Key Largo Real Estate

2008-06-05T09:03:00.000-07:00

Sal Livoti and Misty Pace Fl Keys real estate services
We work mostly in the Upper Keys area selling Real Estate in Key Largo and Islamorada Real Estate, but also have listings in Marathon, Grassy Key and as far South as Sugarloaf Key.

We specialize in the sales of Waterfront Homes, which consists of homes that are open water Bay front Homes, Ocean front Homes and homes that are on Canals. Luxury and Estate Home listings are on this site and you can also check our Home Page Link to LuxuryHomes.com for more Luxury Homes.

An alternative waterfront home that we list for the lower price ranges are the Mobile Homes that are built in Single Family Subdivisions. These subdivisions have a mobile home zoning, and differ from Mobile Home Parks as they are not gated RV Parks. You own your land and the lot sizes are much larger, most with 40’ to 60’ of waterfront. These homes can also be removed from the property and new construction can be built, CBS Concrete, Wood Frame or Pre-fab’s are the current trend now in these neighborhoods.

We also have many Dry-lot homes for sale, this is a term used for homes that are not on the water. If you have a boat and need access to the water we will help you find a home in a subdivision with a home owner’s park that has a boat ramp. Fee’s for these home owner’s parks are usually under $100 per year.

We list Condominium and Town homes from the many complexes in the Upper Florida Keys. However the amenities of these complexes will differ so if you want to make your Florida Keys Real Estate investment into this type of property we can help you with the in and outs of the C/T market.

We try to keep these listings as current as possible, as “Top Listing” agents we usually carry between 20 to 30 Real Estate listings. We always have new listings coming in and like to offer them first to the Buyers that are in close contact with us. All our new listings are usually up on this site within 2 days.

Agent: Top Producers-Sal Livoti & Misty Pace
Key Largo, FL
33037
Cell: Sal 305-394-2915
Cell: Misty 305-394-7818
www: keysbesthomes.com
See all listings by this agent...

2008-03-15T09:52:00.000-07:00

Port Largo Pool Home, 1st Time Offered for Sale

For Sale $1,460,000.00Active

Address: 482 Bahia Ave
City: Key Largo
County: Monroe
State: FL
Zip Code: 33037

Lot Size: 9375 sqft
Frontage: 75 ft
Depth: 125 ft
Finished Area: 2180 sqft
Year: 1994
Bedrooms: 4
Bathrooms: 3
Property Taxes: $3,094.43

General Description: Port Largo Pool Home! CBS 3B/2B w Legal 1B/1B Guest Quarters. New Kitchen w Jennaire SS appl.& Quartz Style Stone Counters. This home has it all and is in perfect condition. Private setting with Lush Landscaping. Garage, Walled & Gated w Paver driveway & walkways. 75’Deepwater dockage. Dock w Shore Power, Fish cleaning station, Davits & Vertical Yacht Bumpers.

Spaces: 28 x 14 1 Car Garage

Construction: CBS with Poured Concrete

Features: Ground Level full 1b/1b Apartment above flood. Cement Built in Pool, heated by Solar Power or Gas. 3b/2b upstairs with New Kitchen w SS Jennaire Appliances, Stone counters & wood cabinetry. New Bathrooms completely Tiled. Large 12 x 38 Screened & Tiled Porch w Armor Screen Windstorm Protection. Impact Doors & Windows. 2 Zone AC. ADT Central Security System. Intercom System. 28 x 14 Garage w paver driveway & walkway. Property is completely walled & fenced with Electric Gate’s. Pool area & outdoor Patios are all concrete w Bri-tek coating & Tropically Lanscaped surroundings. Wide Stairway to dock. Great Yacht Dockage, deepwater direct Ocean access. Ocean-front HO park w dockage, boat ramp, saltwater tide pool w beach & barbecue facillities. Walking distance to the Key Largo Park. Built in 1994 this home is one of Port Largo finest, priced right to sell and is being offered for sale for the first time.

“Top Producers”

Sal Livoti & Misty Pace

102-970 Overseas Highway Key Largo, FL 33037

Cell: Sal 305-394-2915 Cell: Misty 305-394-7818

www: keysbesthomes.com

2008-03-15T07:36:00.001-07:00

STAGNATION!

A new word for Recession. Our Florida Keys Real Estate market is working it's way through this economic hardship. Whether it was inevitable or brought on and worsened by the Media, the fact of the matter is that a correction was needed. In many areas of our country, the prices of real estate went too high too fast. For the Sellers in today's market this is gonna hurt, but for the Buyers there is an abundance of opportunities.

But most of the Buyers are looking in the wrong places for this "Great Deal" that they want to make. They are taking the hard road searching through the short sales and the foreclosures looking for the best deal they can find.

The majority of these Buyers will find out in the end that all their time and effort yielded them nothing or no real gain, and maybe settled for a house that they didn't really want. Most of them won't be able to finalize a closing on these properties as most of their offers will be rejected. In the long run they will only have watched the prices and interest rates climb higher during the time that they wasted, and the home that they could have purchased will soon be priced out of their budget.

The fact of the matter is that our MLS is full of Listed Properties that are below market value with Sellers that are willing to negotiate lower than their list price. The smarter Buyers will come to realize this and be able to pick out the house that they really want and can negotiate their best deal.

This is a Great Time to Buy Florida Keys Real Estate! I will be posting some properties offered for sale at this time in the Florida Keys MLS.

