58 Golf Club Drive, Key West - Killer View

 

Just Listed 58 Golf Club Drive in the Key West Golf Club Community. The original developer selected this and the adjacent unit as model units because of their prized views of the second fairway. The 2,449 Sq Ft lot is larger than most and features a gorgeous private pool. Most homes do not have pools.

Styled as a "cottage, this 1,060 Sq Ft town home has two bedrooms, two and one-half bath."s. The home has a recently updated kitchen and bathrooms. But it is that killer view that commands attention as soon as you enter the front door. What a killer view it is. 

There is a guest bath located just off the kitchen and under the stairway to the second floor. The furnishings may be purchased separately.

I have sold over forty homes in the golf club over the years both as listing agent and selling agent. I recall talking with a potential buyer in preparation of his visit to look at homes. I suggested the golf club partly because of facilities but also because it offers the best value for homes in our area. He said  Ï don't play golf" like that was a requirement. What's not to like? The eighteen hold Reece Jones course is beautiful. The view from the back porch overlooks the second fairway and the lake. 

The Butterfly Garden

The community center includes a small gym and administrative offices. The butterfly garden is located on the opposite side of the center. While the golf course is open to the public, all traffic must pass through a manned security gate. The roads and greenery are spotlessly maintained. It is like living in a country club without the snootiness or the cost. 

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet for 58 Golf Club Drive, Key West offered for sale at $739,500. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to schedule a private showing. I am a buyers agent an a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. Thee are a limited number of homes for sale in Key West at this time. This has got to be one of the best priced homes available. And it undoubtedly has the best view. And it will very quickly. Don't delay.

True Tales of Key West Real Estate in the Times of Covid 19 - No. Fourteen

This is a true story

I recently held an open house. I arrived at my listing about fifteen minutes before it was to begin. A couple driving a street legal golf cart was parked in front waiting for me to arrive. I asked them to wait five minutes so I could turn on the lights and get organized. I met the owner inside who agreed to turn on the lights on the second floor while I set up the first floor. The golf cart couple could not control themselves and entered before I was ready. Others quickly followed. It was crazy. People started asking questions. I never got a chance to go upstairs. The owner had departed. Everything was supposed to be just fine. 

My broker came by around 12;30 to take to a look-see. She looked around the first floor; went out to the pool; came back inside nodded her approval, and went upstairs. A few minutes later she came up to me said something like "The man in the shower scared me."

I asked what man? Had one of my open house attendees jumped into the shower to try it out? Or worse? I ran upstairs. I got up there as fast I could. I went into the front bedroom which has an en-suite bath and shut the door (visible in the top photo) only to find this:

I can't say that I screamed but it gave me a jolt. I immediately realized it was not real. But I also knew it appeared real at first glance. Real enough to scare a rational person. I started to move it out of view but then thought the owners put it there for a reason. I decided to leave it.

 

Shortly thereafter a fellow Realtor arrived and took a look around the first floor then began a Facetime tour of the home. Several minutes later she came up to ask a couple of questions but first said  "That man in the bathroom almost gave her a heart attack".  I apologized again. After that I warned people not to be frightened. I still heard a couple screams and then laughs.

 

A two hour open house turned into a three and one-hour marathon. The owner returned and explained the "man" was a cardboard cutout of his son in character as Tom Sawyer. His drama teacher made cutouts of the characters. Dad kept Tom as a remembrance and planned to have him in the guest bedroom as a  surprise for his now grown son who would be home for Christmas. 

 

The house went under contract immediately and to the agent who did the Facetime video. The owner relocated Tom to a bedroom corner during the home inspection.

In Honor of April Fools Day I Present

 

This is a real photo taken in Key West way back when - when there were not as many tourists as there are today. Speaking of today, the Island of Key West has been invaded by thousands of people seeking a few days away from the reality of the pandemic. Singles, couples, families, and herds of spring breakers are here. Some are wearing masks and others are oblivious to anyone but themselves. The Key West International Airport has planes jammed up with no place to park.  Go to Bookings.com to see what one night in Key West will cost you today.  You will be shocked.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Key West Real Estate Throwback Thursday No.6

From October 2, 2015

The Metallic Man and the Clicker

How in the world could something so innocent as a tiny little metal clicker have to do with buying a house in Key West? How, indeed!

The above photo shows Judge Joseph P. Lewis, Betty the division clerk, Velma the court reporter (stenographer), and me. The photo was taken 43 years ago. I was Judge Lewis' legal staff assistant. I had recently graduated from the University of Denver College of Law when the photo was taken. I had passed the bar and was looking for a job as an attorney. I was 25 at that time. I stood 5'8" tall and probably weighed 135 pounds.  Look at the pic. I don't look very intimidating, and I certainly never lived up to the nickname my dad gave me as a child - Butch. What happened one day at the Jefferson County Hall of Justice in Golden Colorado (that's where Coor's Beer is made) may help you understand the importance of the clicker and how it relates to me as a Realtor 43 years later.

