Lower Keys Communities

Big Pine Key

Big Pine in particular is one of the largest and most interesting Islands in the Keys. It has a population just over 5000 and as of Sept 2005-there were homes starting at $340,000. As you get closer to the water or buy a home on a canal, the prices rise accordingly. But there are quite a few different developments, mostly of single family houses, and some are pricier than others.

Water depth affects prices, and some areas have about 15 inches and some have 3-4 feet. Obviously this means you can have a certain kind of boat in some areas that won’t work in other areas. It depends what you’re looking for. The shallower areas have more direct and private access to a lot of the wilder and more pristine parts of the Island and adjacent backcountry. They may also (but not reliably) be less expensive.

Until now, on the drive down the Keys from Miami, the housing areas were arrayed on either side of the road, gulfside/bayside or oceanside. Here it’s different. The 2-lane, 45 mph Overseas Highway (what a misnomer!) runs across the southern edge of Big Pine, through the restaurant and business area; most of the residential areas are situated several minutes drive to the north. To some buyers that slow drive (30-35 mph speed limits, for the deer) is a price deterrent the farther north you go; to others the isolation means extra value.

Big Pine may be “remote,” caught as it is between the commercial centers of Marathon and Key West, but Big Pine does have it’s own major grocery store, post office and restaurants. It has some medical facilities, police and fire protection, and other basics of a “town It certainly has some interesting and unique retail shops, but in general it doesn’t have a lot of socalled unnecessary shopping. In fact the residents of the other Keys mentioned above generally will go to either Marathon or Key West for both basic needs and discretionary shopping. There is one big exception to that, on Saturday mornings, when it seems like everybody in the Lower Keys comes to the Big Pine Flea Market.

Nor does Big Pine have its own school system. Monroe County’s elementary and middle schools for the Lower Keys are on Sugarloaf; for high school kids are bused to Key West.

That’s this isolation feel like? Not bad, actually.

Recreation: Boating, exploring, fishing. Whether you are interested in offshore or backcounty, Big Pine offers quick and easy access to both venues. Or walk along the nature trails that wind through Federal Refuge land of pine barrens and hardwood hammocks, and observe the miniature deer and bird life. Or kayak any of a number of “trails” in the shallow water backcountry. Or ride a bicycle along miles of safe roads and trails. Or snorkel or dive Looe Key, perhaps the best of the best when it comes to Florida’s coral reefs. It’s 3 miles or so offshore, straight out Newfound Harbor Channel.
The Lower Keys are definitely getting away from it all.

Employment: If you live here, and are not retired, most likely you will work in either Key West or Marathon. Both of these towns are about a half hour to one hour drive at max from Big Pine, even at rush hour (an oxymoron for sure).
Remember that “mile markers” in the Keys, which are the standard way of giving an address along the Overseas Highway, start at Key West and number 1. Big Pine is mile marker 30 or 30 miles away---Marathon is mile marker 48. Key Largo is 99.
Local employment is fairly highly concentrated at this time, either tourist-related or construction. The rest of the services sector is still pretty small.
But in conclusion, if you want to be near world-famous Key West but yet have a quiet neighborhood and homes that are more affordable, the Lower Keys could be the answer. And if you really want to get away from even the sight of traffic on the Overseas Highway, Big Pine offers you that too.

To see more general information see the links under Florida Keys.

The Rest of the Lower Keys

There are five islands or sets of islands, proceeding from Big Pine towards Key West, that account for most of the available real Estate in the Lower Keys. Some of these islands contemplated getting together as a new municipality called Village of the Islands a few years ago.

The referendum failed, partly because there was obviously insufficient commercial activity and commercially taxable property in the miniature downtowns of Summerland and Sugarloaf or anywhere else to support such a venture, and partly because most of the residents of these islands really do like their isolation and privacy, and didn’t like the idea of a another tier of municipal taxation.

So they voted against incorporation. Stay tuned; the issue is not dead, and eventual passage (which I consider unlikely) would definitely change what these islands are all about.

Here’s a brief thumbnail sketch of each of the islands that make up what I’m calling Big Pine metro. Each one is quite different from the others, so here goes.

The Torches

The Torch Keys are located just west of Big Pine Key and are comprised of three separate islands know as Big, Middle, and Little Torch Key. Little torch Key is the primary residential area with the majority of development nestled into the canal systems just south of the Overseas Highway on the ocean side. While there is some residential development on both Middle and Big torch Keys, these islands are largely protected by state and federal wetlands and hardwood hammocks.

Little Torch offers excelent boating access to both backcountry and offshore for both small and slightly larger boats. Some of the canals can be tricky to get out of, so it’s surprising to find that a number of residents here keep fairly large sailboats tucked behind their houses and in the wintertime the cool evening breezes and the sounds of the sailboat halyards lull nearby residents to sleep.

