Key West Real Estate Throwback Thursday No. 41

from January 16, 2014

3529  Sunrise Drive,  Key West, Florida

Matthew Broderick and Tom Cruise were born in 1963.  3529 Sunrise Drive in Key West Florida was built in 1963.  Each will become 51 years old in 2014.  The two movie stars take good care of themselves and probably look better than a lot of people their age.  Men and women who workout and take care of their bodies, skin, and hair normally look better than those who don't.

A lot of my buyers are in their fifties. Many probably grew up in a house built in the 1960s when contemporary design was the trend.  The house at 3529 Sunrise Drive was custom built by the owner who has lovingly maintained this property ever since.  The house is big. The Monroe County Property Appraiser shows this house as having 3378 sq ft of interior living space. The house sits on an 8937 sq ft lot (138' X 65') just across the street from the Riviera Canal that ends a few blocks to the east where water flows into the Atlantic Ocean.  The houses across the street benefit from being located on the water.  This house is every bit as nice or nicer than most of the original houses in the area.  And the houses across the street all cost a whole lot more than this house.

The home at 3529 Sunrise Drive incorporates many of the features of large suburban homes built during the early 1960s including multiple living levels, large rooms, vaulted ceilings, and large outdoor living areas. The listing Realtor describes the property this way:

"Everything you want in Key West living. Plenty of room both inside and out for entertaining or just relaxing with the family. Vaulted ceilings and large rooms make the interior exceedingly livable. A walled lot, lush landscaping, large pool and several covered outside seating areas along with offstreet, covered parking make this an ideal property. This is a home that you can live in tomorrow or add personal touches to create your own island oasis."

Events, styles, trends, fads, they all last for a while but many impact our lives for years or decades into the future. When you are young, you tend to live in the moment. As you get older, you learn that not everything in the world revolves around you. As you get much older, you may learn that what you do or say or think is of no consequence to anybody. That's sort of what happens to styles, trends and fads-they get ignored or displaced or even replaced. Styles that were hip become passe. Maybe that's why for many people buying a house in the Old Town area of Key West is so safe: old is always popular there. Even cherished.

If you are old enough to remember the 1960s you will recall the space race and the New Frontier. You will remember the forward thinking we embraced. Our TV, our culture, our furniture and home goods, and our architecture reflected the hopes and dreams as aspirations of that time. Some homes today still have fallout shelters that were built in the 1960s, a different and sad face of the culture of that time.

The home at 3529 Sunrise Drive incorporates many of the features of large suburban homes built during the early 1960s including multiple living levels, large rooms, vaulted ceilings, and large outdoor living areas. It is time for buyers to consider houses like this that have plenty of good years left as alternatives to much more expensive homes in the Old Town and Casa Marina areas.

The listing Realtor describes the property this way:

" Everything you want in Key West living. Plenty of room both inside and out for entertaining or just relaxing with the family. Vaulted ceilings and large rooms make the interior exceedingly livable. A walled lot, lush landscaping, large pool and several covered outside seating areas along with off street, covered parking make this an ideal property. This is a home that you can live in tomorrow or add personal touches to create your own island oasis."

3529 Sunrise Drive is a big house located a on a large lot on the east side of Key West- just about four blocks from the Atlantic Ocean. It is far removed from the hub bub of Old Town. This is a family area and this is a very nice family home that has been well maintained during its lifetime.  CLICK HERE to view a slide show with lots of photos of this home. This property is listed by Preferred Properties, but it is not my listing. It is offered at $899,000. And CLICK HERE to view the Key West Association of Realtors mls data sheet.

If you would like to see this blast from the past, please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule a visit. I am a buyer's agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West, Florida.


UPDATE

This truly was one of my favorites house in Key West. I wrote about it many times because it was such a wonderful example of 1960s American architecture. It was listed for sale by several different agents starting in 2004 when the asking price was $1,699,900; It finally sold in 2021 for $1,080.000. I don't know if I mentioned the reason it took so long to sell. The owners had dozens of trophy animals they killed from around the world. They had rugs, mounted heads, and stuffed animals.They killed many of th animals with bow and arrow. I guess that made it "sport"except the animals were defenseless.

