019 — 2:16 pm — Your world got a little bit easier thanks to new legislation that brings modern technology and common sense to transactions. The Florida Legislature, which ended its 60-day legislative session minutes ago, passed two bills many Florida Realtors’ members had requested. One allows the use of remote online notaries and the other provides remedies for open and expired permits. “Our members spoke loud and clear about the problem of open permits and the benefit of remote notaries, and I’m happy to say lawmakers listened,” says Eric Sain, 2019 president of Florida Realtors and district sales manager with Illustrated Properties in Palm Beach. “But the really good news is that these two bills were only a part of our legislative successes this year. We’re also celebrating assignment of benefits (AOB) reform, funding to improve water quality and another cut to the business rent tax.” This end-of-session report covers key real estate legislation filed for the 60-day session that ended minutes ago. Bills passed head to the governor for final approval. Florida Realtors biggest legislative victories Remedies to open and expired permits — Open and expired permits can delay a closing, and, in some cases, kill a deal because of the uncertainty associated with them. To address the problem, HB 447 allows local governments to close a permit six years after its issuance as long as no apparent safety hazards exist. It also prevents local governments from penalizing property owners for an open permit that was applied for by a previous owner. Effective: October 1, 2019.
Approval of online remote notaries — Many states allow the use of online remote notaries in real estate transactions to make closings easier, faster and more convenient for distant parties. Thanks to HB 409, Florida now joins this group of modern-thinking states. Effective: January 1, 2020.
Curbing AOB abuse to keep insurance affordable — Property insurance assignment of benefits (AOB) came about to reduce insurance claim burdens for property owners. However, some contractors and attorneys abused the AOB process by overcharging for repairs and suing insurance carriers when they refuse to pay, leading to higher premiums for everyone. HB 7065 limits contractors’ ability to receive payment for their attorney fees if the claim is settled or won in court. This is commonly referred to as one-way attorney fees and the primary incentive behind AOB fraud. Please note: All bill provisions become effective on July 1, 2019, except for provisions relating to attorney fees, which become effective when the bill is signed into law.
$682 million for environmental projects — Communities throughout Florida were devastated last year by environmental problems such as blue-green algae and red tide. The Legislature responded with significant amounts of funding for environmental projects designed to address these issues. The proposed funding includes $322 million for both Everglades restoration and the early planning, design and construction of the Everglades Agricultural Area Reservoir. Also included: $40 million to complete the raising of Tamiami Trail, $100 million for springs restoration, $50 million for beach restoration projects, $10 million for a red tide/blue green algae task force and $25 million for a septic-to-sewer cost-share program. Effective: July 1, 2019.
Further reduction to the business rent tax — Businesses throughout Florida will save more than $65 million each year due to a .2% reduction of the business rent tax. The new state tax rate on commercial leases will be 5.5%, down from 5.7% in 2018 and 6% in 2017. Effective: January 1, 2020.
More than $200 million for affordable housing projects — Lawmakers allocated $200 million from the state and local government housing trust funds for affordable housing programs. This includes $115 million to assist Panhandle residents whose properties were devastated by Hurricane Michael. Effective: July 1, 2019.Continued funding for LIDAR mapping — The budget includes language that allows the Division of Emergency Management to continue spending the $15 million currently being used for LIDAR (light detection and ranging) mapping. LIDAR is a next-generation mapping technique and has the potential to lower flood insurance rates throughout Florida. Effective: July 1, 2019.
Preventing unlicensed real estate activity — The Legislature allocated up to $500,000 from the Professional Regulation Trust Fund to the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) to combat unlicensed real estate activity. Effective: July 1, 2019.

