1425 Whalton Street, Key West - Beautiful Casa Marina Property

Just Listed, but not by me, 1425 Whalton Street, Key West. This modest looking three bedroom ranch was built in 1963 and sits on an 8775 square foot lot at the corners of Whalton and Von Phister Streets in the tony Casa Marina Area of Key West. There are three salient facts in the preceding sentence that potential home buyers and renovators  One - the date of construction means this house is not a contributing structure to out Historic Housing and may be torn down and a new home built. Two - the corner lot has 97 feet frontage on the Von Phister Street side. Some might argue the Von Phister street address adds more value to the property just by the address. From my perspective the lot size opens the property to a multitude of renovation or new construction opportunities. Three - it's Casa Marina baby!  This is where the other rich folk want to live.

Readers of my blog may recall my last Projects of Key West blog where I noted the sale of 1506 Grinnell Street which sold in 2015 for $1.3 million and then torn down only to start construction on a new house. See photos below. That property is located one block south and one block west of 1425 Whalton Street. The dynamics of the neighborhood are the same. Both addresses command high sales prices because new houses on large lots will be worth substantially more when a new house is built.

Most of the homes in the Casa Marina Area sit on lots larger than 5,000 square feet which in many cases is twice the size of lots in the Old Town area. This 8775 square foot lot offers great development potential compared to restrictions in Old Town. 1425 Whalton Street has one mahogany tree located in the northeast corner. Otherwise, a new owner should be able to create a new home and landscaping plan that meets the desires of the owner unburdened by the whims of tree huggers. Also note the lot has abundant sunshine from the south, north, and west.  This means a new pool could have abundant sunshine throughout the day. 

The Casa Marina Area is located south of United Street and west of White Street where it ends at Louie's Backyard. Higg's Beach is the southern boundary. Astro City is a playground for the kids. There are two doggie parks segregated by size. There's a burger joint at the beach and of course there's always Louie's for sophisticated drinking and dining. But it's the beach from early morning until sunset that draws so many of us to the Casa.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet for more particular details on the property and then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to schedule a private showing. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. I live in the Casa Marina Area and love it. I know you will too. 

Cooties

I had to go to my old shoebox to find the above photo of me and the 1959 sixth grade class boys who were members of our Safety Patrol. I have told this tale once before, but it applies to my story for today as much as any life less could.

By the sixth grade we were all pretty much grown up or so we thought.  Mr. Albert Morrison was my sixth grade teacher. He had fought in World War II. He was a member of the Kiwanis Clubs and got his organization to provide our safety patrol members with yellow rain slickers, yellow surplus Army surplus helmets, and white safety belts which we wore while standing guard for the younger students as they walked to and from school each day. Mr. Morrison also assisted Dr. O'Day who was our Boy Scout troop leader. Mr. Morrison took our troop up Eldorado Canyon (Colorado) on a three day  weekend camping trip. I saw him smoke. I heard him swear. He was mortal. Back then no teacher smoked or swore.

I guess every school has a kid that is a bit different. Our kid was Tommy Myers. He always looked and smelled like Pig-Pen. He was never really scrubbed clean like the other boys. He had cooties. Really.

Mr. Morrison did not like Tommy. Not one bit. One day Mr. Morrison got so mad at Tommy that he dashed from the front of the classroom to grab Tommy by his dirty little brown arm and yanked him out of his chair and dragged him through the classroom like a rag doll and kicked him out the door. We were shocked. We had never seen Mr. Morrison or any teacher ever treat a student like that. Mr. Morrison was three or four times the size of that kid. He had been in the war. He could have killed the kid. Yeah, he smoked. And he did bad!

One time Tommy gave me a twenty dollar bill as a gift for being his friend. That night I set up my mom's ironing board to iron my money so it would look crisp. My big brother saw my stacks of ones but got really bossy an demanded to know where I got that $20 bill. That got my mother in on the conversation. They both probably thought I stole it from them. I never did anything like that. I told my mother that Tommy had given it to me. She made me go over to Tommy's house to return the money to Tommy's mother. Twenty dollars in 1959 would be worth $170.60 in 2018. I would have been rich if I hadn't been such a neat freak or if Tommy hadn't tried to bribe me to like him.

Fast forward fifty-nine years to a few weeks ago. I was on another Key West Association of Realtors caravan where agents tour new additions to our MLS (multiple listing service).  A guy from my gym was standing in front of the house he rents with the listing agent. I said hello and walked inside expecting the place to be prissy clean as this guy is so anal about everything.  I nearly gagged at the smells. I quickly walked out the back door to recover. I was disgusted. I went back inside and wrote one word on the comment sheet "filthy!" and left.  Now I can't even look at the guy when I see him at the gym. He and his rental house have cooties.

