The Florida Keys are an especially well-known feature of the country's most southerly continental state. Key West itself is both the most westerly of the islands and a delightfully casual and cosmopolitan city. Its history stretches back to the early Spanish explorers, who named the chain Cayo Hueso (Island of Bones)--of which the name Key West is in fact a linguistic corruption.

The original inhabitants were the Calusa Indians, but since then Key West has welcomed any number of seafarers, explorers, settlers, and visits. In the beginning it was British seafarers who ran afoul of tropical storms. After them came a variety of colonial settlers--my several times great-grandfather was buried on Key West, for example, in 1811. Today Key West is home to a relatively young and ethnically diverse population of some 28,000 that is very well educated and moderately affluent.

Key West: Ravishingly Beautiful, Exquisitely Comfortable

If living on this jewel of an island amidst its tropical sun and pristine waters is what you have in mind, whatever it takes in the way of patience to find the right property will be well worth it. Throughout the tourist season there is no end to the festivals and parties. Year round, however, residents and visitors alike enjoy a calendar brimming with art festivals, house and garden tours, yacht races, literary seminars, and fishing tournaments.

The median value of a single-family home even at the last census--just before the market gathered the strength it has shown in the last few years--was well above the norm at $265,700. Today available listings for houses with at least one bedroom--and these might total as many as 300--begin at about $400,000. Condominiums will start a bit lower, perhaps as low as $250,000 on a good day. Clearly, linking up with a savvy local real estate agent is critical to finding a home in Key West.