Where on Instagram would you rather Live?

This is a featured photo on Instagram. Photographer is j9ryl if you would like to find it. Viewers are rightfully oohing and ahhhing about the symmetry of the capture.

Can you for one single moment living in a place like that?

Why?

Key West Horror Story No. 13 - Uncle Charlie's Demise

This is a true story. The names have been changed so that I don't get sued. An older gay man who I will call Uncle Charlie lived in a rambling Key West house for several decades starting in in the 1970s. He enclosed porches and expanded the sides and rear of the house during a time when code enforcement was not making daily sweeps of the neighborhoods checking for phantom building additions.  I don't believe our Historic Architectural Review Commission (HARC) existed when he began to enlarge his house. Later, the place was obscured by trees and foliage to the extent that nobody seemed to notice or to care.

Uncle Charlie had so many rooms he knew just what to do. He invited younger gay men to live with him. I don't know if they paid rent as much as they provided services. Uncle Charlie also had a love affair with cats. He had perhaps twenty or more cats who moved in and out of the house through open doors and jalousie windows. 

A friend of mine lived near Uncle Charlie. My friend's house did not have central air conditioning.  He left the doors and windows open most of the day. One day my friend found one of Uncle Charlie's cats on his sofa. He kicked it out. (He didn't kick it. He escorted it.) That same cat or it's cousin returned. And then another. And another.

My friend got upset and called animal control. They said there was nothing they could do but offered to give my friend animal traps. He started making daily trips to the animal shelter to deliver cats to the county. This went on for a few weeks until Uncle Charlie suddenly died. I don't think Uncle Charlie died over the disappearance of his cats, and I certainly don't think my friend killed him. 

Very soon after Uncle Charlie's demise, someone made all the wayward boys leave the house and emptied if of cats as well.

That's the end of the story. Somebody bought the house. It got ripped apart, renovated, and sold.

I was reminded about this story during an inspection earlier today. The recently deceased former owner had a love affair with cats. The place reeked of cat pee. 

If you are a fan of cats you may not agree with my calling this Key West tale a "horror story". But if, like my friend who lived near Uncle Charlie, I'll bet you would have breathed a sigh of relief when the wayward boys and the wayward cats left the neighborhood. And if you should happen to live near some living "cat lady" or man, I'll be you can't wait for fate to take its course.

619 Virginia Street, Key West - OPEN HOUSE

If you are out and about today between 12 and 2 PM please stop by 619 Virginia Street to see this beautiful new Old Town two bedroom, three bath poolside home where I will be hosting an Open House. Offered by Preferred Properties Key West at $899,000.

This residence has a wrap-around deck that overlooks the pool plus a private side yard. The interiors feature porcelain floors, high baseboards, crown molding, down lights, beautiful kitchen with granite counter-tops and stainless steel appliances.

The front guest bedroom has an en suite bath plus deck that view the rear garden of St Mary's Basilica next door to the east.

The master bedroom overlooks the pool below and has both northern and eastern exposure. Note all of the windows and doors are wind impact glass. This home is located in the X Flood Zone which means no flood insurance will be required by mortgage lender. And because this home is built to Florida's highest building code, the homeowner and wind insurance is only $2,007 per year (total price).

It has adjacent designated off street parking and a white picket fence.  And it is located just one block from world famous Duval Street.
CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet on 619 Virginia Street. Better yet come by and see the home in person. If you buy this house this weekend, it could be your home by Christmas.

Listen. You will be moved.

Take a few minutes to watch and listen to this boy. This is one of the most moving statements I have ever heard.

National Flood Insurance Expiring - WARNING!

That's a picture taken in Key West during Hurricane Wilma in 2005. Hurricane season ends on December 1 and so does the National Flood Insurance Program. That is unless Congress renews the NFIP before 11:59 PM on November 30, 2018. That seems unlikely now since Congress is on recess for Thanksgiving.

CLICK HERE to read the FEMA Advisory. 

If you are buying a house in Key West and your Realtor has not advised you about this, ask him or her why not.

My Worst Thanksgiving

For as long as I can remember, I would watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade on TV. Over the years I decided it would be a real treat to actually see the parade in person. In 1998 a friend of a friend offered actual Macy's grand stand seats to me and my ex.This was going to be fun.

We stayed at a hotel on Central Park South. It was raining on Thanksgiving morning. I remember wearing jeans and a rain slicker. We both had umbrellas. We took a cab to near the Dakota. The grand stands were somewhere in that area as I recall. We found our seats and sat in the drizzle for half an hour to forty-five minutes or so. The drizzle got worse and worse. My jeans and slicker were soaked.  We decided to forget the parade and go back to the hotel.

We changed clothes and went down to the dining room and had Bloody Mary's and eggs Benedict.  The rain eventually stopped and we walked around Times Square. That was a bleak and miserable experience. I remember seeing people eating their Thanksgiving in McDonald's.

That night we went to Tavern On the Green for dinner. I had made reservations weeks in advance. We arrived a bit early but had to wait and wait and wait. The restaurant was crammed with loud people. We talked about going some place else but feared we might end up a McDonald's if we did.

We eventually got to sit down and order dinner. It took forever to arrive. It was terrible. The service was terrible. The whole experience was terrible.

We discussed going back to New York for this Thanksgiving.We didn't and for that I am thankful. It is supposed to be the coldest ever Thanksgiving Day Parade.  It is 75 degrees as I write this. Today's high is supposed to be 80. I am thankful for that as well.

I could be up in New York with several million people this week freezing my behind. Instead, I'm stuck in Paradise.

Happy Thanksgiving!