I don't think the Realtor will be able to sell that place with the cootie monster living there. You can't get rid of cooties. Seriously!

The Blowhard Buyer in the Age of GOOGLE

Realtors run into all kinds of people with all kings of personalities. Sometimes the worst parts of personalities emerge during the process of getting a real estate deal "done".  I have written before about some of the crazy stuff that I did over the years trying to get the better part of any deal I was personally involved in. I mention this up front just so that you know that I know I am not without egotistical sin.

I once had on a listing on a perfect Conch Cottage in Old Town Key West. It was the perfect dream cottage for many would-be buyers. A new agent (who I will call "Joe" called me to set up the showing.  The sellers were away at their other home up north in America so I could show the listing anytime. I Google searched his name and learned he had a Facebook account. I then Facebook - stalked Joe to find out more about him when I discovered he was a full time bartender at a tourist trap bar on Duval Street. There are about 380 licensed Realtors in Key West many of whom have full time jobs doing something that does not involved selling or managing real estate. Joe was one of those agents. And brand new on top of that.


The appointed time arrived. Joe arrived with his prospects. I put on my smiley face and welcomed the buyers and the agent into my listing. I led them from the front of the house to the rear so they could see the money view first - the pool and gardens. This is what all buyers want. I then explained all the things the owners had done since they bought this home. The buyers paid no attention and started falling in love with the idea of owning this place. Nevertheless, I took them through the rest of the house to point out the renovations that were perfectly executed.

Joe called me the nest day and asked asked if his buyers could come back for a second look in the early afternoon. I agreed and met them at the house an hour or so later. All three arrived with cocktails in hand. That's usually not a good sign.  I let them move about the house and stood ready to answer questions.  The man was feeling his alcohol and started to tell me how rich he was. 

The next day Joe the bartender-Realtor sent me a cash offer.  The offer was about ten percent below asking which I felt was way below real consideration. I called Joe to discuss and told him that most house tend to sell between 94 to 96 percent of asking. I didn't know if Joe knew this. He said his guy would go higher and that the buyer expected a counter offer.

I emailed the offer to my sellers and called them at the same time. I remember both my husband and wife sellers were on the phone. He asked questions about price and she asked questions about the buyer and the woman. I told about the man's swagger and self importance. Did I have proof of funds? Was he real? The wife asked how the man treated the woman - were they married?  Did he treat her with respect? They agreed to a counter offer and gave buyer a deadline of the following day to accept.

I called Joe and relayed the offered which I followed up by email. I remember waking up the next morning and not feeling good about what was going on. I GOOGLED the buyer's name and address. The name produced a shocking result - an arrest record in northern Florida. Florida arrest records and photos are available at all county seats across the state. So I looked and found out Mr. Blowhard had been arrested and convicted of Battery.  There was mugshot which proved it was the right man.  And the photo was scary on top of it. I then GOOGLED Mr. Blowhard's street address and found a modest house in a nice neighborhood but certainly not the type of house one would expect the owner to be able to pay about a million bucks in cash for a cottage in Key West.

Not long after I found the arrest record and GOOGLE MAP map info. Almost simultaneously my seller sent me an email with a link to what I had discovered on my own. He quizzed me to ask if I was aware. I called him and said I had discovered the same on my own. Later that day I called Joe the Bartender-Realtor to ask the status of the counter offer. Joe told me that his buyer did not being given a time specific to respond to the counteroffer and decided not to pursue for the time being. I thank Joe but never told him about his customers conviction or unpretentious house up north.

I know a lot of people start conversations with people they meet casually or in business settings by asking 20 questions. I do not like to do that. I try not to do it. I think it is invasive and not professional.  Thank God for GOOGLE.

P.S. I sold my listing at full price to a couple from up north, in America. CASH.  Old Money. Real Money. 

816 South Street #4, Key West - Big Price Reduction!

The asking price 816 South Street #4  in Key West was just reduced from $479,000 to $450,000. This is a real buying opportunity for a buyer who wants a move-in-ready place three blocks to Duval and a short walk to Higgs Beach. South Park condos have one of the best pools in all of Key West and each unit has a private parking space.

I have sold four units in this four building complex with a total of 16 units over the past few years.  I think Southpark Condominiums are the best buy in Key West based on size, quality of construction, location, and amenities.

 Southpark Condominiums are made up of four four unit buildings located between William Street and Reynolds Street (the pathway to Higgs Beach and the Atlantic Ocean).  This second floor unit is located in the easternmost building. The unit has been tastefully updated including the new kitchen which was added just two years ago. This unit has central air conditioning and an in-unit washer and dryer.  Not all units have private laundries in the unit. The unit enjoys light throughout the day either from morning sunlight from the south which filters in through the kitchen window and the French doors in the bedroom. As the sun moves from east to west during the day, light bathes the living room in muted tones early afternoon until sunset. A door in the living room opens out to the front porch.

