So, what is it like living in the keys?

[RATyson]

My recent visit to Key Largo brought up a conversation. That conversation worked itself around the idea that you can never live in paradise, because paradise is where you go to get away from where you live, work, carry on your day to day..

So, for those of you who live, and earn a living in the Keys, how is it? How did you find your way there? Did you vacation there and then decide that you just had to move there and made it happen?

It appeared to me that living there is a feast or famine type of deal. Everyday items seemed to be more expensive. I would imagine property is pretty pricey. High income opportunities did not seem to be numerous. I would imagine that competition for dive related jobs is pretty high.

I wouldn't mind retiring there if my Costa Rica plans fall through... lol

 

[Lizard Leg]

Interested in hearing the comments here - our 10 year plan involves moving down there in about 9 years. we've done a LOT of research into property, insurance, COL, crime, etc. - but am real interested to read this thread.

 

[billinwilliamston]

I'll happily share my limited experience.

My bride and I have lived in Old Town Key West since June and love it, but Key West is a totally different animal than Largo (or the rest of the world for that matter). Property is quite pricey in our neighborhood, but the rest of the keys are actually somewhat reasonable. I have no idea what property values are like were you live, but we could have picked up a 2 or 3 bedroom home in decent condition in most of the keys for what we sold our 5 br home in Michigan for. We can't touch an efficiency condo for that price here, so we rent (who want's yard upkeep anyway?) I work from home, so professionally there has been no change for me. My wife is a bartender and dive instructor and is working as both since neither one is full time this time of year. Most jobs down here are seasonal.

Since my wife is semi-retired (after decades in IT, she sees working two jobs she likes as retirement), and I still have the same job I had in the world, I have no idea what the market is like for "real" jobs. I would imagine the pickings are pretty slim. If you have any health concerns be forewarned that primary care physicians that accept new patients are few and far between.

For us this was absolutely the right move. The weather and lifestyle are hard to beat. The only time I have long pants and shoes on is when we go to church. I can't say how long we'll stay. We just signed a lease through November of 2013, so we'll be here for at least another year.

---------- Post Merged at 11:19 AM ---------- Previous Post was at 11:14 AM ----------

I should add that if we move, we'll be moving more Caribbean (Cayman Islands most likely), not back to the mainland.

 

[Wookie]

My advice for folks moving to the keys is the same as folks wanting to take up gambling. Bring all the money you want to spend. take the rest of your money, the stuff you can't live in the real world without and put it somewhere where you have to go "Back to the room" to get. When you get to where the rest of your money is, make a decision if it's really worth it to keep spending money when you could live quite happily if you just held on to it. If you decide to keep spending, God love ya, and so will the locals. When all of your money is gone, please leave. There is no more room in the homeless shelter.

The locals have made it their focus to fleece the carpetbaggers for 2 hundred years. They are experts. It's insidious, sneaky, and they do it slowly. You can live quite happily here for many years and wake up broke. When you're broke, please make way for the next guy with stars in his eyes.

The government, both city and county are far worse than anything you'll find in Mexico. They will revoke your building permit without notice, they don't understand their own rules and regulations, so they will fine you for practices that you have been doing for years, and getting the citation removed takes an act of congress.

Aside from all that, welcome. We'd love to have you.

 

[iluvtheocean]

can always live somewhere between ft lauderdale & miami and then the keys are just a short ways away - get the advantages of citylife, but close to the ocean & keys for diving

 

[RATyson]

Wookie, that sounds like good, sound advice! LOL.

Makes Costa Rica sound a little better!

All kidding aside, my quest is more just for self enlightenment rather than information for basing a plan on. I have no real intent on moving there in the near future. I have another 20 or so years before I retire unless I magially win the lottery, or stumble upon a lost suitcase full of very large US bills...

It just seems that whenever I go on vacation, I always have the "It would be awesome to live here" daydream. Mainly because I am in a place that is fun, with beautiful scenery, and no responsibilites to support myself for the long haul. I think most people do this as well. But the reality seems to be, like I said, that one can never really live in paradise. Many people try, some succeed to make the best of it, many don't and find themselves either moving back to where they came, or into a shack just to survive.

I have a friend that attempted this maneuver. He sold all the things he couldn't carry, and jumped on a plane to Cozumel. He found a little place to live. Stayed for a few months, had all his things that he DID bring stolen from his apartment, then he promptly moved back to the states. His problems were still here waiting for him upon his return. And I am sure, had he stayed in Cozumel, they would have found their way down to him regardless.

I do find it interesting to hear from folks who have done it though! I love a good success story, especially when it ends with someone living their dream.

