Florida Keys Real Estate News

Florida Keys Lifestyle from Claire Johnson on Vimeo.

It has been a little over a week since Hurricane Irma (category 4) passed through the Florida Keys.  I am not going to show any pictures of destruction because we are now on the road to recovery. I am speaking about the Upper Keys ~ Islamorada and Key Largo.  

The Upper Keys has a population of about 20,000.  Although the Florida Keys has millions in visitors, when you take them out of the equation it leaves us with a small town.  This small town is all I have known for the past twenty years.  When tough times fall upon the Florida Keys, is when you truly understand the closeness of this community.  The residence that stayed and danced with Irma ~ were the first responders in starting to clear our roads, help their neighbors and check on properties for ones desperately wanting to know if they still had a place to call home.  They were not doing this for notoriety, their time was given freely and without hesitation ~ this IS the foundation of the Florida Keys.  

The Upper Florida Keys could not have recovered as quickly as we are without additional help. The infrastructure is being put back together at a fast pace because of the outside help ready with their skill set ~ and this is what makes the United States of America an amazing place to live!  

A week after the storm, most of the businesses are open and fully functional.  Tourists are allowed back into the area starting October 1st.  The debris on the side of the roads are being cleared and people are starting to rebuild.  The hardest hit areas in the Upper Keys are mostly on the ocean side ~ they are moving at great speeds to get back to normal.

Many people are talking about real estate values in the Florida Keys ~ I will specifically talk about the Upper Keys (Islamorada and Key Largo).  Here at Coastal Realty of the Upper Keys, we are telling our customers not to panic.  Our community is bouncing back quickly; lets let the coral dust settle so we can truly evaluate the situation.  So far, what we are finding is most properties faired well in this area.  Property owners need to work on getting their homes in order, talk to your insurance companies if needed, hire a PRIVATE insurance adjuster if needed (but you must first notify your insurance company or your situation) and continue clearing / cleaning up your properties.  I am seeing deals close on a daily basis this week and that will continue.  

Call me if you have any questions regarding Upper Keys real estate - we will recover and be better than ever!  Very blessed to live in such an amazing community.  
Posted by Claire Johnson on September 28th, 2017 8:37 AM
Hurricane Irma has just paid a visit to Florida, impacting the area that I call home ~ the Florida Keys.  My family and I held strong to our word, that we would not ride out any storm over 100mph winds ~ and so we left to stay with family in the center of the state.  We did receive word that our house faired the storm well and have been in contact with many of our friends back home.  My husband left this morning to head back home, with a Uhaul and supplies, to help our neighbors.  The Upper Keys will be back in full swing in no time ~ we continue to pray for the middle to lower Keys.  The Keys are strong and this is the time when you understand what it is like to be a "local" in a tourism filled industry.  This is why I love my community!

With all the recovery that is taking place in the Florida Keys, there is still business that needs to be addressed.  That is what has prompted me to write during this time.  If you have a real estate deal in the Florida Keys (or in the state of Florida) there is a provision in the contract that addresses such an issue.  The section is called "Force Majeure" which refers to an Act of God.  

Force Majeure
 (French for “superior force”) is a contract provision that relieves the parties from performing their contractual obligations when certain circumstances beyond their control arise, making performance inadvisable, commercially impracticable, illegal, or impossible.

I am addressing this because Realtor's have a fiduciary responsibility to their customers.  Review your contract and read the clause in its 
entirety.  There are many places that are still without cell service, internet or utilities ~ being able to contact your Realtor might be a temporary set back.  Hope this helps.  

Please continue to pray for the areas affected by Irma and it is not just in Florida. 


Posted by Claire Johnson on September 14th, 2017 9:38 AM

Recent Posts:

Archives:

My Favorite Blogs:

Sites That Link to This Blog: