[alimeyerchs]

I apologize if I'm starting a thread that's redundant, but I can't seem to find anything too similar. Here goes: I'm a 30-year old single female and have been considering moving to the Keys for quite some time now, specifically Key Largo. It appears in my head that it would be a great place for me for a couple of years minimum, if not longer.

I have lived all over the country in mainly medium to bigger cities and have usually been overwhelmed. I have always leaned towards the slower island lifestyle, and made a move to a small island in the Charleston, SC area last year and am very happy here; however the area is growing tremendously in many ways and it seems it will eventually be too fast-paced for me.

I've heard a few times that I'm an old soul and very much enjoy being alone as long as I have the outdoors and decent weather. I can entertain myself for quite some time with my piano and book collection. I do also like to socialize and meet all sorts of new people and hearing their stories but am a bit odd at my age as I do not date and don't much care to right now (I do not want children so finding a "mate" is just not a priority for me). I am the type who on a Friday after work will be fine going to happy hour or going home and reading a book. Most of my good friends in my life are a few decades older than me as well, if that matters. I love going to the beach, but I'm more of a general water person and have always appreciated boating more.

As far as career options, I am a Registered Nurse and bartender; neither exceedingly lucrative but as a single person who lives very modestly I have always been comfortable with this take home pay. I do understand that moving to the Keys would be an increase in monthly expenses.

Lastly, Key Largo stems from my personal research of what I find may be suitable for me, and I would like to be within 2 hours or so of Miami Airport - I am close to my family and often take trips around the eastern US to visit them and vice versa.

I would love input on the reality of my situation, as far as economically, lifestyle, and am open to hearing of other places that sound fitting. Also, know that I'm not looking for a permanent home. I'm a nomad and have no problem moving after a year or two. I appreciate any input.

[chiligrl]

You seem to have a better plan than a lot of folks that move down here. Some things to keep in mind are:
1. the cost of renting is outrageous in all of the keys, key largo is no exception. expect to pay ~$2 per sqft or more. All of the keys are currently undergoing an affordable housing crisis.
2. the price of real estate if you are interested in buying is roughly double the rest of the country for a home that is high and dry, and triple the rest of the country for a house on a canal.
3. bartending jobs will be hard to find, and if you do land one they don't pay well.

I am unsure of what the availability of nursing jobs, so I cant comment on that. I would think you could likely land a job in homestead or Monroe county. Maybe even in-home nursing in the keys. My and my wife moved here from New England last year and we love it. just be prepared to spend more than you are used to, definitely don't come to the keys without a good job lined up. And drive very carefully on US1.

[StarfishKey]

I am female in my early 30s, and moved to the Upper Keys over 2 years ago. I think you could do well down here. You may have to be open to sharing a place with 1 or 2 (or more) roommates, unless you are sitting on a ton of savings.

BUT, given that you said some of the other places you have lived grew and felt too fast-paced for you, I don't think Key Largo is the best match. All of the Keys are growing, there is a lot of traffic, etc. Key Largo is developing every inch of space they have. You might prefer to be in Tavernier, which is slower, and cheaper on the whole. Any of the islands between Key Largo and Marathon would have a slower, quieter pace than Key Largo or Marathon themselves. Islamorada is great, but tends to be more expensive than Key Largo.

Secure work AND housing BEFORE moving, because as chiligirl said there is an affordable housing crisis throughout Monroe County. Bartender jobs are not likely, as they go to locals who have lived here at least several years and have good local social connections. But your nursing experience will be in demand, and you should be able to get something between an official nursing position with a doctor or hospital, a home health care position, or a school nurse. If you're willing to commute, you'll have plenty of opportunities in Homestead and Miami also. Steady work experience and a strong work ethic (no "Keys Disease" - late, hungover, partier...) will make the difference between you getting the job and the many other hopefuls in the area.

Socially it will be perfect for you, since the local dating scene is generally regarded as terrible, and the majority of people to hang out with are significantly older.

If you got a nursing-related gig, and then picked up a 2nd job (standard for the Keys) in something server/bartender-related, you might do just fine. But again, make sure you have a LEGAL place to live first - most of the time, anything on the ground floor is not a legal rental (unless it's in Key Largo and VERY close to the highway, which is the highest point in the Keys - in Tavernier and Islamorada, even the highway in most places is below flood). Have a real signed lease, because there are a lot of shady people down here looking to make a quick buck off of a naive newcomer. Check ahead that that person actually OWNS or has the right to rent that particular property - which you can do by checking the address on the Property Appraiser's site for Monroe County, and just making sure the name matches up with who you're talking to.

Expect to pay a minimum $700 for a legal room (usually not including utilities), a minimum $850 for a room with private bath, and min. $1500 for one of the very few apartments available anywhere in the Upper Keys. Houses for rent rarely go for less than $1900/mo. Many landlords do not rent to year-round tenants, because there is more money in vacation rentals (despite 95% of vacation rentals in the Keys being illegal). Renting a legal place is important, because it is the only way that you have protection for your lease, that you can't just be tossed out at a moment's notice because the landlord is violating FEMA regulations. Many illegal landlords end up in trouble with the law eventually for code violation, and ultimately lose their homes to foreclosure when the fines rack up too high too fast for them to pay.

To learn more of what it is like to live here, check out some of my other (many) threads about Keys life, including
//www.city-data.com/forum/flori...e-florida.html
among others...

P.S. Note 2 other financial points:
1. You should be prepared to pay something in the $400-600 range to register your vehicle to FL, which you're required to do I think within 60 days or something. The shock of that cost is a lot to many, so just a heads up. Check out the DMV website for more specific info.
2. If you need govt. marketplace healthcare, note that Monroe County, FL, has the fewest and most expensive plans in all of FL. Cheapest plan without subsidy starts at $370/mo, and that covers basically nothing. Next year might be worse, because the cheapest plans we had were UnitedHealthcare (a terrible company, but still...), and they decided to pull out of the market entirely in FL starting 2017.

[Spring Hillian]

Registering out of state car in FL $225. This is a one-time fee for vehicles that have never had a FL registration.

Registration (tag fee) Private-use automobiles:

Up to 2499 lbs.: $27.60 for 1 year or $55.20 for 2 years.
2500 to 3499 lbs.: $35.60 for 1 year or $71.50 for 2 years.
3500 lbs.: $45.60 for 1 year or $91.20 for 2 years.

License plate fee: $28.

$400 to take care of car details is a fair number.
Driver's license fee: $48.00
Title fee: $77.25