Duck Key Waterfront House For Sale, By Owner
Located on the famous island of Duck Key
The same island as the 4 star hotel and resort - Hawk's Cay Resort and Marina
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305.743.6517
Our canal waterfront house address is: 258 West Seaview Drive, Plantation Island, one block from the Atlantic Ocean. We used to be able to see the Atlantic Ocean (some people would have described that view as a "peek-a-boo view") but the neighbor planted some large trees - no more view of the ocean! We still see the water because we are 50 feet from the deep and clean canal in our backyard. We still see lots of interesting boats - big boats - drive down our canal, and marine life, and wild birds.
This website will give you information purchasing a home in Monroe County, Fl. We purchased this house August of 2005. We did not ask the right questions when we purchased our house; therefore, we did not know all the rules buying a Florida Keys' flood zone AE classified house. By the way, most of Monroe County is AE flood zone.
After purchasing a house in the Florida Keys, you will need a "transfer of ownership" if you want to get a building permit from Monroe County Building Department. Pretty much, you will need a building permit in this county for anything you want to replace - with the exception of painting the house or a project under $1,000.00. A transfer of ownership is when the County comes to the house to inspect for an apartment in the downstairs, below flood level. The eye-opener of this "transfer of ownership" is that Monroe County does not require this paperwork at any time (by realtors, insurance inspectors, surveyors, mortgage lenders, real estate attorneys) except when you go to their office for a building permit. Our house passes this "transfer of ownership" inspection.
When a hurricane comes through the Florida Keys causing damage to the area, FEMA pays for the debris to be hauled away. In the summers of 2004 and 2005 the Keys experienced many storms. Illegal downstairs enclosures - below flood level - costs the federal government millions to haul away the damaged sheetrock, appliances, and furniture. Because of these high costs, FEMA wants all downstairs enclosures to only be structural. They want vents so water can flow in then out. They will allow some storage room and a garage.
In addition to the transfer of ownership inspection, FEMA has been inspecting, since 2002 - a one time inspection - all of the Florida Keys homes built after January 1, 1975. They are aggressively, without exception, getting rid of these apartments. They want the owner to pay for the haul-away fees, not them. FEMA inspectors have thousands of homes to inspect and after talking to the director of this project, Dianne Bair 305.289.2518, they have completed half of the work.
So, if you come across a house for sale in the Florida Keys with an apartment below flood level and you purchase this house - you will have to tear out that apartment. Be sure when shopping for your dream house in the Florida Keys that you ask someone about these inspections. If the FEMA inspection has already been done - that inspection is a one time inspection, great! But that transfer of ownership inspection is required each time a property is sold, but only if you need a permit from Monroe County. For instance, if you want to install hurricane proof windows.
Our house on Duck Key passed the "transfer of ownership" inspection. We have not received the notice from FEMA for their inspection because that originates from our flood insurance.
Okay, I wanted you to be aware of these inspections. Now, let's talk about our house....