Mortgage Broker in Highland Beach, FL

Short answer

The median condo in the Town of Highland Beach sold for $937,500 in Q3 2026, and 70% of the 27 buyers paid cash. QMS Lending is an independent mortgage broker that matches oceanfront condo buyers between Boca Raton and Delray Beach to the 100+ lenders whose building review, insurance and jumbo rules fit the unit, from conventional to non-warrantable condo loans.

What condos and homes cost in Highland Beach

27 condos and townhouses closed in Highland Beach in Q3 2026 at a median of $937,500, down 1.8% from a year earlier, per Florida Realtors data published by MIAMI REALTORS (as of November 2026). The average sale was $1,066,167. For comparison, the Palm Beach County condo median was $307,500, so Highland Beach runs about three times the county.

It is a buyer's market. The median unit took 150 days to go under contract, sellers got 81.0% of original list price, and there were 115 active listings, or 8.2 months of supply. That is room to negotiate, and time to read the building's documents before your inspection period ends.

Only 2 single-family homes sold in Q3 2026, at a median of $11,150,000, with 8 on the market. Houses here are a jumbo or cash conversation.

The town was incorporated in 1949 and had 4,295 residents in the 2020 census, with 4,338 housing units, 43.7% of them vacant on census day, a sign of how many units are seasonal second homes. Its ZIP code is 33487.

Florida's condo safety law and Highland Beach buildings

Almost every Highland Beach condo sits in a mid-rise or high-rise tower on A1A, so the state's post-Surfside rules apply to nearly every purchase. Many of these buildings are old enough to be in their first or second milestone cycle.

Florida Statute 553.899 (2026 version) requires a milestone inspection for condo and co-op buildings three habitable stories or taller by December 31 of the year the building turns 30, then every 10 years. A local building official may move the first one to 25 years for buildings near salt water. Phase one is a visual check by an engineer or architect; if it finds substantial structural deterioration, phase two testing follows, and repairs must start within 365 days of the phase two report.

Statute 718.112 adds the structural integrity reserve study (SIRS): roof, structure, fireproofing, plumbing, electrical, waterproofing and painting, windows and exterior doors, reviewed at least every 10 years. Owner-controlled associations had to finish one by December 31, 2025, or alongside a milestone due by December 31, 2026, and never later than that date. For budgets adopted on or after December 31, 2024, the board cannot waive or cut reserves for those items.

Two relief valves exist. A board may pause or reduce reserve funding for up to two annual budgets (budgets adopted through December 31, 2028) to pay for milestone repairs, with a majority vote of all owners. And reserves may be funded by special assessments, a line of credit or a loan. Either way, the money comes from owners, so read the budget, the SIRS and the last 12 months of board minutes before you sign.

Warrantable, non-warrantable and special assessments

Before a lender funds a condo loan it reviews the building with a condo questionnaire, the budget and the insurance. Fannie Mae's Selling Guide (topic dated August 5, 2026) makes a project ineligible when it needs critical repairs, including unfunded repairs over $10,000 per unit that should be done within 12 months, or when it failed a required state or local safety inspection. Any structural inspection from the last three years must be reviewed.

A special assessment tied to a critical repair that is not yet fixed also makes the project ineligible. Once the work is finished and an engineer documents it, the building can become eligible again.

• Warrantable: a warrantable condo can use conventional financing, and FHA if the project is approved.
• Non-warrantable: a non-warrantable condo needs a non-warrantable condo loan from a portfolio or non-QM lender. Expect more down, more reserves and a full building review.
• Already own and facing an assessment? A HELOC or fixed second mortgage can pay it without touching your first mortgage, subject to credit approval.

In a building where 70% of buyers pay cash, a financed buyer is competing on terms. A full pre-approval that already includes the building review makes your offer look closer to cash.

Jumbo math at the Highland Beach median

The 2026 conforming limit for one unit is $832,750 (FHFA), and the FHA one-unit limit in Palm Beach County is $667,000 (HUD), as of November 2026. At the $937,500 median:

• 20% down ($187,500) leaves a $750,000 loan, under the conforming limit.
• 10% down leaves $843,750, which is over the limit, so it becomes a jumbo loan.
• With 20% down, any price above about $1,040,938 pushes the loan into jumbo territory. The town's average sale of $1,066,167 is already there.

