Key West...good place to live? (real estate, condos, income)

[tallrick]

If you MUST live in the Keys try Key Largo where I live...except it's become so unaffordable that I doubt you can buy anything, althouth we do have a low-income housing project towards Pennekamp.

[Dharma G]

We have a house on Big Pine Key. It's a wonderful place to live. There is humidity, it's expensive and it's very touristy in Key West but go up the keys a little bit and it's WONDERFUL. The cost of living is high but it's not impossible to find a job to support the cost of housing...and it's worth it living in paradise.

[Prichard]

Dharma G, if you don't mind my asking, what is a decent 3br, 2bth home selling for in Big Pine presently?

[CURT]

before my in laws died they lived in islamorada. my family drove down several times a year...I always loved it there. I couldnt afford it but would have loved to live there.

[lonelychicagoan]

key west is a pretty good place to live, but unfortunately, the big issue is that the ENTIRE ISLAND practically is in a hurricane evacuation zone! (basically, you would not even be ALLOWED to stay in key west for anything bigger than a weak category 3.)

[takenadvantageof]

i have a house close to big pine key but live in ohio full time. alot of problems in key west. i started a business there a year ago but could never live there full time i would go nuts.plus alot of political corruption unless your a local there for a long time nobody and i mean nobody will do anything for you. Moderator cut: link cut

[elfyum]

Tallrick - you live in Key Largo???!!! The way you speak so negatively about FL I would never think you lived in such a beautiful place!!! What are you complaining about?! Sheesh! I mean, different strokes for different folks & all, but...!!! Are you trying to sell? I mean if you hate it that much...
Key Largo & all of the Keys I've seen (never actually made it to Key West!) are beautiful!!! Yeah, a royal pain in the ass with the evacuations, but beautiful none the less!

[momof2dfw]

The Keys are a fun place to visit or have a summer place but that is it.

1. There is one beach in Key West, Smathers Beach. As someone has already said, the "beaches" are not great as there are not any. Well, some manmade beaches at some resorts but that is it.

2. Hot and HUMID. I'm a native Texan and live in Dallas and people complain about our heat and humidity, even people that have never been here. We have nothing on the humidity in Key West. OMG!!! One day I had on a pair of lightweight, light colored linen shorts, supposed to be cool and "breathe", yeah right. Even they stuck to me and I had to ditch the underclothes as even they were sticking to me so bad it was unbearable. Even a swimsuit (for us ladies, men have it better w/ the trunks) is sweaty and hot.

3. Traffic. Yep, on Key West that is. And I would HATE to have to be in the traffic t evacuate, yuck. They make the road one way on both sides when need be. On Key West itself there is a lot of traffic and parking issues. The other islands are not as bad but Key West is THE tourist destination. Sidewalks can even be packed especially when the cruise ships dock.

4. Price of Real Estate. OMG!!! We looked as we do want to find something somewhere that we could buy. On Duck Key we looked at several as they were on an intercoastal waterway so not as much of a "direct hit" if there was a hurricane but still some damage if not total loss. Not ocean view and a house that would need some major renovations was right at $1M.

5. Want to buy one of those good lots w/ a beat up old mobile home on it and replace it? Forget it. They have been banned. The ones that are in the Keys now have been grandfathered and no new mobiles are allowed. Pick up a real estate magezine that advertises properties for sale and you will see they are full of properties for sale w/ old mobiles that have already been approved for a rebuild for a "stick built" house.

6. I'll have to agree w/ Mr. Turdo, the need for medical care as one ages has got to be important. If I need to get to a hospital asap I don't want it to be by air. BTW, I've always wondered, why is it as people age and need more medical care, why do they move farther away from it? LOL!!!!

7. There are some nicer islands to live on besides Key West that are less crowded but you will have to travel to another island for supplies. Duck Key is nice but the closest real store is on Marathon. I'd even settle for Marathon over Key West.

If your wanting a "true" beach, look elsewhere. The Keys are not going to have a "beach" that you may be accostumed to. Oh, I like how they have the fishing line recycle/disposal boxes for the fishermen. It is a pretty area w/ lots of great fishing and diving and a great place to visit.

[tallrick]

Originally Posted by elfyum

Tallrick - you live in Key Largo???!!! The way you speak so negatively about FL I would never think you lived in such a beautiful place!!! What are you complaining about?! Sheesh! I mean, different strokes for different folks & all, but...!!! Are you trying to sell? I mean if you hate it that much...
Key Largo & all of the Keys I've seen (never actually made it to Key West!) are beautiful!!! Yeah, a royal pain in the ass with the evacuations, but beautiful none the less!

Since my house is only on one small lot and I own 6 others around it, I am being devastated with high property taxes! The dry weather drives me nuts, and the heat and humidity can be impossible at times. The scenery is 100 times better than Miami though, yet the real estate bubble has chased away the oddball people who make the Keys so unique. Driving the highway to Miami has been deadly for so long, but at least they are (finally) working on it. I was involved in two close calls on that road, once with my dad and another time by myself where a car was passing and hit a pickup and then a motorhome headon, I was behind two cars which also ended up in that pile up. I ended up in the swamp by the Florida Rock and sand because I steered clear of the wrecks. It's ok to visit, but try living here year round. On the good side I have only 5 homes on my street and we adjoin the preserve they made out of the port bouganville area. I love the fact they turned the development into a preserve. But paying 10,000 a year in property taxes isn't worth it. What may be a paradise to visit can be bad for year-round living.

[Need_affordable_home]

Everyone said it well. Key West living isnt all cracked to be. I checked Realtor and the costs blew me away! Half million will get you a 2 bedroom shack thats falling apart! Youll need a million for a half decent 1500-2000 square feet house! The costs are easily $500 a square foot and if you want a nice new house with ocean views, thatll set you back $700-1000+ a square foot! If your rich enough to consider the keys, you could retire! If you still want to work, someone mentioned north Florida beaches which are nice and far cheaper!