2008-03-13T14:06:00.000-07:00

Plantation Lakes Estates

For Sale $1,845,000.00Active

Address: 315 North Dr
City: Key Largo
County: Monroe
State: FL
Zip Code: 33037

Lot Size: 11,250 sqft
Frontage: 75 ft
Depth: 130 ft
Finished Area: 2470 sqft
Bedrooms: 4
Bathrooms: 2
Property Taxes: $11,977.18

General Description: Private Gated Community of Beautiful Homes on a large Salt Water Lake with direct Ocean access. 3 Story 4Bd/2Ba Key West design. Many custom features. Open floor plan with high ceilings. Lots of private decks off of living room, Kitchen and bedrooms. 75 Dock & Davits. Hemingway Shutters.Protected Dockage for large or small boats. Lush Mature Landscaping.

Spaces: Carport and off Street Parking

Construction: Concrete, CBS & Frame

Features: Gated Islamorada Community, across from Founders Bayfront Park. Property sits on a large Saltwater Lake with direct Ocean access, offering deepwater dockage.

Agent: “Top Producers” Sal Livoti & Misty Pace

102-970 Overseas Highway Key Largo, FL33037

Cell: Sal 305-394-2915 Cell: Misty 305-394-7818www:

keysbesthomes.com See all listings by this agent...

2008-03-13T13:56:00.000-07:00

This Must Be Paradise!

For Sale $2,790,000.00Active

Address: 83 Seagate Blvd
City: Key Largo
County: Monroe
State: FL
Zip Code: 33037

Lot Size: 12196 sqft
Frontage: 90 ft
Depth: 200 ft
Finished Area: 5328 sqft
Bedrooms: 5
Bathrooms: 3.5
Property Taxes: $5,184.00

General Description: Oceanfront Pool Home. 3 Story CBS, 5bd/3.5Ba w Protected Deepwater Dockage & Panoramic Ocean Views. A custom built home on a Tropical landscaped Peninsular w 360’ of waterfront. Meticulously cared for and in pristine condition. This 5328 sq ft home features Beamed Cathedral Ceilings, an Island kitchen w SS Double Oven & Glass Cook-top, Formal Dining Room, Extra large Family & Living rooms, King size bedrooms, Master bedroom has huge walk in closet with storage & Jacuzzi Tub Bath. Full width screened Balcony on both upper levels, 3rd level has Hot Tub. Large ground level Laundry room w deep-sink and storage cabinets. 2 car Garage, Workshop & Storage. Brick Paved Driveway & Marina. Concrete patio surrounds Heated or Chilled Pool w Chickee. Large covered Outdoor Entertainment Area w Cabana Bath. Marina w Two 54’ Boat Slips, Davits & 220/110 Shore Power.

Spaces: 2 Car Attached Garage

Ground Level: Large Workshop, Large Storage Area.

Construction: 3 Story CBS and Poured Concrete. Brick Paved Diveway & Marina Area. Concrete Patio arround Pool.

Features: Ocean Front. Heated or Chilled Pool. Oversized Rooms with lots of storage and cabinets. 2 Boat Slips 54x19 and 54x10. 3 Zone AC. Stainless Steel Appliances. Water softner. Intercom & Security System. Impact Doors with Accordian & Roll-up Shutters. Cabana Bath & Chickee. Includes additional 1.14 acre of submerged land.

Agent: “Top Producers” Sal Livoti & Misty Pace
102-970 Overseas Highway Key Largo, FL 33037

Cell: Sal 305-394-2915 Cell: Misty 305-394-7818

www: keysbesthomes.com See all listings by this agent...

2008-03-13T13:47:00.000-07:00

Bayfront Beach House

For Sale $2,699,000.00Active

Address: 32 Mangrove Lane
City: Key Largo
County: Monroe
State: FL
Zip Code: 33037

Lot Size: 18000 sqft
Frontage: 140 ft
Depth: 270 ft
Finished Area: 2147 sqft
Year 1991
Bedrooms: 5
Bathrooms: 5.5
Property Taxes: $12,679.12

General Description: Bayfront Home w Sandy Beach & Pool! Gated waterfront community in Upper Key Largo. CBS w Concrete Roof. 5Bd/5.5Ba + Loft. 270’ of Waterfront, 140’of dockage & 130’ of Beach. Open Kitchen with soaring ceilings. Huge rooms w Bay Views. Protected Dockage. Screened Pool & Entertainment Area. Cabana Bedroom & Bath. Weekly rentals allowed.

Spaces: 4 Car Carport

Basement: Ground level Bedroom and Bath

Construction: CBS, Poured Concrete & Concrete Roof

Features: Bayviews, Sandy Beach, Private Location, Gated Community, Weekly Rentals Allowed. 140’ Dock Area.

Agent: “Top Producers” Sal Livoti & Misty Pace
102-970 Overseas Highway Key Largo, FL 33037

Cell: Sal 305-394-2915 Cell: Misty 305-394-7818

www: keysbesthomes.com See all listings by this agent...