Jumbo and non-warrantable lenders look hard at reserves, often several months of payments plus dues. Many Highland Beach buyers are retirees or self-employed; bank statement loans and asset-based options can fit, and buyers from abroad can ask about foreign national loans.

Florida closing taxes on the loan: doc stamps on the note are $0.35 per $100 and intangible tax is 2 mills, or about $2,625 and $1,500 on a $750,000 mortgage.

Flood zones, wind and Citizens

Palm Beach County's updated FEMA maps took effect December 20, 2024, adding thousands of eastern county residents to high-risk zones. Highland Beach is a narrow strip between the ocean and the Intracoastal. The county's Community Rating System table (as of April 2023) lists Highland Beach as Class 10, which means no CRS discount on flood premiums; confirm the current class with the town.

On the oceanfront, FEMA maps often show VE zones (coastal high hazard, with wave action) next to the beach and AE zones on the Intracoastal side. If the building is in a special flood hazard area, a lender requires flood coverage. For a condo, that starts with the association's master flood policy; for a house, it is your own policy. An elevation certificate helps price it. Read what a flood zone means for your loan.

Wind is the other big line. Many coastal associations and owners end up with Citizens Property Insurance. Citizens now requires flood insurance on Personal Lines residential policies with wind coverage: since July 1, 2023 in FEMA flood hazard areas, and by dwelling replacement cost elsewhere ($600,000 or more from January 1, 2024, $500,000 from 2025, $400,000 from 2026, all others from January 1, 2027). Condo unit owner policies are excluded, but the association's master policy and your HO-6 still drive your monthly cost. A lender counts dues and insurance in your debt-to-income ratio, so get a quote on the master policy and an HO-6 binder early.

Property taxes and Amendment 3

The Highland Beach district total was 15.8455 mills in 2025 (code 24984), per the Palm Beach County Property Appraiser. Using the 2026 proposed rates (town 3.4227 plus 0.1648 debt, county 4.5000 plus 0.0210 debt, schools 3.2480 and 3.0390, Children's Services 0.4908, Health Care District 0.6561, SFWMD 0.2301 combined, FIND 0.0270) gives about 15.80 mills, or roughly 1.58% (as of November 2026). The town's total does not include the county fire-rescue or library levies.

On a $937,500 condo with no exemptions that is about $14,800 a year. A homesteaded owner gets $25,000 off all taxes plus up to $25,722 more off non-school taxes (2025 amount), which lowers the estimate to about $14,170. The Save Our Homes cap resets when you buy, so budget on your price, not the seller's bill.

Amendment 3 passed on November 3, 2026 (about 62%, unofficial until certified). The non-school homestead exemption rises to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028, then indexes to inflation from 2029. Owners who become permanent Florida residents after December 31, 2026 start smaller and reach the full amount in their fifth year of homestead. The cap on non-homestead assessment increases drops from 10% to 5% from January 1, 2027 (non-school taxes). School taxes do not change, and the first bills affected arrive in November 2027. Rough example at today's rates: on that $937,500 homesteaded condo, the larger exemption could cut the bill by about $940 in 2027 and $1,900 in 2028. Second-home buyers do not get the homestead benefit but do get the 5% cap after their first assessment.

Read how the homestead exemption works and file by March 1 of the year after you move in.

Working with QMS Lending in Highland Beach

QMS Lending is an independent mortgage broker in Miami, FL, founded in 2018 (NMLS #1781090) and led by President Michael Fernandez (NMLS #1491775). We compare 100+ lenders, which matters on the coast: condo review rules, flood and wind requirements and jumbo limits differ from lender to lender. We are rated 4.9 stars on 200+ Google reviews and work in English and Spanish.

Send us the building name privately, the HOA budget, the latest milestone and SIRS summaries and any special assessment notice before you write an offer. We will tell you whether the building fits conventional, jumbo or non-warrantable financing, and how much down and reserves to plan for. Rates vary daily; call 305-425-1990 for today's pricing. All loans are subject to credit approval and underwriting. Office: 3105 NW 107th Ave Ste 400-O6, Doral, FL 33172.

Down payment help for Highland Beach buyers

• Florida Hometown Heroes Up to 5% of the first mortgage ($10,000 to $35,000), 0% deferred second mortgage, for eligible first-time buyers working full time for a Florida employer. Check current funding. ↗

Nearby cities

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