Former Jefferson County Hall of Justice

Walkway from former Hall of Justice to Clerk's Office and County Jail

 Judge Lewis' courtroom was on the forth floor (top floor) of the building pictured above right. The county jail was located about 150 feet away in a separate building.  The county clerk's office was situated between the two. The interior of the Hall of Justice was open from the ground floor to the ceiling of the forth floor with courtrooms or administrative rooms situated on all four sides of the building. Interior walls were blond brick. Noise of any sort sounded throughout the building and even filtered into the courtrooms.

One afternoon I was in the hallway outside our courtroom talking to two Deputy District Attorneys.  A man in his 40's or early 50's exited the clerk's office and began clicking a clicker in rapid succession as he walked the hallway heading toward the elevators.  Back then we did not have police or sheriff's officers in the courtrooms or hallways. Nobody had to pass through a metal detector at the entrance to the courthouse.  We had not yet become a society that was afraid of everything and everyone. So there was nobody to stop this metallic madman from disturbing the solemnity of the courthouse.

I left the Deputy D.A.s and moved quickly to the elevator hall where I grabbed the elevator door and braced my right arm against the door to prevent it from closing. I yelled "Ralph, call the Sheriff!"  Ralph was a older man, probably in his sixties, whose office was located just off the elevator lobby. The clicker man was alarmed when I prevented his exit. He began chopping at my arm with his arm, trying to break my hold. He hit me repeatedly. And it hurt like hell.

Steve Worrell, a fellow classmate from law school, came out of his courtroom into the hall to see what was going on. Steve played football in high school and even though he wasn't much taller than me, he was definitely bigger in size and stature, and surely he wasn't the sort of guy you would want to pick a fight with. I wouldn't call myself a wimp, but I was. Oops I just outed myself as a wimp!

Steve reached past my arm and grabbed clicker man by the shirt and quickly waltzed him straight across the hallway into the marble wall.  I think Steve was about ready to punch the man, but someone either grabbed the man or Steve to prevent things from getting more difficult. Within a couple of minutes a couple of deputy sheriffs arrived. I told them what had happened. They put the man in handcuffs and took him next door to the county jail.

Later that afternoon I got a phone call from the Captain in charge at the jail that day. He asked me to come over and sign the complaint under which the man had been arrested. When I got there the captain made me an offer. He said I could go inside the holding cell and hit the guy. He even offered to have some guards hold him for me so that I could beat the hell out of him. I am as serious as I can be. I don't lie, and I don't make stuff like this up. I told him no and that was the end of that.

The next day the man was arraigned in the courtroom of Judge C. F. Johnson. The Judge had me sworn in, and I related what had happened in the hallway the day before. My recollection is that the man admitted what I said was accurate. He was taken away on a mental health hold for three days. I don't recall anything further ever happening in this regard.  But I will never forget the Captain's offer to let me beat up the guy who had hit me.

Many locals in Key West visit the Monroe County Sheriff's web page CLICK HERE several times a week where we can see who has been arrested and on what charge.  It's not uncommon to see someone we know get picked up for driving under the influence or some other infraction.  Sometimes I see images of people that disturb me.

48 years old when arrested. Disabled and held on municipal ordinance violation

68 years old when arrested for failure to appear

58 years old when arrested for failure to appear

Barbara was 62 years old when arrested for a municipal ordinance violation

None of the offenses would explain how these people got the bruises and lacerations pictured above. There is no justification in my mind that could possibly permit someone in authority to hurt these people.  These pictures are just examples of what you can and will see on a regular basis of people who are processed through the Monroe County Jail. I'm not saying the Sheriff's officers did this and I am not saying a city policeman hit these people.  Somebody did.  

I moved to Key West in December 1993 and have been selling homes since December 1996. I love living in Key West, Florida. I encourage people to move here and fulfill their dream of living in Paradise. I encourage would-be buyers to checkout the Monroe County Sheriff's website on a regular basis - not to see photos of the abused but to see where the defendants live, where they were arrested, and the charges against them. This personal search is a sure fire way to determine for oneself areas of town that a buyer may determine are better than others. Key West is a very safe place to live. Most of our person on person crime occurs between spouses, partners, roommates or people living together. Stranger on stranger crimes are normally bar fights.  

I will never regret not punching the man with the clicker. Never!

Key West Real Estate Throwback Thursday No. 4

From October 14, 2016 (Just Before Fantasy Fest)

Key West Horror Story No. 5

A few years ago I represented a buyer who found me via my blog. He lived up north in New York City and was looking to buy a cute Key West cottage where he planned to move. He came to town on several visits to find that perfect place. This was during that terrible time soon after the Great Recession.  Many buyers lost faith in our economy and believed we would never be as good as we once were. I know he expected prices would be lower than they were. He quickly learned he couldn't afford as much house as he thought.

This particular buyer was self-employed. He lived from project to project. He would get paid a lot of money upon the completion of each project. But there was no steady income for the times in between. I hooked him up with a local lender who figured out a way to get him approved for a mortgage. We started looking in areas other than Old Town where prices were lower. We found such a place in Mid Town.

The particular house was an estate sale. The previous owner had passed away. The man was single and died alone except for his dog. His body wasn't discovered for quite some time. The body of his large dog was found as well. The dog apparently survived for a while after the owner passed. You can figure out what happened.