619 Virginia Street, Key West

Just Listed 619 Virginia Street, Key West. This is one of just twenty-one newly built town homes located in Old Town just one block from world famous Duval Street. This two bedroom, three bath unit has a large wrap-around deck and is located just off the pool.

This home has high end finishes throughout including porcelain floors, crown molding, high base boards, window treatments, stainless steel appliances, and granite counter-tops in the kitchen and bathrooms.

Entertaining is a breeze with the impact doors pulled back expanding the living area out to the deck. All windows and doors wind impact resistant which means insurance will be greatly reduced. And this home is located in the X Flood Zone which means your mortgage lender will not require flood insurance.

Both second floor bedrooms are large and have private en suite baths. The front bedroom has a door which opens out to the second floor front porch which has views toward the south.  The adjacent property is the rear garden of Saint Mary's Basilica.  

619 Virginia Street is the only unit with a private side yard and it also has adjacent parking. It is offered for sale at $899,000. CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule a private showing. I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. If you buy this home now, it could be your home buy Christmas.

1105 Flagler Avenue, Key West - Now a Must See!

1105 Flagler Avenue is located in the Casa Marina Area of Key West. It is one of three adjoining properties currently listed by Preferred Properties Key West. It has been tenant occupied until the past week. It was for that reason I never wanted to show it. But now it is vacant and easy to show. And it is worth seeing.

The house has 722 sq ft of living space under air which includes two bedrooms, one bath, updated kitchen and interiors, plus a spacious rear deck and a large backyard with room for a pool. It sits on a large 4568 sq ft (45' X 100') lot. The massive "tree" in the above photo is not protected and if removed would provide space for a pool. The view from the deck is spectacular (but not photographed).

While I have lived in Key West for 25 years, I keep learning new facts about my island home. In fact I live a block away from this property on Von Phister Street where many years before my time the house now at 1105 Flagler once sat. It used to sit directly behind the larger house at 1117 Flagler Avenue. I added white arrow pointing out 1117 Flagler. Note the "developed" lot behind the house. County records show that house was moved to 1105 Flagler.

The black and white photo two above was taken in 1960 and shows the relocated house at 1105 Flagler with a garage in the rear. The front porch was semi-enclosed with a screen. Both the garage and semi-enclosed porch are gone. The house is bright and cheerful and in need of a new owner. 

The above house was relocated from 610 Dey Street in Old Town to 1122 Von Phister Street in the Casa Marina Area in 1958.  In fact two other much larger houses were also relocated to that same block. 

The listing Broker tells us more:

"The history of this home adds to its charming character. Both 1101 and 1105 Flagler were owned by Jim Russell and Peter Pell, New York designers who started Key West Handprint fabrics which became well known for supplying iconic fabrics, including those designed by Susie dePoo, to Lily Pulitzer with whom they became close friends and business partners. The renovated cottage style home sits on a 4,500 sq. ft. lot and features 2 bedrooms, 1 bath plus a large sunny deck. Located in the sought after Casa Marina area, it is close to the White Street pier, the dog park, the beaches, tennis and the promenade. Perfect as is but also room to expand and create your own dream in this terrific Key West location."

Readers who love to learn more about Key West should CLICK HERE to learn more about Jim Russell and Peter Pell and their Key West Hand Print Factory and how Lily Pulitizer is linked to this house and these two men. It's a small world. And people from all over the world come to Key West to find their place in Paradise. 

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and listing photos. Remember the tenant is now gone and all the junk is gone. Then call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to set up a showing. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. Let me show you the Casa Marina Area. You will love it.  If you buy this home right now, it will be your home by Christmas!

1106 Georgia Street, Key West - The Golden Heron House

People from all over the world come to Key West for many reasons including its old homes and buildings. They love to walk and bike around various neighborhoods where they can see homes from a different era most of which have been restored and preserved and some which desperately need help. Many of these visitors dream about owning a place in Key West. The new listing at 1106 Georgia Street might just be that place for someone reading today's blog.

I dug into my old shoebox and found the black and white aerial photo taken in 1918 which I added an arrow identifying the location of 1106 Georgia Street. Today the large parcel of vacant ground is Bayview Park,  The broad street under the text was then known as Division Street. Today it is Truman Avenue. Much has changed in the hundred years since that photo was taken. The one time grocery at the corner of Georgia and Virginia Street is now a house. And it is now offered for sale at $1,639,000.

Among the striking features of this building is the wrap-around awning which extends out over the public sidewalk - note the dotted yellowish line framing the lot. I also found the black and white photo of the building in 1965. Both the exterior and interior of this property were used as sets in The Rose Tattoo movie filmed in Key West in 1955.  The main floor was a grocery (see also the Sanborn Map above which shows the building as a grocery). The Georgia Street awning was partially enclosed to make the space more private and provides a comfy sitting place to watch the comings and goings in the neighborhood. Tennessee Williams, the author of The Rose Tattoo, lived a couple of blocks to the south and east. This was his neighborhood.

Etched glass French doors open into this one-of-a-kind home with open-air living room (immediately above) located off the main entry. The 2587 sq ft home has five bedrooms, three and one-half baths, two kitchens, and a grotto like pool.  This place is just too cool for words. It has a history of being used as a monthly vacation rental. In fact, a customer of mine has stayed there before. His family loved it.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and to view the striking listing photos of 1106 Georgia Street. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to set up a private showing. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. This home will be on Open House Sunday November 18 from 12 to 3. Drop by and tell the Karen Lane, the listing Realtor, that you read about the property my blog. She would love to have you take a look.

My logo is an image of Tennessee Williams home on nearby Duncan Street. Williams wrote The Rose Tattoo. This is a neat neighborhood filled with interesting buildings and stories.