If any actually read the post I hope you pick up on how I deal with aging. I had no ireal appreciation for what happens to you as you age. i thought I did. But i was younger then when I wrote it. Count that up to not knowing what you are talking about. 

1214 Von Phister Street, Key West - Follow Your Dream

Just Listed, but not by me, 1214 Von Phister Street, Key West, This Casa Marina east 2140 square foot home has it all - ALL!  The home was built new in 2002, not remodeled. It has four bedrooms, three baths, and an open concept living area. It is a spacious two story with abundant main floor living area which seamlessly flows out to the covered lanai and pool area. There is also convenient covered parking for two cars.

There is a phrase about a photograph telling a thousand words. Well, these photos show this home is lived in. There is a lot of stuff in the rooms, and if you read the MLS details, you will learn the furniture is included in the asking price. The personal items are not included, including the juke box located near the front door. (I looked at the record selection which was opened to Pink Floyd.) What I would like readers to envision is these rooms without so much stuff - maybe buying the house without the furnishings or taking the furnishings until the new owners edit and paint the walls "their colors" and makes this home "their home". I am not being negative about the owners' home. There is just so much to see that readers may miss the simplicity of design that these spaces offer for relaxed Key West living. The fourth bedroom is located on the far side of the staircase. Note this room has a set of small French doors which open out to the covered parking. This is an ideal room for a home office, but it could easily work as a genuine guest room where your guests don't wake the entire household when they stroll in at 3:00 AM after partying hard on Duval Street.

The master suite is located on the south or rear side of the home. A set of French doors opens out to the covered porch which overlooks the pool below. This is a quiet part of town. Imagine sitting out on the porch late at night appreciating all the you have achieved in life. Maybe you will take a late night dip then go to sleep with the doors open and in the wee hours waking up with birds singing.

There are two additional bedrooms located at the front of the house. Both are good sized and are very suite for full time living as opposed to some of the pretend bedrooms you may have seen on some condos over at Truman Annex. This is a big house and built for full time living. But it works equally well as a second home where generations of a family can gather.

Von Phister Street is located one block north of Flagler Avenue and just four blocks from the Atlantic Ocean and Higgs Beach, the dog park, and Salute on the Beach. Louies Backyard is about a five block walk when you want a date night. And doggie beach is next door to Louies when your pup needs to go for a swim. (There are people who get a couple of weeks vacation each year. They save their money and go to Louies to have a drink and dream of living in a place so wonderful. Imagine being able to walk over for lunch or dinner any time you want.)

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS and view a lot of photos of 1214 Von Phister Street in Key West offered at $1,750,000. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, email kw1101v@aol.com, to schedule a private showing of this spacious home. I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. I live a little over one block away. Let me show you the Casa Marina Area I know and love. This house is really easy to fall in love with and so is life in Key West.

1509 Pine Street, Key West - The Meadows Price Reduction

 I've been selling homes in Key West since 1996. Experience has taught me that the home at 1509 Pine Street in the quiet Meadows Area offers so many of the features home buyers seek in a Key West property. I am certain when any potential buyer sits on the front porch they will immediately and deeply fall in love with this location and this home because it is the epitome of what a Key West house ought to be. 

The listing Realtor describes 1509 Pine Street, Key West, as

"This beautiful 3/3.5 home looks historic but was built in 2008 with important modern elements such as hurricane rated doors and windows. There are dramatic 11 foot ceilings and high end finishes plus a gourmet kitchen with granite counters & stainless appliances. A private heated pool and spa are accessed through 8 ft glass doors and surrounded by foliage.Covered private carport and storage. Each bedroom is en suite and the master has a vaulted ceiling plus a private balcony. There is two zone central air, hard wood and travertine floors, solid wood doors, high ceilings on both floors, crown molding and high end fixtures used throughout the home. This home is in pristine move in condition and will delight the most discerning buyer. Private parking is accessed through electric gates at both ends of the driveway. Great Meadows location near everything Key West has to offer. Easy to see!"

