Key West on HGTV's HOUSE HUNTERS

House or Condo in Key West, Florida

I miss the old days when we all had three TV networks plus educational TV (where you could watch a guy paint!). Back then the choices were simple and the viewer had an easy and predictable viewing experience. Today cable and satellite TV offer so many diverse viewing options that a viewer needs a guide to help find what is available at any one moment or what will be available in the future. By chance last night (Friday, March 9th) I was searching for something to watch other than the 19th repeat of MONK when I noticed that HGTV had a "New" (really) program on its HOUSE HUNTERS program where a couple was searching for a getaway house in Key West. I decided to watch it. And so should you if you are in the market for a place in Key West. This morning I searched the HGTV website to see when episode HNT-5801H will air again. HGTV does not show a new air date, but we all know every episode gets shown repeatedly, forever, just like MONK.

HGTV's description of the Key West episode:

"Key West, Florida, has always been a special place for Matt and Amy. It's where they honeymooned, it's their favorite vacation spot, and it's about to be the site of their future vacation home. But for this couple, escaping the cold Ohio winters comes with a hitch. Matt wants the privacy of a single family home. Amy wants a carefree, low maintenance condo or high-rise. Who will win out?"

After the couple was introduced we got to meet their Realtor, Sandy Tuttle, an agent from Marathon, Florida. Sandy and I worked together on a bank owned unit she listed last year. She is a really great agent who works for another company further up the Keys. Sandy showed the couple three different properties in three different Key West locations. That follows the typical House Hunter format. Each property met some of the buyers' search criteria and each offered some challenges as well.

The first house the couple saw was located in the New Town area of Key West. The house was built in 1965 and sits on a nice block with similarly sized homes built during the same era. I showed this house last year to a local who wanted to buy a house he could renovate and flip. The house is still available as of today at the asking price of $335,000 or $243 per sq ft. The show did not disclose that the house is Bank Owned. The viewer could see for him or herself that the place is a real challenge. The floors are on different levels, the rooms sizes are odd, the kitchen is small, the carport canopy dominates the facade and makes it totally out of character with the neighborhood, but the pool is huge. My buyer determined the house needed too much work and too much money for him to achieve his goal of re-selling at a modest profit. The house hunter couple decided likewise.

Still Available! Photographed this morning

Similar vintage house across the street

The voice-over described the second property as being Key West beach side, but whoever wrote the script got that part wrong. There is no beach at Key Cove. I recently wrote a couple of blogs about units at Key Cove. Unit number 48 is a bank owned unit. This was taken off the market on January 20th. Unit number 25 was a short sale. It sold for $375,000. That unit was very similar in size and amenities that the home buyers looked at except the unit they saw had a view toward the east and #25 did not need any repairs.

The House Hunters bought one of these homes - photographed today

Community Pool

The third property the couple looked at was a second floor condo at 1800 Atlantic Condominiums. Matt stated a familiar lament I have heard so man other potential buyers state about the place seeming like a hotel. The unit they looked at was original, meaning it still had the original kitchen cabinets, plastic drop down ceiling in the kitchen, and master bath with the Roman tub. I don't think any hot water heater could ever fill one of those tubs. By the time the tub was full, the water would be running cold. Either that or the bather would be asleep. The couple was bothered by the location being on the second floor just above Bertha Street and worried they would hear the traffic go by. The potential ocean view from the balcony was obscured by trees. And the couple grimaced over the high monthly condo association fees. The couple did like the huge oceanfront pool and location, however.

1800 Atlantic Condominiums

Ultimately the couple chose the Key Cove unit. Matt and some of his buddies from Ohio did a quick renovation and redid the problematic bath and spiffed the place up really nicely. I searched the mls and learned that the unit the TV couple purchased sold for $350,000. The program did not disclose that the unit was bank owned. According to the mls datasheet a different Realtor at the same company (not Sandy Tuttle) actually sold the unit. I think the couple made a very good decision and got a very nice Key West getaway house. Congrats to them! I hope Sandy got part of the commission!

It's fun to watch a show like this because it exposes the viewers (people like you) who may be thinking of buying a second home in Key West to issues most buyers on a budget face: location, price, and features that are positives or negatives. The fixer house ain't gonna sell for a long time unless the bank drops the price to give away status in my opinion. Condos at 1800 Atlantic offer twice the space and in my opinion offer superior construction to similarly priced condos at Shipyard in the Truman Annex area of Key West. However, the street side units are sometimes more difficult to sell, and all units must pay the high monthly condo association fees. Key Cove has a mix of very high end units still available, but there are a few affordable housing units and mid range units that are also a part of this complex.

CLICK HERE to do your own personal Key West House Hunting SEARCH of the Key West Association of Realtors mls database. Select the property type, price range or other feature you want. If you find something that interests you, please contact me to help you find your place in Paradise. Call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 or send me an email at kw1101v@aol.com. I am buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West. Oh, I am a big fan of MONK as well.