2008-03-13T13:26:00.000-07:00

Not Your Typical Keys Home

New Executive Pool Home!
For Sale $2,499,000.00Active

Address: 460 Barracuda Blvd
City: Key Largo
County: Monroe
State: FL
Zip Code: 33037
Lot Size: 20,000 sqft
Frontage: 100 ft
Depth: 200 ft
Finished Area: 4,750 sqft
Bedrooms: 5
Bathrooms: 5
Property Taxes: $10,710.00

General Description: Executive 5Bd/5Ba 4750sf, 3 car garage. Granite & SS kitchen w fine Maple cabinetry. Soaring cathedral ceilings, wrought iron & oak staircase. Impact doors & windows. 100 x 200 Tropically landscaped lot w walled security gate & brick paved driveway. Infinity pool w waterfall cascading into a lower level Jacuzzi. 100ft of deepwater dockage w davits.

Spaces: 3 Car Attached Garage

Construction: CBS, Poured Concrete, Metal Roof

Features: This is a Unique Home in a Rare location. A Builders home custom built with a large family in mind. Built high on solid Coral Cap Rock, built solid with more concrete and steel than needed by code, impact doors & windows and a Metal Roof. 25’ Cathedral Ceilings. The ground level floorplan consists of a large formal Dining room, Family room, Living room, Bathroom, Laundry room, Kitchen and casual Dining area. A huge Main Bedroom suite and a second Bedroom and Bath on the other side of the home. The Kitchen is equipped with Jennnaire and Kitchen-aide Stainless Steel appliances, Black Granite & Maple cabinetry. Master Bathroom features a Whirlpool Tub under a Glass Block wall, Glass Shower and opposing his & her sinks. All the bathrooms are finished in Marble & Granite. The second floor has 3 Patio’s, 3 Bedrooms, 2 Baths and an open Game room. One of the bedrooms was wired to be used as a Home Theater as an option. There is an indoor control for the Pool & Jacuzzi, also a Security System and Intercom. The Infinity Pool has a cascading waterfall to the lower level Jacuzzi and is equipped with an electric heater and a 4 jet Water Fountain. The Jacuzzi is gas heated. The Pool area is completely finished in outdoor Marble. Electric gated entrance with Brick paved driveway to attached 3 Car Garage. 100’ of Deep-water Dockage on Adams Waterway. You can fish, shrimp or crab right from your dock, or relax and watch the boats and cruising Dolphin go by. Davits are in place for a 30’ boat, a second set of davit pads, and a storage shed & fish cleaning station on the dock. Adams Waterway is the only waterway to connect the Bay and the Ocean for 13 miles. There is direct access to the Bay, and Ocean aceess through Largo Sound, North or South Creek to go to the Elbow or Molasses Reef.

Agent: Sal Livoti & Misty Pace

102-970 Overseas Highway Key Largo, FL 33037

Cell: Sal 305-394-2915Cell: Misty 305-394-7818www:

keysbesthomes.com See all listings by this agent...

2008-03-06T15:48:00.000-08:00

Our Florida Keys Listings Survival Package
Listings Survival Package"DON'T LET YOUR SALE HIT THE ROCKS"Want Results?We have your Real Estate "Survival Kit". To help you get the Highest Dollar amount for your Home, and Negotiate your Sales Contract to Protect You. We are two Full Time agents always on call to answer questions about your Home for sale, and ready to show your home to a Buyer.We have our own Marketing System which we continue to update to meet the demanding changes that are presented by the Real Estate Market. We are always looking for new, productive marketing to give your home Maximum Exposure to Buyers! Take a look at some of our sample advertising in our Listing Survival Package.Covers Local, USA & International Medias. "Every Day until Your Home is Sold!"Would you like to know what your home is worth on today's market? For a Free CMA, contact us and find out what we can do for you!Listing homes in the Upper Florida Keys, Key Largo, Islamorada and Marathon.
For more information, please See our website at www.keysbesthomes.com

2008-01-14T08:47:00.000-08:00

Florida keys real estate services
We work mostly in the Upper Keys area selling Real Estate in Key Largo and Islamorada Real Estate, but also have listings in Marathon, Grassy Key and as far South as Sugarloaf Key.
We specialize in the sales of Waterfront Homes, which consists of homes that are open water Bay front Homes, Ocean front Homes and homes that are on Canals. Luxury and Estate Home listings are on this site and you can also check our Home Page Link to LuxuryHomes.com for more Luxury Homes.
An alternative waterfront home that we list for the lower price ranges are the Mobile Homes that are built in Single Family Subdivisions. These subdivisions have a mobile home zoning, and differ from Mobile Home Parks as they are not gated RV Parks. You own your land and the lot sizes are much larger, most with 40’ to 60’ of waterfront. These homes can also be removed from the property and new construction can be built, CBS Concrete, Wood Frame or Pre-fab’s are the current trend now in these neighborhoods.
We also have many Dry-lot homes for sale, this is a term used for homes that are not on the water. If you have a boat and need access to the water we will help you find a home in a subdivision with a home owner’s park that has a boat ramp. Fee’s for these home owner’s parks are usually under $100 per year.
We list Condominium and Town homes from the many complexes in the Upper Florida Keys. However the amenities of these complexes will differ so if you want to make your Florida Keys Real Estate investment into this type of property we can help you with the in and outs of the C/T market.
We try to keep these listings as current as possible, as “Top Listing” agents we usually carry between 20 to 30 Real Estate listings. We always have new listings coming in and like to offer them first to the Buyers that are in close contact with us. All our new listings are usually up on this site within 2 days.

2008-01-01T09:02:00.002-08:00

Florida Keys Coastline Barrier info
Coastal Barrier ResourcesSystem Act (CBRS): Certain properties in Monroe County may be affected by the Federal Coastal Barrier Resources System Act or proposed amendments. For information contact the United States Department of the Interior, the Monroe County Planning Department or your legal representative. Property so designated is not eligible for federally subsidized flood insurance as well as other benefits.

