245 Valencia Road, West Palm Beach, FL 33401

Significance

The El Cid nomination lists 245 Valencia Road and its rear garage apartment in the contributing inventory, each dated 1925. The residence is classified as Mediterranean Revival. This resolves the earlier statement that this address's contributing status had not been confirmed. The county structural year also reads 1925. Historical district inclusion and current local approvals answer different questions: the inventory describes historical significance, while the City must determine review requirements for proposed work. No present condition assessment or permit completion is established by the nomination. The county classifies the parcel as 0100, SINGLE FAMILY, records 2 units, and reports 5,460 square feet of total parcel building area. The figure must not be confused with interior living area or a legal rental entitlement.

Documented timeline

1. 1925

   County construction year

   The Palm Beach County Property Appraiser's structural record gives 1925 as the year built. Treat that as an appraisal field. Original permit records or a designation report are needed to establish the precise construction sequence and distinguish later additions from the original building.[1]

2. 1980

   County instrument entry

   The county sale-history table records 1 January 1980, $44,300, and an unspecified instrument type, with Official Records reference 03318 / 01209. This is the date and amount shown by the county summary, not an independently confirmed contract closing or recording date. Personal parties are omitted.[1]

3. 1990

   County warranty deed entry

   The county sale-history table records 1 January 1990, $100, and warranty deed, with Official Records reference 06344 / 00963. The nominal amount is not evidence of market value or proof of the transfer purpose. The underlying instrument must be read before assigning a legal explanation.[1]

4. 2005

   County warranty deed entry

   The county sale-history table records 28 September 2005, $100, and warranty deed, with Official Records reference 19333 / 01764. The nominal amount is not evidence of market value or proof of the transfer purpose. The underlying instrument must be read before assigning a legal explanation.[1]

5. 2014

   County warranty deed entry

   The county sale-history table records 3 March 2014, $2,250,000, and warranty deed, with Official Records reference 26647 / 01556. This is the date and amount shown by the county summary, not an independently confirmed contract closing or recording date. Personal parties are omitted.[1]

6. 2020

   County warranty deed entry

   The county sale-history table records 1 December 2020, $10, and warranty deed, with Official Records reference 32026 / 01321. The nominal amount is not evidence of market value or proof of the transfer purpose. The underlying instrument must be read before assigning a legal explanation.[1]

Ownership of record

The county summary identifies the owner of record as a trust; personal names are omitted. Its latest instrument reference is Official Records 32026 / 01321. Use that book and page to retrieve the underlying Clerk instrument and compare the legal description with a current title commitment. The summary is an index to that work, not a title opinion. It cannot establish beneficial ownership, signing authority, current occupancy, private agreements, or the absence of a later instrument that has not reached the appraisal record.

Current status

The latest entry in the county sale-history table is dated 1 December 2020, with $10 and instrument type warranty deed. This describes the county record reviewed on 1 October 2026. It does not establish current availability or all terms of a transaction.

Buyer diligence

• Match parcel 74-43-43-27-21-009-0271 and the county legal description, EL CID S 41.66 FT OF LT 27, LT 28 BLK 9, to the survey and title commitment. Do not rely only on the street address or historic estate name when deciding what land and improvements a transaction includes.
• Retrieve Official Records 32026 / 01321 and the preceding instruments from the Clerk. Compare instrument dates, recording stamps, legal descriptions, and consideration. The 1 December 2020 date here is specifically the date in the Property Appraiser's sale-history table, which can differ from a reported closing date.
• Reconcile the county's 2 unit count, property-use classification, and 5,460 square feet of total parcel building area with approved plans and an inspection. Accessory structures, garages, and semi-finished areas can affect these fields; the total is not a verified living-area measurement or permission for separate rental use.
• Ask the City of West Palm Beach to confirm current local historic designation, the address-specific inventory record, and the approvals needed for proposed exterior work. A National Register nomination is historical evidence; it does not by itself establish that a particular present project has approval.
• Compare the building card, permit history, and physical inspection. A recorded construction year is a starting point for locating plans, not a warranty of original materials, present structural condition, or completion of later work. Request records for additions and accessory structures as well as the main house.
• Obtain the applicable current FEMA flood map and any elevation certificate before seeking insurance terms. This dossier has not made a parcel flood-zone determination, priced coverage, inspected flood mitigation work, or confirmed the condition of drainage, seawalls, roofing, or concealed building systems.

What the record cannot show

• The complete economic terms of a transaction, private agreements, personal property allocations, or the motivation for a nominal transfer.
• Beneficial ownership behind an entity or trust, current occupants, seller intentions, or the authority of a person to sign a future agreement.
• Whether historical architectural features remain intact or whether an appraisal characteristic corresponds to permitted, completed work.
• Current insurance eligibility and pricing, concealed defects, survey encroachments, or all title exceptions. Those require separate records and professional investigation.