AVOID Moving to the Florida Keys UNLESS You can Handle These 9 FACTS 

Excellent video. As a resident of Big Coppitt (mm10) I would like to give you my list. 1). Cost of housing down here. A single bedroom tiny apartment will cost $2000 a month. And if you are a service person you can never get ahead financially. People will rent a house and pack 4 or 5 people in it to share the rent. 2). Beaches. Most of the beaches down here consist of coral muck. If you are picturing Daytona beach like beaches they are few and far between. We boat out to sandbars mostly. 3). Homeless people in KW. Tons of them. And young homeless. I think they have the Jimmy Buffet ideal of Paradise and when they get here it aint so great if you are broke. 4). If you buy a home and leverage it through a bank you will most likely be mandated to have Wind, Flood and other coverages which can cost you 5 to 10 grand a year easily. 5). Contractors. Oh lordy IF they respond to a phone call be prepared for the worst. The work ethic down here is horrible in most cases. I'm sure there are exceptions but so far they have eluded me. Ok with that said we love it down here but after 8 months we need to get off the rock and head north. Do your research and have realistic expectations. Jimmy Buffet doesn't live here he just makes a living singing about "Paradise" and lives elsewhere.

"Buying that 2nd home in the Keys"🤣😂 Me, living off oatmeal and beans for the last two weeks (and grateful).

When I was in the Coast Guard I was stationed at Islamorada back in the 1990's and loved it, went back last year and it has changed so much. Not all for the best.

The "no see-ums" drove me off Sanibel Island, especially when the wind dies down.

Heat and humidity in Florida is brutal. And it feels like you’re 10 inches from the sun.

You forgot to mention the cost. My spouse and I went to Key West for our 25th wedding anniversary and absolutely fell in love with it. We're not big drinkers but we loved the history of the island, we went to all the museums and the Little White House. I can't think of a place with more breathtaking sunrises and sunsets, plus I'm a sucker for beaches and the ocean. Fortunately, I don't get seasick. We stayed at Edan House directly across from The Artists House and I highly recommend it. We would sit at the tiki bar in the back and talk to the bartender about what it's like to live in Key West. He told us it was too expensive for him and his girlfriend to live there--that they live on one of the other keys and commute every day. I flipped through the available real estate listings and unless you're earning a million dollars per year, you can't afford to live there. Most of the people who work there, live on another Key and a few live in Homestead which is the last town before you leave mainland Florida for the Keys. We're at the point of being retired so the only way we could afford to live there would be to live on a houseboat or find a place to park an RV/Tiny Home. Even the rent is outrageous. I could live with all the other negatives but not the enormous price tag.

I have lived in the keys for the last 50 years of my life, and will die down here.

#1 negative should have been the cost of property insurance :)

I owned a home on Cudjoe Key for 17 years. The mosquitoes were my big problem. Even during the day they were all over you. Everything else I was fine with but it is very transient if you find friends they could be gone in a month. Having your family there is a plus.

Back in the '90s, I lived in Big Pine while working at hospital on Stock Island, in Key West. I loved every minute of it. We had rented a house on a canal, so we had the boat parked out back. We made full use of it nearly every day. I still enjoy the occasional trip down to the Keys.

Lived there from 1973 to 1985. Loved every minute of our life and all the wonderful friends. My gripes….humidity, mosquitoes, hurricanes.

Humidity is a deal breaker for me. Love Florida but can't handle more than a week of humidity

It would be silly for me as an Arizonan to say I can't move to the Keys because of the sun! But the humidity is something I would have trouble with. I grew up with humidity in New Jersey summers and I can't even hack that anymore. Not to mention mosquitos! Lastly, I can't handle snakes and alligators.