2008-01-01T09:02:00.001-08:00

Flood insurance in the keys
Flood Insurance: The buyer must determine the insurability of the property against flood damage by seeking the advice of a qualified insurance agent. Structures built before January 1, 1975 (pre-firm) are subject to rules governing substantial and non-substantial improvements to pre-firm structures which maylimit the reconstruction, rehabilitation or additionto the pre-firm structure. Structures built after January 1, 1975 that has enclosures below the Base Flood Elevation (BFE) are typically not habitable. The existence of habitable space below the BFE may require demolition or an increase in insurance premium. Buyers should contact the Monroe County Federal Emergency Management Coordinator or the City of Key West, City of Key Colony Beach, City of Layton, City of Islamorada and City of Marathon to ascertain how these rules may impact on theproperty of interest.

2007-12-27T08:25:00.000-08:00

Buying a waterfront home in the Florida keys
Things to consider when buying any waterfront vacation home.
First off, congratulations at looking to the Keys for a possible vacation home. The good news about the Keys from an investment angle are:
There is only so much waterfront or Coastal property available.
The Keys have strict environmental laws that affect building permits. This means there are only so many homes and always will be a limited number of homes here. One big reason for this is there is just ONE Highway in and out of the Keys. (US1) If there is an emergency, people need to have the ability to leave quickly and so for this reason alone, the Keys will never be California. The other main environmental consideration is the water quality. The Keys main attraction are water sports and Monroe County is going to make sure that our waters are clean and usable.
To consider when purchasing any waterfront vacation home and how the Keys measure up:
Is there a view?Views really do matter. An unobstructed Ocean view adds as much as 60% to the value of a home per the Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics. Proximity to Golf courses or a park can add as much as 20% to a homes value. This is per an article by a much published author named Soren Anderson, a writer from Manchester College.
Consider the recreational activities…The What and the When. For example in a Ski resort area, your options are limited due to weather considerations and the total amount of activities available is definitely less.*In the Keys, about the only thing you cannot do year round are mountain climbing and white water rafting.
Boating access and controlling depth Is there direct boating access on the property? If so, how large a boat can you have behind the home? This is determined by what we in the Keys call controlling draft or depth. For example: If a boat is under 30ft in most cases 3 ft draft is OK. Draft means...what is the lowest water depth you have to go through to get to open or deep water.If you have a sailboat or 50 ft boat you will need deeper draft such as 5ft.Now ..obviously if you have a 50 ft sailboat behind your home, the canals or waterways have to provide you with turn-around room. If the access is deep draft, then expect prices to go up. If there is no water access at the home or the draft is for kayaks only, in most cases expect a drop in price. If there is no direct water access...how far is the nearest boat ramp or is there a boat slip available? If so, is it included and what is the draft out of the boat slip.So the boating issue has a very direct effect on pricing here. Neighborhoods with bigger canals and deep draft boating are generally home to the Million dollar and plus homes.

2007-12-21T09:40:00.000-08:00

Florida keys Investment opportunities Part 2
As to The Keys and it’s areas-where would the best rentals probably be located?
*A condo or single family home anywhere on the water-either Ocean or Gulf or a canal and anywhere in the Keys (unless they prohibit vacation rentals. (see below)
*The rental rates will vary from island to island due to boating depth and neighborhoods, SEE information below,
*Key West downtown is seeing strong growth. In short some people are going away from life in the suburbs and opting for closeness to theatre, restaurants and the vitality of a city environment. So, don’t overlook the downtown areas.
Renting your home out as a seasonal (vacation rental)or long term.Long-term renters are generally easier to find as there is a shortage of homes for rent. So, if you want to buy something for retirement or a vacation home and rent it out to help your payments-this is typically the easiest way. (Long term rentals are considered to be anything over 6 months, as the tenants don't pay the 11.5% Florida tax)
Generally long-term rentals should be unfurnished.

2007-12-21T09:39:00.000-08:00

Florida keys investment opportunities
Florida Keys Investment opportunitiesWith all the abundant recreational opportunities mixed in with a great climate the Keys attract people...lots of people.Tourists in turn need places to stay and people relocating need places to rent either part time or while they close on a home or find an apartment. The Keys are definitely a happening place.Types of Investments
Aside from commercial investments the two situations most people are looking for in Florida are
Vacation homes or Condos that can be rented out … Generally a purchase involves a 1031 tax exchange or just someone looking for a second home in an area that he/she or the family will use occasionally.
A person looking for a home to eventually retire to and rent out in the meantime to help pay the mortgage.
The best areas to rent are anywhere near the water and the best rents will start at open water locations, followed by homes/condos with a partial view to homes on canals. The neighborhood and the furnishings will also dictate the rent amounts you can get. In the Keys-the best situation was a home at least three bedrooms and up on the Ocean or Gulf with a pool and a boat dock. In some cases these bring as much as $5000.00 per week, depending on the home/area.
It is very important that you find out early on which residential areas and which condo associations allow weekly rentals-as this will be generally be your best return.
In some cases you may want to just rent out long term and skip the dealings with handy men and cleaning services.
In all of this—the most important thing is that you find a qualified adent. He/she can guide you through the process completely—including setting up property management.

