Key West Waterfront Condo - 833 Eisenhower Drive #203

The asking price on this very attractive 1351 square foot two bedroom two bath condo at 833 Eisenhower Drive (#D203) just got a lot better. The new asking price is just $599,000 or $443 per sq ft. The listing broker at Preferred Properties describes the unit this way:

"Take advantage of this major Price Reduction! This pristine 2/2 Harbor Lodge condominium comes with a boat slip! You'll love this bright end unit with extra windows, designer kitchen, high ceilings and covered deck overlooking the pool and the sparkling water. This beautifully maintained unit also has assigned covered parking and an extra large workshop/storage area. Harbor Lodge is a well maintained and managed property overlooking the boats and activity at Garrison Bight and is within walking/biking distance to Key West's main attractions. This is a great opportunity to own a beautiful unit in an A+ building on the water."

This building was built in 1990 so I couldn't did into my old shoebox to find any before pics of the property. However, I did find one of the neighborhood. Look just below at the aerial photo taken way back in 1918. I noted where 833 Eisenhower Drive now sits.

Nearly a hundred years later the "water front" has been infilled quite a bit including the 833 Eisenhower property but other parcels on the water's edge as well. The Garrison Bight Marina would be at the very bottom of the photo. Click GOOGLE MAP to view an aerial view of the property (and the neighborhood) as it appears today.

Unit #203 is located on the south side of this three story building. It has nice views of the Garrison Bight and the pool below. At night you can see the little boats bobbing up and down in the water and the city lights twinkling in the background. 

Day or night you can enjoy the comforts of the spacious unit with renovated kitchen. During the daytime you can bask by the pool or take a ride in your boat. Remember, this unit comes with its own boatslip.

The Harbor Lodge Condominiums have just nine units, only three per floor. No short term rentals are allowed so you will not be having changing neighbors every week.  The building has stability and a strong condo association. The monthly fees are just $500 per month which includes payment of cable tv, water, building maintenance, building insurance, common area and pool maintenance.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet and to see listing photos of this unit. Better yet please contact me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 or by email at kw1101v@aol.com to schedule a showing of this great property. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. Let me help you find your new home in Paradise.

1514 Patricia Steet - Key West

 

 1514 Patricia Street - Key West

If you are looking for a clean and comfy two bedroom, two bath home with a gorgeous pool priced to sell at just $669,000 consider 1514 Patricia Street in the midtown area of Key West. This 1352 sq ft home was built in 1963 and has been tastefully updated. The lot is 55.47' x 100'.

CLICK HERE to view a slide show of photos I took of this home.

This house is located just two blocks from the Atlantic Ocean. Smathers' Beach is a five minute bike ride to the east and Higg's Beach is maybe a four minute bike ride to the west. You can be at the Key West International Airport in five minutes or less by car or any of our three shopping centers in about the same time. You can drive to Old Town in about seven to ten minutes at most times.

If you would like to see 1514 Patricia Street please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 or send me an email at kw1101v@aol.com. (Preferred Properties is the listing brokerage but this is not my listing.)  I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc.

Key West Beachside Resort - Bank Owned Unit

Key West Beachside Resort

Just listed, but not by me, a luxurious Bank Owned unit at the Key West Beachside Resort. And this particular unit is more beachside than most located here as it has direct water view and beach access via spiral staircase down to the beach.

The listing Realtor describes Unit # 111 this way:

"Beautiful end unit with a private staircase that leads to the breath taking beach. Property has great water views from each room. Property offers open and spacious floor plan. This unit comes fully furnished along with a transient rental license."

The Beachside Resort is located at the east end of the island of Key West. It's close enough to drive to Old Town to see a play, to dine at a great eatery, or to party with friends. It is conveniently located near our three shopping centers. The airport and several marinas are all within a mile or so. And the Key West Golf Course is only five minutes away.




