We Buy Land in Islamorada, FL

Updated October 28, 2026 by SWFL Land

Looking for a land buyer in Islamorada, FL? SWFL Land (Libera Capital Group LLC) is a direct cash buyer of vacant lots and acreage in Islamorada and across the Florida Keys. Owners usually get an offer within 24 hours and close through a Florida title company. Wholesalers and agents can submit Islamorada land deals and usually hear back within 24 hours.

Islamorada is an incorporated village made up of several islands in the Upper Keys, and it runs its own building allocation system. That system has had very few market-rate allocations to give out in recent years, which leaves many vacant lot owners unsure what to do next. If you own a lot on Plantation Key, Windley Key, Upper Matecumbe Key or Lower Matecumbe Key and want to sell, we make written cash offers, usually within 24 hours. We close through a licensed Florida title company, charge no commission and buy as-is from owners anywhere. Call (239) 686-0823 or request a cash offer.

Islamorada Land We Buy

• Vacant residential lots on Plantation Key, Windley Key, Upper Matecumbe Key and Lower Matecumbe Key.
• Waterfront and canal lots, including lots in high-risk flood zones.
• Lots waiting in BPAS or that have never applied for an allocation.
• Lots with an allocation, permits in review or completed plans.
• Environmentally sensitive parcels with limited building potential.
• Inherited, probate and tax-delinquent lots, and lots with code liens.
• Multi-lot and larger tracts, including parcels with access problems.

How Selling Islamorada Land Works

1. Share the parcel. Send the Parcel ID or address through our offer form, or call us.
2. We do the research. We review the lot’s location in the village, flood zone, allocation history, taxes, liens and title.
3. Get a written cash offer. Usually within 24 hours, with no obligation.
4. Close with a Florida title company. A licensed title company examines title and handles the closing.
5. Collect your proceeds. No commission, no listing period and no need to visit the lot.

Read how it works for the full process.

About Land in Islamorada

Village Boundaries and Mile Markers

According to the Village of Islamorada, its charter boundaries run from about mile marker 72.5 at the west end of the Channel Two bridge to about MM 90.8 at the west end of the Tavernier Creek Bridge. The village includes Plantation Key, Windley Key, Upper Matecumbe Key, Lower Matecumbe Key and Tea Table Key. North of the village is Tavernier, then Key Largo, both in unincorporated Monroe County. Southwest of the village is Layton on Long Key, at MM 68.5, which is its own incorporated city. The Monroe County Clerk of Court keeps an Upper Keys office at 88770 Overseas Highway.

Islamorada Is Its Own Jurisdiction

Islamorada is one of five incorporated municipalities in Monroe County, along with Key Colony Beach, Key West, Layton and Marathon. For a lot inside the village, Islamorada, not Monroe County, sets the local rules and runs the allocation system. Like the rest of the Keys, the village is inside the Florida Keys Area of Critical State Concern, which the village notes was designated in 1974. Under Florida Statute 380.0552, land development regulation changes in the Keys take effect only after the state land planning agency approves them.

Islamorada’s Building Permit Allocation System (BPAS)

The village describes its Building Permit Allocation System as “Islamorada’s version of Monroe County’s ROGO.” Allocations are awarded in quarterly cycles. The village reports that market-rate allocations have been very scarce: 7 in 2024, 2 in 2025 and 1 in 2026. The village also states plainly: “When all allocations are awarded, no building permits will be issued for new construction on VACANT land.”

In March 2024, Monroe County estimated about 200 buildable vacant lots in Islamorada. In 2025, Senate Bill 180 raised the Keys’ hurricane evacuation clearance time from 24 to 24.5 hours, making up to 900 new allocations possible Keys-wide. The distribution approved by the Governor and Cabinet in December 2025 shares those allocations pro-rata among Monroe County, Islamorada, Marathon and Key West, with 300 released on Jan. 1, 2026 and 150 every two years after that through 2035. Allocations are limited to one per parcel, with priority for owner-occupied, affordable and workforce housing.

Administrative Relief in Islamorada

Islamorada has adopted administrative relief resolutions for individual property owners. One published example grants a “Building Permit Allocation” after the village found that the owner was entitled to “beneficial use” of the property. Each case is decided on its own record, so an owner considering this route should review the village’s process and get advice from a Florida land use attorney.

Public Land Buying Programs in the Keys

Public money also buys Keys land. The Florida Keys Stewardship Act of 2016 sets aside $5 million a year from Florida Forever for land acquisition in the Keys. Between July 2016 and September 2024, 556 development rights were retired Keys-wide: 372 by Monroe County, 162 by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and 22 by FloridaCommerce. Whether a specific Islamorada lot fits any public program depends on that program’s criteria, so it is worth asking before you decide. Our Keys land guide covers these buyers in more detail.

