Best place to live or vacation in the FL Keys?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 ก.ย. 2024
- This video will give you many insights into the different areas of the Florida Keys in which to vacation or purchase a home based on your needs. It can be confusing to find your place in the Keys, we can help you decide!
Mark and Laurie are real estate Advisors with Engel & Völkers here in Marathon, FL. We can help you sell or purchase a home in the Florida Keys. Call/Text or email Mark Gable 770-561-6091, markgable@me.com
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I am able to pay much closer attention and to comprehend things so much clearer when Lori wears her bikini !!!
Helps stay focused 👌🏻
Love all the channels where the guys are in t-shirts and board shorts and the women in 10 square inches of clothes. 😂
Loser comment
Thank you, great information. Laurie, has the body of a fit 20 something, way to go!
A little surgery helped. Kinda sad thats all you got from video though.
If ever I needed help in buying a home or renting short term, I would look into working with you guys in a heartbeat. I love your honesty and I appreciate your helping people with your work. Thank you guys!
Awesome! Thank you Henry!
@@GablesOnTheGo Especially since they are from Atlanta. I appreciate Georgians. Speaking from Augusta.
The beauty is in the boat!
Could not agree more, green is my new fav color!
I have lived most of my life living in key largo before moving to Hawaii and Japan. But key largo has become too busy and no longer feels like the keys at all. There is zero local feel left and the traffic is horrible. If I moved back to the keys I would go to Marathon or south to live again. Islamarada and Key largo would be horrible to live in.
You will be the first people I call if I win Powerball! I love all of the Keys but after staying in Marathon 18 times in 20 years, Marathon holds a special place in my heart!
Come on Powerball!! Thank you!
A military guy told me Key West Fla is the new Area-51 ... Island is highly protected
I want to live with you guys.😁🍹
I just took the family for another FL Keys vacation. Had a great time in Islamorada, and Key West. Had a fantastic time in Key Largo! I still love it all though. I haven't found a bad key yet! I'm in my 50's with older kids. Being from Colorado, the Keys have become out favorite vacation destination.
That is awesome! We agree, anywhere in the Keys can be fantastic!
Do you guys do any SUP or kayaking etc. Forgive me if I missed the video. Love the videos, moving there soon and want to get an insider opinion of those activities
We have don't really have a comfortable kayak but want to get a SUP and play around with our friend's Hobie Cats that are pedal driven so that would be a fun video topic to do. Thanks for the suggestion!
I lived in Tavenier Key at the Ocean Pointe for almost one year it was nice.
We’re going to be at Bahia Honda in August, very excited it’s my first trip to the keys!!!
Be sure to get out on a boat on the water so you can see everything from the ocean perspective 😉
Too long guys
Sorry, we had a lot more we wanted to share but that's for another time.
We drove from Islamarada to Key West and I would have to say Marathon was our favorite and we would go back there in a minute. Sooo beautiful. Love you guys.
Thank you so much Vickie!
I am moving down to the Keys but I don't have anywhere near the money to live anywhere in the Keys. I am a musician and a chef so I am going to have to make some friends or find a boat to live on or something.
Lori… For a 50 something woman you look incredible in your bikini. You must be doing something right.
Thank you!
Great video🙌 Checkout Lower Matecumbe Key (tail end of Islamorada MM 76) Port Antigua - beautiful private Homeowners beach!
Thank you Armando, we will check it out!
Love this video and how you promoting the keys. I personally prefer the lower keys as I am able to actually get away from the main land and fishing is fire! Keep it up!
Thanks so much for watching!
Marathon is working class.
Wow little palm island resort is $3,000-$4,000 a night.
Empty lots on the water in big pine key are not too crazy price wise.
Careful with empty lots on Big Pine Key, not all are buildable. 😉
@@GablesOnTheGo I'm not in the market for property in the Keys but yeah same thing with off the grid property's I was looking at,
could be wet lands, flood zones, easement's, land locked, mineral rights, hard to get permits, minimum size/certain type of dwelling only allowed, all sorts of possible issues.
I have seen some intriguing land for sale though, like an island in the middle of Withlacoochee river but you could not build on it and could only get to it with a long boat ride🤷♂
Keys life must be great for your health! I would have never thought you folks were in your 50”s! My wife and I were going to drive to Key West not realizing how far of a drive it actually was. We made it to Marathon when we decided to turn around and head back. Wish we had pushed the rest of the way!
I lived/camped 17 miles north of Key West on a canal that turned out to be a nudist hangout. Back when I was hitch hiking around the country as a kid. Stayed about 6 months before heading west. Loved every minute.
