Islamorada, Fishing Capital of the World

How did I end up in Islamorada, the Fishing Capital of the World? It all began 22 years ago when I met my husband, Bill Bell. I had just moved to Delaware the year before and was at the Rehoboth Beach Jazz Festival with some friends. I’ll keep this long story short. The most unlikely thing happened; Bill was also there with friends, and our paths crossed. I spotted him, and he had noticed me. We made a date for a week or so later, a dinner date at Mikimotos, my favorite sushi restaurant in Wilmington, Delaware.

You know how those first dates go. Bill told me his story; I told him mine. We had both been through some tough times, and we shared it all, the good, bad, and ugly. I remember thinking that he was the most honest man I had ever met, and he liked Jazz. How bad could he be? As we talked about our goals and dreams for the future, Bill told me about his plan to live in The Keys, buy a boat and go fishing. I told him that I needed to find a new job since I had been relieved of my high-tech career, as many are in their 50s. Beyond that, I didn’t have a clue.

We tied the knot

I promised to keep it short, so I’ll jump ahead to January of 2003 when we got married. By then, Bill had started a Remodeling Company we called Gotcha Covered, and a Delaware real estate company had hired me as their Internet Business Development Manager. The Internet had just begun to impact the real estate industry, and the challenge was to capture all of these searches and inquiries and connect them with an agent that could help them buy or sell a home. Zillow did not exist then, nor did the countless other companies selling leads to REALTORS. Back then, I set up a database tracking system and managed the leads and the agents assigned to them.

I learned a lot about real estate, got my license, and realized I had found my new career. After we were married, we moved from Wilmington, Delaware, to the Delaware Beaches, and I began to build my real estate business. By 2009, I determined that I would open an independent real estate brokerage and focus on Baby Boomers relocating in retirement. We opened the doors of Active Adults Realty in Lewes, Delaware, in 2010. The real estate market was beginning to recover from the devastating market crash, and we were busy. Bill continued to do remodeling, but he too obtained his real estate license, and together we built a great company.

What about our retirement plan?

Bill had a goal, but I never thought retirement was for me. My entrepreneurial nature did not lead me to a pension, and even my IRA had taken several hits over the years. One good thing about working 24/7 was we didn’t have much free time. We did spend a few weeks, then a month, and eventually two months each winter in The Keys. While there, we lived on our phones and laptops, working remotely, but Bill’s love for The Keys began to infect me, and we wondered how we could spend at least part-time living there.

The Oasis of Islamorada

Over Christmas in 2018, we spotted a For Sign on this vacant building in the heart of Islamorada. Immediately, Bill pulled out his phone and began calculating and plotting. The building is a mixed-use property, with two retail spaces on the first floor and a spacious two-bedroom apartment on the second. It needed everything done or redone, but Bill’s eyes lit up. He could see the potential and couldn’t wait to begin.

Before and After

We had now accomplished Step One. By the end of 2019, Bill had turned this white elephant into The Oasis. We were fortunate to find two terrific tenants for the retail space – Larabelle Boutique and Elena Madden, Artist. Originally we planned to rent out the second floor, but in the end, we decided to make the apartment into our Keys home. I fell in love with the space and the light and with Islamorada.

And then COVID

We were in Islamorada when COVID struck in March of 2020. You can read more about that experience at https://myretirementstories.com/covid-strikes-home/
During this time, many of us thought about our lives. We began to think seriously about selling Active Adults Realty and planning for our retirement. We had helped so many of our clients with their retirement plans; it was time to think of our future. Unexpectedly, a holiday get-together in December 2021 with friends evolved into the sale of the brokerage and the building.

When your getaway becomes home

You need a new getaway when your getaway becomes home. That’s when we decided to buy an Airstream. Why have a second home in one place when you can travel at will? I’ll continue to write about our travels and camping experiences.

Then came the boat and fishing in Islamorada, the fishing capital of the world. And so, Bill’s dream has come to fruition. We may be fishing in the ocean on calm days or cruising in the bay until sunset. I even caught a fish or two, but mostly Bill fishes and I enjoy his fresh catch for dinner. Life is so much better than I ever envisioned.