Flood Zones

Flood rules apply to every Islamorada lot. New buildings must be elevated above flood levels, and substantially improved or damaged buildings must also be elevated under the 50% rule. Check your lot’s flood zone on FEMA’s Map Service Center before pricing it, since elevation requirements affect construction cost.

What Affects the Value of Islamorada Land

• Allocation status. With only a handful of market-rate allocations awarded in recent years, a lot that already has an allocation or permit is in a different position from one in line.
• Affordable housing eligibility. New state allocations give priority to owner-occupied, affordable and workforce housing, which can matter for some buyers.
• Environmental constraints. Sensitive habitat on a lot can limit what can be built and how it scores.
• Flood zone and elevation. Velocity zone lots need more costly construction.
• Water frontage. Oceanside, bayside, canal and inland lots each draw different buyers.
• Which key. Plantation, Windley, Upper Matecumbe and Lower Matecumbe each have their own neighborhoods and lot patterns.
• Title and taxes. Liens, tax certificates and heirship issues need to be resolved at closing.

To understand how comps work for vacant land, see how to comp vacant land or try what’s my lot worth. In Islamorada, matching comps on allocation status matters as much as matching on size.

Common Islamorada Selling Situations

• Stuck in BPAS. You applied and have watched cycles go by with few market-rate awards.
• Lot bought to build. You planned to build a Keys home and no longer want to wait or carry the lot.
• Inherited lot. Family owned the lot for years and the heirs want to settle the estate. See selling probate land.
• Taxes adding up. Annual taxes on a lot you cannot build on. See selling land with back taxes.
• Code issues. An old violation on the lot. See selling land with code liens.
• Permits or plans in hand. You hold an allocation or plans and would rather sell than build.

Our article on land exit strategies compares holding, listing and selling for cash.

Looking Up Your Monroe County Parcel

Islamorada parcels are still assessed, taxed and recorded at the county level, so these county tools apply:

• Monroe County Property Appraiser: mcpafl.org for Property Search, GIS maps and a Tax Estimator. Record cards show a Parcel ID (format 00526340-000000) and an Account# or Property ID.
• Monroe County Tax Collector: monroetaxcollector.com. Taxes become payable Nov. 1 and delinquent April 1.
• Clerk of Court Official Records: or.monroe-clerk.com for deeds, mortgages and liens.
• Village BPAS page: islamorada.fl.us for allocation rules and cycles.
• FEMA Map Service Center: msc.fema.gov for flood zones.

Use our due diligence checklist for a full list.

Islamorada Land Selling FAQs

Does Islamorada use ROGO?

Islamorada uses its own Building Permit Allocation System, which the village calls its version of Monroe County’s ROGO. Lots in the village do not compete in the county’s ROGO pool.

How many market-rate allocations has Islamorada awarded recently?

The village reports 7 market-rate allocations in 2024, 2 in 2025 and 1 in 2026.

Can I sell an Islamorada lot with no allocation?

Yes. We buy lots with or without an allocation and price them on their current status.

Do you buy on all the islands in the village?

Yes. We buy on Plantation Key, Windley Key, Upper Matecumbe Key and Lower Matecumbe Key, and in nearby Tavernier and Long Key.

Do I have to come to the Keys to close?

No. We buy as-is from owners anywhere, and the title company will explain how to sign from where you live.

Land Buyers in Islamorada: Quick Answers

Who buys land for cash in Islamorada?

SWFL Land (Libera Capital Group LLC) buys Islamorada lots for cash, usually with a written offer within 24 hours and a closing through a licensed Florida title company. See our Florida Keys (Monroe County) page and nearby Key Largo and Marathon.

Does SWFL Land buy Islamorada deals from wholesalers?

Yes. We close by assignment or double close. Visit our Monroe County wholesaler page or submit a deal.

Where can I learn about selling land in the Keys?

Our Florida Keys land guide explains ROGO, BPAS, tiers, the Land Authority and your options.

Sources

• Village of Islamorada: About Us
• Village of Islamorada: BPAS
• Village of Islamorada administrative relief resolution
• Monroe County MOCO Report 2023
• Florida Statute 380.0552
• Key West Citizen: First batch of new building allocations cleared
• Key West Citizen: County to stay the course on allocations
• Keys Weekly, March 28, 2024
• Monroe County: Know Your Flood Risk
• City of Layton
• Monroe County Clerk of Court