Purchasing a home in the Florida Keys can seem daunting for the young worker holding the typical Monday through Friday, 9-to-5 job and a weekend side gig. For some, it almost appears impossible, especially in times of a housing market that’s remained hot since a COVID pandemic brought many people to the Sunshine State. A recent three-part series in the Keys Weekly highlighted the housing crisis in the Keys.
Some individuals, however, are finding success when it comes to finding their piece of paradise. Take Brittany Parker. She’s in her 30s and moved to Key Largo in 2014. She holds an office manager job with Good Health Clinic and conducts weekly paint-and-sip classes at Baker’s Cay. She’s also a licensed captain who works with MarineLab on the weekends to get young students out on the water.
Her wish to own some island property came true in early March when she closed on her Key Largo home.
Parker recalls the evening her good friend, Realtor Jessica Dostie, told her of a house that was possibly going onto the market in the next couple days. At the time, she was guiding a painting class at Baker’s Cay where guests were painting a hibiscus on a canvas.
Parker ended up stopping by the concrete single-family home in Key Largo. The address? Hibiscus Street.
“I didn’t know the street name until the day I arrived,” she said. “I was like, ‘What the hell?’ The universe was aligned. Everything went through smoothly.
“I heard horror stories of people putting in applications for homes and not getting anything,” Parker continued. “When it works, it works. People would say, ‘This may not go through and the pre-appraisal might do this and this.’ I just kind of kept my hopes high and it all worked out.”
Dostie, who works with KeysListings Group, said a fellow Realtor informed them that a relative was considering selling. Swooping in, Dostie said she had someone interested in purchasing the home.
Overall, Dostie said the process of finding a single-family, concrete home wasn’t easy. But Dostie said the seller found out it was a family situation where the dad was helping his daughter, Parker, through her first homebuying experience.
“When the seller found out about that, that was something that touched him because he’s a father,” Dostie said.
Jim Signor, broker with KeysListings Group, said they usually get bombarded with investors and people who are seeking a second or third home. This situation was different.
“The listing agent really felt for Brittany as well. The listing agent can’t control the sale, but it allowed us to get in there earlier and faster,” he said.
Lisa Feliciano is a mortgage banker with SouthState Bank in Key Largo. While it was a right- place, right-time scenario for Parker, Feliciano said what made the process so smooth was the fact she was pre-approved for a mortgage in advance of the transaction.
“We need to make sure their credit is good and they saved up a little bit of money. We guide them that way,” she said.
Feliciano adds that it’s always good to sit down and talk to someone who can guide buyers, especially first-timers, through the process. Those who make an application for a mortgage for pre-approval will have their credit score automatically pulled. Feliciano said that’s not always the wisest move.
“We want to sit down with them in advance, interview and talk to them and figure out a plan. ‘We’re here now. We need to get here,’” she said.
What also made the process rather seamless was the relationship between the Realtor, mortgage banker and buyer, Feliciano said.
“A lot of times we work tight with Realtors to make things happen, so a good team is very important,” she said. We work together and say, ‘OK, if they don’t have enough money how can we make that happen?’”
Dostie said Parker’s not only a client, but also a dear friend. It made the experience a personal one for Dostie as they shared tears of joy throughout the process.
“It’s such a good feeling when you are able to make this happen for somebody and make their dreams come true,” she said.
Parker has dreamed of the day she’d become a homeowner. Hard work, staying humble and following dreams paid off, she said.
“I’m beyond honored to be a truly official Keys resident, as I love this community and the people in it so much,” she said.
