Key West Real Estate Throwback Thursday - No. 30

from August 17, 2017

My Life as a Clown

That's not me in the pic.  I looked as cute, but nobody took a photo of me back in summer of 1962 when I spent many-a-day as a clown.

I was fifteen years old and had a job at a furniture store in Denver where I made $1.00 an hour. Minimum wage was $1.15 back in 1962. I guess my employer thought that since I was young I didn't have the right to be paid as much as an adult. I didn't care. It was money and the work wasn't hard.

I worked at a furniture store on West Alameda Avenue in Denver. This was an area of town where nearby Morrison Road led to the home a couple of miles west where Jack Kerouac once lived. During the 1950s and 1960s this part of town was populated by lower middle to middle class families who would shop for furniture that fit their modest budgets. Back in the 1960s the furniture store sold three rooms of furniture for a few hundred dollars - total. I remember the furniture "suites" were offered in various styles including "Early American", "Danish Modern", "French Provincial", and "Italian Provincial".  The furniture was pretty cheap in retrospect, but it was what people of modest means could afford and it offered a bit of style plus utility.

There was a large parking lot adjacent to the store where the owner set up a huge green Army surplus tent to expand showroom space beyond the building walls. The tent was crammed with new and used furniture. Strings of bare light bulbs illuminated the space at night for shoppers. There was a night watchman that stayed in the tent to make sure nobody stole anything. Looking back I can't imagine anyone would want to steal anything there.

I would work from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM five or six days a week.  In the early morning I would dust the furniture, sweep the floors, and assemble new pieces for display in the store. Sometimes I would help deliver furniture when one of the truck drivers was not present. Just before noon I would go to the bathroom and put on my clown costume, make-up and red wig with a flip-top mop that would raise a front patch of the wig to startle people. I would then go out to the front sidewalk and wave at passing cars.  There were many occasions when cars would stop and I would walk up to the car to say "Hi" to kids in the car. One day a car filled with teens stopped. One guy grabbed my arm and tried to put out a cigarette on my hand. I pulled it away quick enough not to get burned. It never occurred to me that someone would try to hurt me.  I am not wired that way. But I never extended my hand that way again.

After being a clown for a couple of years while in high school,  I went to college and later law school. I became a lawyer and later went into banking. I worked for the federal government where I worked on selling complex assets owned by the Resolution Trust Corporation until 1993 when I moved to Key West to own and operate a guest house. For the past twenty years I have been selling houses in Key West. Unlike a lot of agents with real estate licenses, that is the only thing I do.  I like to make buying a home fun but I no longer act the clown.  If you are thinking about buying a place in Key West, please consider using me as your Realtor.

Key West Real Estate Throwback Thursday No 21

From March 31, 2018

Key West - Is that all you got?

 

I think a lot of people think selling real estate is easy. A Realtor simply sticks a sign in the ground, puts pictures in the MLS, and buyers show up to buy a house.  A Realtor then sends the contract to the title company and a big fat check is wired to the agent. That would be great. But that is not what happens.

I remember the time I had a particularly bad day. (Wait, as I write this I had a flash - when is that not the case? I have so many bad days.)  I got a call from my clients. They had decided to follow my advice and asked me to go to their house to sign the contract I had presented to them much earlier. Many things had happened during the intervening time period, none of which were good, and many which were predictable. I decided to meet with them in person to get the contract signed to reduce the chance of change of heart. I got in my car and headed to my clients' house.   

Key West was particularity busy that day. Tourists were everywhere - in cars, on bikes, walking in streets with go cups, jay walking into traffic taking selfies and dragging kids behind. It was bedlam.

I was sitting at a red light behind a car with tourists. The light turned green. The tourist-mobile did not move. The driver had her left turn signal on and seemed to wait and wait and wait for all the traffic from the opposite direction pass. That is the proper thing to do. Then there was no traffic. Yet she waited. Maybe she had not noticed there was no traffic. I gave a short "beep" as opposed to a blast from my horn. She edged forward but paused long enough that I would have to wait for the next light. She finally turned and stuck her left hand out the window with the middle finger pointed toward God. I accelerated and went strait through the intersection before the yellow light turned red. I simply laughed and said to myself "Is that all you got?"

I got the contract signed and eventually got my commission. I went through a small amount of hell along the way to get that deal done. Some readers will gripe that Realtors make too much money for so little work. When I was a kid I worked hard for every dollar I made. Physical labor is so easy compared to the stuff I go through now.

107 Front St #217, Key West - Harbour Place Condominium - Waterfront Luxury

The above photo shows the "Outer Mole" in Key West, historically the area where Navy vessels were moored while in port. I added an Arrow to show the location of 107 Front Street #217 at Harbour Place Condominium. Today the mole is where huge passenger ships park while thousands of day visitors come ashore to tour the Isle of Key West. Later in the day the ships depart to motor to their next port of call.

The Sunset Key Pier is located at the north edge of the mole where the Sunset Key motor launch and pleasure craft move in and out of port. At sunset private and commercial sailing boats chase the sunset. On some nights the views are quite spectacular. But even on gray days and in storms the views will always be interesting.