2007-12-19T07:17:00.001-08:00

Overview of the Florida Keys and investments
A quick overview of our Florida Keys I'm going to the Florida Keys! People all over the world love to say that. The Florida Keys are in fact, one of the most desirable areas in the world to visit. Because of this, our property is some of the most desirable real estate in the world. The islands here comprise a unique American landscape. Called by some, Americas Caribbean. Our islands are reminiscent of the Bahamas, Caymans or Netherlands Antilles. Imagine low lying dots on an azure sea that separates Cuba from the U.S., strung 130 miles in a long narrow corridor athwart the Gulf Stream. Bordered by one of the world’s principal coral reefs that was the scourge of pirates and the Spanish fleet nearly 500 years ago. Our waters beckon year round divers, fishermen, and boaters. For more info on the Keys click here. Also see the Google maps. Living and Investing in the Upper KeysThe Upper Keys is a great area for both recreation and Investments. The reason is simple: Miami and Miami International is just an hours drive. In Addition, the recent incredible growth in the South Miami area of Homestead (Forecasts call for 1 million people by 2010) is adding to the desire for homes in the Keys.Why is this good for Investors Ft Lauderdale, Naples and Miami residents come to the upper Keys for the weekends, meaning rental homes, duplexes, condos and hotels enjoy great occupancy rates. More importantly, Environmental issues and the fact there is just one main road into the Keys strictly restricts building. There is only so much land still available. The Keys can never be like California in terms of growth. Since they are restricted, this protects your investment.Waterfront Florida Keys Real Estateis the dream of so many, from Paris, to Frankfurt, to Toronto and New York. The Keys real estate continues to be some of the best real estate that money can buy.

2007-12-19T07:12:00.001-08:00

Florida Keys overview
General Information Florida Keys
Located in the southern tip of Florida. The keys border the Everglades and the waters of the gulf of Mexicoand the Atlantic..
2000 square miles
Average Temperature 77.8°F
Average Annual Precipitation 39 in
Average Rain Days 109
Population projection 2005 -80,000
Key West population-34,000 plus
Average home cost-June 2005-$600,000 in the Keys
Cost of Living-almost 112-1st in the state
Median age-43.
Major Employment and jobs by Industry in order of numbers
Management, professional
Service occupations
Sales and office
Fishing
Construction
Natural resources
Production and transportation
In conclusion, the Keys are expensive but are like no where else you’ve ever been. If you like the water and are an avid boater, fisherman, diver, you should consider the Keys. You’ll never regret it.

2007-12-19T07:08:00.000-08:00

Islamorada Florida
Located southwest of Key Largo on Upper Matecumbe Key, Islamorada (pronounced EYE-la-mor-AH-da) is the self-proclaimed "Sportfishing Capital of the World". People who visit here take their fishing seriously, and Islamorada fulfills its promise of excellent angling with the largest concentration of charter fishing boats in the entire island chain.
Now one of the largest towns in the Keys, Islamorada offers a number of attractions in addition to fabulous fishing. You can explore the wreckage of the Dutch-built ship San Pedro (located in 18-feet of water about 1.25 nautical miles south of Indian Key) or the Underwater Coral Gardens of both Upper / Lower Matecumbe Keys. Hundreds of years ago, Spanish explorers sailed by Islamorada, saw the purple hue of its coastline (from the lavender shells of sea snails, Janthina) and gave it its name "islas moradas", Spanish for purple isles. Indians lived on this small clump of islands nearly 4,000 years ago. Its not likely that you'll see any purple snails, but there's plenty of local color to take in.
Make sure you see the sun set over the water and the fish take the bait in Islamorada, a fisherman's paradise.

2007-12-01T08:57:00.000-08:00

Key Largo Real Estate

Key Largo has become synonymous with the laid-back Keys lifestyle. Yet Key Largo is also a particularly vibrant community due to it’s being close to Miami. On the weekends, it is an easy drive for people to visit the Keys and their unique ambience. For investors it means great occupancy rates, for 2nd homeowners a quick and easy getaway. If you want to make this your home, well, Key largo was ranked No. 11 of the 50 Best Places to Live list by Men's Journal Magazine in 2002.
If you’re looking to relocate here, there are homes as of Sept 2007 listed from $269,000. Of course they go up from there:
The Key Largo housing market is diverse and eclectic, and includes everything from ultra-modern big new houses and condos to just plain old-Florida funky, and everything in between. It is a complex market, and will take the buyer or investor some time to comprehend.
The market also covers a lot of physical territory: Key Largo itself, the largest and longest of the Florida Keys, stretches for 30 miles from the resort yachting community of Ocean Reef at the island’s north end (which exits to the Mainland by a separate bridge over Card Sound) to the community of Tavernier at its southern tip
Moreover, another part of the diverse Upper Keys real Estate market is Islamorada, the 17-mile long, half-mile wide, often handsomely groomed municipality that picks up where Key Largo leaves off and is comprised of Plantation Key, Windley Key, and Upper and Lower Matecumbe Keys
Some Facts About Key Largo Arts and Culture
Florida Keys and Monroe County ArtsThe Keys are made up of small towns and communities. However, due to the strong economy from our tourist base, the Arts are a primary part of our culture. Most weekends bring festivals and street parties throughout the Keys and especially in Key West. Photography of wildlife here is greatwww.dhphotoart.com
The Florida Keys Council of the Arts does a great job in supporting Art in the Keys http://www.keysarts.com/Also see the Key West Arts and historical society http://www.kwahs.com/
Music
The Keys Community Concert Band. Susan Bazin 451-4530.
Keys Chamber Orchestra. Call Inga-Lisa Wright, 305-744-0508
The Key West Pops, Inc. - 305 293-7658, P.O. Box 6206
Note to musicians-There are about a zillion Tiki bars etc, that have live music. The times range from the afternoon through the evening. The pay is generally better than you'll find working in a regular club in the rest of the country. In addition to that most outdoor venues shut their nusic down about 11-so the hours are shorter.
Museums and Culture
Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum - 305 294-1136, 907 Whitehead St., Key West FL
Flagler's Station Historeum®-901 Caroline St., 1-305-295-3562.
Key West East Martello Museum - 305 296-3913, 3501 S. Roosevelt Blvd.
Key West Lighthouse Museum - 305 294-0012, 938 Whitehead Street
Key West Museum of Art & History - 305 295-6616
Key West Shipwreck Historeum - 305 292-8990, 1 Whitehead Street
Little White House Museum - 305 294-9911
Lofton B. Sands African Bahamian Museum - 305 293-9692,
Wrecker's Museum - 322 Duval St., 294-9502.
Theater/dance
Middle Florida Keys
Marathon Community Theatre, 5101 O/S Hwy.....305 743-0994
Key West Theatre
Island Opera Theatre.....305 296-1520
Red Barn Theatre, 319 Duval St (Rear).....305 296-9911
Waterfront Playhouse, Mallory Square.....305 294-5015