Key West House Hunters - Part Two

Did you watch House Hunters last night on HGTV to Cory Held of Preferred Properties show and sell a second home in Key West? If not and you are looking for a place in Key West, try to find it on re-run. It's helpful even if you are not looking in the same price range as the buyers who were willing to spend up to $2 million for a second home.

On the program Cory showed her customers three houses. In reality, they looked at about 20. I'm going to share the gritty details on the three houses on the program. Only one remains unsold and it is temporarily off the market but.... (more later)

House No. 1 is located at 804 Elizabeth Street in Old Town. It is an eyebrow house that was recently renovated and has a spectacular pool. The living room and dining area are just captivating. The second floor bedrooms are cozy (small but not tiny). The master bedroom is in the back and I thought it should be expanded to take advantage of the beautiful pool and garden. It was listed in April 2007 at $1,695,00 and sold a week ago for $950.000. I hope the buyer knows what a sweet deal he or she got. CLICK HERE to see the mls data sheet on 840 Elizabeth.

House No. 2 is located on Varela Street about one half block north of United Street. The Key West Montessori School is located up on the corner at United. I remember hosting numerous open houses at this location in 2000 when it was offered for about $600,000. I remember telling people about what a great property it could become. It was a big house and it had a big yard with a potential guest cottage and off street parking on the lane behind the house. Our office got to see the house a couple of months ago. My goodness, what an incredible change. You have to watch the episode to see all the bells and whistles that were incorporated into this home.

House No. 2 is temporarily off the market but was recently priced at $2,595,000. It is listed by Preferred Properties. CLICK HERE to see the mls listing info on this home. Click the photos to see more pics of the house including that kitchen on Steroids. The French doors open on two sides to let the outdoors come inside. And that pool is absolutely breath taking. The guest house in the back would suit me fine. What a charmer it is.

House No.3 is the house the "buyers" bought. It is located on Packer Street about one half block south of Truman Avenue. It was originally listed for sale in 2005 at $3,150,000. The buyers paid $1,337,500. (Public record.) CLICK HERE to see what they got for their money. This property is new as compared to the others. It is not in Old Town, but across the street so to speak. I think the buyers made out like bandits on the price. They got new construction with no issues. That's not bad.

Cory did a great job and I hear her buyers are delighted with the "little place" in Paradise. There are some great buying opportunities out there dear readers. And they aren't all for houses and condos in New Town. Every house that is for sale right now is for sale for a reason. Some people have to sell because of the economy; some are getting divorced; and some people have died and the heirs want their share of the money.

If you are looking to buy a second home in Key West, please call me, Gary Thomas. I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty Inc. Give me a call at 305.766.2642. You won't end up on TV. (I got interviewed for the CBS program "SUNDAY MORNING" and got so confused I forget what I did at the RTC. So I know better than to try to walk and talk on camera.) But you might end up getting yourself a real sweet deal.

CLICK HERE to search the Key West mls database. No Realtor will call and you won't get emails sent to you without asking.

Key West House Hunters - Tonight on HGTV

Our very own Cory Held (Preferred Properties super agent) will be on HGTV's House Hunters tonight (March 15th at 7:30 PM EDT). Cory will be helping a couple planing to move from their Dillsburg, Pennsylvania horse farm to a million dollar home in the Florida Keys.

Let's all turn on the tube and see what happens. She did tell me that the episode was filmed a few months ago. It will be interesting to see what the buyers looked at and what the pricing was. Cory kept mum as to what the couple bought - or not!

I really like the House Hunters and House Hunters International shows. It is interesting to see what a few hundred thousand dollars can buy in various places compared to Key West. I know some people think our prices are still over-priced. Watch House Hunters and see what real people pay for real houses, especially in the House Hunters International series. One of the things I've noticed about the international episodes is the desire of buyers to be in a great location at a great location. You know what I mean: they want the best location at a destination they love. When confronted with choice of price versus dream fulfillment (size, features, amenities, superior location such as ocean front or "view" of whatever), it is fun to watch buyers struggle to decide what to do and how to justify their decision.

My buyers go through the same decision making struggles all the time. They typically want either an a cute Old Town house on a good block that has off street parking, a pool, and a good price--under $500,000. Some want the place done and others are willing to do some fix-up. Other buyers opt for the Casa Marina area because of its proximity to the beach and its distance from the hub-bub of Duval Street. Most realize they can't get a place in the Casa Marina area for $500,000, but that doesn't stop them from asking.

We got struggles, right here in Key West City. Ha!

That's Cory and her dog BINGO in the photos.

Watch Cory Held tonight on HGTV. But when you come to Key West, please call me to help you find your place in Paradise. Call me, Gary Thomas, 305.766.2642 or email me at kw1101v@aol.com. CLICK HERE to search the Key West Association of Realtors official mls website. No Realtor (me included) will track you and start sending you emails.