I got the opportunity to see this Harbour Place waterfront penthouse last week. I walked in near sunset and was just awed by the views of the Outer Mole. I have seen the Mole many times over the years from several different units at Harbour Place. But I was never there at sunset.There are two separate front decks. I went out onto each. Both had different angular views of the mole. There are also decks on the back side of the unit where the three of the bedrooms are located.

The ocean facing bedroom has a mighty spectacular view. Of that I am sure you would agree.

 This 2420 square foot unit has four bedrooms and four bathrooms plus private terraces and four parking spaces.  CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and listing photos of this very special property offered for sale at $3,295,000. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to show you this unit and the other two now offered for sale in Harbour Place. You are going to fall in love with one or maybe all. I m a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

Heading to Key West to Buy a Home?

 Are your bags packed?

Are you ready to go?

Are you leaving on a jet plane, never to go back again?

If you are heading to Key West and need a Realtor, please call me, Gary Thomas.   

I am a buyer's agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties in Key West. 

I have lived in Key West for 25 years and have been selling houses here since December 1996. 

11 Nassau Lane, Key West - OPEN HOUSE

Yes, Avery, take off that silly seersucker and stop by my Open House on Sunday, December 9th from 12:00 to 2:00 PM at 11 Nassau Lane in Key West.  This enchanting home is located on one of  glorious slow lanes in Key West.  We believe the house dates back to the 1860s. It's been updated and expanded. Now it has two bedrooms and two baths and a beautiful rear orchid garden.

The house comes with all furniture, including the rockers on the front porch. You can sit there and watch pretty much of nothing. This house is located near the very end of a dead end lane. There won't be any Conch Trains or Trolley Cars passing by. An occasional tourist may ride a bike on the lane admiring all of the cute little houses. 

Nassau Lane is located midway between Grinnell and Frances Street on Fleming Street. Don't blink.  You'll miss is.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet on 11 Nassau Lane which is offered at $899,000. Better yet drop by the open house today and checkout this little gem for yourself.  I am Gary Thomas, the listing Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. My cell is 305-766-2642.

605 Margaret Street, Key West

Buyers seeking an Old Town location should consider 605 Margaret Street, Key West  which the listing Realtor, not me, describes this way:

"This perfect Old Town Cottage is newly renovated as a single family 2 bedroom 2 bathroom home with a large bonus loft. The property can also be legally converted into two units per the City of Key West however the property is currently using one meter. This great location is only blocks away from Duval St and would make an excellent investment property."

 I searched through my old shoebox and found the above black and white photo taken in 1965. The top color photo shows multiple embellishments that have been added since, but the original house remains intact. The Monroe County Property Appraiser records show the house has 918 square feet of living space. The photo shows what looks to be a typical cigar maker cottage with a two story read addition. In recent years this house has been used as employee housing for the neighboring restaurant on Southard Street. 

 The front portion of the main level is a nice one bedroom with about 514 sq ft of living space. This room has a combination of Dade County Pine walls that have been painted white with one accent wall where the Dade Pine has been stripped and sealed. The front porch opens to a view of the old Harris School across the street. I found a photo taken inside the school around 1955 which I think shows 605 Margaret Street on the left. The children were first grade students.

A door at the rear opens into the two story mother-in-law one bedroom with kitchen and bath. The 300 sq ft of living space is divided equally between the floors. The bedroom has several windows which offer sunny views which you cannot see in the above photo. There is fairly good sized wood deck at the rear with a canvas awning - not pictured. That space is about 23 feet wide by 10 feet deep. The property records show there used to be a hot tub located there. If I owned this home, I would remover the awning, replace the hot tub, and have sweet little cottage in an ideal Old Town location.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and view more listing photos. Then please 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. This is worth looking at!

1523 Washington Street, Key West - This Home is a Gem!

Just Listed 1523 Washington Street, Key West. This is a mid-century modern one story home with four bedrooms and three baths which includes a stand alone guest cottage all located on a large and sunny corner lot in the Casa Marina East neighborhood.

The combined living space between the main home and guest cottage is 2,094 square feet. The lot measures 101' X 93' or 9395 square feet. The lot is fenced on all sides and tropically landscaped. There is even a gated main entry plus a carport. The house, cottage, fence and carport are all concrete block concrete block construction. This is a very stable construction which has been meticulously maintained. The interiors were updated about twenty years ago.

The listing broker describes 1523 Washington Street this way:

"Located on a double corner lot this one level 3/2 home and guest cottage is great for carefree indoor/outdoor living and entertaining as evidenced by the many large & small parties and events hosted here over the years. The sun filled living and dining rooms flow onto the covered 30 foot patio and the heated pool and gardens. A separate guest house was built by the owners and is also poolside.In addition to the three bedrooms and two baths, the main house features a den/video room and a modern kitchen with wood cabinets and granite countertops. The entire property is fenced and walled for privacy and there's a covered carport as well. A winding walkway meanders around the pool through the lush vegetation and past a paved pavilion with water and electrical connections. This home is a gem!"

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and listing photos. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to schedule a showing. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

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