 

[Wookie]

If I had 20 or so years to retirement, I'd do it a different way. I'd buy an income producing property here that I could afford without the income production. I'd use it 3 or 4 weeks per year, and when I was ready to retire I'd make it my primary residence. Any income I derived from it is gravy and used to offset the payments. The expensive part of living here is the housing. If you want to retire here, start planning now. That way, when it comes time to live the dream, you will at least have a choice between Huntsville and Key West. Don't get me wrong, I love it here, and I take my house with me.

I see a lot of broken dreams here.

 

[trtldvr]

I lived in KW for 13 years with my wife and daughter. It broke my heart when I left in May of 09 to further my carreer.

As you said it is tough to live in Paradise, I am sure this is the same in any tourist area. People visit the island on vacation, have a great time; days on the water and beach and nights in the clubs. They decide "hey I love this place" . They go home and sell the 3 bedroom 2 1/2 bath, quit the 40 hour a week accounting job, figuring "Hey I did some bar tending in college, I will go to work at Sloppy's. Those guys are making bank!!!"

Upon arriving on the island they go to visit the friendly realtor and say,"Show me a 3br, 2 1/2 in old town please" only to find they can barely afford a 1 bedroom condo just off the airport runway. The next day our bartending accountant strolls into Sloppy Joe's, fills out an application, impresses the manager with the drinks he made in school and receives a job offer..........checking IDs at the front door. If he is hard woking and lucky, he starts barbacking in less than a year and finally bartending in 3 years. To pay the bills he quickly realizes the need for a second job, if he is lucky this job will be on the water other wise he will never see it.

The common down fall is new residents forget they are no longer on vacation. They are making good money, usually in tips, they have cash in hand when they get off work for the day and they proceed to party as they did when they first visited. I have seen many people arrive on the island with a little bit a savings and then leave on the Grey hound because they couldn't make their rent.

Many people who come down in the winter live the sweet life for the first few months as they ARE making bank and even doing well thru July, but then Augusts hits and Jim Cantore is standing on the corner and they are wishing they could afford the cheap beer they drank in college.

Since landlords have been burned many times by people taking the last bus out of town, they ask for "first, last and security". A renter should expect to shell out over $3000 when signing a lease.

Now the good parts, as I said it broke my heart when I left. KW really is a small town, but it does not have a small town attitude. The locals tend to be good to tourist, for they are their livelyhood. Locals are often not as welcoming to the new transplant for they have seen them come and go, but once it becomes obvious that the newcomer is going to stick around they become family. It was impossible for me to walk down the street and not have someone say "Hey Bob how are you doing!". I always described KW as "Mayberry on acid" for everyone knew eachother and would give the shirt off of their backs (if they were wearing 1). You were just never quite sure what Floyde the barber was into, but what ever it was, was cool.

The bottom line is, yes living in paradise is work, but can be FANTASTIC if you go in with your eyes open and can keep your head on straight.

Safe dives
Trtldvr

 

[Lizard Leg]

Wife and I are planning now for a move down in @ 9-10 years. Looking at properties while the market is still down, trying to gauge whether or not, when we buy, we want to do a short term rental or long term rental, the pros and cons, etc.

We know the COL is higher (about 7.5% total increase), property values are insane and so is insurance. We've lived in hurricane country our entire lives, so no difference there, other than the one road in/out issue.

Trying to do this smart and make it last. We love the lifestyle, we love diving, we love sunsets. I understand we will have to work once we move, but are alreadyb planning on what we can do, want to do, will be able to do once we move down.

Wookie, no offense, but your first post seems a little harsh. "Come on down, have fun, give us all your money, lose everything and then GTFO" is basically how I read that. I understand that there must be a LOT of turn over in housing from people going into this with eyes closed and no planning, but not everyone does that. From your post I assume you were born in Key West, and you yourself didn't migrate there?

Key West is not my ideal of the lifestyle I am looking for. For the time being anyway, Marathon or a key close by is more to our liking. Laid back, small, grocery store, drug stores, Kmart, Home Depot - pretty much everything within a few miles.

 

[Katch]

Common sense says that you first find a job before pulling the trigger and moving down there (though I'm sure not everyone follows that reasoning).

So far, everyone is talking about Key West. What about the other Keys? When I leave Washington DC, Marathon is one of my top choices to relocate to. My agency does have a station there, and still make low-six figures. Will that be enough to live comfortably (or reasonably)? I guess my biggest concern is going stir-crazy. While the diving and boating will be great, my other passion is motorcycles. I love riding through the Keys, but every day...
I wonder if I can get a small house with a garage for my two bikes, a RIB, and Jeep.



Steve

Now if I win the Powerball/Megamillions....Move to the Keys...Open up a bar and buy a dive boat...that would be the life