20874 W 9th Avene - Cudjoe Key - Florida

90 foot lap pool overlooking the Atlantic Ocean

You might call this 90 foot pool overlooking the Atlantic Ocean the lap of luxury. The 3384 sq ft home is located at 20874  W 9th Avenue on Cudjoe Cudjoe Key at Mile Marker 20, about a 20 minute drive out from Key West. The house sits just at the end of a canal that provides immediate access to the Atlantic Ocean. The house is located on an 18,960 sq ft lot with all major views oriented toward the water. Click GOOGLE MAP for an aerial view of this waterfront property.

The master suite is located on the east side and the guest rooms are on the west side of the house. The living and entertaining areas are located in the middle and separate the two wings to provide total privacy for the owners.

Living room

Informal dining area

When I first entered the home my eyes were immediately drawn to the left beyond the bring living area shown above and past the informal dining area to the mangroves and water. Just to the right was the formal dining room and beyond it was the large kitchen with a large window with an incredible view of the pool and open water beyond.

I couldn't wait any longer. I had to step outside to see for myself how wonderful the outdoor space was to be.

The family room is seen above

The spa and 90 foot lap pool

The master suite is larger than some of the two story homes in Truman Annex. And the views are just incredible. The master suite has immediate access to the pool area, but there is an inside spa in the master bath.

The home has its own 125' private dock with two davits

CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet and to view more listing photos of this luxury Key West area home that is offered by Preferred Properties at $1,950,000.

If you would like to view the lap of luxury up close or if you would like to see any other home in Key West, I would appreciate your phone call. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West. Please call me Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to schedule your showing.

1019 Whitehead Street - Old Town - Key West

1019 Whitehead Street - Old Town - Key West

How would you like to own a three bedroom two and 1/2 bath home with a pool and off street parking in Old Town Key West for just $615,000.  You could if you purchase the newly listed home at 1019 Whitehead Street.  The listing Realtor describes this picture perfect property thus:

"Absolutely wonderful! This Conch cottage is located in the heart of Old Town Key West and has 3 bedrooms 2.5 baths, heated pool and off street parking. The property has been totally remodeled from foundation piers to the shiny Victorian shingled roof which adds to the comfort and convenience of this fine home. The master bedroom with bath is on the first floor and there are 2 bedrooms with shared bath on the second floor. The home has Maple floors throughout, quality fixtures in bathrooms and kitchen, central AC, storm shutters for all the windows and doors, and a storage shed."

 Sawtooth and two story additions shown above

This home was totally renovated about ten years ago. I held numerous open houses there then and I became very familiar with the house.  The original home (shown below in the black and white photo) has been expanded with a sawtooth addition and a recent two story addition which contains the new really adorable high end kitchen and dining area on the main floor plus two bedrooms, a full bath, laundry area, and a coffee bar on the second floor.

Living room has vaulted ceiling that really expands the feel of this room

High end cabinets and appliances make this kitchen a standout!

Maple floors are another feature of this beautiful home

There are two bedrooms and a large bath on the second floor. And this home has a really nifty additional feature - a coffee bar where the family or guests could make morning coffee or grad a late night snack from the mini-refrigerator.

Very inviting pool!

CLICK HERE to view more photos I took of this super cute cottage home. And CLICK HERE to view the Key West Association of Realtors mls datasheet.  If you would like to see 1019 Whitehead Street, or any other property in Key West, please contact me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. This place could be your perfect getaway in Paradise.

1014 Vareal Street #1 - Bank Owned - Key West

If you are looking for an affordable Key West home in Old Town Key West, the just listed Bank Owned stand alone cottage at 1014 Varela Street #1 might be the place you have been looking for. The listing agent describes this 542 sq ft cottage this way:

"Great stand alone conch cottage, 1 bedroom and 1 and a half baths. This unit has its own front porch and a private fenced back yard."  

