Florida Keys Real Estate News

The real estate market in the Florida Keys is maintaining a steady growth.  Our market values continue to increase and we remain in a Seller's market.  If you are considering purchasing a home in the Florida Keys, now is a great time to begin your search.  You can create your own private portal to receive updates of properties that fit your parameters.  This will ensure you don't miss any properties that are new to the  market.  I am always available to chat about real estate in the Florida Keys - so please give me a call - 305-731-4602.

The "bell" of the street - 124 Villa Bella Dr. Venetian Shores Islamorada, Florida Keys from Claire Johnson on Vimeo.  This house is ALL above flood - owners went thru great lengths to raise the lower levels - all was done with permits!

When looking for Islamorada real estate or Key Largo real estate, is it important to use "local" Realtor?  Yes, and here are my reasons why.

Florida Keys Lifestyle from Claire Johnson on Vimeo.

  

      

  

     

  

   

     

Key Deer are located mostly on Big Pine Key, Florida Keys.  The National Key Deer Refuge is approximately 8,500 acres on Big Pine Key and No Name Key.  Key Deer are quite small - weigh up to 75lbs and all of 30" tall.  Early writings of the deer where in the 1500's!  When exploring Big Pine Key, please obey the speed limits to help protect our deer!  

Key Deer, Big Pine Key, Florida Keys from Claire Johnson on Vimeo.

Sailing on our 39' catamaran is one of our passions!  Here we are sailing under the Channel 5 bridge just south of Lower Matecumbe Key, Islamorada, Florida Keys.  Channel 5 has a 65' clearance.  Easy access for the offshore fishing boat / sailboats to navigate to the Atlantic Ocean.  Homes in Port Antigua, Safety Harbor and Tollgate Shores can accommodate boats with deeper drafts.  The entrance to the canals in these subdivisions offer at least a 5.5' control depth.  When selling homes in the Florida Keys it is important to team up with a Realtor who understands the waters.  Having my captain's license for 18 years, gives me an advantage.  

TimeLapseChannel5IMG_0186 from Claire Johnson on Vimeo.

So proud to live in the United States of America.  Thank you to the Veterans and Military service men and women for protecting our Freedom!  This is one of my all time favorite songs!  

Just listed this top floor, corner unit in Coral Harbour Condo.  Nestled among 10 acres of beautifully manicured lawns, this updated unit has breathtaking ocean views.  The ocean views can be enjoyed from the living room, master bedroom and screened in porch.  The unit has 2 bedrooms / 2 bathrooms, 1330 sf of living space, washer /dryer in unit, and located on Plantation Key in Islamorada, Florida Keys.  Coral Harbour has wonderful amenities - marina that offers fuel and ice, 2 lighted tennis courts, heated pool, club house with many social activities during the season, covered parking, car washing station, gated complex, and a point directly on the ocean to relax and enjoy the prevailing winds and the forever ocean views!  

Being offered at $499,000 - this unit is turn key.  Contact me for your private showing.  

Video by FloridaKeys.TV and Fla-Keys.com 

The Florida Keys are a chain of islands that stretches over 100 miles.  Whether looking for Key Largo real estate, Islamorada real estate, Marathon real estate, Lower Keys real estate or Key West real estate - every area has there own nuances.  What is consistent about the Florida Keys is the beauty and laid back atmosphere.  We love our crystal clear waters and every opportunity is taken to enjoy our surroundings.  We are a small community that hosts a great deal of events and activities.  The annual Lower Keys underwater music festival is one of the many events.  FLA-Keys.com is a great source of information for all events taking place throughout the island chain.    


Video from FloridaKeys.TV

Being able to get out on the water in the Florida Keys is always a treat.  After two decades of living here, I am still mesmerized by its beauty.  On this particular day, my daughter and I were heading up to Plantation Key.  Since our home is on Lower Matecumbe Key, we travel through the wheel ditch and pass along Tea Table, which is where I shot this video. Although it was a little bumpy as the day progressed the wind laid down and the ride home was beautiful.  

What makes boating around Islamorada the best?  There are four inhabitable islands in the Village of Islamorada - Plantation Key, Windley Key, Upper Matecumbe Key and Lower Matecumbe Key.  The islands are four to five miles long, which gives way to a lot of bridges.  In my opinion, Islamorada has the BEST boating in the Keys because of the easy access to the Atlantic Ocean or the Florida Bay.  There are two options for offshore fishing boats and sailboats to go from one side to the other - there is Snake Creek drawbridge, located at MM 86, and Channel 5 bridge with a 65' clearance, located at MM 73.  The ICW runs along the bay side, which will provide deep water for the larger draft boats.  