Other bills that passed of interest to Realtors Fighting red tide through research and technology — SB 1552 establishes the Florida Red Tide Mitigation and Technology Development Initiative, a partnership between the state and Mote Marine Laboratory to develop technologies that can control and mitigate red tide and its impact. Lawmakers appropriated $3 million a year for the next six years to fund the initiative. Effective: July 1, 2019.Banning local governments from restricting vegetable gardens — SB 82 prevents local governments from regulating homeowners’ vegetable gardens. The issue stemmed from a couple in Miami Shores who had to uproot their vegetable garden due to a local ordinance. This does not apply to homeowners associations (HOAs). Effective: July 1, 2019.Flood insurance matters — HB 617 requires insurers that do not provide flood insurance to provide a disclosure at initial issuance and each renewal regarding the importance of flood insurance. Effective: July 1, 2019.Property insurance changes — HB 301 includes a host of insurance revisions. The bill removes the $100 cap for insurers who provide loss control/mitigation goods or services (e.g. a temperature/humidity sensor) to policyholders and makes it easier for owners who have dwellings valued at $700,000 or more to obtain surplus lines of coverage. Effective: July 1, 2019.Property owner bill of rights and tree trimming — SB 1400 requires county appraisers to publish a list of constitutionally protected property rights on their websites. The bill also allows property owners to trim or remove trees on their property without consequence as long as they have a letter from a certified arborist or landscape architect stating the tree is a danger. Effective: July 1, 2019.Providing more structure for beach restoration projects — HB 325 creates a five-year work plan for beach renourishment projects throughout Florida based on a specific set of criteria. The new approach is intended to remove the arbitrary selection of projects that currently exists. Effective: July 1, 2019.More options for wetlands mitigation projects — HB 521 allows developers in areas lacking private wetlands mitigation credits to partner with local governments to mitigate on publicly-owned conservation land. Effective: July 1, 2019.Fire and life safety systems for condos — HB 647 extends the deadline for high-rise condominiums that must be retrofitted with fire sprinklers or another engineered life safety system from Dec. 31, 2019, to Dec. 31, 2023. Effective: July 1, 2019.Texting while driving ban gets tougher — HB 107 strengthens Florida’s existing ban on texting, emailing and instant messaging while driving. The bill changes current enforcement of the ban from a secondary offense to a primary offense, meaning law enforcement can now stop a vehicle solely for texting while driving. Effective: July 1, 2019.Military affairs — SB 620, in its original form, included a provision that capped the total money owed by an active duty service member who was entering into a lease at no more than the total of two months’ rent. Although the bill passed, the language pertaining to the cap was removed from the bill. Effective: July 1, 2019.  Bills that did not pass Private property rights/short-term rentals — SB 824 and HB 987 were companion bills supported by Florida Realtors aimed at protecting the right of private property owners to rent their property on a short-term basis because many local governments continue to enact ordinances that discourage short-term rentals and infringe on this fundamental right.Emotional support animals — HB 721 would have provided clarity for emotional support animals. It would have created a legal definition for these animals and would have required an emotional support animal certificate to come from a licensed doctor who has a relationship with the patient.Requiring online retailers to collect sales tax— SB 1112 would have required remote (out-of-state) sellers to collect and remit sales tax to the state on purchases made by Florida residents. The revenue gained from collecting the sales tax could have then been used to offset other taxes such as the business rent tax. Current law says that sales tax from remote sellers is legally owed to the state by the Floridian making the purchase, but few residents know about this requirement and even fewer pay it.Condo transfer fee background costs — HB 1075 contained several items related to HOAs and condominium associations. Of note to Realtors was an allowance for associations to charge a buyer or renter the “actual cost” of a background check plus a $100 administrative fee. Transfer fees are currently capped at $100 per applicant.Septic tank inspections — HB 85 would have required all homeowners in Florida to have septic tank inspections every five years.Water quality improvements — HB 973 would have transferred septic tank oversight from the Department of Health to the Department of Environmental Protection. The bill would have given the two state agencies one year to suggest recommendations on how to best transfer this massive responsibility.Rent control — HB 6053 and SB 1390 sought to allow local governments to adopt rental control ordinances.Seller disclosure — HB 163 and SB 1254 would have required sellers to provide buyers a written disclosure if the property is located within a dependent special district. The bill also gave buyers a three-day right of rescission after the disclosure was provided.Landlord disclosure — HB 153 and SB 1248 would have required landlords to provide prospective tenants with a “physical” copy of the restrictive covenants governing the use and occupancy of the premises.Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) — HB 163 and SB 282 sought to expand the list of qualifying improvements under the PACE program to include septic tank improvements or replacements.Swimming pool safety features — HB 805 and SB 724 would have required all residential pools in Florida to be equipped with two of the following safety features when a residential property with a pool is sold: 1) pool barrier, 2) pool cover, 3) door and window alarms, 4) self-closing and self-latching doors and 5) a pool alar

