Buying a Second Home in Boca Raton: A Snowbird's Guide to Owning Part of the Year

Every October my phone starts to sound different. The calls are less about relocating and more about a feeling: "We were down here for three weeks last winter, and we don't want to rent again." These are buyers who plan to keep their primary home up north and spend the cool months in Boca Raton. A second home here is one of the best decisions a family can make, but owning a home you live in for five or six months is a different project than owning one you live in all year.

This guide covers which property suits a part-time owner, what happens while you're gone, and the rules that surprise people most.

Condo, Single-Family, or Club Community?

The right answer depends less on budget than on one question: who is looking after the property on the day you aren't there?

The Full-Service Condominium

For a lot of seasonal owners, a well-run condominium is the original lock-and-leave home. Staff are on site, the building's systems are maintained by the association, and there is usually a manager who can let a plumber in or check on a unit after a storm. You close the door in April and someone is still watching the building in August.

The trade-off is control: you live under the association's rules on renovations, contractors, pets and leasing. A condo's convenience is only as good as its management.

The Single-Family Home

A single-family home gives you privacy, a pool and room for the grandchildren at the holidays. It also makes you the facilities department: roof, pool equipment, irrigation, landscaping and the air conditioner are all yours, whether or not you're here. It can be a great fit for a part-time owner, but only with reliable home watch in place from day one.

The Club Community

Boca Raton's gated club communities sit between the two. You own your home, but a guardhouse controls access, and the community often handles landscaping and exterior maintenance on many home types. Add dining, tennis, fitness and often exclusive golf, and you have a ready-made social life the moment you arrive each season.

A seasonal home should feel effortless the day you arrive. The work of making that true happens in the months you're away.

Home Watch: What a Good Service Actually Checks

If you own anything other than a staffed condominium, you will want a home-watch service. Not every visit is equal. A good one sends a dated report with photos after each visit and checks, at minimum:

• Climate control. Thermostat and humidity readings, and whether the air handler is running and draining properly.
• Water. Signs of leaks under sinks, around toilets, water heaters and the air-conditioning condensate line, plus a look at ceilings for staining.
• Mold and odor. A musty smell in a closed house is an early warning, and catching it early is far cheaper than remediation.
• Doors, windows and the alarm. All secure, no signs of entry, and the security system armed.
• Exterior and pool. Storm debris, irrigation running on schedule, pool chemistry and equipment, and that the landscaper actually came.
• After a storm. An extra visit with a clear report, not just a text that says "all good."

Ask how often they visit, whether they'll meet contractors for you, and whether they carry their own insurance.

Humidity, AC and Dehumidifier Settings While You're Away

The most common mistake I see is an owner who turns the air conditioning off for the summer. In South Florida, the AC is also removing moisture. Without it, humidity climbs inside a closed home and mold, warped cabinetry and damaged finishes follow.

Most home-watch professionals and HVAC contractors suggest setting the thermostat in the high 70s to low 80s while you're away and keeping indoor relative humidity at or below about 60 percent. Some homes, particularly larger ones or those with oversized AC units that cycle off quickly, benefit from a whole-home dehumidifier or a thermostat with a humidity-control setting. Ask your HVAC contractor for the right settings for your specific system rather than copying a neighbor's.

I also recommend an automatic water shut-off valve and Wi-Fi leak sensors near the water heater, washer and air handler. They're inexpensive and let you see a problem from a thousand miles away.

Insuring a Home That Sits Empty Part of the Year

Many homeowner's policies contain vacancy or unoccupancy provisions that can limit coverage for certain losses if the home has been empty beyond a stated number of consecutive days. The definitions and time limits vary by carrier, so read yours carefully, and tell your agent up front that this will be a seasonal residence.

Questions I want every seasonal buyer to ask their agent before closing:

• Does the policy treat a seasonal home differently, and is there a vacancy or unoccupancy clause?
• Are regular home-watch visits, a monitored alarm or a water shut-off device required or credited?
• How is water damage covered, and is there a separate deductible?
• What is the windstorm deductible, and is flood coverage needed separately?

Renting It Out Off-Season

Some buyers want to offset costs by renting during the months they aren't here. Before you count on that income, read the governing documents. Many Boca Raton condominiums and homeowners' associations set minimum lease terms, limit how many times a unit may be leased each year, require tenant approval, or restrict leasing during an owner's first year or two. Some prohibit short-term rentals entirely, and the city and county have their own registration and tax rules for rentals.

Also ask whether renting fits the reason you bought. If you want to leave your art and golf clubs in place, rotating tenants change the picture.

Club Membership: Ask Before You Fall in Love

In a club community, the membership is often as big a decision as the house. Before any offer, I want clients to understand:

• Is membership mandatory? Some communities require it with the home; others make it optional.
• Equity or non-equity? With an equity membership you own a share of the club. Ask how and when any portion of the initiation is returned when you leave, which is often tied to a new member joining.
• What's the full cost? Initiation, annual dues, food and beverage minimums, and any pending capital assessments for clubhouse or course renovations.
• Is there a waitlist? Certain categories, particularly golf, can carry waitlists at in-demand clubs. Find out where you would stand and what you can use in the meantime.
• Seasonal rules. Guest policies and tee-time access during peak months.

Timing: Buy in the Fall, Enjoy the Season

Many buyers start looking in January, when the weather reminds them why. They end up shopping in the busiest part of the year and spending their first season furnishing a house instead of enjoying it.

Buying in the fall reverses that. You can inspect without a crowd of competing buyers, close, handle insurance and utilities, and have the home furnished and ready by the holidays. Fall isn't automatically cheaper, but the logistical advantage is real.

Taxes: Why a Second Home Is Assessed Differently

Florida's homestead exemption and its Save Our Homes cap, which limits annual increases in a primary residence's assessed value to 3 percent or the change in CPI, whichever is lower, are available only on your permanent residence. If your primary home remains up north, your Boca Raton home will be non-homestead property.

Non-homestead residential property has its own protection: annual increases in assessed value are capped at 10 percent, though that cap does not apply to school district taxes. The cap resets when the property sells, so your first tax bill will reflect the market value at purchase rather than the seller's. I always have clients estimate taxes on their own purchase price, not the number on the current bill.

Let's Find the Right Winter Home

A seasonal home should simplify your life, not add another set of problems to manage from a distance. When you work with me, you work with me directly, from the first conversation about lock-and-leave versus club life through home-watch introductions, insurance questions and the day you get your keys. One Broker. One Priority. You. If you're thinking about a winter home in Boca Raton this season, call me at 561-287-7247.

— Julian Rizzuto Flancbaum