Marathon – Moving to the Florida Keys

The Best Guide to Shopping in Marathon, Florida

by amyprumo | Sep 19, 2022 | Marathon

Living full time in the Florida Keys is a lot different than just coming on vacation. One of the first things you notice is the lack of stores to obtain everyday items. Each area of the Florida Keys has it’s own little section where items can be bought. Today, we are going to explore the Middle Keys and where to go for your everyday items, like food and pantry.

In the Middle Keys, there are two chain grocery stores, Publixs, and Winn Dixie. We also have a Farm Stand, Paradise Produce, which most of the time has lower prices or comparable to the chain groceries; however it’s locally owned, so that makes it better! There is also the Dollar Store (or now the $1.25 store) Walgreens and Home Depot.

Call me crazy, but I like to shop the sales and Winn Dixie and then head over to Publixs to get their deals as well. Hey, it’s not cheap living in the Florida Keys. I try my best to avoid going to the grocery store on Saturday, as that’s when all the rentals come in and the stores are a mad house! Everyone is different, but I like to get my dry goods, canned goods, and some snacks at Winn Dixie. I purchase most of my produce, fruits and meats at Publixs and then some more produce items over the Farm Stand. So yeah, when we go grocery shopping, it’s a long day!

Now, after living here for over a decade, there are some things that I never buy at the grocery stores. These items are: paper towels, toilet paper, bleach, detergents, cleaners and dish soap. I prefer to purchase these at the local Home Depot I am a firm believer that those items are cheaper year around. Now, don’t get me wrong once in a while, there might be a great sale at Publixs, but if nothing is on sale, my go-to for those items is to head over to Home Depot.

Besides Winn-Dixie for snacks, we like to go to the Dollar Store. Did you know you can get a whole package of Snyder’s of Hanover Pretzel Rods at the Dollar Store for way less than Publix or Winn Dixie. Currently, they have Coca- Cola liter bottles too. Yeah, yeah, I know it’s not good for you and we usually don’t drink soda at all. However, just recently I got on a soda kick and I saw the liter bottles there and was super excited. When shopping at the Dollar Store, beware some of the items are packaged smaller, and you are actually spending more for less. There are great deals to be had, just be sure to watch what you buy.

Walgreens, ever since the Dollar Store is now the $1.25 store, I have been going over to Walgreens to get my candy. When candy is on sale at Walgreens, it’s almost always cheaper than a $1.25. Walgreens carries some staple items but almost always its going to be more money than the grocery store.

Although we don’t have a ton of stores to go to, the best part of living in Marathon is that everything is close. On average it will take about about 5-7 minutes to get to any of these stores. I don’t know about you, but I much rather use my time on something else than driving to the grocery store.

Happy Shopping!

Prumo & Carden Team

Amy is a Florida Keys Elite Agent & Diamond Award Winner. She has been selling real estate for over a decade in the Florida Keys.

Tom’s experience is in the Building, Planning, Zoning and Development field. He worked in the Civil Engineering Department for the USAF. He has built homes in both Marathon and Key Colony Beach.

Secrets Of Building Allocations In The Florida Keys.

by amyprumo | Aug 31, 2022 | Building in the Florida Keys

Building Allocations

In order to build a new construction home on a vacant lot, you must first obtain a building allocation in the Florida Keys. There are two ways to obtain a building allocation. The fastest and easiest way is to buy a Transferable Building Right. (T.B.R.) TBR’s are also called Transferable Development Rights. (T.D.R) The next method to obtain a building allocation is to go through Rogo. If you don’t know what Rogo is, read this post, which explains all about it.

Transferable Building Rights

Transferable Building Rights (TBR or TDR) are allocations that come from one site and go to another site. As an example, a property owner may have owned a duplex and decided to turn that property into a single family home. The owner of the property would now have an extra building right. The owner could use that right on another lot or sell it to someone else looking for an allocation for their own lot.

A Transferable Building Right must have a sending site and a receiving site. The site location must be similar and in the same area as the sending site. If you have a TBR that is in Key Largo, the receiving site cannot be on Big Pine Key.

The transfer of an allocation is not free. There is a fee. Currently, in the City Of Marathon, the transfer fee is $40,000. In July of 2022, the City of Marathon changed the transfer fee from $20,000 to the $40,000 we see today. Talk about inflation, thats a 100 Percent Increase! Now in Monroe County, the transfer fee is only $1,240.00.

The cost of a TBR rate has increased a lot in the last 15 years. When I first started real estate the cost of a TBR was $20,000. Then it was $40,000, $60,000 and now it has jumped to $150,000 to $250,000 depending on the area. As we get closer and closer to the end of the building memorandum the cost of an allocation has gone up along with the scarcity of rights available.

There are all sorts of different rules on these transfers. For instance, in the Village of Islamorada, a waterfront TBR can only be transferred to a waterfront lot. In Monroe County, Transferable Building Rights can not be transferred to VE Flood Zones, nor can they be transferred to Tier 1 or Tier 2 lots. Your best bet is to check with the county or that municipality to make sure the TBR can be sent to the receiving site.

If you want to find out more about Transferable Building Rights, you can read a lot more details in the Municode. After you click the link, type in the topic you are searching for and you will find what you need.

Check out these Links to the Municode

Monroe County

City Of Marathon

Village of Islamorada

Learn More about Building in Monroe County

Explore The Island Of Marathon Now – Grassy Key

by amyprumo | Aug 28, 2022 | Marathon

Grassy Key is one of the first islands that make up Marathon. Grassy Key is a little outside the City of Marathon. Going to the grocery stores or Home Depot would take you about 20 minutes to get there from Grassy Key. I am sure many of you are used to that, but after living on a small island for a while, 20 minutes to get somewhere is a long time and far! Being a little way out is not bad, though; it’s much quieter in Grassy Key than, say, in Marathon. The homes are spaced out, and you get more privacy. Plus, it has a neighborhood feel. You can walk around or ride a bike without going on U.S. 1. I will say there are a lot more trees and it can be a bit buggy there at time. Not a whole lot of the homes in Grassy Key are on the water. If they are on the water, they are direct open water. There are some very Fancy Homes on Morton Street. Most of which you can’t see because they all have long private driveways leading into the home.