When you are considering buying a home in the Florida Keys, take into consideration the size of the boat you have or the one you will eventually be purchasing.  Knowing the control depths, bridge heights and your water activities are important to help decide which island location will fit your needs best. 

Founder's Park in Islamorada, Florida Keys held another community event.  Island Fest, an annual Islamorada Chamber of Commerce event, is held in April.  The road parallel to the beach was lined with talented artists selling their masterpieces.   Local musicians filled the air with tunes for every age.  A sand castle was built by a professional and then the children were invited to sculpt their own creations! Lets not forget the tasty treats that the Chefs created from the local restaurants.  The Taste of Islamorada was held on Sunday - mouth watering, appetizer size portions were the talk of the town.  It is astonishing the number of events hosted by these island chains. You can find yourself having a new experience almost every weekend throughout the Florida Keys.  

If you own a home in the Village of Islamorada in the Florida Keys there is no cost to enter the park (unless there is an event being held there charges an entrance fee).  The park has many different aspects - soccer and baseball / soft fields, olympic size swimming pool that is temperature controlled, tennis courts, outdoor work out equipment, the path around the park is exactly one mile, playground, dog park, beach, boat ramp and marina.  To gain entrance to the pool is a small fee.   

Having lived in Islamorada, Florida Keys for the past twenty years, I can honestly say I never get tired of or take for granted the beauty in which I reside.  If I could just float in this water all day, I would!  Buying a home in Islamorada or Key Largo is an exciting prospect. Having been engrossed in the real estate market on a full time basis for the past fourteen years, I can help you navigate through the home purchase process.   From starting your search, being by your side while previewing properties,  pointing out the pros and cons of the different areas, being instrumental in coordinating inspections, being readily available and proceeding to the closing table.  Our relationship does not stop there.  My customers rely on me for contacts, real estate updates and more.  I am an out-of-the box thinker and love a challenge!  Continuously learning is empowering and we all know, knowledge is power!  

If you are looking for a well seasoned agent and one who will be completely honest with you, whether you want to hear it or not - contact me!  I would love to find you a piece of paradise, so you can enjoy the beauty as much as I do!  

The attached video is of Port Antigua Beach on Lower Matecumbe Key in Islamorada, Florida Keys.  Homeowner's in the Port Antigua subdivision are able to join the homeowner's association and take advantage of this beautiful area.  Hard sandy bottom, beach, tiki's, and boat ramp, easily accessible by a golf cart.  Port Antigua is an exclusive community, that boasts high end properties.  With over 6' control depth coming into the canal and Channel 5 bridge minutes away with a 65' clearance - allows for the sailboats and off shore fishing vessels to have an area that is accommodating to their size. There are other subdivisions as well that offer the same - call me and I will show you multiple properties that will fit your needs!   

Bedrooms come in all different shapes and sizes.  This is often a place where we can go to retreat and unwind.  When it comes to selling your home, the master bedroom is scrutinized the most because the Master(s) is making the purchase!  Whether the bedroom is on the smaller size, on a grand scale or a child's room, try and make the most of your space. Clearing clutter and organizing can make a room appear larger.  If you are on a budget, there are ways to freshen up a room without breaking the bank.  Many discount stores on the mainland can help with your project.  Keep it simple and clean.  



Larger bedrooms have an opportunity to take advantage of the space and create intimate sitting areas.  Again, keeping it more on the simplistic side.  We want Buyers to envision their furniture fitting into the home.  When you freshen up the walls with a coat of paint, don't necessarily hang all your pictures again.  Leave most of the walls untouched.  Buyers can imagine decorating the room with their personal items.  

Islamorada, Florida Keys is known as the fishing capital of the world!  We love to get on and in the water around this island chain.  When we are not on the water, we look for land activities.  Islamorada might be comprised of four small islands and approximately 8,000 full time residents but we have fundraisers, events and festivities on a large scale.  Believe it or not, we can always fill our time.  The residents take advantage of the island resources and we always know how to celebrate.  The Moose Lodge in Islamorada on Upper Matecumbe Key hosted a seafood festival that was abundant with incredible dishes.  The high end restaurants on this 4 mile long island are truly each one of a kind!  The chef's are top notch and the food is mouth watering.  The booths created incredible dishes such as fried hogfish with mango chutney, oyster shooters, shrimp key lime soup... all leaving the tastebuds begging for more.  Once our tastebuds were done dancing, the Junkanoo band paraded down the street and got our feet a-dancing.  Definitely put this on your calendar for next March!  

