Where to move for best diving in South Florida?

[Buoyant1]

The upper Keys are definitly an option. You can pick up real estate down there for a SONG right now as people can't afford their second home anymore and a significant number of homes down there are indeed second homes. I had a beautiful large, older, single family home on a HUGE lot in a heavily wooded subdivision and you may be surprised at what you can find. It's less than half an hour to the mainland with all of the shopping that you can't do locally and not far from MIA. However, my advice to rent for a year still sticks, if you chose the Keys you might find it too remote or with not enough nightlife. Again, it depends on lifestyle.

If you want to live in a beautiful gated townhouse/condo community in Key Largo, with its own marina, boat ramp, and fishing pier, and even a sandy beach, pm speargirl here on the boards and ask her about Kawama. She is a realtor who does rentals in there.

My wife picks up real estate books whereever we go down to the Keys and she noticed that most of the houses in the Upper Keys are about 25-30% cheaper than they were last year at this time. In fact the place we stayed in Marathon last year (well and this year) sold for about $750,000. There is a comparable unit for sale at around $450,000.

 

[DebbyDiver]

Remember that the homes in the books tend to be the higher-priced ones, not always, but frequently. Get on the Florida Keys MLS (you can easily Google it) and you will find the rest of them.

Believe me, if I had just a little more income, I would buy a single family home somewhere in the MM102-104 vicinity. I cannot tell you how much I miss my old place in Angler's Park.

 

[twinkles]

A lot of very good points made here. I lived in down in Kendall in southwest Dade 25 years ago. That was when I first started diving. Back then Fort Lauderdale seemed like another world from the point of view of congestion. Jupiter was past my normal roaming range--it was way north. And Palm Beach felt like it was practically Jacksonville where I grew up and which really is another world. Fastforward 25 years, no doubt it is all another world.

We do want to downsize. Wife would likely prefer a condo (she has been wanting to make that move right where we are--but she is realistic enough to realize that great danes and condos are not a good combo). My Cozumel fantasy included walking to the boats, and the grocery, etc. SF reintroduces the car into the equation, but I suppose I am hoping it will involve 5 mile incriments most days.

Size wise, I am thinking around 2000 square feet is plenty adequate. We currently have about 4000 but most of that is used for storing furniture and other things we don't actually use since there are only two of us. Lifestyle wise, I think patio home is most likely in our future.

My own boat seems very unlikely. $55 to ride on someone else's boat, who does all the work, seems fair to me. And I suppose that summarizes what I am hoping to find. A location where I can drive 5 miles to a boat, where there is enough year round demand that most any day I want to go, I can find a boat that is going.

 

[Jupiter31]

As always, Debby raises some very good points, especially the suggestion about renting for a year -

Even if you miss the very bottom of the real estate market (and as a 30 year resident who knows when that will be), to be in an area you really like is the least expensive, best option.

Living in a place is vastly different than visiting; once you know you have a year or so to make a decision, you can take your time and make the best choice for you.

I love the upper Keys, but know if I was a resident, I'm unlikely to get in 2 - 4 dives a day - what do you do the rest of the time?

By renting for a time, you can play out these senario's b/c the most important thing to do is find a place you like to live; you are not likely to dive 300 days a year.

 

[Zieg]

Twinkles, personally I think Pompano Beach is spot on. My wife and I came down to the area to visit her boys for Christmas, and we got carried away and just bought a house in Pompano on the water with a lift for the boat. I'm eligible to retire in a few years and we thought that now is the time to buy. Her oldest son, who is with the BSO is going to live in the house til we move down. There are allot of foreclosures here and were pretty nasty, but if you're willing to put in the work I believe there are some good bargains. Now I can't wait to retire and get the hell out of Panama City.

 

[twinkles]

Panama City doesn't look all that bad from my point of view.

 

[Zieg]

Panama City doesn't look all that bad from my point of view.

Well, you're from Atlanta, Atlanta is a real city, Panama City is not. It's a small city, without allot of diversity. I like diversity.

 

[Buoyant1]

As always, Debby raises some very good points, especially the suggestion about renting for a year -

Even if you miss the very bottom of the real estate market (and as a 30 year resident who knows when that will be), to be in an area you really like is the least expensive, best option.

Living in a place is vastly different than visiting; once you know you have a year or so to make a decision, you can take your time and make the best choice for you.

I love the upper Keys, but know if I was a resident, I'm unlikely to get in 2 - 4 dives a day - what do you do the rest of the time?

By renting for a time, you can play out these senario's b/c the most important thing to do is find a place you like to live; you are not likely to dive 300 days a year.

Think of this though...unless you have a major disposable income, or get a job on a dive boat as a DM or guide, you better have either a friend with a boat or own a boat(and have a buddy and someone to stay ON the boat while diving) or that venture would become VERRRRY expensive!

Personally (and as much as I LOVE the Keys)) I think when we finally make the move it will be to an area that has springs to dive in. THEN I could get as much in with a quick drive and a good stable of buddies (like I have here for my quarry diving) If the Keys had any shore diving, then that would be the final destination.

 

[DebbyDiver]

Hee hee, that's why I moved to Dania Beach, lots of beach diving just a couple of minutes from home!

If you move to Fort Lauderdale you can buy a parking pass for $5 annually that permits you to park on certain beaches for either free or really cheap...if I could have afforded a decent home in Fort Lauderdale I'd live there instead of Dania Beach (where I got a lot more house for my money).

I could go off on a tangent about kayak diving off the beach right now...