Live off the grid in the Florida Keys

Erika Riggs Zillow

Dec. 27, 2012 at 7:49 AM ET

Zillow

This home on Melody Key Island in the Florida Keys is on the market for $5.995 million.

Melody Key Island, Offshore Islands, Fla.
For sale: $5.995 million

There are thousands of islands in the Florida Keys, and many of them have homes. But many of those residences are little more than a shack or a beach cottage.

Only a few — Florida real estate agent Bill Hart of Ocean Sotheby's International would guess between five and 10 — are places where someone could realistically live year-round.

Zillow

This Melody Key Island home is fully self-sufficient.

One of them is a recently remodeled residence located a mile offshore on Melody Key Island. The private island is completely off the grid: water, electricity and cable are all accessible.

"It's really ready to go, which is something most tropical islands don't have," Hart said. "It's fully self-sufficient."

Also fully updated — new floors, lighting, plumbing and kitchen — the home measures 2,851 square feet with 3 bedrooms and 4 baths.

The property includes a lot on the "mainland" of the Florida Keys, with boat dock, boat lift, parking area for cars as well as space for a possible home construction.

According to Zillow's mortgage calculator, a monthly payment on the home would be $20,794, assuming a 20 percent down payment on a 30-year mortgage.

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