When the Post Card Inn was Holiday Isle, it was a SERIOUS party location for sure! My liver can attest to that fact.....
Bartenders weekend!
Good ol days!
Another great video guys. The weather up here in Lighthouse Cove, Ontario is finally warming up, plus the walleye are biting in Lake St. Clair Mark. Be safe and keep kicking out the informative vids.
Thank you so much!
I must say I must choose key west to go for vacations although spent tons of time at Cheeca but both are great.
Key west has so many good eateries and if you want to be on the water or not there is stuff to do, however the drive gets old. Overall middle keys would be where I hang my hat one day.
It amazes me the Prices of "Cinder Block Shacks" in the Keys. Anything on the water (that is barely livable) $1MM+. Would have been nice to hear you throw around some real numbers with some examples (pics). Thanks... good presentation.
i watch / listen to these while i work. always like your videos.
Awesome, thank you!
Awesome video guys ! I comments on one of your previous video before recommending you guys do a video on vacation renting since most of us watching from different states would love to know the info. I been to the keys 5+ times and must said the middle keys is more relaxing and chill
On my last trip to the Keys, we stayed in Marathon for two weeks for a base and after a week, my wife asked if I could live there. I told her they got Publix, Win Dixie, and KMart which is 100% of everything I need and 70% of everything I want. Needless to say, I had to make a trip up to the mall in Sunrise. Marathon has to be desolate now with KMart now closed?
Nope not at all, the K Mart was always horrible anyway...I don't think anyone around here misses it at all. Marathon still has most everyone someone might need on vacation.
Laurie looking good
Thank you James!
Great video. I hope my family of 5 can take a vacation in the keys sometime soon. We would have to go to a place where we can access the beach because we have little ones that absolutely love that. We’re in our early 40 and have no interest in the party life nightlife we just want a quiet family oriented place for vacation. Great information thank you 🙏
You are welcome!
Christy and I grew up in South Florida and have been coming to the Keys since I was a kid. 29 years ago I had an job opportunity to move to Pennsylvania were we raised our two girls and now they are grown. We knew we would return to Florida at some point so we started our journey to purchase a home in the Lower Keys two years ago. We watched one of your earlier videos about Little Torch and knew this was a place that we should consider. We ended up purchasing a home there and its been a lot of fun. We've learned a lot about how to be patient and sometimes not so patient with contractors. We went through 3 electricians, 3 plumbers and are now on our 3rd window contractor. Thankfully we have a great property manager that has been able to do some of the work or coordinate the right people for the job. We love exploring different restaurants and have weeded out the ones that are purely for tourist with fun atmosphere but quality of food is not so good with a high price for what you get...all part of the journey. We equally have had fun exploring the waterways for snorkeling and fishing. The abundance of sea life has opened my eyes to a whole other world. There have been times when we have had schools of colorful fish swim right along with us - almost excepting our visit as one of their own. I'm always thankful of your videos as it explores areas of the Keys that I haven't seen before but look forward to checking out.
Thank you for all your postings and your channel.
Pat and Christy - Little Torch Living
Welcome to Little Torch! Just curious, why you didn't call us to help you find your home here. Any feedback very much helps us in our business.
Marathon has Sombrero Beach
We use to go to the Keys every year until it got overrun with rainbows ...
Lav mics sound amazing, great vid as always
Great video guys! Spot on, from our experience. Of course a lot of our opinions are from our time with you, so maybe a biased opinion;)
Thanks Ciaran!
i have followed you guys for about 3 years. Took a trip alone back in February. my goal is to live there when i retire . Ill be looking for an RV lot ! love you guys !!!!
As always great video and very educational. We are planning a seven day vacation trip for next May in the Keys. Our two sons want to spend the whole time in Key West. Any advice from y'all will be appreciated. No hurry. Go Dawgs!
Give us a call any time, we'll be glad to help in any way we can. Mark Gable 770-561-6091 Coco Plum Real Estate
Went to Marathon for years for lobster season. If it’s too rough outside,
you can go inside & do a lot. Love lower keys but you have to read the water & pay attention to the tides.
Good point Randy
Awesome video. Very informative, and very cool 😎.
I live in Palm Beach Gardens, wanna eventually head down to the Keys to retire and live.
Thank you! Let us know when you are ready to head this way!
Broke Ass Teachers!!! I am still laughing. If it was not for you two I would not live in the most beautiful place for me, lower keys!! I absolutely love it down here, the people are so amazing and some amazingly strange. But eve day is a new adventure for me. Thanks to you and Lori being so descriptive and so honest about the surroundings I was able to make an educated decision on moving here. So I owe a lot to you two. It’s going on two years and absolutely zero regrets (except the No seeums). Thank you for being great Ambassadors for this wonderful and beautiful area.
