Hello all
I hope someone can provide me with some information. I'm a recently divorced 46 year old male from Massachusetts looking to relocate to Key West. It's just me and my 175lb St. Bernard.

Wondering if anyone could provide me with some information regarding jobs/housing, etc. or at least point me to some good references. I have never been to Key West, but always wanted to go and now seems like it's a good time to pack up the plantation so to speak and move.

I currently work as a police/fire/ems dispatcher for a police department here in town, but have also worked for a major marketing research firm for 15 years, and am a certified computer applications instructor.

I would appreciate any information/recommendations anyone may have concering relocating to Key West. You can email me at sconnors@berkshire.rr.com

Thanks
Scott Connors

Where abouts in MA, I'm from Shrewsbury originally.... your dog is going to be H-O-T in Key West... :D

i live in pittsfield, in western mass...any tips or pros or cons about the move???

Hi,
The very, very first thing I would do is take a trip to Key West and see how you like it and much more importantly see if you can afford it. Key West is not for everyone. For such a small laid back town it does have its fair share of problems like lack of affordable housing which is a biggie. Housing prices there are through the roof. 2nd I would get a subscription to the local paper
http://keysnews.com/ just to get a feel of what jobs are in need and an idea of housing and rental prices. Good luck with whatever you do and please report back and let us know what you think.

That's great advice grglnswsh. And I definitely agree. Housing has become quite an issue in KW lately.

You can see some of the housing prices and jobs available in the keywest citizen classifieds.

Good luck sconnors!

Key West is a wonderful. If you want a job, you can ALWAYS get one - everyone EVERYwhere is looking for people. In almost every area.

Cost of living is high but, right now, it's a buyer's market. Probably a good idea to rent for a while and get a feeling for the island before you pick your neighborhood. There are some very fun and savvy realtors who can take you allll around the island and give you a personal 'tour' of all your options, plus give you an insider's perspective. I recommend:
Bruce Moore
Broadway Realty
201 Front Street, Suite 209
Key West, FL 33040
305-294-0250
bruce@broadwaykeys.com

Or, Resort Realty. Shawna Allen is a sweetheart there.
Shawna Allen
Resort Realty & Appraisals, Inc.
138 Simonton
Key West, FL 33040
305-296-6501
shawna@keysresortrealty.com

Hope that helps!
Toni

Hi. I am a 46 year old female. I have been divorced for six years . I have lived in Florida my entire life, mostly here in Pensacola. I want more of true Florida than Pensacola has to offer. Six months of the year it is too cold to swim. I consider myself more "natural". Golf and country clubs are just not for me. Sand and sea is more for me. (no rhyme intended). I was hoping I would be able to sustain myself financially working in housekeeping at one of your hotels..? Would I be able to afford a no frills apartment? Are there any no frills apartments? My lease is expiring here on Dec. 31. I would love to hear from you. Thanks, emerald waters.

Just my opinion, but you will not be able to sustain yourself on a housekeepers salary alone. You will need and 2nd job and/or roomates. Possibly if you got into Housekeeper management with one of the bigger resorts, you might be able to but those jobs are hard to come by for a new comer unless you have had previous experience. Good Luck with whatever you do. Be sure to look at the local paper Keysnews.com to get a feel for the rental market and which places are in need of help.

Hi. I am a 46 year old female. I have been divorced for six years . I have lived in Florida my entire life, mostly here in Pensacola. I want more of true Florida than Pensacola has to offer. Six months of the year it is too cold to swim. I consider myself more "natural". Golf and country clubs are just not for me. Sand and sea is more for me. (no rhyme intended). I was hoping I would be able to sustain myself financially working in housekeeping at one of your hotels..? Would I be able to afford a no frills apartment? Are there any no frills apartments? My lease is expiring here on Dec. 31. I would love to hear from you. Thanks, emerald waters.

Dear grglnswsh, Thank you for your reply. As I dont want to give up just yet...Key West must have a sizable "service industry" population. I am assuming a large part of Key West' economy is tourism and hospitality. Do these people maintain housing costs mainly by roommates, several sharing one place? Of course, these service industry workers live there somewhere. I hope there are not "shanty towns" or something along those lines. Do you live in Key West? Does Key West have poverty? That would seem odd to me...It's so tiny and lovely and all. Thanks, emerald waters

By no means should you give up. At least you are doing your homework before moving to KW. Much of the help in the hotel industry is what is referred to as "contract labor" especially the housekeeping workforce. Its not a good thing IMHO. Basically it is legalized slavery but w/o it there would be no one to do those jobs. Its a complicated thing but basically the Contract Companies hire people from the Eastern block of the world, bring them over, and then the hotelier goes to them and tells them what they need, ie housekeepers, maintance. The hotel totals the hours worked for all "contract employees" and then writes one check to the company. It is the company that is responsible for paying its employees after taking out whatever expenses. As a result of this practice, Yes, many employees share apts. But those employees are here for a reason - To make as much money possible and send it home. So they work a ton of hours and as many as 3 jobs.
There is a very high cost of living in KW. It wasn't too long ago that I read somewhere that on the average, someone moving down here needs to have 5,000 in the bank to cover deposits. When you look at the apts for rent in KW you will get the idea. Rents are high no matter where in KW you look.
But with all that said, if you are a good employee and do not "burn any bridges" KW has all kinds of possiblities.

grglnswsh is telling it like it is, and I sure do admire your 'stick-to-it-tiveness," emerald waters. You have your eye on a goal, and I agree - you should not give up.

But, I do think it might be a good idea for you to talk to some folks in your profession. One thing that I LOVE about Key West most of all is the open society - with few exceptions, there is no 'class system.' It's one big (or small) family down here, so most of us know how most of us live in the Keys.

My friends who are in the housekeeping business work 2 or 3 jobs and they are creative about their living situations - roommates - house sitting - living a little further up the Keys - there are lots of options, but ... unlike the old days, there are very few 'free' options. Houseboat Row is a thing of the past.

Good luck! Keep us posted!

emeraldwaters! These guys are giving some good advice... and if you think you can swing it, you should at least give it a try. You'll have no regrets and if things get tough you can always return to the Emerald Coast or another Florida city! Good luck either way... let us know how it goes.

These guys are all right..........do as much homework as you can. It's DIFFERENT here. Expensive housing is the first thing to look at, then job salary. Also a seasonal economy, slow in summer, hurricanes, and a fairly limited supply of everything. I'm not trying to scare you off! Some people decide to move here while they're visiting and the touristy, life-is-great facade hasn't worn through yet. Do what you can to get under the surface of that. We LOVE it here but we also know the bottom line that visitors can't see yet. GOOD LUCK and best wishes.

Hello there. I've been unable to post. I had to make several trips to "tripsmarter 'time out'" because I forgot my password. The I got mixed up and sent my own personal email address to the KW forum. Anybody seen it? So... I guess I was a little naive about re locating to KW. I actually had a thought that I might be better suited for Liberty City Miami. haha!
KW is expensive. No wonder. KW is the single most beautiful location in U.S. (I personally consider Hawaii second) I know the majesty of the West. Give me Florida anyday. The info. about the contract labor was sad. For me, if I ever feel unfortunate, I will think about those people and count my blessings. So... my investigation continues for a South Fl. home. Dont laugh,... I am researching Homestead and Fl. city. I said no laughing! Seriously, the coastline there, it appears to be inaccessible to me. Looks like lots of trees ...mangroves? Anybody know anything? Also, is Key Largo more reachable than KW? I enjoy hearing from you. Makes me think I;m there ...in paradise.
See you, emeraldwaters