Where Is The Best Place To Live In The Florida Keys?

Have you ever daydreamed about waking up to the sounds of crashing waves and leaving your footprints behind as you stroll along the beach with a coconut in hand? Then, suddenly, you’re awoken to the sounds of car horns blaring, and 2 inches of snow on the ground! Makes you want to pack your things and head south, right?  If you have ever had this recurring dream of just wanting to get away permanently, then moving to the Florida Keys may be just what you need.

The “Keys” To Owning Your Next Home in Key Largo

Being on top surely has its perks. Key Largo is the uppermost Key and has many advantages when compared to the other Keys, chief of which is its proximity to the mainland. Being the closest to Miami makes moving to Key Largo that much easier. The Key is a popular destination and is seen by many as the best area to live in the Florida Keys. Key Largo Real Estate offers housing options that are as diverse as its population. You will find upscale condos, apartments, beach-front cottages, single-family houses, and multi-million-dollar mansions. No matter your budget, our Key Largo Real Estate Agent will be able to find a housing option that is right for you.

So now you’ve moved. What’s there to do, you ask? Well, there’s a plethora of activities and amenities to keep you occupied. If you are a water sports enthusiast then you’ve definitely moved to the right place. Key Largo is famous for sailing, scuba diving (Key Largo is known as the dive capital of the world), jet skiing, parasailing and offers some of the best fishing options in the world. There are several highly rated schools in the area and most jobs are centered around the hospitality and service industries. 

Things are measured by mile markers instead of the address for the most part. You will hear locals say a building is located at mile marker (MM) 106 for example, which is where you will find the Key Largo Chamber of Commerce and the Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park (which is home to 84 protected species of plants and animals).

Key Largo is a great place to have your home. It is also a great place to invest in rental property due to it being a highly desirable tourist destination. Northerners looking to escape the harsh winters and visitors from Europe flock to the keys every year, guaranteeing a high demand for short-term rentals and Airbnb properties. 

Looking to purchase a home or investment property? A licensed Key Largo Real Estate Agent like April Struhs is here to assist you with finding the ideal location. 

A Marathon Starts With A Single Step

The Florida Keys offers a multitude of tax advantages for businesses that wish to relocate their bases of operations.  Marathon Real Estate gives you the feeling of living in a small town with the luxuries of big city amenities. Marathon has a state-of-the-art airport, and one of the best school systems in the state.  There is a FedEx hub located in Marathon allowing for access to shipping logistics and with major developments in fiber optics, the area now boasts some of the highest Internet and wireless speeds in the state.

What’s more about Marathon is that the quality of life is second to none.  The Islands of Marathon have virtually no crime or traffic congestion and thus is seen to many as the best place to live in the Florida Keys.  Compared to other Florida cities as well as the country, Marathon has some of the lowest tax rates making the Islands of Marathon even more attractive as a place to start, relocate, or expand your business and family in a safe community. Our licensed Marathon Real Estate Agent, April Struhs, has extensive knowledge of the area and will help you find the best location for you to put down roots in the Keys.

Be on Island time in Islamorada

The Islamorada Keys, known to the locals as “Village of Islands” offers the perfect home for lovers of sun, sand, and sea. It is a haven for outdoor enthusiasts with its ocean-front properties, tropical breezes, and laid-back lifestyle. The Islamorada Real Estate landscape is spread out over 4 small islands surrounded by turquoise water and is considered one of the best Florida Keys to live in. It calls out to the seekers of adventure and those who just want to live in a tropical paradise with magnificent ocean views. The islands offer many amenities and activities including kayaking, canoeing, snorkeling, scuba diving, and even shark cage diving.

Islamorada is known for being the hub of world-class sport fishing and each season draws anglers from around the world to its waters seeking to reel in bonefish, tarpon, and billfish. Art galleries, quaint eateries, and shopping abound, and there are more than enough activities to keep the entire family engaged. If you're looking to own a home in this tropical paradise, our Islamorada Real Estate Agents have several listings that will be near the sea and satisfy your need for living the tropical life.

Let’s Head West – To Key West

Key West is the main city in Monroe County and is one of the best places to live in the Florida Keys. Fun fact, even though it has west in its name, Key West is Florida’s, and the United States’ southernmost point. This city is located 90 miles north of Cuba and is famous for its pastel, conch-style houses.  Living in Key West offers residents an urban/suburban mix feel and is a great place to invest in a rental property as most residents lease their housing. Key West is a great little town, away from the hustle and bustle of Miami, or typical South Florida life. If you have a passion for the outdoors and ocean then investing in Key West Real Estate is definitely a choice you should make. Plus, you’re never too far from a restaurant or bakery serving authentic Key Lime Pie.

Key West is populated with historic wooden homes and because of its density, it is not hard to find a million-dollar house nestled next to a single-family cottage. Owning property in the Keys means dealing with the conditions that come with living by the ocean. Living close to the sea means you can expect to have maintenance costs associated with corrosion, weather, and mother nature’s little creatures. 

On the flip side, you are never really that far from the many amenities and points of interest that the Keys has to offer such as the Ernest Hemingway Museum, Mallory Square, Duval Street, Truman Little White House, and of course the Southernmost Point Buoy. 

Looking to purchase a vacation home or invest in a rental property in Key West? Vacation homes in Key West fetch very good nightly rates and are a sound investment for anyone looking to do so. A Key West Real Estate Agent like April Struhs will show you properties that are sure to provide you with a solid return on your investment.

Want To Get Away? Tavernier Is The Place For You

For those looking to get away from big city life, Tavernier is one of the best areas to live in the Florida Keys. Tavernier is a small town with about 2500 residents and about 1800 housing units. The only Key with a French name instead of a Spanish one, Tavernier is said to be named after the 17th-century merchant and traveler Jean Baptiste Tavernier. The town has a suburban feel and the median home value is around $577,000 with home appreciation being up around 8.3% in the last 12 months.

Tavernier is home to some of the best seafood in all of the Florida Keys with most of the fair going from sea to table in a matter of hours.  Most of the activities in Tavernier are centered around boating, fishing, swimming, diving, and wildlife observation.

Move to Big Pine Key…I “Deer” You

Big Pine Key is a bit of a refuge from some of the more populated and “touristy” parts of the lower keys.  Much of the Key is preserved and about 84,000 acres are designated as the Key Deer Refuge with residential areas spread throughout. Big Pine Key is an animal lover’s paradise and is home to 22 endangered species including the famous Key Deer and Lower Keys Marsh Rabbits. It is a bird watchers paradise as well, with many species of migratory birds using the Key as a nesting ground.

Big Pine Key Real Estate consists of mostly single-family homes build on multilevel platforms to accommodate for sea levels. The average home value is around $460,000 with a 6.3 % increase forecasted for 2012 making Big Pine Key one of the best places to live in the Florida Keys and a great investment for your next home.

Contact The Team At Florida Keys Search To Learn More About The Best Place to Live In The Florida Keys 

If you are looking to purchase a home, you can trust April Struhs to guide you through your purchase. April is here to answer any questions you may have and find you the best place to live in the Florida Keys. To get started, give us a call at (305) 399-6297 or contact us online

April Struhs