Thank you Tom, we really appreciate your feedback and so glad we could help!
Laurie and Mark:
Love your vids! I have been looking for a pair of sunglasses like yours, Mark, for ages. Can you please tell me what brand they are and where I could purchase them?
Thank you kindly! 😁👍👌
The ones I have on in this video are Costa Del Mar Fantails with the glass Blue/Gray Mirror lenses. They are excellent glasses but they can get heavy after wearing them all day. I have another pair by Costa called Brine with copper polycarbonate lenses and they are my day to day glasses. I like the weight and the lenses are a bit lighter in color so I'm not taking them off and on constantly when lighting changes. The glass Blue mirror lenses do better offshore on very bright days, the copper lenses work for just about anything. One word of caution, the rubber nose piece and ear pieces on the Manta glasses deteriorates and gets gummy and falls off with time. I have had Costa replace these three times. I just ordered a pair of glasses from Bajio called Nippers....I'll be sure to do a review of them on the channel if I like them...
Thinking of vacationing at the end of September to the beginning of October. Is this a good time? I know it is the off season but really want to get down to the Keys and explore.
the Keys are very quiet that time of year. Some restaurants and businesses will close for a week or two....it's a great time as rates also fall during that time period. The weather can be questionable, but a great time to not deal with traffic and wait times at businesses.
Love your videos! What model boat do you guys have? Living in Ft. Lauderdale, but SERIOUSLY thinking i might want to move perm to lovwer keys and would definitly work with you guys!
Our boat is a 2006 ProKat 2360 center console. Give us a call any time if you need help with anything down here! 770-561-6091
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Useful info. Thanks for the inside scoop!
You are welcome!
Grew up in Coconut Grove and moved to Key Largo for 18 years. Loved it. It’s all good. Unfortunately, KL and Islamorada, the North keys are really expensive. The lower keys are more family friendly and more affordable.
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Where is the best place to stay where I could just walk to a beach and snorkel in a reef that has a lot of fish to see without needing to get in a boat to go out to a spot?
Hmmm...that's kind of a tough one. The beaches here are very small, nothing compared to the FL gulf coast. Then finding good snorkeling from shore might be possible but I'm not aware of an area I would want to do that. We always go out on the patch reef to snorkel...maybe some of out lifetime locals here on the channel will respond and give you a great place to go. sorry we could not help with that one.
My wife and I visited for the first time last May and stayed on Duck Key at Hawk's Cay Resort - best three days of our Florida vacation (we drove down from Tampa through the everglades). The locals were SO friendly! Highlight was renting a pontoon boat in Marathon and headed out of the shore of Curry Hammock state park. We dropped anchor and just enjoyed the amazing view and clear water. A little rain came through briefly, so we ended up having the entire sandbar to ourselves. Would LOVE to own/rent a home down there one day. You guys are living the dream!
So glad you had a great trip down here! You are correct, the locals are so friendly. It makes it feel like home as soon as you arrive 😀
We LOVE the Keys! Alli is originally from Stone Mountain Georgia. We are moving her mom down first of July and will miss RVing back there to Stone Mountain but we will always go back to the north Georgia mountains as we LOVE that area too!
We love North Georgia too, the mountains are a beautiful contrast to the Keys and we appreciate both!
@@GablesOnTheGo for sure! I think our plan is Helen or somewhere close again for Christmas vacation this year. 😁
Great video, but guys put me on overload.
Why is that?
I lived in key largo for 12 years, I went back recently and I tried to live there after living in the houston area for 10 years and I just couldn't do it. So different.
Thanks for sharing, I am sure some things have changed in 12 years.
We love Coconut Palm Inn in Tavernier and have been to Key West a few times. We want to try Key Colony Beach or Marathon for our next visit. We are not boaters but would enjoy a 1/2 day boat trip out on the water.
You should definitely try to get out to the reef and do some snorkeling and fishing...that's where the water really turns amazing and most people fall in love with the Keys after seeing that water!
Your new dreams are more in tune with mine! keep us informed. I do not fish, but I do eat fish all week when I am in
Key West!
Will do!!
Keep the camera on Lorie,
Your information is spot on! We have a condo in Marathon where we spend our winters. Until we totally retire it really works for us, but Once we decide to move to the Keys full time, we will buy in either Islamorada or Duck Key.
Thank you!
I was in the Florida Keys this morning on TH-cam. I went to Grassy Key and Fat Deer Key
What’s home owners ins prices like. I’ve been there 3 times , ready to retire soon.
