Vacation Homeowner in Palm Beach County: Costs and Rules

What the county numbers looked like over the last year

These are countywide medians for all residential property types, so a condo in one city and a house in another will land well above or below them. Source: Flexmls market statistics, Palm Beach County, residential, pulled 2026-10-22 (latest full month: September 2026).

Over those 12 months the sold median ranged from $480,000 to $540,000 and the active list median from $465,000 to $490,000. Active listings fell from 14,865 in October 2025 to 11,537 in September 2026, and 1,972 homes sold in September 2026.

What to watch out for with property taxes on a second home

The Palm Beach County Property Appraiser lists two different caps on how fast assessed value can rise. For a homestead-exempt property, the Save Our Homes cap limits increases to 3% a year or the change in the Consumer Price Index, whichever is lower. For non-homestead property, which is how a second home is assessed, the cap is 10% a year, and it applies to all taxing-authority millage except the school board millage. A change of ownership triggers reassessment, so do not count on the seller's capped value carrying over to you. The cap limits assessed value only. Your tax bill can still rise with millage rates or non-ad valorem assessments.

To claim the homestead exemption later, the Property Appraiser says you must own the residence as of January 1 and show Florida residency, for example a Florida driver's license, voter registration or vehicle registration. Call the Property Appraiser's main line, 561-355-2866, before you assume how your own situation is treated.

Source: Palm Beach County Property Appraiser, pbcpao.gov, "3% and 10% Caps" and "Do You Qualify?" pages, read 2026-10-22.

Not sure what your numbers look like yet? Our buyer guide lists what to ask before you make an offer.

Get The Wilder Way Home

Financing and renting a second home: what to ask first

Second-home loans can be priced and structured differently from a loan on your primary home. Ask your lender for a written quote that says "second home" before you fall for a property, because a primary-residence calculator may not match what you are offered.

Rental income depends on the community. Associations set their own rules on rentals, and the rules differ from one community to the next. Ask for the HOA documents, read the rental section, and confirm the minimum lease length in writing before you offer. If rental income is part of your plan, our rental investing guide goes through it: Vacation Rental Investing in Palm Beach County.

For how associations work in general, read Florida HOA Law for Palm Beach County Homeowners.

Inspection and insurance on a part-time home

Get a full professional home inspection on every purchase, including a home you will only use part of the year. A house that sits closed up for months can hide a slow leak or an air-conditioning problem for a long time. Ask your insurance agent early what a part-time-occupied home requires, because quotes can vary by property and by how much of the year it is occupied.

Why the search needs someone who knows the county

Even buyers who have visited for years often do not know which associations limit rentals, which streets sit in flood zones that change insurance pricing block to block, or how far a community sits from the beach, the airport or the highway. Palm Beach County runs from the Atlantic coast to the Everglades agricultural area, so a "Palm Beach County vacation home" can mean very different things in Jupiter, Delray Beach, Boynton Beach or Wellington.

Brian's Take: write down your top three uses for the home before you tour anything. A buyer who wants rental income and a buyer who wants a quiet winter base should be looking at different communities.

Next step: tell us your budget and how many weeks a year you will use the home, and we will shortlist communities whose documents fit.

Sources

Flexmls Palm Beach County market statistics, residential (pulled 2026-10-22); Palm Beach County Property Appraiser, pbcpao.gov, "3% and 10% Caps" and "Do You Qualify?" (read 2026-10-22).