Club and Condo Costs in PBG and Jupiter: A Monthly Worksheet
When a buyer asks me what a club home or a condo in Palm Beach Gardens or Jupiter will really cost each month, the list price is the last thing I look at. What matters is the monthly total after closing, built from five or six separate bills. I fill in a simple worksheet with buyers, line by line, before we talk about an offer. Here is how I build it.
Line 1: The association fee, and which kind it is
The paperwork and protections depend on the type of association.
- Condominium association. Your fee usually covers the building itself: the roof, exterior walls, elevators, shared systems and the master insurance policy. Check the budget for how much goes to reserves.
- Homeowners association. In a community of detached homes or villas, the fee tends to cover common areas, gates, landscaping in shared spaces and sometimes the amenity buildings. Your own roof and walls are yours to maintain and insure.
For an HOA community, Florida law requires a disclosure summary that tells you membership is mandatory, that assessments can change, and whether there may be rent or land use fees for recreational facilities. If you did not get that summary before signing, the statute gives you a window to cancel.
Line 2: Club dues, food minimums and the capital piece
This is the line where club communities differ most. Some clubs are mandatory with the home, some optional, some tiered by golf, tennis or social. Each of these gets its own row:
- Annual dues, divided by twelve.
- Any food and beverage minimum, since you pay it whether you dine there or not.
- The initiation fee, equity contribution or capital contribution due at joining.
- Cart, locker, storage or trail fees if you plan to use them.
The contribution at joining deserves its own conversation. Some clubs refund part or all of it when you resign and your membership is resold, some keep a share, and some refund nothing. Those terms live in the club’s bylaws and membership plan, and they differ from club to club. I ask for the current membership documents in writing and have buyers review them with their attorney before they commit.
Line 3: Reserves and special assessments in condo buildings
Florida condo rules have changed a lot in recent years. Buildings with three or more stories now go through milestone inspections and a structural integrity reserve study, often called a SIRS, which projects what the roof, structure, waterproofing and other major parts will cost to repair or replace.
In a resale, Florida law lists the documents a buyer is entitled to, including the budget, the financial statement, the most recent SIRS (or a statement that one is not done yet), and the milestone inspection summary where it applies. The contract gives you a set number of business days to review those and cancel. I use that time to compare the reserve balance with what the study says the building needs. A thin reserve today can mean a special assessment tomorrow, and that belongs on the worksheet as a risk line even if no assessment has been voted yet.
Line 4: Insurance, which depends on what you own
A condo owner and a house owner insure very different things.
| What you are buying | What your own policy usually needs to cover | Questions I ask |
|---|---|---|
| Condo unit (HO-6 policy) | Your belongings, plus interior finishes, fixtures, appliances, water heater, cabinets and countertops inside the unit | What is the master policy deductible, and how does the association pass it on after a storm? |
| Detached home or villa you own outright (HO-3 policy) | The full structure plus your belongings, with wind coverage priced separately or included | How old is the roof, and is there a current wind mitigation report? |
Florida requires condo unit owner policies to include at least $2,000 of loss assessment coverage, which helps if the association assesses owners after a covered loss, and many buyers choose more. And for hurricane coverage, insurers must offer deductible options of $500, 2 percent, 5 percent and 10 percent of the dwelling limit, applied once per calendar year. Insurers also have to file discounts for features that reduce wind losses, such as opening protection, which is why I ask sellers for the wind mitigation report early. I get quotes during the inspection period, not after.
Line 5: Property tax, before and after homestead
Do not budget from the seller’s tax bill. In Florida, the assessed value resets to just value as of January 1 of the year after a sale, so the seller’s capped number usually does not carry over to you.
If the home becomes your permanent residence, the homestead exemption can reduce taxable value by up to $50,000, though the second $25,000 does not apply to school taxes. Once homestead is in place, the Save Our Homes limit keeps your assessed value from rising more than 3 percent a year or the change in CPI, whichever is lower. If you are leaving another Florida homestead, portability may let you move up to $500,000 of that saved difference to the new home. Applications go to the Palm Beach County Property Appraiser, and the deadline is March 1. Tax rules do get updated, so confirm your numbers with a CPA.
Putting the worksheet together
Add the monthly versions of every line: association fee, club dues and minimums, insurance, property tax, and a reserve or assessment cushion. Then add your mortgage. Compare two or three properties side by side on that total, not on price. Start with our community pages and the buyers guide. If you already own here, the seller page covers how I price club and condo homes.
None of this is legal or tax advice. Statutes, club bylaws and condo documents should be reviewed with a Florida real estate attorney and your CPA.
For help with specific buildings or clubs, start a conversation and we will go through it together.
