Florida Keys this winter?

[Roland of Gilead]

One of the things we have been wanting to do for years is spend some time being lazy, fishing, kayaking, and sailing our little 17 foot sailboat in the Florida Keys during the mild winter months (maybe Jan to March).

We have sold our house and are traveling in our homebuilt RV so expenses are low, but I think we will be better off renting a house on a canal on one of the Keys.  Rents seem to be anywhere from $2500 to $4000 a month for a two or three bedroom house with 40 to 60 feet of canal dock.

The questions.  Which key?  Should we try and find another couple to share the rental?  How would you approach that?

We can swing the rent solo, but really don't need more than 1 bedroom and parking, dock for our RV and sailboat.  It seems a waste to get a three bedroom house.

[russianswinga]

Can you "Camp" out of your RV while sailing? Why do you need a "house" at all?

[Roland of Gilead]

Can you "Camp" out of your RV while sailing? Why do you need a "house" at all?

There is some problem evidently in the Keys finding RV parking and then of course a dock for the sailboat.  A RV lot might be 1500 to 2000 a month and then 400 to dock the boat.  A $2500 house starts sounding good, especially if we found another couple to share the costs (assuming 2 or 3 bedrooms). 

[MishMash]

Are you or anyone that is going with you military or retired military?  If so you can camp in Key West, and store your boat, for cheap cheap cheap.  We go every year for two weeks from Christmas to New Year.  There's really only a couple of RV lots there, and it costs just as much to stay on one of those as it does in a rental house. 

If you are looking for house rentals avoid key west it's super pricey, not a lot of canal homes.  We like Summerland and Cudjoe mainly.  Gieger has a lot of cheaper rental canal homes BUT it's in the direct path of the Naval Base flight training, and the house will routinely shake like a mofo. 

We're actually looking for a home to purchase in the keys in the coming year or so, if we don't end up moving next summer.

[CupcakeGuru]

You may want to look into Bahia Honda state park in Big Pine Key. They have RV slots as well as boat docks. It's a middle key, but close enough to drive, or take the bus to Key West when you want to have some fun. Marathon also has efficiency apartments, fishing villages, that are usually around 1500-1800 a month during the winter months.

[Roland of Gilead]

With the 13% tax on short term rentals, perhaps getting a six month lease might be better...