Well notice that pretty much all of these type videos are made by those who are in the real estate business. It so happens that i was a realtor/builder myself and had my own business for 40 years prior to retiring to the Keys. But, there are things about the keys your not apt to learn from anyone but yourself from the experience of actually living there. I had about 15 years experience of visiting there before moving there full time in a new home i had built in the late 90s. I lived there full time for a period of 10 years in one of the nicest communities in all the keys, that being Duck Key. #1 shopping is very limited, other than basic need items like food shopping, and even that is limited. So you will find yourself making periodic trips to the Miami area for that. Ask any parent with school age kids about the schools. Check out the quality of the local hospital, and the medical staff there, and especially the number of (good) sober doctors. Miami is a very long trip when theres a serious medical emergency. I know these things from personal experience, but no real estate agent will tell you, even if they know. There is also no place to go once your there. Many of the places you can go to are tourist trap places, and Key West is a perfect example. Fact is that with a few exceptions, the entire keys is a tourist trap. Take a close look, (tacky) might well be the best word to describe it. Back to the fishing, there is world class fishing here in Florida other than that offered in the salt water. But you wont be finding that in the keys either. If you enjoy good quality entertainment be prepared to find it elsewhere. As for the fishing, i happened to be a licensed charter captain myself, and worked at that during the busy seasons at the Hawks Cay Resort. But especially during the winter months, there will often be periods of a week or more where you wont go out at all due to strong winds. And for a period of time after the water conditions can be very poor for fishing. So it isnt always the paradise many think it is in that regard.

Great video . I was down in the Keys July 2021 great time totally in love with the Keys .Can’t wait for next December 👍👍👍

I’m a Floridian. Surprised you didn’t mention homeowner insurance.

Seems like a really nice community to be a part of, thanks for the info!

I’m a northern girl, love snowstorms and fireplaces, wood smoke and hot chocolate. 😊

Thanks for summing up so nicely. Islamorada has been a 14day vaca for years now and it’s been hard to beat. Many thanks to the local businesses that provide such an accommodating environment.❤

Sometimes it gets so humid here you have to jump in the pool to dry off.

We moved to Cocoa Beach three years ago and LOVE it! My assessment: Positives- We LOVE the little lizards, geckos, whatever they actually are!!! They are so cute! (We do not have the iguanas.) As a beach town, it is not as warm as inland, so the temperature is very comfortable. In three years, it has not been above 92°F. It rarely gets to 90°F. I lived in Alabama for 30 years. July and August were 90+ every day. Very few mosquitoes or flies!!!!! I am guessing the ocean breeze is hard to fly against. IDK why, but we love it!! You can have a meal outside and not see a fly! Cocoa Beach is a small town. I ride my bike to most things. In three years, I have put less than 10k miles on my car. Negative- Yes, the humidity is uncomfortable at times, but nothing is perfect. I can change my top four or five times a day in the summer, because it is so wet from sweat. I’ve never experienced this any place else, but I just bought light, inexpensive tops, and they get washed a bunch. 😂 RUST! Everything with any amount of metal rusts! I don’t care what the manufacturer says, it will rust very fast! Just plan on it. There are days you can see the salt spray in the air. In conclusion, we love it here, but we loved Alabama just as much the 30 years we lived there. Every place has its good and bad.

I have visited the Keys many times and the only thing that was difficult for me was one you didn't mention. The mosquitoes. Most of the bars and restaurants are outdoors and the Black Salt Marsh Mosquitos would come out right after sunset. On the beach, it's not so bad but further inland they can be numerous and aggressive.

I've lived on Florida's west coast all year 'round for decades (minus military time) and trust me when I say, "anywhere in Florida will have high heat and super high humidity that's absolutely brutal from about mid-June through October!!!!!!

So far you make it sound great! I was born and raised in East, Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific islands. From the early 1950's onward. I'm stuck between the two forks of the beautiful Shenandoah River, in the breathtaking Shenandoah Valley of Virginia! In the Black Bear Capital of Virginia!