2007-12-01T08:53:00.000-08:00

Florida Keys less expensive property types

An alternative waterfront home that we list for the lower price ranges are the Mobile Homes that are built in Single Family Subdivisions. These subdivisions have a mobile home zoning, and differ from Mobile Home Parks as they are not gated RV Parks. You own your land and the lot sizes are much larger, most with 40’ to 60’ of waterfront. These homes can also be removed from the property and new construction can be built, CBS Concrete, Wood Frame or Pre-fab’s are the current trend now in these neighborhoods.
We also have many Dry-lot homes for sale, this is a term used for homes that are not on the water. If you have a boat and need access to the water we will help you find a home in a subdivision with a home owner’s park that has a boat ramp. Fee’s for these home owner’s parks are usually under $100 per year.
We list Condominium and Town homes from the many complexes in the Upper Florida Keys. However the amenities of these complexes will differ so if you want to make your Florida Keys Real Estate investment into this type of property we can help you with the in and outs of the C/T market.
We try to keep these listings as current as possible, as “Top Listing” agents we usually carry between 20 to 30 Real Estate listings. We always have new listings coming in and like to offer them first to the Buyers that are in close contact with us. All our new listings are usually up on this site within 2 days
We work mostly in the Upper Keys area selling Real Estate in Key Largo and Islamorada Real Estate, but also have listings in Marathon, Grassy Key and as far South as Sugarloaf Key.

2007-11-27T07:31:00.000-08:00

Florida Keys Seller Services

You’re Paying a Commission for Professional Services
We Want You to Get Your Moneys Worth
Most Important We Work for You!
We Go Over the Complete Listing & Selling Process
With You, So You Can Tell Us
How You Want Us to Work for You.
We Do Not Pressure You at Any Time to Show
Your Home or Take an Offer That is Not in Your Best Interest
We are 2 Full Time Realtors for the Price of 1
Acting as Sellers Agents to Exclusively Represent You
As One of the Top Sales Teams In the Upper Keys
With the Knowledge and Experience to Sell
You’re Property for Top Dollar
We Accompany All Showings to Sell Your Home
As We Know the Most about It
We Work Weekends and Are Always Available to
Show or Answer Questions about Your Home
We Advertise with our Cell Phone #’s only, so Buyers
Can Contact Us Directly for Information on Your Property
We Provide You with monthly copies of our Advertisements
We Notify Our Buyers and Other Top Selling Realtors
Your Property has Just Come on the Market
Brokers Open Houses and Board Caravans on request
Yard For Sale Sign & optional Take –One Rack
For Color Brochures about Your Property
Digital Photographs, unlimited Photos
For MLS System and Internet
Virtual Tours or Slide Shows
Comparable Market Analysis at Time of
Listing and Updates Throughout the Listing Period
Advise You to Negotiate Your Highest Price
when We get an Offer
Make Sure the Contract protects You
And Locks in Your Buyer
Follow Up on Buyer Contingencies and
His Mortgage Financing
Co-ordinate, Accompany & Assist
Buyers Inspections, Appraisals & Insurance Needs
Assist through Closing Procedures

