807 Washington St. #102, Key West, Fl - A Buying Opportunity in the Casa Marina Area

807 Washington Street Unit #102, Key West, Florida is an opportunity for the buyer who wants a quality home in the Casa Marina Area of Key West at an affordable price. Many of the single family homes in the Casa Marina Area are now priced over $2,000,000 and some are trending higher. So a home priced at $949,000 is a buying opportunity in my opinion.

The listing Realtor describes this 1876 sq ft three story town home this way:

"Casa Marina Townhome w/Private Heated Pool. Just two blocks from the Casa Marina & beach, this new townhome (built in 2007) has it all. Designer kitchen, private pool, hardwood floors, three bedrooms (each with en suite baths) and off-street parking. The 1st floor features an open floor plan with a beautiful kitchen (granite counters, wood cabinets & stainless Viking appliances), a half bath, open living area with double French doors leading out to the back yard & pool. The 2nd floor hosts the Master bedroom & private balcony overlooking the back yard & pool and a 2nd bedroom with its own private balcony & bath. The entire 3rd floor is a large bedroom, en suit bath & sitting/reading area. Home is elevated & located in an X-Flood zone."

I have sold four units in this 9 unit complex over the years. My buyers absolutely love their homes and this incredible Casa Marina Area location. The units were built to sell at the $1.8 million price point. The the 2008 recession hit Key West. Some of the units became bank owned. A couple were sold as short sales. Other owners who paid top dollar for their homes have hung on and watched the prices rise upwards. The important thing for current buyers to understand is these units were built with quality in mind and have features that endure to provide long term value.

The listing Realtor gave me permission to use his photos. I took only the front exterior photos. The units are all set up the same way. There are two porches on both front and back - main floor and second floor. There is a semi-formal front entry that welcomes guests into the home. A beautiful stairway on the left side leads up to the second and third floor bedrooms. The real hardwood floors lead through the unit to the main living area. The kitchen features Viking Stainless Steel appliances and real hardwood cabinets with black granite counter tops. A window above the kitchen sink lets the glorious Key West sun shine through to make doing kitchen clean-up less taxing.

There's a half bath tucked in under the stair to the second floor. Upstairs each of the three bedrooms has a private bath. Both second floor bedrooms have porches. The master suite is located at th erear and is quite large. It has a volume ceiling and covered rear porch where you can look down to the private pool below.  The second floor front bedroom has a view of this attractive Casa Marina Area street. The third floor bedroom runs the length of the unit and provides quality space for the kids or grand children. There is a private bath on this level as well.

Each unit has a private parking space. By the way these units can be rented as monthly vacation rentals. Some owners do rent while other owners do not. Two of my buyers have joined the nearby Casa Marina Club. We don't have a country club in Key West. This club offers many of the amenities one might expect of a country club including use of the gym, beach privileges, discounts on food, beverage, and spa services offered by the hotel.

Five Minutes Away from home!

CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet on this property. After you've looked online, please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to take a look in person. You just cannot buy a single family home in the Casa Marina Area at a price this low. Take a look at this town home. You just might be a Key West homeowner quicker than you might imagine.  I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

619 Simonton Street, Key West, Florida

619 Simonton Street was recently listed for sale at the asking price of $1,330,000. This home is one of nine located in the Gardens of Key West addition to Old Town. As you view the classic lines of this Conch revival style house you may discern that it is not an historic home but rather a new home designed to look like the old houses that populate the Old Town area of our island city.  I dug into the old shoe box to see if I could find a photo showing what was located in this same spot before the current homes were built in 1997. The space was a very large vacant lot for as long as I could remember. I had no idea that the stretch of Simonton Street was once the home of the Columbia Steam Laundry pictured below.

Columbia Steam Laundry - 617 Simonon St - razed 1970

Columbia Steam Laundry - 617 Simonon St - razed 1970

 Columbia Steam Laundry - 617 Simonton St - photographed in 1965 - razed in 1970

Here is a bit of history for you:  If you read my blog of July 24, 2012 regarding 1311 Truman Avenue (CLICK HERE to read) you will see a reference to Benjamin Trevor who served as mayor of Key West from 1903-1905 who opened the first steam laundry in Key West.  This was the location of the first steam laundry.

Same location October 2015

Couple exploring Peggy Mills Garden in 1970 Key West

 The INSIDERS' GUIDE Florida Keys and Key West tells us that Peggy Mills began collecting unique botanical specimens from around the world which she incorporated into her garden.  Back then the city was in a terrible state of depression and she was able to buy up neighboring houses to create a compound of small cottages with extra ground which provided space to expand her garden.
Today that space is the Gardens Hotel, one of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World. I mention this because the Gardens Hotel is one of the neighboring properties to 619 Simonton  Street. Other nearby neighbors include the Haitian Art Co., Sarabeth's, The Garden Cottage, Preferred Properties Key West, and world famous Duval Street which is one block away.