Insurance in Florida is a nightmare...make no mistake. But for some, like us, the benefits of living here far outweigh the costs.....at least for now!
how are the Hurricanes
Obviously they are a legitimate concern, but we normally have plenty of notice and Laurie and I just leave if there is a significant threat. Irma in 2017 was really bad...of course we were not here for it.
You cannot live worrying about the hurricanes. Honestly unless you get the eye of the storm you can't sweat it. Well you still should leave if you feel unsafe
Do you think a salary of 400k a year in the keys would be sufficient to live a comfortable lifestyle in a 2 million house down there?
Depends on if you need financing and how much money you can put down. Call us if you are interested in learning more. Mark Gable, 770-561-6091, Coco Plum Real Estate
Where do you get info besides restaurants and vacation rentals - What is the topography like? Access to walking, jogging, water entry?
I would have bought Thompson island connected to key west if money was no object for 10 million when it went for sale years ago.
We would have loved to bought property even just 4 years ago...
You guys are one of my favorite TH-cam channels of all time because of the fact that it’s my dream to live in the keys! I’m very young, only 24 years old, I run my own business from home and have become quite successful with it. My plan is to move to the keys in a couple of years when my partner finishes college, to rent while looking for a forever home. My biggest question for you guys whenever you have the time, or maybe in a future video, is what are the best ways to have your finances in order to make the move? How difficult may it be to score a nice home in the keys for a FIRST TIME home buyer? Are there extra challenges for first time home buyers trying to buy in the keys? Of course with being so young, I’ve never OWNED a home, just rented. I’ve lived in Georgia my entire life as well, and would love to work with you guys in the future when the time is right for us to come down! (I’d be down there next week if I could 😅) thanks so much for sharing this information and sharing your life in the keys, Gables on the Go 🧡🧡🧡
Thank you Morgan! That is great that you are running your own business. I would probably talk to a few mortgage brokers who are local to our area now if you want to start preparing for that day when you are ready to buy. Educating yourself early and often if probably one of the most helpful things you can do to prepare. Our market is different from many other markets and it would be most beneficial to talk to people who are working with properties in this area, insurance agents included. If you would like some referrals please feel free to email or text us and we can forward that information. Mark Gable, Coco Plum Realty, Marathon, Florida, gablesonthego21@gmail.com or 770-561-6091.
Great overview. Love the use of maps to highlight what you're talking about.
Glad you like them!
Great video! Thanks for all the info!
Thank you and you are welcome!
Have a home on Ramrod for twenty plus years. Love it. It’s the best. Great people.
We agree!
Nice video guys, love the Keys..Would love to collab with you one day next time I'm down.
That would be cool! I like your channel🌞
General price levels would have been nice to discuss.
Yes, kind of difficult since prices are subject to change so often and this video may still be watched a year or two from now. But if you are interested we can set up a property search portal for you to see real time prices. Just reach out to us.
Also,as we get older,the lower keys have more water options.
You both are fresh exciting to hear
It's real nice to know true real perspective ideas and opinions if what you know from experience
Is refreshing
When I buy in the keys I'll search you out even if it's not your listing. I want you both to get credit for bringing me to the keys. After all I've seen and followed you for almost 6 months already
Thank you for sharing real value.
Stay blessed
Duke R Peebles
Thanks so much for watching and all the kind words! We will definitely be happy to help you when you are ready!
Thank you for the ride on the boat and the information! 👍
Our pleasure!
Great business card...
Excellent video. Two more years in education and here we come...
You have a lot to look forward to!
Love watching you guys. My family and I are from South GA, close to Moultrie. We love to vacation in Marathon or Islamorada every July. I've made the mistake of talking up the Keys for too long to my wife's side of the family and now they ALL want to come down next summer with us. We were actually in Marathon last week! Anyway, I would love to talk to y'all about rentals large enough for everyone and in our budget if possible.
Wonderfully informative video! How did you guys gain so much knowledge in the short time you have lived there. Amazing!!!!
We have been immersed in the lifestyle and people here for 3 years and you can learn a lot when you listen and meet new people 😉
Mark! You lie!!! North Georgia does get that cold. Maybe not for extremely long periods but yes it does. I use to love Yank’s move down thinking it was going to be warm in January and February. Hahaha
LOL...yeah, I guess it does get cold for a little bit....but compared to up north....not even close! We still love it in the heat any day over Georgia or anywhere else!