I was stationed in Key West for two years so I have a little different perspective than most people about the keys. It's a great place to visit for a week or two in the winter but that is about the end of any good thing about the Keys. If you are not retired and even if you are, the rentals and purchase prices are about 3 times as expensive as the State I live in. That's saying a lot because I live in one of the most expensive States (Connecticut). Most people have to rent with 2 or 3 other people and plan on paying most of your wages to your landlord. The whole of the Keys are just one big tourist trap. plan on paying resort prices for every day prices. Then there are the tourists. Every two weeks a new crop visits. Don't forget the Cruise ships that dock and gorge their cargo of day trippers loose for the day. Thank god I was stationed there over 50 years ago when the Keys were "sleepytown". I went back in 1996 for a military reunion and hardly recognized the place! Still, everybody should visit the Island Chain for a week or two. It will make you appreciate your home base and you can say you visited the longest whorehouse, about 130 miles top to bottom. Most important, your happiest day will be the day you leave the Keys and head home!

Lived two years in key west and decided to move after Irma. Yes everything he mentioned is true. One thing he left out on a people note is that the keys, and especially key west, the people are extremely cliquish. You want notice it as a tourist but when you live there it’s quite apparent.

appreciate the honesty - lots to consider- thanks

I lived on Duck Key back in the 70s and 80s..after many years, of Hurricanes (Andrew the worsel, Wild Tourists season every weekend, James Bond film makings crews , flood rains , fearless frozen iguanas, Cuban Crocodiles (not gators)in my fruit garden, Mosquito Season , and power outages ..we moved to Mid Florida... I used to see hundreds of Key Deer all about the Key. Wonderful creatures. Many would die from vehicles. I loved those years..good report...before internet...

I live in Marathon for about three years. The constant wind started to get to me after a while, always seemed like it was blowing.

I lived in Key West for 2 years and loved it. I used my bike 90% of the time to get around the key. Drove anytime I had to leave town. This was in 2012-2014, I never noticed any issues with homeless etc.

Lived in Florida since 1983 I’m from New England and I left for a few years but I came back because this is the greatest place to live and we have the best governor in the nation

The heat/humidity combination can be deadly.

After vacationing there for many winter breaks and seriously thinking about getting a place there in retirement, the final straw that changed our minds was the homeless problems in Kew West. You can't go anywhere without the panhandling, begging, and the worse was people taking a dump in broad daylight on the sidewalk when you try to walk. The cops don't care and won't do anything. I'll go elsewhere.

All I gotta' say. I was born and raised in Key Largo. Know the area like the back of my hand. Just be nice to it. Keep it alive as it is. So many corporations are flooding in and making it a second Miami and it sucks.

I enjoyed your video. The costs - and the crowds are negatives. Such a beautiful place though!

I've lived in the south my entire life. Louisiana, Houston Tx., and Ft. Lauderdale 46 yrs now Nocatee, Ponte Vedra, Fl.Jacksonville area so I am use to it but we moved to the Jacksonville/ St. Augustine to escape the perpetual spring/summer. here are just too many bugs in the keys.

Great video!!

i grew up in key west during the 1970s-80s.was there when the cubans came over in the early 80s,wild times man.

If you hate nature, the smell of the beautiful ocean, hate lizards and normal creatures just trying to survive, would rather have fires, tornados or floods and need to stay in a materialistic mode please stay home!! We locals love all that stuff and don't need haters.

Indian Rocks Beach was just perfect for me. I lived in Florida for 25 years, and watched it change for the worse. Had to move out unfortunately but the change saved my old ass lol

I do get seasick, but I LOVE the ocean and boating and dream of living by the sea where I can sail all the time

I have had family in Sarasota since the 60’s! Great for a visit but not for year round living. 😉

Nice Vlog. Hoping to be a snowbird someday. So far we've only spent three weeks on Largo in December. A few days the humidity was heavy; can't imagine what it would be like in the summer. BTW, one of your "snakes" was actually a Golden Spotted Eel (we're divers). Blessings.

I live in SW Florida and many of us would love to move to Idaho...Montana...Colorado...just bored with the heat and the sun...the whole State is flat....flat....flat....gets old quickly...