2007-11-23T10:03:00.000-08:00

General Information About Key Largo

Since 1948, when it was the setting for the movie, "Key Largo," starring Humphrey Bogart, Edward G. Robinson and Lauren Bacall, the name Key Largo has become world famous. In fact, Key Largo is one of the oldest place names on early maps of the North American continent, dating back to the sixteenth century when the Spanish explored the area looking for riches to take back to Spain. Today it is Miami’s Cape Cod -- and for the rest of us it is the Gateway to the American Caribbean.
The climate is subtropical and foliage is lush. Temperatures have only a few degrees day-night fluctuation, compared with much of the rest of Florida. There’s a steady sea breeze, and rain tends to be passing showers
Key Largo has become synonymous with the laid-back Keys lifestyle. Yet Key Largo is also a particularly vibrant community due to it’s being close to Miami. On the weekends, it is an easy drive for people to visit the Keys and their unique ambience. For investors it means great occupancy rates, for 2nd homeowners a quick and easy getaway. If you want to make this your home, well, Key largo was ranked No. 11 of the 50 Best Places to Live list by Men's Journal Magazine in 2002.
The Key Largo housing market is diverse and eclectic, and includes everything from ultra-modern big new houses and condos to just plain old-Florida funky, and everything in between. It is a complex market, and will take the buyer or investor some time to comprehend.
The market also covers a lot of physical territory: Key Largo itself, the largest and longest of the Florida Keys, stretches for 30 miles from the resort yachting community of Ocean Reef at the island’s north end (which exits to the Mainland by a separate bridge over Card Sound) to the community of Tavernier at its southern tip
Moreover, another part of the diverse Upper Keys real Estate market is Islamorada, the 17-mile long, half-mile wide, often handsomely groomed municipality that picks up where Key Largo leaves off and is comprised of Plantation Key, Windley Key, and Upper and Lower Matecumbe Keys

2007-09-05T10:54:00.000-07:00

Time has flown by me again, Summer is over and Labor Day weekend is behind us. I did manage to get the boat over to the Bahamas one more time. We did an over night to the Cay Sal Bank while my cruising permit was still active. The Reef fishing was non stop and the Yellowtail were all flag size, some close to 2 feet long.

Meanwhile on the Real Estate homefront real estate sales were not so hot, which is common down here in the Keys towards the end of the summer. In July 31 properties went pending and 34 properties that closed for a sold sales volume of $20,219,000 which was about $9 million less than June.

August had less sales but the dollar volume was close to the same. We had a closing for $2,200,000 for a canal home near MM100 which was one of the highest for this type of property that we know of to date. It was a newly constructed 5 bedroom home with a pool. There were 21 new pendings in August and 21 solds with a sales volume of $19,672,450

2007-07-17T13:52:00.000-07:00

I took my boat to the Bahamas for 2 weeks, starting the last week in June. We went as far as Great Guana Cay in the Abacos, Via the Lucayan Waterway in Grand Bahama. We had planned to loop down to the Berry Islands through Chub Cay and shoot straight west back to the Keys. Due to the rainy weather we decided to backtrack our way back and skipped Hopetown in the lower Abacos, and the Berry's. We also ended up spending more time riding around in a golf cart than we had planned, instead of being on our boat over the reefs! We did notice that there is a lot more real estate inventory for sale than there has been in the past in the Bahamas, and the homes there are taking a lot longer to sell as they are here. But what was encouraging to us as Realtors is the prices are holding high. There are some good buys to be had, but the prime properties are asking top dollar, and location is the engine that drives the higher prices.

So I am finally caught up at work and lets check out how the sales stats ended up for Real Estate in the upper Florida Keys, for the month of June.

It appears that the summer doldrums are setting in, with Junes numbers being down from May. There were 44 pending's in June and 40 sold properties with a sales volume of $29,563,450.

2007-06-07T13:43:00.000-07:00

Its the beginning of June, we started off with a windy week, but the wind has died, the seas are calm and the Dolphin are starting to bite. It's starting to feel like summer!

The Real Estate market stats for the upper Florida Keys for May ended up looking a lot like April. There were 58 new pendings up over April and 47 properties sold with a total sales volume of $40,149,877. The market seems to be on an even keel for now.

2007-06-07T12:59:00.000-07:00

June 7,2007. Misty and I have just changed offices and moved to Realty Options of the Florida Keys. We no longer work for Coldwell Bankers. We are very happy in our new office, and I have finally settled in and have all my marketing including website rewritten for the new company.

We have also been busy with sales, which is a good thing. Year to date we have closed 18 properties with a sales volume over $16 million.

So catching up to where I left off lets see how April ended for Florida Keys Real Estate.

The month of April yielded 49 properties pending with new contracts and 43 properties sold for a total sales volume of $40,267,500. This is a little less in number of homes sold in March, but $10 million more in volume. Which tells us that this month there were more sales with the homes that are in the $2 & $3 million dollar range. (We sold a beautiful home in Bucanneer Point for $2,600,000) Overall all is good!

2007-04-16T11:07:00.000-07:00

1st Quarter Real Eestate market stats are in for the Upper Florida Keys.

Bad News only 27 Realtors had 4 or more sales, Good News I was one of them. So far this year Misty and I have totaled over $8 million in closed sales. (hope it keeps up)

Overall #s are down compared to the 1st Quarter of 2006, but the stats for the Upper Keys are better than the Middle & Lower Keys with regards to # of Sales and Sold prices!

March turned out to be a very good month, helped along by all the properties that went pending in February.

March's pendings are slightly up to with a total of 54 properties. There were also 48 closings for a total of $30,449,765, most of these were low sales prices but there was quite a few between $1.8 to $4 Mill.

Hopefully we will see this trend maintain or be on the rise!

2007-03-13T13:51:00.000-07:00

Misty & I have been very busy since my last post. We had 4 of our listings close and 4 more go under contract. The activity is starting to seem more normal, except for the fact that we are still dealing with a lot of very low offers, which many are falling by the wayside. On the other hand we are pulling some of the deals together. The buyers that are working at it are making very good buys on the properties that are going under contract, but not the steals that most are trying for. The successful buyers will find it to be worth while when this market correction turns around and prices go back to normal.

