Big Pine Key Real Estate – Lower Keys Homes for Sale by Ruth Hemp

The Florida Keys: Untouched, Unspoiled & Better than the Bahamas

The Conch Republic, so named by its inhabitants during a brief scuffle with the federal government in the 80s, promises year round balmy weather, surrounded by blue green waters. With an incredible range of accommodations, from tenting (I’m not kidding) to decadent opulence, this is the place to visit, particularly in these times of economic turmoil. The Keys consists of literally hundreds of islands, but can be roughly segmented into three vacation areas, each offering a different vacation experience. The Upper Keys, The Middle Keys and The Lower Keys (encompassing Key West, the county seat) are the typical areas vacationers describe. Each has a unique charm, but the real caché associated with the Keys, is a funky island atmosphere typically found in the West Indies. The Florida Keys, however is so much more than that.

Vacation Accommodations of the Florida Keys

With all types of accommodations available from camping at Long Key State Park, condo/home rentals and luxurious estate rentals to some of the best Florida water front hotels in the state, virtually anyone with any budget can find terrific place to stay within the Keys.  Interestingly, the Keys has a dearth of beaches, therefore for the most part,  the most interesting places are located on the “Bay side” where you can watch sailboats and cruisers make their way to the numerous restaurants, bars and nightclubs which offers interesting views after the sun goes down.

One point that needs to be made: if one is renting a home, the likelihood of it being equipped with a pool is fairly low. Therefore, if a pool is a “must”, most hotels and vacation condominium complexes typically will be the best bet. After engaging in water sports above or below the surface, nothing is more refreshing than a dip in the pool, followed by a cool drink on the balcony as the sun starts to dip below the horizon.

Keys Water Sports from the Tropical to the Sublime

There is an awesome number of water sports in which one can participate in the Florida Keys, from snorkeling ( a few miles off shore on the reef) to water skiing, sailing, kayaking, Jet Skiing, parasailing and just exploring the area by boat at any one of the boat rental locations. Whatever one has a taste for, water-wise, you can certainly find a way to satisfy it. Most confine their boating to the bay side, however if you wish to SCUBA dive, the reefs off shore, as mentioned previously, are only a few minutes by boat and the waters, for the most, are relatively calm. There are numerous qualified and licensed dive operators with any number of choice dive locations, featuring explorations on wrecks to reefs.

Fishing is incredible in the Keys with an enormous variety of fish and fishing techniques challenging the skill of almost any fisherman. Depending upon one’s sense of adventure, there’s all types of deep sea fishing off both southern and the western shores of the Keys as well as fishing trips into the Gulf of Mexico towards the Dry Tortugas. There’s fishing off the reef (make sure to obtain a fishing license) and flats fishing. Also for the adventurous there’s excellent fishing within the Ten Thousand Island chain between the Keys and the southern tip of the mainland. If a fisherman wishes to try his luck in this venue, make sure to hire a guide, because every tropical mangrove looks like every other mangrove and it’s very easy to get lost.

Eating and Sightseeing: Great Restaurants and Natural Wonders

The keys, with its three areas to explore, there’s more than enough sights to see and tours to take. For the history buff, Key West offers both history and interesting architecture. The upper and middle Keys: Key Largo, Islamorada and Marathon are also great places to visit. Each has its own charm with numerous things to do. Don’t forget Big Pine Key, home of the National Key Deer refuge. Here’s an opportunity to observe the very unique and pint sized, Key Deer.

From conch fritters to five star dining and all manner of seafood, one will be able to enjoy some of the finest and freshest seafood in the country. There are probably hundreds of seafood restaurants servings everything from mako shark to octopus, as well as the standard fare one can find on the mainland. Certainly after a wonderful meal, real key lime pie is an almost obligatory desert.

The Florida Keys is the economical, relaxing destination that has things to do year round that you probably will not find in Milwaukee or Dayton. There’s a wide range of sights, sounds, people to see and things to do in a tropical, yet very American way. With the natural beauty of the waters and the tropical mindset that pervades the people who live there, the Keys is a great place to relax in the sun and forget all about the economic chaos.

Article courtesy of Ruth Hemp

Ruth Hemp

Coldwell Banker Schmitt RE Co. Lower Keys Office

29967 Overseas Highway

BIG PINE KEY, FL 33043

Mobile – (305) 304-2348

hemprealestate@bellsouth.net

http://www.LowerKeysAgent.com

License # 3066360

Why a Lifestyle Change Can Benefit Your Health

There appears to be a consensus that an urban life style is stressful, expensive and perhaps unhealthy. Cities like New York or Chicago may provide certain economic opportunities, but the question is, at what cost? Most sense that the pace of life in these cities is too challenging and if other living opportunities arise, many are opting for a different (more relaxing) life style. For instance the populations of New York, Philadelphia, Chicago and most other larger urban centers has declined over the period from 1950 through 2000, despite the fact that general population within the U.S. has increased.