Just visiting has become too expensive. $175-225/night for a very basic room. Out of my league now. 😢

I spent a week at Bahia Honda State Park in 1974 and loved it. There were only about 20 “regular” homeless on Sunset Pier. One wore a flea collar. I loved the old homes with louvres on the ground floor windows. I believe “thinking fourth dimensionally” is good advice, and I have no desire to even visit the Key West of 2023

I have no intention of living there and building a home ever ,but I always thought it would be a fun vacation . from what you have said , basically confirms this lol . no where is perfect but I have grown accustomed to the polar opposite climate and I am land locked ( do not get me wrong there are rivers and lakes near by ) . I would feel like I was in a different country , just no passport needed .

I would also bring up the water quality is bad so drinking water will be purchased at the store.

Lived in the Keys for 5 years, Big Pine, Islamorada, Marathon, Key Largo. Hunted lobster, fished, partied, swam, worked, explored, had fun, had hard times too but I never saw an iguana maybe because we left in 2000. Just caught the last of the wildness. Houseboat Row had recently been removed, sadly. I wonder if the chickens are still at Blue Heaven in Key West; big money has destroyed so much of the character. The Key deer will always be there. Only saw one gator and that was at the "Hole", saw tons in the Everglades. Lived through Hurricane Georges, it was a mess for a long time. I certainly wouldn't even dream of buying property down there under any circumstance. Insurance is way too tricky, rules, regulations, laws are as well because only the filthy rich can afford it and they're so easy to exploit. It really was a highlight of my life to live down there, I'll have to admit, and the best was the pals, the buddies, the friends, the gatherings, and going to the Dry Tortugas!

For me, the major con for purchasing in Key West is the isolation. I like to travel and like variety. 3-4 hour (painful and frustrating, depending) drive to MIA or a limited selection of flights out of KW. Yes, I can get to O'Hare, DFW and Atlanta and anywhere from any of them, but it just adds time. Beautiful and I could just about afford what I'd want, yet......

Too crowded in the winter that's why I sold out and back to my Creek in North Florida .

I’ve lived in key largo for almost 6 years now and I do a lot of commuting between here and marathon for my work. I’m shocked no one has mentioned the traffic being a negative. It can take up to a hour just going through islamorada.

Was kinda shocked there was no mention of mosquitoes, was there and decided to go the distance of the keys made it as far as key largo and spent the night and was absolutely ate alive from the mosquitoes and while living in Cocoa beach was overrun by love bugs......enough Fla. for me

Names Curtis Hyde I happened to found your Channel by pure happenstance now I like what I heard on the nine bad what do you got for the nine good and by the way I am now subscriber one show and I'm impressed I'm also a native Florida boy it was raised in the Honduran Bay Islands

good stuff =)

Nice video

Conch Key in the back drop. Love it!

No see ums!! I spent 6 months at Key West...survived on Benedryl. LOVED our stay, but but allergy made it rough.

Where I live here is like Paradise Sunny 75 while whole county is 35up north I moved here I live it sunny sunshine 🌞 I'm off antidepressants

i was down there 2 years ago and loved it the heat and the sun dont bother me none cause im from the deep south. Im a sucker for the beaches and the ocean. Some of the people that live there whole life thought me and my brother was from there asked if we wanted to move here but we just dont have that kind of money to make the move there

I grew up in S. Florida from 59 to 88.We then moved to N.Central Florida. Left there in 97. Headed West. Florida just got too crowded for us.

seasonal changes should not be taken for granted, though they easily are.

There’s nothing like the water view though! Spectacular❣️

I have lived in Key Largo since 2010 and I am more interested in the native plant and animal composition. I wish more people were here who cared to look up things in field guides and realize what special things we have. There are volunteer workdays for coastal cleanups, native tree planting and invasive plant removal and you can meet and network with really great people doing that. The animal issues are a source of friction, and some of the insect problems are tied to that. If you are more educated and emotionally mature about these issues, the Keys need you. Some will disagree.

Owned a home on Big Pine for 20 years till the massive property tax reformation in 2008..ran many folks out of the keys.