The listing broker describes 619 Simonton Street this way:

"Located in the charming Gardens of Key West enclave, you'll find this elegant single family home. Enjoy quiet enjoyment of your tropical retreat while being just steps away from fine dining, shopping, and entertainment. Handsomely appointed, this home features hardwood floors, tall ceilings, spacious kitchen and open floor plan opening to private garden and pool. Upstairs you'll find a large master suite and guest room with en suite bath and balcony. Enjoy a taste of real Key West alongside Rick Worth mural on neighboring building. Property is in X Zone and includes 2 parking spots."

This home sits at the back of the huge parcel that makes up the Gardens of Key West.  As noted by the listing Realtor the home is located adjacent to a large old metal building .  Local artist Rick Worth created an idealic depiction of Old Town on the metal structure.  What could have been a distraction is instead a piece of art as the focal point when you drive up to (or walk toward) this residence.  The home has two front balconies and a small front and side yard which provides access to the pool area in the rear for your pool man.

This 1440 sq ft home has a large main level kitchen located up front followed by the dining area and living room at the rear. A half bath is tucked under the stairway. Upstairs the guest bedroom with en-suite bath is located at the front of the house.  The master suite and its en-suite bath are at the rear. The pool, of course, is located at the very rear of the property where it is secluded from the rest of the world.

If you have been searching for a proper Key West home for a while, you probably know that most buyers over the million dollar price point demand a private pool and off street parking. This home has the pool plus two parking spots. Two parking spots! CLICK HERE to see more photos provided by the listing agent.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West Association of Realtors mls datasheet and to view more listing photos of this lovely Key West home that is offered for sale at $1,330,000. This home would make a great vacation rental because of the excellent Old Town location, the proximity to all of the tourist attractions and nightlife located within easy walking distance, and the privacy that this home with its private pool provide.

If you would like to see 619 Simonton Street or any other residence in Key West please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. Let me help you find your place in Paradise.

1019 Simonton Street, Key West - The Southernmost Cabana Resort

The last time I wrote about Bert, pictured above, he was searching for his pal Ernie at the old Key West Trailer Court located at 1015 Simonton Street. This site is located near St. Mary's Basilica. The church and the adjacent neighborhood have grown and changed over the decades, but the highly desired Old Town location has remained constant. I dug down in my old shoe box and found an aerial photo that dates back almost one hundred years which shows the area as it then existed.

The white arrow indicates the site before a few cottages were torn down and replaced with trailers. The entire block from Virginia Street to the south and Truman Avenue to the north later became trailer lots with the exception of the corner of Truman which became the site of the original Duffy's Restaurant. About twenty years ago the northern trailer park was torn down and replaced with what is now Windward Park town homes. Duffy's and Pisces restaurants, small condo compound,  and a local real estate lawyer occupy the corner location.

The Key West Trailer Court was a bit of a Key West institution for years. It provided affordable housing for locals. I am sure there will be someone who reads today's blog who will bemoan the passing of this affordable living space and someone else who will lament the loss of the canopy trees that dotted this part of the island. I have been taking progress photos of the development site since ground was broken, the trees removed and other site work began. Interested readers may CLICK HERE to see progress photos. I will provide a sampling just below.

The old Key West Trailer Court is gone.  Bert and Ernie would not recognize the transformation into what is now known as the Southernmost Cabana Resort. The most recent evolution of this part of Old Town is nearly complete. Twenty-one new two story homes now occupy the same coveted location near Duval Street and within easy walking distance to South Beach. The listing Realtor describes this nearly finished project this way:

"Treat yourself to something special... a brand new home in Old Town Key West! This intimate 21 home enclave in the heart of the island is an opportunity not to be missed. Homes will range from 2 to 3 bedrooms, 1200 to 1500 square feet, all will feature high end finishing, impact glass & low maintenance fees. The homes will exceed building code requirements so owners can enjoy lower then average insurance and utility costs. The grounds include a community pool and each unit has parking. Only steps to the sights and amenities of Duval St. Get one before they are gone!"

The aerial perspective above shows the layout of this new development. The community pool is located to the far east side which abuts the gym at St. Mary's. All of the homes have either front or rear access onto the pathway that leads to the pool and the covered parking. Some homes have off street parking adjacent to the home. The development is being densely landscaped. I know from personal experience how quickly trees and foliage grow in our climate. This place is going to be a tropical paradise in a matter of months. It already looks great.

The homes vary in size between 1200 to 1500 sq ft and are configured as two or three bedrooms. All homes have a full first floor bath which provides a full guest bath in the event an owner wants to provide additional sleeping on the sofa. A buyer of mine has one of these units under contract and ready to close in the next few weeks. I think this is a terrific project for owners who want a place they can occasionally rent as a vacation rental and still have a place they can stay and enjoy.  You cannot ask for a better location. The fact that they units are located in the X Zone for Flood Insurance purpose and have impact windows, Hardiboard siding, and new metal roofs mean the wind and fire insurances will be much lower than an old stick built house in Old Town. Serious buyers need to take a serious look at these new homes. 

CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet on 1019 Simonton Street #103, Key West which is offered for sale at $934,600. Remember other units are priced as low as $759,375. Please contact me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to set up a private showing. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.