How Healthy is City Life?
There may be many reasons for this decline, but chief among them are stress, cost, noise and air pollution. All of these factors have taken a toll on not only the total population count, but the overall well being of the city dweller, as well. A recent book, entitled Unhealthy Places by Kevin Fitzpatrick and Mark LaGory zeroes in on the ecology, sociology and general unhealthiness of urban life. Certainly, virtually anyone with a daily newspaper or seeing the evening news can see the number of deaths attributed to crime or traffic.

While these statistics may actually indicate a decrease, the general perception however, is that living or working in large city is either dangerous or unhealthy. Economic factors also play a role in the population decline. Many city dwellers in years past have fled the large urban centers for the “safety” and relative security of the suburbs. However, urban sprawl has also assailed the safe harbor of the suburbanite and many in suburban areas bordering the city are seeing their taxes and crime spiking upward.

The Effects of a Rise in Stress
This is particularly true of the suburbs surrounding cities like New York or Boston with state income and real estate taxes continuing to rise. With a continuing increase in stress factors, it has been pointed out that many other bad lifestyle choices contribute to a decline in overall health. According to Science Daily.com, “When people are under chronic stress, they tend to smoke, drink, use drugs and overeat to help cope with stress. These behaviors trigger a biological cascade that helps prevent depression, but they also contribute to a host of physical problems that eventually contribute to early death.”

A Change in Location Venue Will Help
How best to address these problems? Many are solving the problem by simply moving away from it entirely, mostly to the southern states. Whether they can find useful work or simply retire is certainly a factor. However, with population growth within the southern states continuously rising, various industries will undoubtedly provide employment for many. This movement away from urban centers to the south has been occurring over the last several years. As indicated below from 1990 through 2000, the populations of the southern states rose substantially compared with New York and Massachusetts:

• Florida increase: 3,044,452 a change of +23.5%
• Georgia increase: 1,708,237 a change of +26.4%
• North Carolina increase: 1,420,676 a change of +21.4%
• South Carolina increase: 525,309 a change of +15.1%
• New York increase: 986,002 a change of +5.5%
• Massachusetts increase: 332,672 a change of +5.5%

Notice that the two northern states listed have the highest overall state taxes. With declines in tax revenues which are tied to the weak economy, these states have imposed even more taxes! So many more northern state dwellers are fleeing southward. Most who have moved southward feel that the move overall was worth it for both health and economic reasons.

Florida’s is a great place to consider.
Many from the north are attracted to Florida for several obvious reasons: no state income taxes, relatively low real estate taxes and the fact that there are real bargains to be found in real estate. These features makes Florida an ever more attractive place to live and work.

If one is searching for vacation and/or home value, the Florida Keys offer an excellent place to live, work or retire. The Florida Keys, possess a special charm rooted in a history with a perpetual vacation mind set featuring excellent fishing, diving and boating. The Keys is an excellent choice and there are properties to be found whatever your taste and budget is.

Article courtesy of Ruth Hemp

Ruth Hemp

Coldwell Banker Schmitt RE Co. Lower Keys Office

29967 Overseas Highway

BIG PINE KEY, FL 33043

Mobile – (305) 304-2348

hemprealestate@bellsouth.net

http://www.LowerKeysAgent.com

License # 3066360

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If you own a second home or are thinking about buying one, they can in fact provide you with tax benefits.
First you will need to determine how you plan to use the property and then determine if will fit in with Internal Revenue Service (IRS) regulations.

For example.

If you live in your vacation home for at least a portion of the year, it will fall into the residence category, but if you rent it to others for the entire year, it will be looked on as an investment or rental property instead.

Some stipulations:

Many properties—such as a condominium, cabin, duplex, detached house, recreational vehicle, or even a boat—can qualify as a tax deduction. (The law states that they must have a kitchen, a bathroom, and a sleeping area.)

Also, IRS regulations stipulate that your vacation home will qualify as a residence if you spend 10% of the rental period on the premises, or a minimum of 14 days annually.
By way or contrast, if you rent your second home for less than 14 days, the income from the rental does not have to be reported on your tax return, and it is tax free.
However, if you rent the property for a longer period, the rental income must be reported, but allowable tax deductions can also apply.
However, IRS rules will not allow you to claim a loss on a second home, and the best you can hope to do is to break even.

Your income plays a role:

If your expenses exceed your income on a rental property, you can offset the loss with passive income.
If your yearly income is below $100,000, you can claim as much as $25,000 in losses.
If your income is higher, the amount of the allowable loss is less, and if your income reaches $150,000, it is totally eliminated.

Over a number of years, you may also be able to deduction depreciation on your second home’s value, which reflects wear and tear on both the home and contents, rather than land value.
Before buying a vacation home, you absolutely should consult with your accountant to discuss how IRS regulations and tax advantages will apply in your particular situation.

Article courtesy of Ruth Hemp

Ruth Hemp

Coldwell Banker Schmitt RE Co. Lower Keys Office

29967 Overseas Highway

BIG PINE KEY, FL 33043

Mobile – (305) 304-2348

hemprealestate@bellsouth.net

http://www.LowerKeysAgent.com

License # 3066360