I’ve lived in islamorada for a year now. I’m from Ohio. Do not miss the winter. In fact I look forward to it here. Life is good here. I’ll put up with the bugs and humidity. 😊

Two things not on your list, and they can coexist, if you have little patience or are in a hurry, may not be for you, also the traffic, more than once I sat on Long Key bridge for hours because of an accident, so just realize schedules and appointments are made to be broken, and "keys time" is a real thing, if you enjoy the hustle and bustle of city life, you'll find yourself quickly frustrated with the pace of the locals...

The way to handle sea sickness it the prescription behind the ear patches. But the secret is to put them on 1 or 2 days before your sailing. I know thats not helpful with spontaneous events but it does help with planned events. It really really helps

You're right about humidity in the south in general. Way of life Baton Rouge, La. Lawd lawd! Nice video.

Great video. We were there Christmas 2019 (just before COVID). My husband and I camped in RV park while my son and his wife stayed on Duval St. Had a blast, then came home and hubby came down with COVID before anybody knew what it was.

I wasn't so much put off by the heat and humidity. I'm from the North West of England and out summers regularly hot 105f with 100% humidity.

I'm from Brazil. I see this beaultiful place on the Netflix series Bloodline.

GREAT , informative video. I had a LOT of great meals in Key West, too. Including a fantastic sandwich at Kelly McGillis' {from Top Gun fame} place (Kelly's Caribbean Bar, Grill & Brewery). By the way, Hawaii is the Southernmost part of the USA. The Keys are the most southern part of the Contiguous 48 states.

Don't forget the largest demographic of the keys, the bugs... Scorpions, fire ants, venomous spiders, mosquitoes, cockroaches, ticks, fleas, sand fleas, ect... Oh, and don't dare touch any frogs...... Also, the gators are not a problem, you leave them alone, they'll leave you alone. it's the salt water Crocodiles you have to worry about.... if you have pets, or small children, don't let them play by the edge of any canals unsupervised.....

I had a sweet little trailer in Islamorada. In 2017, Irma threw it into the ocean. All gone.

I lived in Key West for 12 years. At first it was nice, but that was when tourism was seasonal, so there wasn't much to do. The biggest event of the year was Hemingway Days where people were fairly chill. We had like two cruise ships a week. Housing was affordable. Fantasy Fest was just getting started. Yes, that was awhile ago. When I left, the typical tourist was a slobbering, blacked-out drunk looking for the cheapest deal he/she could find. The creativity and fantasy of Fantasy Fest had been perverted into a 25 cent peep show. I just couldn't take it any longer. I can't imagine what it's like now. As for the heat and humidity, it's not as bad as other parts of Florida because it's an island surrounded by ocean, so the temperature is a bit more moderated. I do miss walking on some of the safer back streets at night and smelling all the tropical flowers and mangroves. However, I do not miss learning which streets are safe and which are not. Oh, I'll tell you another thing, just because it doesn't get below freezing, doesn't mean it doesn't get cold. I've seen 50 degree days when we didn't have heat in our houses because "It;s Key West, who needs heat". 50 degrees with no heat or real coats for 2 or 3 days is very cold! haha

Native Born Fla. You need LOTS of money. Well over $5,000.00. Look at the Florida Keys Craigslist, because you wont believe the rent costs there. Rent in the Keys is 3 times what you think high rent is. Also Savings, A way to bring in Income still as you move (it can be done) Im sober, not many men interested in that, But, it actually Helps :) Many people come to the Keys to party , but to stay you need a job that pays Very well.

I lived onRamrod Key for 2 years, I had boats, living on open water, money, and vehicles…I was bored to tears.

Moved to Tavernier 3 years ago, and never ever looked back. I thrive here.

1) Red tide 2) Red tide 3) Red tide 4) Key Deer speed zones 5) Red tide 6) Red tide 7) Red tide 8) Red tide 9) Expensive gas

I live next to MCAS Miramar. I don't think there's a more temperate place in the U.S. (Winter 57 F/Summer 72, no bugs, low humidity). The F-18's are a bit loud but I'll take it.