@@GablesOnTheGo , I worked as a Pipefitter/ Welder all across the country until I retired here in Sebastian. Up north in a lot of different places over the years. I always kept up with what was going on in cartersville and up in the mountains. Unless I was in Minnesota, the temperature was close to the same. Sometimes colder. That’s why we moved to Florida. As far south as we could afford without getting into undesirable places. Have a good day
Thanks for the insight, I actually stayed in Marathon for a week about six, seven years ago
You saw so Little of ALL of the beauty. Its a shame you stayed in one place if that was your first and only time there.
Great video.....Thanks for sharing all the information. Nice to see you guys back out on the boat too!
Thanks for watching! It was a super nice day to enjoy the boat!
Good video. Good info. And Lori, you look super.
Thank you!
Next June I’m coming in for vacation and was bringing my jet ski was just going to cruise but how do I find where the protected areas are so I don’t deserve them Thankyou for any advice you could give me I live in Gulf Shores now.
Try googling Florida Keys PWC (personal watercraft). We found it one time that way.
WOW that bikini!!
We live in Little Torch. Absolutely love Big Pine being a country girl. Love Marathon! There is something for everyone in the Florida Keys! Great video you guys! 😊👍
Love it! Are there places to learn boating in canals as well as open water?
I'm going to guess probably not. I don't think it would be a good idea to learn to drive a boat in a crowded canal with other boats docked there. Probably best to get in open water to learn to handle the boat.
@@GablesOnTheGo Thank you
Duck Key is the best but very pricey
Duck Key is beautiful, we love the canals there too!
I wish i could move to Miami or Fort Lauderdale. If you cant afford to buy a home, moving there seems like it would be disastrous. I looked up rent for houses and apartments and most of the places (even small 1-2 bedroom apartments or houses) were $2,000/month or more. Thats insane. I make $27.48/hr where i am (and its doubtful id even make that much anywhere at florida driving a forklift lol) and i would absolutely struggle paying that much a month. Id have to find roommates for sure and i hate having roommates. I think multi family homes are going to be the norm for average people in the coming decades. Like single family homes will probably only be for the wealthy in the future. It kind of sucks that most people are forced to live in the same place their great great grandparents originally settled in the 1800s to 1920s just because they cant afford to go anywhere else. The american dream is turning into a nightmare.
I lived in the Lower Keys and Key West and worked in Marathon. I thought Marathon was a dump, honestly. Maybe great for fishing. But otherwise not great. I liked living in the Lower Keys. Loved where I lived on Ramrod Key, walking distance from Five Brothers, a Cuban cafe and market. But in the Lower Keys, most of the homes are vinyl-sided trailers hiked up on cement-block stilts. Not pretty. I was delighted to be able to move to Key West, to the historic district. The old Cuban neighborhood, actually, that is just off Truman Avenue. The island's very interesting. It's just too bad that it draws such a low class of tourists -- too many people who come down to get drunk and make fools of themselves. It makes it less attractive as a place that you might want to make your home.
boring
Thanks Bill!
Lived two blocks off Duval from 2009 to 2012. WOULD NEVER GO BACK AND WE CAN AFFORD IT.
Thank you for the beautiful water views and for always sharing great information! The color of the water in the Keys is unforgettable. My favorite. Your dolphin call, called my dog over. Haha. We love Marathon. It has everything you need. My husband loves to fish around Big Pine Key area. As you mentioned, lots of back water fishing to explore. We stayed on Little Torch Key this year. Did a lot of fishing in some of the areas in your video today. I have a question, what is the Large barge near Picnic Island? Is it a floating restaurant? A floating Bar? Thanks again. Looking forward to your next video.
It's Capt. Jacks place, he lives there. We've never actually been to his place but it looks like folks are always up there hanging out with him and having cocktails....maybe one of our locals can give us some more information on what the story is there.
@@GablesOnTheGo Thank you
The keys have always been for the UNDERWATER scene. Been going there for a long long time❤
Thanks for sharing
Thanks for watching!
I can't believe you cut us out : (
So sorry, we had so much footage we had to make a lot of cuts.
I was just thinking about you guys and hadn’t seen any new videos lately? YT wasn’t recommending them? Then! Here you are!
Awesome! Thanks for watching...we've been busy and have not put out that many videos lately but we are trying to get better!!!
25-30 years ago yes. Not today. Too many weirdos now. A few is fine, but not like it is today. And you know what I mean.
New subscriber. Thanks for the information.
Thanks for the sub!
Awesome video thanks
Thanks for watching!
Well I guess it’s good it’s not a century 21 ad with the brown sport coat covering them up. 😳
Enjoyed watching the video today!
Thank you Jim!
Laurie Laurie!! Amazing lady 🎉🎉
Much blessings to you. Great info🙏🙏