Bricked but not pretty - yet! Waiting for a New Owner

 The house is pretty simple. The single bedroom is located up front where you will find the master bath. There is a guest bath located in the hallway. The rear end of the cottage has a cathedral ceiling which adds huge volume to the space as a whole. The bright and cheerful kitchen is fully equipped. French doors open out to the bricked backyard where a new owner could create his or her own private paradise. The asking price on this Bank Owned property is just $229,900. CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet on this property.

This unit is a stand alone cottage, but it is part of the Villa Vera Condominiums.  Monthly condo fees are $498 and include sewer, water, building insurance, and common area maintenance. The limited common area consists of a walkway that provides access to the other cottages that make up this small association. The bank owner may provide financing to a qualified buyer.

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

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Feds Behaving Badly

 
For nearly two weeks the nightly news and 24 hour cable news channels like MSNBC and CNN have been running continual updates on the Secret Service Scandal that started out over the refusal to pay for services rendered by one pick-up artist in Columbia.  The US military got scrutinized and then Congress got into the act. Never saw a politician pass up a chance to get his ugly old puss in the media, especially if he could cause pain for the sitting President. Had the President's security really been endangered, I think all of us would be outraged. It was not. While some high thinkers professed moral superiority over the episode, I laughed. I was reminded of my own stint working for Uncle Sam and other government officials behaving badly.

I worked at the Resolution Trust Corporation (RTC) in the Denver office which managed the liquidation of savings and loan assets seized during the S&L crisis in the 1990s. Very little really happened to the crooks who profited from their looting of the S&Ls. Very little. Any time we saw evidence of the hands of a state or federal politician with his hands in the cookie jar, we had to refer what we found to RTC legal in Washington. That was normally the end of the inquiry.

I worked as a senior subsidiary asset specialist. The S&Ls used subsidiary corporations, many of which were single purpose subsidiaries, to conduct business operations to develop real estate and to participate in partnerships or joint ventures with subsidiaries from other S&Ls across the country. High ranking execs from one S&L would sit on the board of other each others boards and share risks in each others ventures. One really big S&L in New Mexico owned and developed properties in Tennessee and Florida. One owned a nursing home in New Orleans. Another had a Burger King in southern New Mexico. Three S&Ls owned massive developments just north and west of Los Angeles.

You may remember the name Lincoln Savings. That S&L had 22 subsidiaries with assets over $2 Billion. My office worked on liquidating those assets among the assets of many other failed thrifts. I traveled to Arizona or locations where the assets were located on a weekly basis.  On one trip my boss and I had flown into the Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix. We usually arrived around 8:00 AM so we could get a full day of business accomplished. We were making our way into the terminal and I asked my boss if he would like to stop and get a Hertz Donut. He asked "What is a Hertz Donut?". You already know the punchline, so to speak. I clinched my fist and gave him a good tap on the shoulder. But I didn't hit him hard enough to actually inflict any pain. Just to surprise him and shock him.

My boss played football at the University of Michigan. I played politics at Colorado State University. As an adult, he ought weighed me by maybe thirty or forty pounds. He was about my same height, but he was built like a school bus.

He did not take the indignity of being tapped well. He clinched his fist and turned and slugged me on my shoulder so hard that I thought I might die.  Remember, he used to hit big guys for a living. (That's what college football players do you know.) I guess I could have called CNN and reported him. I did not. I never pulled that gag on anyone larger or smaller than me.

Back in the Denver office the head of a large department in the RTC had just returned from deployment to Iraq. He flew helicopters during the invasion.  He left his desk job and was gone for several months. After Sadam Hussein gave in, the department head returned and resumed his job. He was about my age and height but a little bigger around the waist. Not fat, however.  He was a nice guy who never ruffled my feathers or anyone else that I know. That is, except, for one taller fellow in his department who he supervised. The tall guy did not take orders from a shorter man very well. One day he threw a punch (and not a Hertz Donut!) at his boss, the ace war helicopter pilot. Oh, he sould have never done that. Who knew a small guy could be so tough. They fought it out. The cops were called. The tall guy got canned instantly. No Congressional inquiry needed. No CNN coverage for days on end.

