It seems that when most people think of the Florida Keys they think of Key West. I live in Key West myself. It is a place where pretty much everything goes. Key West is known for its laid-back lifestyle where everyone is accepted. It isn’t the least bit odd to walk into a local neighborhood pub and see a Doctor, school teacher, hotel worker, homeless person, CEO, retiree, and housewife all sitting at the same table and they are the best of friends. Key West is also known for its artists, authors, and, of course, commercial fishermen. As for restaurants, we have everything from McDonald's to 5 Star Fine Dining and anything in between. We have shopping for everyone. You can buy tee shirts 2 for $5 then walk next door and pick up a $25,000 Rolex or a $50,000 Wyland original painting. Key West is well known as a party town with plenty of nightlife. We have dive bars, dance clubs, martini bars, wine clubs, and just about anything else you can think of.
The homes in Key West tend to be a bit more pricy than the other islands. There will be some small condos in the upper $300,000’s but those are rare. As for houses, a fixer-upper will still start over $600,000 and still need $100,000 to $200,000 worth of work. The average price for a house needing little or no work will run between $800,000 and $1,500,000. The closer to downtown you go the prices go up. It is not unique to see a house in Old Town sell over $400,000,000. The rental market in Key West has always been hot. It seems that for everyone available rental house we have 5 people looking for housing. I will usually have 10 to 12 applications for every rental house I manage.