Freewheeler Realty has accepted the invitation to join Leading Real Estate Companies of the World / Luxury Portfolio International.  It is an honor to be chosen to join this amazing organization.  Leading Real Estate Companies of the World was organized back in the 70's, when a group of brokers came together to create a referral network.  This has morphed into an organization that has an unprecedented reach in the global arena.  Besides being a top producing real estate firm in a specific area, the brokerage cannot be affiliated with a real estate franchise.  What this has created is a powerhouse of top producing agencies all over the world.  When you want to be the best, you become affiliated with the best!  This advantage is then passed on to our buyers and sellers in the Florida Keys.  

Luxury Portfolio International was created for exclusivity.  They maintain their high standard of luxury by implementing parameters to be strictly followed.  Professional photographs are a must, minimum list price is $1,000,000.00 and the final step is approval from Luxury Portfolio International.  This is to ensure the brand remains untarnished and the quality of listings are vetted.  

Allow me the opportunity to show you the Leading Real Estate Companies of the World / Luxury Portfolio International advantage.   

Property in the Florida Keys remains on the upward swing.  The inventory continues to decrease while the property values maintain a steady market value increase.  On average the yearly increase is around 10%.   It flipped into a seller's market in 2014; prior to that it was a Buyer's market for almost 10 years.  If you are considering making an investment in the Keys, I would suggest acting sooner rather than later.  The statistics are for a first quarter comparison (although I know I am not at the end of March 2016 quite yet) for 2014, 2015 and 2016.  

Being a tourist based industry, the Florida Keys is comprised of approximately fifty (50%) percent second home owners.  The Florida Keys island chain only has so much land left to build out.  Hurricane evacuation is the deciding factor on the build out.  There is already discussions being held as to what to do with the vacant lots that have the potential not to get a building permit.  Once the land is built out, we will be in a new realm of property values.  The discussions estimate the build out to take place in about 10 years.  Of course, time will tell.  

It is that time of year again when the Florida Keys Electric Coop checks and makes repairs to our power lines.  One of the ways for this to be completed is by helicopter.  There is a lot of trust and skill in this line of work.  It is amazing watching this take place.  I happened to be sitting in traffic when FKEC was flying around with a man on the catwalk!  Never a dull moment in the Florida Keys!  Pretty impressive to watch these guys work.  

I have often been asked, when you live in Paradise - where do you go on vacation?  Most of the time it is visiting family but on this occasion we met up with our friends and went to the hills of Georgia to get dirty!  Durham town is in the mountains and has miles and miles of trails for dirt bikes and Razors!  Saylor and I were in one Razor and my friend Andrea and her boys were in another; the men were on their dirt bikes.  Boy was this fun - we had a blast and got dirty! Although it is great to get off the rock, it is always wonderful to come back home to Islamorada.   

Key Largo, Florida Keys home for sale.  This CBS home was built in 2005.  It sits in an X flood zone, which means by standing on the ground you are above the flood plain.  The home is spacious with 3 bedrooms / 2 bathrooms boasting over 1800sf of living space.  Vaulted ceilings in every room, all bedrooms have a walk in closet, large indoor laundry / utility room.  Plenty of room for a pool in the backyard.  Homeowner's park just down the street with a boat ramp.  Close to John Pennekamp State Park.  Adam's Cut is minutes away, which provides easy access to get to the Florida Bay and the Everglades National Park.  This home is well maintained and a must see.  

Islamorada is known for being the Sport Fishing Capital of the World!  Why is that? Living in an area where the Atlantic Ocean and the Everglades National Park located in the Florida Bay are just minutes from each other.  You have an opportunity, in Islamorada, to catch many types of fish.  Here is Caribsea Charters, located in Islamorada, catching a swordfish - during the day - a few years ago.  This video catches the excitement and anticipation of reeling in a 500lb + fish!  Caribsea Charters, owned by Kenny Spaulding, has fishing in his blood.  He is a multi-generational fisherman.  The young man narrating is Kenny's son and he is just as talented as his father, uncles and grandfather!  If you want to catch fish, call upon Caribsea Charters!  And call me, if you want to live in this magical place and get your FISH ON!