National Real Estate surveys claim that waterfront properties nationwide will be the first to recover and expect those properties to increase in price by the end of this year. That puts the Florida Keys in a good position, our prices have been the lowest than any other areas in the Florida Gold Coast.

Lets see how Feb real estate stats ended up for the upper Florida Keys?

February closings have dropped slightly to 24 closings, but the volume is way down to $13,961,625 which is less than half of January's volume. The good news is that the pending listings rose to 50 in February. This should bring the volume up for March!

2007-02-10T09:26:00.000-08:00

As long as I'm sitting here lets take a look at the February stats so far.

My friend from England emailed me today, he is out fishing in -10 degree weather! I have not had to put on more than a short sleeve shirt yet this winter. I don't know why anyone would want to live anywhere else, than the Florida Keys!

We have 19 new pendings and 14 closed/sold so far this month. So the upper Florida Keys real estate market seem to be healthier. We will see how the month closes out!

2007-02-10T09:00:00.000-08:00

Well January has passed by and we were so busy that I wasn't able to post a report. As a side note, the weather has very warm and the fishing has been great. Big dolphin are still biting, some of the winter fish have moved in but not all and the shrimp still haven't run yet?

In Real Estate we have very busy with listings and we are seeing more contracts, closings and activity in general. Lets see how the stats tuned out for January in the upper keys Real estate market.

35 properties went pending in January, 33 properties closed/sold for a sales volume of $27,900,900 through the Realtor MLS system. This is a bit of a gain over December which tends to lead us to believe that we are back in an upward trend. There is still an excessive amount of property on the market, which means that this is the best time for buyers to make a deal. There are many good deals to be had from $400,000 on up to $3,000,0000.

2007-01-11T13:32:00.000-08:00

December's Real Estate market in the upper Florida Keys ended with more than twice the volume as November with 34 closings with a dollar volume of $25,188,345 and 33 new pendings. The month of January so far has 17 new pendings.

2007-01-10T14:31:00.000-08:00

December and January has shown us a definite change in Buyer activity. A lot of the smart Buyers that have been priced out of the market are taking advantage of the market correction and grabbing on to their weekend home now with the abundance of inventory in our area.
There is still some of the low-ballers around just looking for a steal, but they seem to be fewer since despite their efforts most of them were not successful in making a deal. But it seems that our normal Buyers are coming back around looking at Real Estate to purchase. The last few weeks we have shown a lot of our condo/Twnhm listings and have fielded many calls on our vacant lots, these 2 sectors have been cold for months. We have been talking to many long-term investors looking to purchase instead of the "flipper" and also the people looking for retirement homes are showing up on our doorstep.
2 of Decembers showings on our listings will be closing in the next week, and we are all hoping this trend will continue. I expect that the Keys will come out of this correction smoothly, it will be slow still due to the high inventory of homes.

2006-12-11T07:05:00.000-08:00

December is showing a lot of potential, walk-in traffic and property calls have increased in our Real estate office. As of today there have been 11 properties that have gone pending and 10 closed properties with a sales volume of $7,787,970.

2006-12-09T08:57:00.000-08:00

Upper Keys Real Estate Market showed to be up on the rise in November. The month of November finished with 33 properties with new contracts and 19 closings, as compared to Octobers 11 closings and 21 new contracts. The total sales volume for the November closings was $10,001,000.

2006-11-09T09:55:00.000-08:00

The first week of Nov showed a lot of activity in the Upper Florida Keys real estate market. 12 Homes under contract and 2 homes closed. Sold prices of the closed homes were $1,089,000 & $710,000.

2006-11-09T09:49:00.000-08:00

Upper Florida Keys Real Estate for the month of October had 21 homes under contract and 11 closed sales. The total sales volume of the closed homes was $14,731,650.

2006-10-21T11:56:00.000-07:00

Upper Florida Keys Real Estate for the first 3 weeks in Oct had 5 listed properties go under contract and 8 properties that sold. Of the 8 closed 4 of the sold prices were $1.3 Mill, $2.4 Mill, $2.75 Mill and $3.5 Mill.

2006-10-11T09:12:00.000-07:00

2006 has seen the Real estate market change nation wide as well as the Florida Keys. Boosted by the media, the real estate boom has finally reached the time for a correction. Upper Keys residential property showed a modest increase in home appreciation for the first 3 quarters of 2006. The 80/20 Rule of real estate has been stronger than ever in 2006, with the stats coming in that 25% of the Realtors in the Florida Keys controled 81% market. Of the 25% top agents in the Keys, 32% of those agents work for Coldwell Banker Schmitt and Misty and I happen to be among the productive few.

From our experiences this year, we also did feel the market slowdown some. Our sales so far have been 1/2 of the $42 million that we sold in 2005, but are equal to our production in 2004 which we considered to be a record year for us at the time.

Real Estate has and is still selling here in the Keys, and sellers are still showing good profits from the sales. This is masked by the tremendous amount of inventory that is on the market. I do not see this as a buyers market as most people think. Yes buyers have more choices, but they have not yet controlled the pricing. Yes there have, and will be a lot of good deals around, more than we have seen in the last 18 months. This is due to prices settling at rest and basic values coming back into play. Inferior properties are no longer going to get top dollar.

Our real estate forecast looks good, insurance rates are scheduled for a 27% decrease, interest rates are still reasonably low, the storm season returned to normal and we still have the largest and only Coral reef system in the Continental United States.