The Beachside Resort has all of the amenities you would expect including a private beach, huge pool with poolside bar and grill, gym, lush tropical gardens, private parking, plus the hotel amenities including concierge service and restaurants. Imagine the convenience of having all of that available every day.

Unit No. 111 is Bank Owned and the asking price was just reduced to $364,900. or $448 per sq ft for this 814 sq ft one bedroom, one and one-half bath luxury condominium with features that exceed what you will not likely find elsewhere in Key West and certainly not in this price range. The unit comes furnished.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls listing data sheet and photos for Unit No. 111. Be sure to notice the monthly association fees of $1821.29 which include "Exterminating, Trash Removal, Building Exterior Maintenance, Building Insurance, Common Area Maintenance, Pool Maintenance, and Security".

I've been to the Beachside Resort many times. The place is a total class act each time and all the time. You will be proud to have your friends and family visit you. The unit comes with a Transient Rental License which permit rentals on a daily basis. A new owner may opt to rent the unit through the on site hotel management company, or through a property management company, or keep this special space all to yourself.

Compare this bed, bath, and the view beyond to what you might expect to see in a similarly priced condo elsewhere in Key West. No comparison!


If you would like to see this unit or any other property in Key West, please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642. I am a buyer's agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West.

4125 Eagle Avenue - Key West

 4125 Eagle Avenue - Key West

Just listed by Preferred Properties, but not by me, 4125 Eagle Avenue on the sunrise side of Key West. I know most of my readers will only consider buying a place in Old Town. Some will consider the Meadows and Casa Marina areas. And a few bargain buyers know the best values on a per square foot basis are homes at the Key West golf club. I truly hope some reader will take the time to look through today's blog and click the photo link that will appear later, because if you do, you may just fall in love with this gracious home that has so much to offer.

Many out of area readers may not be familiar with the location.  I dug deep into the old shoebox and found a couple of aerial photos of the area taken a few decades back. The first photo (immediately below) shows the U.S. Navy Hospital and the grounds immediately west of what is now South Roosevelt Blvd. 4125 Eagle Avenue would be in that general area.

The next photo below was taken in the 1970s and shows the same general area. 


 Better than that, click GOOGLE MAP and take a current aerial view of the area and then use the toggle switch to see a street view 4125 Eagle and the surrounding homes. You will be likely be impressed.

The listing Realtor describes 4125 Eagle Avenue thus:

"Circa 1926, this classic Spanish Deco has peerless curb appeal! Located in a prime New Town neighborhood, the home with sprawling lot and manicured lawn commands admiration. The main house has two bedrooms, three full baths, remodeled kitchen, formal dining room, living room, den and study. A lovely portico provides covered outdoor sitting and connects the main house to a detached garage. The expansive grounds feature tropical foliage, fish pond and a secret garden! The delightful two-story cottage features a downstairs workshop with an inviting one bedroom one bath apartment up. Other amenities include garage with door, built-in vacuum, ample storage, and much more. This is a truly unique New Town property with historic value."

4125 Eagle Avenue offers 2268 squre feet of living divided between two floors in the main house plus a stand alone guest cottage at the rear of the huge 80' x 120' (9600 sq ft) lot.  Not included in the square foot calculations is the stand alone extra large garage of portico that welcomes friends and family to this seductive property.

Family Room

The main floor of the home features an inviting living room that has a real log buring fireplace (original to the home), an adjacent office, and family room for watching TV.  The kitchen has been remodeled and provides lots of counterspace for meal planning and preparaiton. The kitchen even has a large walk-in pantry. 

My jaw dropped when I saw the dining room for the first time. It is truly breath taking. Really!  The dining room sits at the rear of the house and and features French doors on two sides with muted views out to the lush gardens. Tucked back into one corner is a wet bar and  the powder room is nearby. You can tell that this space has been often used for grand entertaining.

Dining Room, Wet Bar, and Powder Room

Upstairs you will find two equally eloquent master suites, each with en-suite baths. The front bedroom has a small second floor terrace as well.