Property Appraiser Acronyms

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Call me crazy but a few of the acronyms used by the Palm Beach County Property Appraiser I just couldn’t figure out so I emailed them. And then I emailed them again and again. Finally, they sent me this list of the acronyms they use and the codes AND IT EVEN SHOWS THE ADJUSTMENTS USED FOR THINGS LIKE if a property has AC only then they knock off $5,000 from the value, heat only is $10,000 off and no heat or AC is $15,000 off. These are some of the ones you may be interested in…

EXTERIOR WALLS FOR RESIDENTIAL

MSY: MASONRY – Places like Botanica and Alton have masonry block all the way to the roof line.

WSF: WOOD OR STEEL FRAME

NONE: No Exterior Wall

MSY: CONC. SIP FORMING: Masonry Concrete Stay in Place Forming

MSY: PRECAST PNL/REIN. CONC: Masonry Precast Panel / Reinforced Concrete

WSF: CEMENT FIBER SIDING: Wood/Steel Frame Cement Fiber Siding

MSY: CEMENT FIBER SIDING: Masonry Cement Fiber Siding

WSF: WOOD SIDING: Wood/Steel Frame Wood Siding Common in places like Jupiter Farms

MSY: WOOD SIDING: Masonry Wood Siding

WSF: PREFAB PNL: Wood/Steel Frame Prefabricated Panel

WSF: ASPHALT SIDING:  Wood/Steel Frame Asphalt Siding

WSF: STONE: Wood/Steel Frame Stone

MSY: STONE: Masonry Stone

WSF: VINYL/STL/ALUM: Wood/Steel Frame: Vinyl/Steel/Aluminum

MSY: VINYL/STL/ALUM: Masonry: Vinyl/Steel/Aluminum

WSF: PLYWD/STL/ALUM SHTH: Wood/Steel Frame: Plywood

ADOBE/HOLLOW CLAY BLK:  Adobe/Hollow Clay Block

MSY: CONC. BLOCK: Masonry Concrete Block

WSF: STUCCO: Wood/Steel Frame Stucco which is common in the historic disctricts of West Palm Beach

MSY: CB STUCCO: Masonry Concrete Block Stucco

WSF: BRICK: Wood/Steel Frame Brick

MSY: BRICK: Masonry Brick

WSF: WOOD SHINGLE: Wood/Steel Frame Wood Shingle

WSF: COMP OR HARD BD: Wood/Steel Frame Composition or Hardboard

LOG: Log

WSF LOG VENEER: Wood/Steel Frame Log Veneer

MSY LOG VEENER: Masonry Log Veneer

GLASS: Glass

EXTERIOR WALLS FOR BARNS AND HANGARS 

OPEN POSTS OR COLUMNS: Open Posts Or Columns

HOLLOW CLAY BLOCK: Hollow Clay Block

CONCRETE BLOCK: Concrete Block

CONCRETE BLOCK STUCCO: Concrete Block Stucco or CBS construction which is the norm in the Northern Palm beach County area and places like North Palm Beach