THAT'S MY OLD HOUSE! THAT'S CONCH KEY ! the white house to the right of the yellow house. I owned that house from 84 to 99 ! I was a commercial lobsterman and a professional scuba diver.

Did not know about the Green Iguanas, which I personally would enjoy seeing. Hurricanes yes, but you do not have Earthquakes and have lived close to epicenter for 1971 and 1994 here in screwed-up Calif and EQ's suck, what they do not mention is 2 yrs of aftershocks you have to live thru, and they always happen between 1-4 am. This is where I want to Live.

Nice👏👏👏🎈

I just came back from the keys and the thing i notice was wild roosters everywhere from Key West to Key Largo. Even though the roosters and chickens are not native to the keys, they are a protective animal species.

FYI…for those who get seasick..try nibbling on a small piece of candied ginger!! It works brilkantly on nausea, and works quickly!!

I've lived in Key West for 37 years. It was great in the 80's, good in the 90's and thru about 2010. Then the oil spill and a couple bad storms and Yankees hit the island... Now if you are not ultra rich or your conch grandma left you a house, you can't live here. Besides, the reef is dead, the fishing is horrible and the water is full of fecal matter. Oh, and the healthcare is non-existent. So, sorry. You missed it.

I think it would be great to have my own boat but I don’t know anything about them. Is there a place to learn about boats for newbies?

Snorkeling on the coral reefs must not be missed. Went twice, awesome!

Didn't mention congestion, tourist and traffic, they go hand in hand. Bars and restaurants are full all the time and parking close to them near impossible. But the worse one is that thin ribbon of asphalt called A1A. It's the only way in and out. A major accident can shut the road for hours. God help you if it happens while you are on the seven-mile bridge. Oh, and EVERTHING is more expensive.

I thought that I recognized you!! You were selling real estate up in Cour D' Alene, back in 2021! If I remember correctly, you grew up there! I tried to purchase a home, there, in 2021, and was BLOWN AWAY at how high the prices were escalating!! I offered $610,000 on a house, that went on the market for $429,000. I LOST!! The winning bid was $650,000! WAY TOO RICH FOR ME!! So I returned back to Carmel, California. Seeing you here, now allows me NOT to feel so bad! LOL!! I hope that you enjoy the life no matter where you are, my friend!! Take Care!

Watching this from north Idaho 😁

looks like paradise

when i moved down here almost 30 years ago it rained every day at about 4pm. it was wonderful. it gave you a time to just stop for a bit and relax. stopped carrying an umbrella and got used to getting wet and just drying out. who cares about make up and frizzy hair, floridians do not. swimsuit covered by shorts and shirt was the norm. you never knew when you were just going to jump in water somewhere. this is all from a gal who gets far enough away from the ocean that i can't taste salt on my lips i feel weird. i finally bought some socks last year. my wardrobe of shoes consists of Teva's, even have a pair with metallic line for dress up. its so sad climate change and man has messed it up so bad.

One road in and one road out. The perfect scenario to be locked in. I was stalled for more than an hour because of a dump truck with locked air brakes, very trivial indeed, so just think about anything serious like a hurricane blown bridge. Wow !!! You are now a prisoner. No food resupply, no fuel and so on and so forth. Hell in paradise.

North Idaho is still an awesome place despite the snow. The Idaho summers can’t be beat even the Keys.

09. The sun 08. The humidity 07. Jobs are service oriented 06. No flowers iguanas eat them 05. It smells weird 04. Hurricanes 03. Snakes and alligators 02. Fewer schools 01. Water is very choppy seasick!

I live in Florida and have been to the Keys a couple of times. Although very pretty, I would never live there. Traffic can be horrendous, too many tourists, everything is expensive, and living there would make you a sitting duck for hurricanes.

Man I make pretty dang good money as a single guy and a couple years ago it really wasn't far fetched to move down there but now it's just out of hand. I hope one day the real estate goes back to 2019-2020 levels

We find that the humidity isn’t a whole lot different than the humidity around the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia.