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. 

24 Arbutus Drive, Key West - Bank Owned Home on the Water

Just Listed, but not by me, is a Bank Owned home located at 24 Arbutus Drive in Key West, Florida. This 1832 sq ft home was built in 1964 which sits on a 6,000 sq ft (60' X 100') canal lot in the Key West suburb known as Key Haven.  I found an aerial photo taken by Cory McDonald in 1968 to which I have add an arrow to point out this house. More telling in the photo is the relative newness of all of the houses located there and the lack of trees.

I found the aerial photo below which was taken 19 years later (1987) which shows 24 Arbutus Drive from a different angle. In this photo you can see that the subdivision has more homes and more trees. I point out the addition of more trees for good reason. If you are a follower of my blog you have probably seen a lot of photos of Key West that were taken around fifty years ago. Perhaps you have noticed that there was a relative scarcity of trees in Key West at that time. I think it was the "discovery" of Key West in the 1970s that led to the renovation of the houses in Old Town which included the addition of pools and tropical gardens. In the forty or so years that followed, the island has become lush with vegetation. When I went to the Key Haven house to take photos I could not help but remember how much that area has "greened up" since I first saw Key Haven 20 some years ago.

The aerial photos also help us understand the lure Key Haven. In talking to long time Key West residents I learned that the younger generation of locals moved out to Key Haven as the older homes in the Old Town and Casa Marina areas were being purchased by out of area buyers looking for second homes. Most of the Key Haven houses are located on man made canals that provide relatively quick ocean access for boaters. These houses were also modern in construction and built for families as opposed to the cigar maker cottages that make up part of the Key West housing stock. Today many of the original homes have been expanded in various ways. Some have what I can "pop tops" while others have additions to the rear or side. The house at 24 Arbutus Lane appears to have had a carport enclosed for more interior space.  Just below you will find photos I just took of this home. I can report this house has been freshly painted in neutral tones. New floor tiles have been added in some areas of the house. The kitchen and baths have new counter-tops and new cabinet facings. There are new wall unit air conditioners throughout the house. Also, it appeared to me that the roof was replaced. (I did not get up there to verify, but the metal flashing on the sides is certainly new.)

This home has a screened patio overlooking the canal plus a large area for the kids and the pets to play. There is a dock that needs a little TLC to make it usable. The view is pretty neat. CLICK HERE to see all the photos I took of this home.

 I think this home would appeal to both a family looking for clean, affordable housing in the Key West area as well as a second home buyer who wants a Key West address but does not need to be located in Old Town. You can buy so much more of a home if you get out of the core area. This is worth a look.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet on 24 Arbutus Drive which is a Bank Owned property that is offered for sale at $549,900. 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. Let me help you find your home in Paradise.

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.

2116 Fogarty Avenue ~ Key West

2116 Fogarty Avenue Key West

The three bedroom/two bath ranch at 2116 Fogarty Avenue has been recently updated and is is move-in condition. It will appeal to a family who wants space to grow and plenty of room for the kids to play safely. This property should also appeal to the price conscious buyer who wants value. Consider that this house is already remodeled and does not need any additional work, or investment of time or money to make it livable. 

Master bedroom

Bedroom #2

Bedroom #3

The 1258 sq ft home sits on a spacious 5000 sq ft lot (50' x 100').  CLICK HERE to view Google aerial of the property.  The house sits more towards the front of the lot which leaves ample room in the rear for a pool at some time in the future. There is an existing shed that might make a nice pool house or guest cottage at a later date. And don't overlook that huge second level sundeck as well.

Pool House or Play House

The house itself is all spiffed up and ready for move-in. The combined living, dining, and kitchen area provides open and bright family friendly living spaces. French doors at the rear open out to the rear yard where you might add a pool. The master bedroom is quite large, and the two other bedrooms are larger than some I have seen in other houses in the area. CLICK HERE to view more photos I took of this property.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West Association of Realtors mls datasheet and to view listing photos of 2116 Fogarty Avenue. This home is listed by Preferred Properties Key West, but not by me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642. Please give me a call to set up a showing.