BRICK, BLOCK BACKUP: Brick, Block Backup

BRICK COMMON: Brick Common

BRICK, SCR: Brick, Scr Modular

REINFORCED CONCRETE: Reinforced Concrete

PRECAST PANELS: Precast Panels

STONE, BLOCK BACKUP: Stone, Block Backup

STONE, GRANITE: Stone, Granite

SANDWICH PANEL, STEEL/ALUMINUM: Sandwich Panel, Steel/Aluminum

PREFAB PANEL, STEEL/ALUMINUM: Prefab Panel, Steel/Aluminum

ALUMINUM/STEEL SIDING/PANELS: Aluminum/Steel Siding/Panels

CEMENT FIBER SIDING/SHINGLES: Cement Fiber Siding/Shingles

PLYWOOD: Plywood

WOOD SHINGLES/SHAKES: Wood Shingles/Shakes

WOOD FRAME STUCCO: Wood Frame Stucco

VINYL SIDING: Vinyl Siding

WOOD SIDING: Wood Siding

CEADAR/REDWOOD : Cedar/Redwood

BRICK VENEER: Brick Veneer STONE VENEER: Stone Veneer

Frequently Asked Questions

FinCEN changes to Far Bar As-Is Contracts in Florida

There are new FinCEN reporting requirements for certain case sales in Florida and the thus the Far Bar As-Is was just updated with this: “FinCEN REAL ESTATE REPORTING OBLIGATION. Section 1031.320 of Chapter 31 of the Code of Federal Regulations (“CFR”) requires that certain residential real estate transactions without institutional lender financing, where at least […]

When is the Juno Beach Turtlefest in 2026

When will Turtlefest be held in Juno Beach in 2026? This year Turtlefest in Juno Beach, which is the annual even of Loggerhead Marinelife Center · 14200 US Highway 1 · Juno Beach, FL 33408 · USA will be held on February 21 & 22. Stop by R&R Realty in the Plaza Le Mer next […]

December and year end 2025 Jupiter and Palm Beach Gardens Housing sales numbers

Happy New Year! The Realtors Association of the Palm Beaches just released their December 2025 housing sales numbers and these are also the defacto year end numbers as well. I see the trend as going int he right direction. The key metric looking ahead is the months suuply of inventory which for houses has decreased […]

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From Our Blog

17115 121st Terrace N, Jupiter , FL 33478

17115 121st Terrace N, Jupiter , FL 33478
17115 121st Terrace N, Jupiter , FL 33478

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17115 121st Terrace N, Jupiter , FL 33478 https://www.flexmls.com/share/E9Jmh/17115-121st-Terrace-N-Jupiter-FL-33478 Welcome to 100% Move-In Ready Living in Jupiter Farms. 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 2,055 Sq ft, 1.25 acres, 3 car detached garage (960 sq ft).This beautifully renovated CBS home delivers the rare combination buyers are searching for in Jupiter Farms: a fully updated interior, major systems replaced, and the space and privacy that define the Farms lifestyle all on […]

10916 Stellar Circle 48 Reverence, Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33412

10916 Stellar Circle 48 Reverence, Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33412
10916 Stellar Circle 48 Reverence, Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33412

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10916 Stellar Circle 48 Reverence, Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33412 https://www.flexmls.com/share/E9Jeo/Selected Fully Furnished Builder's Model Home! Come live your best life here at Avondale. Premier waterfront homesite with gorgeous custom pool and spa. Price reflects $100k Builder savings to you! […]

Florida Property Tax Amendment

Florida Property Tax Amendment
Florida Property Tax Amendment

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Well, let's see what the language approved by the Florida Supreme Court is but a joint resolution of the house and senate proposes a near total make over of Florida property taxes. […]

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About Us

For over twenty years now R& R Realty has been helping customers buy and sell Palm Beach homes. Northern Palm Beach County is a spectacular place to live and we know every inch of it. Generally considered the end of the sub tropical zone, the Gulf Steam waters temper our climate for warm winters making for an amazing life style filled with boats, beaches, shoping, golf & convenience just 15 minutes from the Palm Beach Airport. Feel free to browse our website for more information on Palm Beach homes for sale and real estate listings including great local neighborhood maps of Juno Beach, Jupiter, Palm Beach Gardens, Singer Island and Jupiter Island. You may choose to search for Palm Beach Homes for sale on your own at first or contact us and we will help tailor a search to your specific needs. We look forward to hearing from you! If you have any questions about property for sale in Palm Beach, please call me, Chris Ryder, the owner, directly on my cell phone at (561) 818-3858.