Despite its feel of an older neighborhood, with smaller canals, a little like some parts of Key Largo, Little Torch prices can be relatively higher, as they tend to reflect easy access to a deep water channel.

This is where you catch the 1920’s style deluxe motorboat to Little Palm Island to stay or for dinner. It’s also a good place to rent a boat for exploring on your own.

Ramrod Key

Continuing further south on the island chain you come to Ramrod Key. Ramrod is a very quiet and primarily residential island with pleasant neighborhood developments located both north and south of the highway. It is described by residents as being more "laid-back", more "keysey" than the islands found further down the chain. Ramrod is very familiar to the residents of the Lower Keys as it is home to the Cruz Animal clinic, an excelent veterinary hospital, and a popular local restaurant. There’s also a dive shop with accommodations and a restaurant.

Boating control depths are typically 2-2 1/2 feet with good access to both offshore and back country boating and fishing. Small boats are typical here.
Prices are a little lower here.

Summerland Key

Imagine flying your own plane to your island paradise home where you step onto your sports fisherman or cabin cruiser for a weekend of sun and fun. It's all possible here. Summerland is a mecca for large boat owners and private pilots. It’s one of the few places in the whole country where you can have it both ways.

The island boasts unusually wide flow-through canals and a private air strip for local residents making it a perfect spot to park a Beechcraft and a 50 foot + boat. The majority of homes on Summerland are located on the Atlantic side of the Overseas Highway.

Although there is some price variation, homes here are generally very expensive; those on what’s called “open water” or the airstrip moreso

Summerland has a small downtown along US#1, with a good boutique grocery store, a couple of restaurants, real Estate offices, a bank, a wholesale fish shop, some healthcare offices, an office building, and some retail.

Cudjoe Key

There are a number of (perhaps apocryphal)stories of how Cudjoe got its unusual name. Many Cudjoe streets are named after either famous or amazingly obscure pirates, which might include a Mr. Cudjoe. Another story has the island described in 19th century Key West scuttlebutt as the location of ”Cousin Joe’s” woodcutting and charcoal-making place, of which there were quite a few in the Lower Keys.

Whatever its history Cudjoe is a quiet and peaceful residential island surrounding its own bay, probably the best bay in the area for water sports. The island’s fishhook appearance and bay are such distinctive features that they can be seen easily in satellite pictures.

Cudjoe Key provides a wide variety of housing ranging from ocean front executive homes to both Keys standard canal homes and some extraordinary ones, to the upscale gated mobile home park, Venture Out, on Cudjoe's eastern shore. All waterfront properties on the island, including Venture Out, have become expensive.

Nearly all the homes are on the Atlantic side of the Overseas Highway. Boating access on Cudjoe is excelent , almost no matter where you reside. Boating drafts generally range from 2-4 feet, but some canals on the fishhook are narrow and have shallow entrances to Cudjoe Bay. Eastside canals are also narrow and open onto shallow water. The more expensive Cudjoe Gardens housing area at the west end of the island has much bigger and deeper canals that will accommodate large boats.

Sugarloaf Key

Former home to the Sugarloaf Pineapple Plantation, Sugarloaf Key offers quite solitude to its residents. If you are looking for larger floorplans, more luxurious landscaping and privacy this is the Key for you. The majority of homes are located south of the Overseas Highway looking out onto the distinctive blue white waters of Upper and lower Sugarloaf Sounds. Large ocean front Estates rim the outside of the island facing out to the Atlantic.

Boating is excelent for shallow draft boats with quick access to the backcountry, but there is no access for large boats or sailboats. The Sugarloaf backcountry is legendary for flats fishing.

If you are a pilot, Sugarloaf has a basic public airstrip you can fly into. There’s a popular sky diving operation, and you’ll definitely see folks falling from the sky. The houses along the airstrip get together at Christmas and the “Ho-Ho-Ho” and lights can be seen for miles.

Sugarloaf has a whimsical downtown, where you can also rent a kayak or a boat, buy essential supplies, and get a bite to eat.

Properties here tend to be expensive, partly because the average lot sizes are roomier than those found on the other Keys.

In Conclusion

This part of the Keys, like every other, is truly unique. We’ve tried to give you the flavor and an honest appraisal of what it’s like to live here.

Properties have become very expensive but they’re still a bargain if you look at comparable waterfront properties across the United States. This part of the Keys is certainly not for everybody, not anymore, but if you’re in that price range, you owe it to yourself to look at the Lower Keys seriously. They offer a different package from the Upper Keys or Middle Keys, and yet again from Key West, with whose prices they are often comparable.

A Keys homebuyer or investor needs to assess the whole package in each of the four main areas of the Keys. We’ve tried to make that a little easier.

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As your Lower Keys Real Estate Relocation Specialist, my goal is to offer you the most comprehensive information available online about The Keys Homes for sale plus all current listings for sale including its communities.