What to Consider When Buying a Waterfront Home in the Keys - Part 2

Many real estate buyers looking to live in the Florida Keys want to capitalize on the tropical beauty by purchasing a waterfront home or condo. Particularly in this market, one of the most important considerations with your purchase is the view. After all, this is why you’re moving to the Keys right? There are three categories of Florida Keys waterfront homes - canal front, bayfront, and oceanfront.

Some homes are situated on one of the many canals that lead out to open water. These properties tend to be less expensive than other waterfront homes in the Keys, but often feature views of the other homes across the canal. Despite this fact, most canal front homes - while not having direct open water views - do often have partial views. A benefit of living on the canal is that many of these homes do come with boat dockage.

The rest of the waterfront homes back up directly to open water. These are some of the most highly sought after homes in the Florida Keys, and the views are unparalleled. These types of properties are further broken up into oceanfront homes and bayfront homes. Prices for homes on the ocean or the bay are often similar, the difference is really a personal preference. Oceanfront homeowners receive beautiful sunrises, while bayfront owners have amazing sunsets. Both sides have fantastic fishing sites, with the ocean side featuring North America’s only living reef, and the bay side featuring miles of mangrove forests harboring an abundance of fish species. For the most part, Keys waterfront homes on the ocean have deeper water depth dockage and availability, important for residents with larger boats. The important thing is to weigh your options and preferences to decide if your Florida Keys home should be on the ocean or on the bay.