When Buying a Property for Sale in Florida Consider the Everglades

If you are looking for property for sale in Florida, and you love nature and fishing, then look no further then the Florida Everglades.

The Florida Everglades are subtropical marshland located in the southern portion of the state of Florida, specifically in parts of Monroe, Collier, Palm Beach, Miami-Dade, and Broward counties.

On December 6, 1947, President Harry S. Truman formally declared Everglades a National Park, at a ceremony held at neighbouring Everglades City. The original size of the park, 460,000 acres has been greatly increased since 1947, and today, Everglades National Park now consists of 1,399,078.26 acres of wetlands, and is a haven for over 36 threatened or endangered animal species.

On October 26, 1976, Everglades National Park was added to the list of International Biosphere Reserves. International Biosphere Reserves are a branch of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). These select reserves are protected samples of the Earth’s major ecosystem types. On the same date, UNESCO also declared it a World Heritage Site.

Within the Everglades, there is an estuarine community, mangrove forests, coastal prairies, freshwater marl prairies, freshwater sloughs, cypress forests, hardwood hammocks, pinelands, and the Everglades estuary. The Everglades estuary is possibly the most threatened, and serves as a nursery for many marine species. Manatees and sea turtles are often found grazing in the brackish waters. Shrimp, lobsters, molluscs, worms, and small fish, keystone species to the marine ecosystems, thrive in these waters. Over 100 species of marine fish have been identified in the Florida Bay. Several sharks and dolphins call these waters their home, and the extremely rare American crocodile can also be spotted in these waters.

Without this protected area, a 300 million dollar sports fishery, and a 100 million dollar commercial fishery would be in serious jeopardy. Sport fishing is closely observed and regulated, while commercial fishing is prohibited inside the park. Both of these actions are attempts at maintaining a sustainable breeding stock, protect against over harvesting and ensuring a balanced ecosystem for later generations.

However, alteration of overland water flow, uncontrolled hunting and drainage of wetlands has contributed to a decline of species within the Everglades. Once known for its expansive bird population, the Everglades have seen its number of wading birds drop drastically since the turn of the century. The Florida Panther, was a common sight throughout the state, and is now on the brink of extinction. The Everglades serves as a haven for 15 endangered species: American crocodile, Green turtle, Atlantic Ridley turtle, Atlantic hawksbill turtle, Atlantic leatherback turtle, Cable Sable seaside sparrow, Snail kite, Wood stork, West Indian manatee, Florida panther, Key Largo wood rat, Key Largo cotton mouse, Red-cockaded woodpecker, Schaus swallowtail butterfly and Garber’s Spurge.

Florida and federal officials and politicians, including the president and the vice president of the United States are now giving this fragile and environment the attention it deserves. In the words of Al Gore, “By working together, we can heal this division and ensure a healthier environment and a vibrant economy...There is no other Everglades in the world.”

There are many properties to choose from in the region of the Everglades. In general terms, it is less complicated to buy a property for sale in Florida, than most countries. Subject to status, obtaining a mortgage in Florida is fairly straightforward as well. Repayment terms range from 5 to 30 years with no age restrictions. The other expenses to take into account when buying a property in Florida are the mortgage set-up fee, legal costs associated with the purchase and registration of the property, title insurance, and house insurance. As a rough guide, allow 4% of the property’s total purchase price to cover all closing costs.

If you want somewhere exciting to live, with nature on your door step, then buying a property for sale in Florida, near the Everglades, will offer you everything you need.