Margarita'a Island Blog

There are many unique and beautiful things in Key West. From breath taking sunsets to sparkling blue waters, everywhere you turn you can see the wonder of nature around you. One of the most unique places to experience this is the Key West Butterfly & Nature Conservatory. Voted the #1 attraction i...

There is no way around it; lending practices are getting stricter when it comes to home mortgages. Recently, even the FHA (Federal Housing Administration) announced new stricter guidelines for first time home buyers that should take effect in late spring or early summer. These changes in lending ...

Key West living can keep you busy, but in a good way! In a recent post we talked about creating your own Key West festival of food and wine. There was so much to do; it may have left you wondering what could possibly be left? Well, bike tours and sunset sailing are high on the list of things to d...

There are some great perks to living the island life in Key West! If you are a serious "foodie" or wine lover, living in Key West pays off big time! You don't ever have to wait for a special event; you can create your own food and wine festival all your own! Great food and a beautiful location, w...

Three or four years ago, the term short sale was not familiar to most home buyers. When the housing bubble burst, everything changed! The term "short sale "is becoming a familiar one as homeowners are finding themselves unable to keep up with their mortgage payments, yet unable to sell their home...

The bursting of the housing bubble sent waves throughout the financial community. There is no denying that. There are people who may consider real estate a toxic investment because of the high foreclosure rates and drop in home prices. Many forget that it was not the real estate market but the le...

One of the ways banks are trying to help those who have been hit hard by the economy is to modify their mortgage loans. Most financial institutions are offering to lower interest rates or accept interest only payments as a way to help people stay in their homes. But a recent federal study actuall...

With so many homes on the market, how can a seller stand above the crowd? Pricing competitively is key, but making a few improvements can make a big difference in how much a home sells for and how fast. The big question has always been; which improvements should you make and how much should you s...

Ever said "I want to time it just right!" and been so caught up in trying to figure out when the right time is, you miss the boat?  Are you waiting on the perfect time to buy a home, in case the prices might drop just a little more before you purchase that dream home?  At the moment if you keep ...

The Florida Keys are made up of about 1700 islands. At its southernmost tip, Key West is only about 94 miles away from Cuba. There are many things that are unique about the Florida Keys, but one of the most spectacular is the living coral reef. The Florida Reef is the ONLY living coral reef in t...