1400 White Street #A Key West, Florida - Just Listed

Just Listed by Preferred Properties Key West, 1400 White Street #A. This beautiful new home is located in the tony Casa Marina Area of Key West Florida.

Beautiful Freshly Renovated Two Story Casa Marina Area Condo. This large impeccably renovated three bedroom / two bath unit is move-in ready. Spotless Brazilian Cherry Hardwood Floors upstairs and down. Luxurious New Designer Kitchen with Eat-In Dining Area, Custom Shaker Cabinets, Carrara Marble Counters, Mosaic glass and stainless tile back splash, Pantry cabinet and new Stainless Steel Appliances. Two large Bathrooms with new mosaic and travertine subway tile, granite topped vanities and frame-less shower doors. Built in Full size Washer and Dryer.  Large 22' x 14' Private Deck, as well as a shady front porch. New electric service, New Impact Windows and Doors in many areas. Walk to the Ocean and Beaches or Nearby Hot spots in minutes. Low HOA fees.  Offered Furnished As Shown at just $675,000.

This building was built in 1948. The unit itself is 1353 square feet of interior living space under air conditioning. It flows just like a home. The main floor includes the living room, kitchen and dining area, a bedroom, and a bathroom. Note the Brazilian Cherry hardwood floors which are located on both floors.

Each of the three bedrooms was updated to include custom closet organizers to provide maximum storage. All of the furnishings shown in these photos are included in the purchase price.

If you look carefully you'll notice a few pieces of the crown molding over the kitchen cabinets are missing. They are on order and will get installed shortly. The kitchen is dazzling!  I dare you to find anything this sharp in town for this price. White Shaker custom cabinets are accentuated by Carrara marble counters and mosaic glass and stainless tile back splash. Note also the Samsung stainless steel appliances. There is a large pantry tucked behind the doors at the side of the dining area.

New impact glass sliding doors and some windows were replaced during the renovation process. The rear deck is the perfect private retreat to enjoy this spacious area.

There are two bedrooms on the second floor. Both have abundant closet space and custom closet organizers. Bahama shutters provide filtered light to enter the rooms as well privacy.  The extra large bath features travertine marble floors and wall plus glass mosaic accent tiles. The laundry are is included in the bath. CLICK HERE to view more photos of this unit.

One of the many joys of living in the Casa Marina Area is the walking proximity to Higgs Beach and the Atlantic Ocean. I took the two above photos last Saturday morning. A local was walking her dog at the beach just after the beach had been groomed for a new day of beach visitors. Doggie Park is located across the street where you can take your pooch to meet and greet the other dogs in the area. The West Martello Tower is located amid the clump of trees. Salute on the Beach, Astro City playground, and the Reynolds Street pier are located further west. The old fort is now the permanent home of the Key West Garden Club. The White Street Pier is shown in the top photo. That is where fireworks are set off on the Fourth of July. There are numerous small restaurants, several gyms and yoga studios located about four blocks north of this unit - again, all located in easy walking distance. You could walk to Duval Street for dinner and take a cab back. The cops here zone in on drunk drivers. A taxi ride is much less expensive than a $10,000 lawyer bill.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet on 1400 White Street #A. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to see this unit. I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. This is my listing. The unit is vacant and easy to show. I will be holding an Open House there on Sunday, September 4th from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Drop by, say hi, and bring your checkbook. I think you are going to like this place.

My First Loan and What I Learned About Buying on Credit

The Key West MLS is transferring to a new service provider this weekend. I have a new listing to add but can't because the system is not accepting new listings until Monday. So instead of writing about something I can't share, I thought I would share a memory of my first loan and the lesson I learned.

I have written about growing up in the little suburban town of Mountain View, Colorado - a suburb just west of Denver. I lived in this quite little burb through my formative years until 1960 when we moved a couple of miles to the south and west. The town was two blocks wide and six blocks long. There were a couple of mom and pop stores and my barbershop on Sheridan Boulevard and several small stores on West 44th Avenue including a Army surplus store, a Lotta Burger, a gas station, and an auction house and candy store located at 5410 W. 44th. Through the miracle of Google Maps you can CLICK HERE to view that building that still exists today.

I remember going to the auctions a few times with my parents. I must have been six to eight years old at the time. After the auction company failed a tax preparation company occupied the same space. I went there as well and was as bored as any kid could be while his parents were getting their taxes prepared.

The candy store and toy store were located next door. I would go there by myself to buy penny candy. Yes, in the 1950s you could buy a lot of things for a few cents or a couple of dollars. Every time I think about that store I can smell the sweet aroma that filled the air. One day I found a box that intrigued me. It contained what looked like a metal gun which actually was a movie projector, or so I thought. I was transfixed by it. The price was just $1.25 which is equivalent to $11.49 today. While I had a piggy bank that held my life savings, I didn't want to rob myself of my future by buying the projector. Yet I really felt I needed it.