The second bedroom occupies the back half of the house and includes an extra large bath area.

Rear Master Suite with Extra Large En-suite Bath

The guest cottage at the rear of the property offers several different scenarios for living including presumed use as guest accomodation; living space for a mother-in-law or teenage with a desire to be left alone; or living space for a caretaker, nanny, or other live-in.

There are babbling ponds and water features in several locations throughout the property. I found hidden gardens where other owners would have ignored the spaces. I could see that this home and this yard have received the kindest of care for years. But that is not to suggest there is any deferred maintenance, for I saw none. Everything I saw looked bright and clean and well cared for.

What the house does not have is a swimming pool. There is plenty of room for a pool and decks.  This is the only thing I can think of that a new owner might spend money on. CLICK HERE to view a slide show of photos I took of this lovely home.

4125 Eagle Avenue is offered at $1,350,000. CLICK HERE to view the Key West Association of Realtors mls database on this property.  If you would like to see this special home in person, please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

Key West Mid-Year Sales Report

 I did a quick search of the residential real estate sales in the Key West area for the first six months of 2012. The sales area I used was from Mile Marker 0 (Old Town at Mallory Square) to Shark Key. I excluded Big Coppit sales as I do not think they represent the Key West market.  A total of 138 single family homes sold in this area at a median price of $670,850 or $374 per sq ft. During the same time period in 2011, a total of 139 single family homes sold at at the median price of $640,203 or $358 per sq ft. 

I then went back to the 2012 data and looked at only the Old Town, Meadows, and Casa Marina areas to determine the sales for these areas more preferred by second home buyers. I found there were 63 sales with an median sales price of $829,022 or $494 per sq ft.

Since most people who read my blog are looking for their dream house in Old Town, I narrowed the focus to single family houses in Old Town priced over $500,000. Thirty two single family homes sold in this area at an average sales price of $943,328 or $521 per sq ft. Next,  I narrowed the focus even further and looked for houses that sold that were listed less than one year. I found 24 sales at an average price of $890,268 or $515 per sq ft with an average 95/105 days on the market. I excluded all listings over 31 days and found 11 single family houses sold within one month of listing date at an average price of  $915,000 or $523 per sq ft. Several of these houses went under contract within a couple of days after listed. (The lesson here is watch the new listings and be prepared to act fast.)  Finally, I searched only houses that had been listed for over 500 days. Readers will recognize some of threse because I wrote about some of them several times. Nine such houses finally sold at a median  price of $850.611 or $463 per sq ft.

At the beginning of 2012 I was very optimistic about the selling season, but I became more pessimistic as the months dragged on.  I think I sensed the apprehension many buyers still had. I actually lost a couple of sales because buyers feared a possible double dip recession and voiced concern over what was (or still is) going on in Europe.  Our inter-connected world probably caused other buyers to hold off making purchases now sensing that times may get tougher.  

Currently there are 78 single family homes shown as contingent or pending in the Key West area. Forty of these properties are either bank owned or short sales awaiting final bank approval. Several of these properties have been shown as contingent or pending for well over half a year or longer. The remaining 38 sales are traditonal market sales. 

The biggest obstacle I see to selling real estate in Key West at the moment is lack of inventory. Most of the buyers I work with want the Key West getaway place that they can occaissonally rent for a bit of income to help suppliment the costs of buying the property. If you look back at the house sales for 2012 you will see aggressive buying for new listings under 31 days on the market. And you will see stale inventory getting purchased as well. The buyers are there. The inventory is shrinking and buyers are looking for something (almost anything) to buy.

If you are among the many who buy a place in Key West, CLICK HERE to search the Key West Association of Realtors mls database. Put in your own search criteria and see what you find.  If you see something that interests you, please consider contacting me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, or send me an email at kw1101v@aol.com. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. Let me help you find your place in Paradise.