[HiloDiver]

Aloha, I used to live on Key Largo, and now I am really missing it there. Mostly the diving, but also the weather. I currently live in a cold place (don't laugh...Hawai'i is cold...it really is...as Dave Barry says, I am not making this up...air temps 60s at night and water temps only mid-70's which is awful for diving and yes, those numbers are year-round).

I sold my Key Largo home in 2005 and have been missing it a lot ever since. Which brings me to the question, how is life in the upper Keys in 2013? I fiddled around on the MLS tonight and I can't believe how cheap real estate is now. But is there a reason for that? Has crime risen? Have other costs of living risen? Are there no jobs? I know the bubble burst, but Keys real estate...something I've followed for decades...seems to be as low as I've seen it in maybe 20 years. Is it that home/flood/wind insurance is impossible to buy?

Some other questions, how is the part-time job market for a young retiree who still enjoys working? My experience would make me valuable in a dive shop, bait and tackle shop, or marina type of environment.

And, just how modern has it become? I was brokenhearted to see a Starbucks in Key Largo last time I was there. I don't want to move to "South Dade", I want my Keys...but is it still the same as it was?

I lived in Anglers Park (MM103.5) at one time and Plantation Key Colony years before that (MM90)...are the upper Keys all spoiled with strip malls and Starbucks and other mainland amenities? Do I need to be looking further south? Or can I still find unspoiled paradise between MM105 and MM80?

Thanks in advance. I know I've asked a lot of questions but I'm really looking for some answers. I'm really getting homesick for my Keys.

[flkeysclaire]

Hello HiloDiver!

There are many stories I have heard similar to yours - where people sell and then want to come back! I can understand why! It is interesting to hear that you consider Hawaii cold.

You sold your property at a good time - the following year is when the bubble burst here. Since the height of the market, Florida Keys real estate adjusted down approximately 50%. Which is where the market would have been had the boom not happened. Our property values went back to 2002/ 2003 prices. Which is perfect for you if you are considering moving back.

Things are rebounding down here, not just in real estate. Vacationers are coming back, businesses are getting busy, homes have reached their bottom. But being an area that is 50% vacation homes - we felt the sting a little worse than other areas. Then there was the BP oil spill, which didn't help the economy. I would venture to say that things have not changed too much since you sold your home in 2005. Yes, there are some chain stores in the area but there are still a lot of "mom and pop" places as well. The locals still have their favorite spots and the water is just as beautiful as ever! Business is picking up, which means more "help wanted" signs around.

I can help you find your piece of Paradise again! And talk further about the Keys!

[HiloDiver]

Thank you! The information I need is more about employment possibilities than searching for real estate (I was a realtor in Florida btw). I don't need to make tons of money but I need health insurance. Another important unanswered question is that I'm still wondering if Key Largo looks like Coral Springs now...it was definitely getting "gentrified" last time I visited. I do not like that. Might go further down the Keys, might go further up the coast on Mainland Florida.

[bigh110]

I bought a shack in 2010 and could not believe the prices houses have been selling for in the lower keys! i have a small non descript retirement/vacation home in big pine. Don't know much a bout employment opportunities that offer health insurance but Monroe county does have the lowest unemployment in the state. everyone i know who lives there either works at a bar/resteurant or own and/or work on a charter/dive boat and none have health insurance. I would look for a job with the state/county/kmart/winn dixie/publix if you want decent health insurance. Rumor has it that president Obama is gonna hook everyone up with cheap health insurance soon. As for crime I know there was increase in crime rates when they were building the sewer sytems in the upper keys but I would expect that to level off now that its done and things are back to normal. I cant speak for key largo but big pine has a lot of older people that can live it up. They down more alcohol then most people half their age! I am literally amazed at the partying all my 60's something neighbors partake in I have a hangover from hell and they are already lifted their first drink of the (next) day. I have friends on the gulf coast and that area is "gentrified" the old folks in the lower keys are living life to the fullest. I do notice that everything besides the bars/restaurants closes no later than 9pm. i can also say that homeowners/flood/windstorm insurance policies is a killer its has went up 30% for me 3 years!! The unincorporated lower keys is also in the first stages of installing a state mandated sewer systems and if the homeowner does not pay their expected $4500 fee then it will be spread out in their taxes over 20 years. something to think about if you are buying because it will make for a larger tax bill vs a house where the homeowner paid for it. I will say the diving is great! many different shipwrecks and reef spots to dive just wish i was able to dive a lot more than i do now. Bahia honda state park is my favorite beach and looe key is not too far away but you will need a boat to get to it. anyway I would do what it takes to get back to the keys especially if you consider hawaii "cold" I like it because its the closest thing you can get to a tropical island and still be in mainland america without needing to take a plane trip just to leave the "rock"

[HiloDiver]

Thanks Bigh...and BTW some of those older party-hearty folks on Big Pine Key are friends of mine!

I managed to sell my Key Largo home before the sewers were mandatory. Back then, pretty much all of the crimes were DUI, failure to appear, outboard theft, and the occasional domestic incident.

Thank you for the reminder that health insurance for all is coming, yippee!!!! This means I can get back into the dive industry and have health insurance!!!

[OptimusPrime69]

I literally am still trying to digest the fact that u currently live in Hawaii and are missing the little old florida keys. . . I mean you're in Hawaii! Is it not paradise on earth there?

Surely, the keys are nice, but to trade it for hawaii.. . mind=blown.

[HiloDiver]

Ah, but it's all about the diving. 30+ years in Broward and Monroe counties, I could dive just about any time I wanted, the water so much warmer (except between about Veteran's Day and Cinco de Mayo), and SO much more to see underwater in Florida. There are no soft corals here, which makes the reefs appear dead (although they are not) and I have yet to see a fish larger than 8 inches, and there are not many fish.

So while Hawai'i is paradise, it is paradise in every aspect but one: spectacular diving.

So, do you have any advice for me based on my questions in post #1?

[tallrick]

I do not miss it a bit. The US-1 traffic backups, the dry weather and dead plants, the tourists and the bubbleheaded realtors. Now I have food growing at home and a more relaxed life. I admit, Key Largo was a lot better than Miami, but compared to inland south Florida it had a lot of disadvantages. I no longer have the uncertainty of a US-1 parking lot experience.

[CountryFisher]

Originally Posted by tallrick

I do not miss it a bit. The US-1 traffic backups, the dry weather and dead plants, the tourists and the bubbleheaded realtors. Now I have food growing at home and a more relaxed life. I admit, Key Largo was a lot better than Miami, but compared to inland south Florida it had a lot of disadvantages. I no longer have the uncertainty of a US-1 parking lot experience.

I wish the county would WIDEN US-1 instead of adding more useless bike paths. The whole road needs to be 4 lanes minimal, especially for hurricane evacuation. I don't know why they won't do that.

I also hate getting stuck behind slow driving tourists who are sight seeing and create a mile long traffic jam. Obviously, you can't pass them due the highway being only two lanes.

[mateo384]

When I was there last, I was talking to a couple locals about hurricanes, and they said they don't leave. They just bunker down with other people in one spot and party. How true is this?