Good Neighbor Pam - Keeping an Eye on You in Key West

 Another true tale of Key West. Only the names have been changed to keep me from getting sued.

I learn a lot about Key West real estate by going on Realtor caravan. Twice monthly local agents tour new listings in the Key West area. Most of us take bus but some drive their own cars. Buses are better as you sometimes get to hear good gossip and learn what agents really think about those not on the bus.

On a recent caravan we stopped next door to a home I sold a few years ago. That owner had  contacted me a few months ago to discuss the possibility of selling. Nothing happened then, but I know that circumstances change and that owning real estate in Key West is not a forever thing for anybody.

After I finished looking at the house on the caravan, I went onto the back porch and snapped a couple of photos of the house I once sold just on the off-chance my "owner" may call upon me to list it sometime in the future. I thought having a photo from a different view might come in useful.  Later I emailed the photo to my customer.

The next day I received the email response from my former customer discussing the photo:

The husband told "Chester" (made up name) they were not pleased it had not sold. His wife "Pam" (made up name), who is a Conch and has known "Sylvia" (made up Realtor name) from days gone by, is not happy with her. Other homes in the area have been selling---maybe they are just a bit high.  She has a daughter in Miami, but they want to move up to the panhandle. They want better medical facilities than KW-- He was station there once.  Did you see the new one going up at the end of the street? Chester said it is very very big.

Chester is going down on the 1st. He has been down a few times. Thank you for the Christmas card.

One day last spring, after he closed up, Chester's flight going to Atlanta was canceled so he went back to the house for the night. All the storm shutters were up and every thing was put away for the summer. So he sat in the house watching TV. He fell asleep with the TV on and some lights on. The neighbors thought he had left for the summer. He was awakened by a voice he did not recognize
at about 2 AM asking him for his ID and to keep his hands were they could see them. It was a woman's voice and he was coming out of his deep sleep--It took him a bit to get his brain moving. He reached in to his pocket to get his ID when the voice, in a stronger mode and louder, told him to keep his hands out of his pockets! Two female cops with flash lights on and guns drawn and pointed at him. His brain was now working! He told them his flight was canceled and he went back home to sleep and his ID was in his wallet in his pants.

When all was done they told him to lock the front door (which he had left unlocked and closed the street gate) as it was a rough neighborhood!!! I ask who was watching out for the house, I wanted to thank them. It was my next door neighbor Pam. There was also a third cop, a male, just out side the door ready to shoot if one got by the two female cops in side.

I hope they do not sell --We never had such great protection. The neighbors knew I was leaving
and with the shutters closed and little slivers of light coming out they called. They had also called before when some one was in the yard, could have been the pool man?