The Meadows of Key West was designed to be and is the epitome of design and high-end construction in Key West. The homes were built to with stand the challenges of our sub-tropical climate and sunny days. The Hardiboard siding and impact windows and doors will keep long term maintenance and insurance costs down as opposed to other stick built homes in our area. Each home has a private pool and carport which is accessed via private rear driveway which is managed by the home owner association whose sole function is to maintain the limited common areas. Just like in your home up north, you as homeowner of this home would be responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of your front and rear yards and pool.

Like many of the Grand Conch Houses of Old Town, this home has a covered front porch located off the master suite.  The ceiling in the master bedroom is vaulted which really adds dimension to this space that includes a good-sized walk in closet and en-suite bath. Readers should study the architectural detain in the second floor porch. You just won't find this kind of quality at this price in a similarly sized historic home in Old Town - at least not at this price. You might for a million dollars more. But not at this price. And if you find one, your maintenance costs and insurance costs will still be higher.

There are two additional bedrooms on the second floor both of which have private en-suite baths and ample closets. The rear bedroom (pictured above) is locate above the carport. I guess you could refer to it as a carriage house of sorts. Note that both guest bedrooms have tray ceilings, crown molding, recessed lights, and many more design feature.

 CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and to view more listing photos of 1509 Pine Street now offered at $1,269,000.  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.

1118 Seminary Street, Key West - Just Listed

Just Listed by Preferred Properties Key West, that's where I work but this is not my listing, 1118 Seminary Street.  Buyers who are seeking a house with a classic Key West "look" and whoch features many of the houses in Old Town simply do not have, should check-out the features of this home.

1118 Seminary Street was newly constructed in 2001 and received a prestigious Ceramic Star awarded since 1981 by the Historic Florida Keys Foundation to recognize excellence for preservation, restoration, rehabilitation and new construction. 

The listing Realtor describes the home thus:

"Along a well-lit street, you will find a surprisingly sizable home in the X-Zone. There are 2 en-suite bedrooms, off a windowed hallway leading to the kitchen dining/living area surrounded by French doors revealing a slate patio with a heated cocktail pool. The upstairs suite consists of wall of closets, washer and dryer, large bathroom and at the end of the hallway if 4th bedroom/den. 2 Off street parking one covered."

 I took the above photo about eight years ago when the house was painted yellow. This photo helps orient readers to the interior layout described below. Obviously you can see the home has a coveted (and covered) off street parking spot. You will not from the photo the entry door is set back just a bit from the front porch. The entry hall leads to the great room in the rear. The space at the first floor front can be used as a main floor master suite, a much sought after feature by many second home buyers who plan for use in later years when staircases can become a challenge.

Referring back to the yellow house photo, you will notice the bump-out past the carport. That is where the dining room is located. Entry to the main floor bedroom is just off the foyer. Note the pine flooring and wains-coating in the bedroom which continues into the great room. However, the flooring in the great room and dining area are slate which then continues out to the pool. Note also all of the windows. This home is totally private. Ambient daytime light fills the living spaces and reminds us why we seek a house in Key West - the beautiful outdoors. There's a cocktail pool. Swimmers who seek a bigger swimming challenge can walk or bike to the Atlantic Ocean which is located about five blocks south.

The second floor also has pine floors and lots of built-in storage and closets in the sidewalls. What a clever use of that space to add function to what otherwise might have gone unused. Note the skylights which bathe the hallway with daytime light.

 I found the above photo in my old shoebox. It shows Higgs Beach as it appeared in 2003. The playground has been improved and some guy now rents chairs on what used to be a free beach.  You can still lay your towel down in the sand and walk for what seems like forever out into the shallow and warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and listing photos. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to schedule a private showing of this four bedroom, three bath home located in the Casa Marina Area of Key West. I live a couple of blocks away and love the quiet neighborhood that is a welcome alternative to the increasingly busy Old Town area. I can show you exactly why this area is a great place to live. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.