The dining are contains a built in display wall for showing off artwork, books, and nick-knacks. Another mirrored wall visually tricks the eye and enlarges the entire living space. Note also the natural finished oak flooring found in living room, dining area, and bedroom. Crown molding and bright white trim and baseboards plus pops of color on the walls add a bit of drama throughout this abode.

All of the units have private rear porches.  This one is sunny throughout most of the day. There is a rear interior stairway from a door in the kitchen which leads down to the pool at the rear of the property. The pool is located about fifty feet or more to the west. The Southpark grounds are quite spacious and professionally maintained. Each building has access to the gardens and pool area plus gated access from the front and side yards. The pool is one of the largest and most beautiful of any condominiums in Key West. There is a small building located at the east end of the pool which houses a coin operated laundry plus storage units for each of the condominiums.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and listing photos of 816 South Street #4 which is now offered at $450,000. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, at  305-766-2642, to schedule a private showing. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. I can't make enough positive comments about these units especially when compared to higher priced units in the Key West area.

1402 Pine Street, Key West - Tropical Duplex

My jaw dropped when I entered 1402 Pine Street, a tropically inspired  Meadows Area duplex during Realtor caravan a couple of days ago. I see so many ho-hum houses that I almost always starting humming before I entered this place. But that didn't happen here. I entered the first floor unit just off the pool. 

This place is sharp, clean as whistle, and ready to move in. The listing Realtor describes it this way:
"Beautifully maintained and recently updated duplex in the quiet Meadows neighborhood of Old town Key West. Close enough to bike or walk to the beach and parks or the best local restaurants and nightlife. Relax by the pool surrounded by lush landscaping and tall fencing for added privacy and ambiance or go inside to enjoy spacious, bright and sunny rooms, built in cabinetry, wet bar, Murphy bed, and Australian cypress wood floors throughout. Two vibrant bedrooms and bathrooms on the first floor, one generous sized bedroom and bathroom on the second floor. Front and rear porches located on both levels of this charming duplex for additional outdoor living space."

I looked through my old shoebox and found a "before" taken in 1965. Compare that with a similar current view.

The sidewalk on the left side leads to the new rear entrance to the ground floor two bedroom, two bath owners' unit with private deck overlooking the pool.  I turned the corner, saw the pool, and thought this is nice. Then I entered the house and revised my thoughts to this is really nice!

The entrance is through a bright kitchen that just sparkles.The wood cabinets in the kitchen are echoed in the living room where a built-in home office occupies a prominent corner. The master bedroom and bath are located at the far end of the space which is actually the front of the house. New Australian Cypress Wood Floors are found in the living room and master bedroom. The other rooms are tiled. There are new windows throughout as well as new electrical and plumbing systems. This house is located in the X Zone which means lenders will not require floor insurance or if purchased as an abundance of caution, premiums are just $450 per year.

The guest bedroom is just that. This owner did something I have advocated for years - they used a Murphy Bed to provide "as needed" bed space while keeping the room functional all those days and nights no guests are around. There is a wet bar and under counter refrigerator as well. This room has its own private bath and separate entrance out to the pool.

Occupants of the second floor one bedroom apartment enter through the original front door. The stairway ends about mid-point in the house where a small hall enters into the living room. The kitchen is to the right (south) where a comfortable second floor rear deck has south and southwest views.

The bedroom is at the front and has the only access to the second floor front porch which ha s a view of 1401 Pine Street where John Dos Passos author of the U.S.A. trilogy and many other works, first visited Key West in the 1920s and told his friend Ernest Hemingway about the place. 

During the winter of 1934, Dos Passos and his wife lived in this house at 1401 Pine Street, then the outskirts of town wrote author J. Willis Burke in 'The Streets of Key West' "No doubt, John dos Passos, who lived at 1401 Pine during the 1930s, made the fifteen minute walk (to downtown Key West )often. After one nocturnal amble, he arrived at Hemingway's house and met his future wife, Kate, for the first time. Perhaps it was kismet: "Dos" had, after all, been the one to suggest to "ole Hem" give Key West a try if he was looking for a warm place "to dry out his bones."

Key West today has its share of new writers, poets, artists, and even bloggers, some of whom surely will be famous in years to come.  They may even live on Pine Street or nearby. Bay View Park is just two blocks south. The White Street corridor is a couple of blocks west. There you will find numerous small eateries, several yoga studios, a couple of gyms, two gas stations (one of which has the best fried chicken in town), and a grocery store. Duval Street and all that goes with it is a few minutes walk to the west.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and to view listing photos of 1402 Pine Street offered at $1,200,000. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to schedule a private showing. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.  This place deserves a look. You will be pleasantly surprised.