None of the above has anything to do with real estate in Key West. I learned not to hit a boss. And I try not to hit anyone else. It is better to get along than it is to get fired or beat up.

812 Fleming Street #4 - Newly Listed Condo - Heart of Old Town Key West

Just listed, but not by me, 812 Fleming Street Unit #4 in the Seafoam Condominium in the heart of Old Town Key West.  You'd think this is my listing because I just love this building and this incredible location. The listing Realtor describes this unit this way:

"Wonderful Old Town condominium in beautiful condition and ready to move in. 9ft ceilings, Dade County pine walls and floors throughout, central air and a fabulous 200sf balcony overlooking Fleming Street. This second floor, one bedroom, one bath unit has 610sf of living space is a true gem. In the back yard there is a pool and private grounds. Seafoam Condominiums consists of eight condominiums & two commercial units."

 Door opens out to the balcony overlooking Fleming Street

This one bedroom one bath unit has 610 sq ft of space under air conditioning. The bonus is the wonderful front balcony that adds 210 sq ft of covered out door living space that overlooks one of the most interesting blocks in all of Key West.

 If you are a fan of great architecture, you will just love the interior hallways at Seafoam. I think this building is just wonderful. Every time I enter the hall I marvel at the richness of this space.

 The rear stairway leads to the pool and a coin operated laundry room. Some of the units in the building have their own laundry. This unit does not. The good thing is you only have to walk the equivalent to walking downstairs to your basement to clean your clothes. You might get a chance to see someone cute by the pool and get lucky. That probably won't happen on your way to your basement.

The building has only eight residential condo units plus two commercial units on the ground floor. One is a doctor's office and the other is Timmy Tuxedo, where Key West's finest waiters shop. A note of interest is the fact that this building does have a secured entrance with buzzer system.

 
If you are seriously considering buying a getaway place in Key West and want to keep the costs under control, consider this property. Forget that it has one bedroom. There are lots of guest houses located on the same block. Think of all the money you can save on not buying an extra bedroom or feeding your family and friends.  Even if you have pay for the guest house visit, you are money ahead.

Monthly condo fees are $410 which includes cable tv, water, sewer, trash removal, common area and pool maintenance, and building insurance.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West Association of Realtors mls datasheet and to view some really nice photos of this unit.  Better yet, please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to schedule a showing of this property. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

626 Grinnell Street - Old Town - Key West

626 Grinnell Street - Old Town - Key West

The home at 626 Grinnell Street sits on one of the prettiest blocks in Old Town Key West. The home dates back to 1906.  Of course like most of the older homes in Key West, this property has been expanded a bit and updated over the years. The house has 2988 sq ft of living space under air conditioning plus gracious front porch and rear second story balcony off the very large master suite that takes up the back half of the home.

The listing agent describes this property thus:

"Gracious home with large, comfortable living areas hidden behind the facade of a Conch cottage. Currently configured as a two bedroom /three full bath home, this property has the potential and square footage for reconfiguration to a three bedroom home. It is a superb renovation with plenty of spaces to live in and enjoy, located in a great area. Formal living and dining rooms, a master bedroom with private deck and a heated pool and spa in a secluded setting make this a property that should be seen by anyone interested in the Old Town area. Plenty of storage & closet space. Hurricane shutters all around, solar assisted hot water and four zone A/C are among the many convenience and green living feature."

626 Grinnell Street is located one house north of where the street dead ends into the Key West cemetery at Angela Street. Angela Street at that location is a one way street heading west to Margaret Street. The location is quiet not only because proximity to the cemetery but also because Conch Trains and trolleys don't traverse this street.

One of the darling Key West pocket parks is located across the street. The park is a nice respite for thinking or walking the doggies.

 CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet and to view listing photos of this Victorian era Key West home.  This property is offered by Preferred Properties Key West at $1,225,000.

If you would like to see this home or any other property in Key West, please contact me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 or send me an email kw1101v@aol.com.  I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.