The deceased had two male siblings who lived in the northeast. They engaged a local real estate agent who was a stay-at-home-mom and part-time agent. She told me the place was a mess when she first saw it and offered to fix it up for the far-away brothers. She hired local contractors to do some repairs, install new bathrooms including plumbing and tile installation, painting, and so on. She purchased new kitchen cabinets, appliances, light fixtures, fans, etc. The place looked as next to new as a fifty year old house could look. She was a real estate agent mind you, not a licensed contractor. 

The finished house was priced the equivalent of a fixer house in Old Town except it was already fixed. My buyer was willing to forgo the cuteness in favor of the up to date renovation at an affordable price.  He made an offer. We negotiated the price a bit and put the place under contract.

I was a bit concerned that the agent had done a lot of work which may or may not have been permitted. I included a couple of safe guards in the contract which later proved useful when the renovations she  authorized did not pass final building inspection. The brothers had to come out of pocket to bring the sub-standard work up to meet building code. 

I totally sympathized with the situation those brothers went through. Losing a family member is never easy. Losing a family member in such a harsh way is awful. But then having to pay for something twice compounds the loss even more.

Added September 2020. The original agent is out there still selling houses to the unsuspecting. I should have filed a complaint with the Key West board. I did not. I should have.

Canadian Leftovers in Key West

All of the stories I write about Key West are true. I change names and places to protect myself from lawsuits. This is a true story. I hope my former neighbor don't read this or sue me.

I moved to Key West in December 1993 to own and operate a guest house. I quickly met many of my neighbors and many locals who stopped in to welcome us to Key West. I was amazed at how friendly and welcoming the locals were. Every single person told me the property had a great location. Eaton Street is own of two streets that lead from US 1 directly to world famous Duval Street. My guest house was located about 100 feet east of Duval Street. I quickly learned the value of that location when tourists without a room reservation showed up. This was before the Internet but is probably as true today. People get in cars and head to Key West not knowing exactly what to expect. Some never leave.

I learned the guest house was the former home of Dr Warren and his wife Genevie pictured above. They lived in a grand house which later became a guest house - one of the prettiest homes on the Island of Key West.

We soon me the owner of the one level house a few doors to the east. His house was located between to guest houses, one being the former restaurant which I wrote about a few months back - the restaurant that had dead cats hidden behind the refrigerators.The Canadian's house was in pretty sad condition. The house sat on a 4,800 square foot lot 300 feet eat of Duval. The land was worth more than the house.

At the end of season our Canadian neighbor invited us to Sunday Dinner. Neighbors from a nearby lane were also invited - he was a real estate agent and his wife a ballet instructor. We chatted and then feasted upon leftovers from the Canadian's refrigerator. He told me that he was cleaning out the refrigerator before heading back to Canada for summer. How thoughtful! And frugal too!

This story has no ending except to add the fate of the little house. The Canadian purchased in in 1972 for $25,000. He sold it in 1998 for $295,000 and was re-sold in 2005 for $1,300,000. The old house was razed, a small cottage added, but the lot was and still is used as a parking lot for a nearby guest house. You can't make this stuff up.

CLICK HERE to read the story about the dead cat.

912 Fleming Street, Key West - Price Reduction

The asking price on 912 Fleming Street, Key West, one of the most beautiful homes in the Historic District, was just reduced to $2,495,000. The iconic Revival Style home has 3228 square feet of living space under air plus front and rear decks giving the home 4245 gross square feet. The lot measures 50' X113' for a total of 5650 sq ft.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and listing photos and then please call Gary Thomas, listing agent, to schedule a private showing to see all of the inside. Of course you will be immediately be drawn to the pool. That always happens. You will be pleasantly surprised. 305-766-2642. Preferred Properties Key West. 

1422 South Street, Key West - Just Listed

Just Listed  - 1422 South Street, Key West. The listing broker describes the property this way:

"This gorgeous light filled home features three en suite bedrooms plus two half baths. It was built in 2004 using the highest quality materials and attention to detail and has been meticulously cared for ever since. A custom Hansen & Bringle kitchen completed in 2017 features high end professional appliances including SubZero and Viking, Grohe fixtures,and stunning quartz countertops. The office has custom built-in desks, Ethernet & upgraded Wi-Fi . A guest bedroom suite is completely separate from the main living area. The pool area features lush tropical landscaping with irrigation and lighting and an adjacent new pool powder room. Many upgrades including a whole house generator, electronic gated parking for two cars, lots of built in storage. Excellent location."

1422 South Street could easily be a family home or a second home for snow birds. The Horace O'Bryant School (K thru 8) is located six blocks away. Bayview Park (our main city park) is located across the street from the school. Higgs Beach is located about five or six minutes to the south by bike. Our three shopping centers are located about five minutes or so to the east. Old Town is five minute drive on a good day. 

I took the above photos of Higgs Beach the dog park this morning around 7:30 AM.  (Intentionally left my shadow in the pic.) One lone person had already set up to get baked. A couple older guys were attending their dogs doing their duties. The old walking pier has been redone (again). New palms were planted. It's just such a pretty view. These are the places locals and tourists come to recreate.

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