I went back to the candy store many times to visit my object of desire. I remember the following fairly correctly.  One day I approached the owner and proposed to buy the projector on credit.  I offered a quarter down payment and said I would pay off the balance with my allowance. The owner agreed and saved the projector for me. The weeks passed. I paid off my loan.  I took the projector home and set out to make it work. It did, but it didn't.  It wasn't what I thought it would be.  I lost interest in it very quickly and blamed myself for not being more careful.

25 Sea Lore Lane, Key West - Price Reduction on Waterfront Home

The newly announced price reduction of 25 Sea Lore Lane on Shark Island Key is something for bargain shoppers to consider. Now the new price of $899,000 is still outside the reach of many would be buyers, but it is bargain as far as I am concerned because of the size, price per square foot, and highly desired location of this once elegant home. I say once elegant for two simple reasons. First the house is now 22 years old and is a victim of the passage of time and the change in what is popular in kitchen and bath design and style. Second, the house is Bank Owned and needs some sprucing up which I will discuss later.

Shark Key in 1997 before most of  homes were built

Shark Key is a small island which extends off US 1 into Florida Bay on the Gulf of Mexico side of the Florida Keys. Shark Key is a gated community with 74 waterfront lots about half of which are actually built. There is a large swimming lagoon, tennis courts, and community center surrounded by lush tropical foliage, flowering trees, and magnificent specimen palms. Most of the homes on this island sanctuary are large villas compared to the small cigar maker cottages and conch homes located about seven miles down the road in Key West. After passing the gated entrance the single lane roadway spits into two roads which pass on either side of a large lagoon. Sea Lore Lane is located on the east side of the lagoon. Click GOOGLE MAP for an aerial perspective. Use the toggle switch to move around the area to view the other homes in the area. You will see the community center, tennis courts, and sandy swim beach located about six houses north of 25 Sea Lore Lane.

The listing Broker describes this Bank Owned waterfront home this way:

"Wonderful location, facing the Easterly breezes in this unique and upscale gated, waterfront community. Shark Key is a peninsula jotting out from US-Hi Way 1 into the Gulf of Mexico. Enjoy the gorgeous sunrises and romantic moon rises with star filled nights from your private deck & heated pool. Tropical, mature landscaping all around home provides privacy and pleasant views from every window. For your vehicles there is a brick paved driveway, 3 car garage, and plenty of additional off street parking. A spacious Clubhouse with kitchen, tables & chairs and wide wrap around, covered decks facing the waterfront is available to residents. Enjoy the covered picnic area by the Swimming Lagoon, it is a beautiful setting. The two tennis courts are adjacent to Clubhouse. Shark Key is located 11 miles from down town Key West, it's the best of two worlds, a private island bursting with tropical landscaping, lagoon, beautiful waterfront homes and a short drive to Key West." 

I had the opportunity to show this home to potential buyers soon after it was listed. While it did not meet their needs, it may be of interest to someone reading this blog. The 3023 sq ft home is situated on a large 14,968 sq ft lot over looking the open waters of Florida Bay. The house has 4 bedrooms and three baths. The master bedroom is located on the first floor next to the living area and shares part of the deck that looks out to open water. The view is ever changing with the passage of time and weather fronts.

Front entry proceeds to the great room. Sliding doors open out to the covered deck.

Pool views from the great room with open water to the rear

Dining area located adjacent to the living area with kitchen in foreground

Master suite located behind the mirrored wall

The great room, kitchen-dining area, and the master suite are all located on the east side of the home where each area has great water viewing opportunities.  The deck traverses the entire back side of the home. About half the deck is covered while the remaining spaces provide areas for sunbathing or entertaining. 

There are three tiki huts on the grounds with two located near water's edge and one in the front off the gated private entry. The tiki huts add to the tropical allure of this home. I am confident this once grand home can be easily be restored to its former self. The interiors will need painted, the decks will need some sprucing up, and the landscaping will need some judicious pruning. But when the work is done, the inside and the outside will look just great.

This is a really big house by Key West standards.  It will provide a new owner with four good sized bedrooms to meet the needs of a real family with growing kids. The first floor guest room would make a great living space for an older parent living with the family. That bedroom is located above the two are garage and is set off by itself which provides additional privacy. The kitchen is really large and will provide abundant work space for food preparation and clean-up. The outdoor area will give adults and children alternate places to enjoy their time outside.

As the listing broker pointed out, this is a gated community of exclusive waterfront homes which share the usage of the private swimming lagoon, tennis courts, and clubhouse. There is a key pad operated gated entry. The beautiful private roadway is maintained by the home owner association. The monthly hoa fees are $400 and cover common area maintenance, security, and management.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet and listing photos of 25 Sea Lore Lane on Shark Key which is offered at just $899,000. Other active listings on Shark Key run from $1,775,000 to $2,995,000. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to schedule a private showing of this bank owned home.  I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. This truly is a buying opportunity.