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. 

628 White Street, Key West - An Old Town Landmark

I finally got to take a full tour 628 White Street yesterday afternoon during an open house. It is a beautiful Old Town landmark.There lookers inside when I entered, as I walked around, and when I left. A steady stream of potential buyers.  Before we look around, checkout the photo taken from the same location in 1965 - half a century ago.  This is one very pretty home. Great lines. Oh, and HARC, dormers were used in Old Town. HARC hates dormers.

Other than the fence being added, not much else has changed. I know the current owner replaced the original jalousie windows with impact glass windows. It is super quiet and hurricane safe inside.

As I approached the front door I sensed I had been in this house before. There is off street parking on the right. The front porch is prim and proper. The house and grounds are in immaculate condition. I entered and saw the listing Realtor in the rear. I know for sure I was inside last year when customers of mine stayed here. I only saw the living area on the first floor then. I distinctly remember asking them how they liked the house. They loved it. I was about to get my turn to see why.

First, this place has a sense of home. While the house is old, it does not feel old. It is neither a museum  nor re-invention. It is just a very clean and easy living environment with south facing windows bathing the interior with subtle light. There is a media wall in the living area which has ample seating for an entire family. I have seen the same room divide in many houses of that era. A door at the side of the kitchen leads to a first floor guest bathroom and the pool and outside kitchen beyond.

The master bedroom and en-suite take up about two thirds of the space of the first floor north side of the house. Both rooms are extra large. The rear hall and guest bath take up the balance. The ceilings are tall. Tall men who have trouble in houses with low ceilings and older couples who don't want to do stairs will love this space.

 

When I arrived at the second floor I had to pause. I had a sense of de-javu. But I knew for certain I had never been inside this area - ever. And then my mind took to me to a very similar house in the 600 block of Grinnell Street. Both houses had front and rear bedrooms with a landing area in between. The spaces were designed differently. There is a sweet little office nook sandwiched in under the south facing dormer. I took a picture of the wedding cake house across the street. I have never been inside that house either. I remember watching carpenters and painters work on if for months - making every detail perfect. Not a bad view. Oh and the cemetery for the fallen of the Battleship Maine is across the street. There is no parking on that side of the street. It is a quiet and lovely neighborhood. 

There is a little media room with sofa, television, gaming equipment, and so forth located opposite the desk area.  

As soon as I entered the front bedroom I headed over to the little nook overlooking the cemetery. It is the perfect place for reading, knitting, or Twittering. This space is so cute and so Key West.

 

The rear bedroom is equally charming. It has an en-suite bath. There is a second full bath off the hallway. The bathrooms are pure luxury.

The pool is longer than the daytime photo suggests. The night photo does not do the space justice. There is a full outdoor kitchen - that trend is picking up here. More money for the appliance dealers and more things for the cleaning people to attend to when the owner or guests go back up north. See the door at the end of the pool? That is the garage which is entered off Angela Street. For all its loveliness, this house has clutter too. It is stored inside the garage. It will go away when the house is sold. 

This is a big house on a bit lot. The house has 2,851 Sq Ft of interior living space and sits on a 6,030 Sq Ft corner lot. Thee are two one bedroom apartments for income. I did not tour. There off street parking on both White and Angela Street.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and professional photos of this beautiful Key West landmark home offered for sale at $3,425,000. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to schedule a private showing. Showings are tough as this home is actively rented as a monthly vacation rental. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

1221 Margaret Street, Key West - Old Town

I got a chance to preview 1221 Margaret Street a few weeks ago. I was really impressed. Really! I have written about this small group of single family homes built at the edge of Old Town in 1999. Some share a rear driveway which allowed the developer to build big houses on smaller lots than official building code required. Note the two off street parking spaces on either side of the front entry. Let's look inside.

All of the houses replicated the revival style architecture of our historic homes. The builder created new interiors that had the look of older homes. The owner of this property undid the original and remade a better version that brings this home into the 21st Century with pizazz. Walls were removed, floors replace, new kitchen added, bath rooms upgraded, and on and on. 

The listing Realtor describes the space as "striking sophisticated interior that has been professionally designed and decorated. Huge Chef's kitchen with Hansen and Bringle custom cabinetry and Dade County Pine accents throughout the home." I have been inside many hoes with built in the 1990s with similar desgin and interiror layout. This is the best renovation I have seen. You just have to stop and look and take it all in. It is that good.

Glass panel doors open from the living room out tto the pool and spa. There is a stand alone two story guest cottage at the rear. The master bedroom is located on the second floor rear of the main house. It has doors that open out to a private deck also overlooking the pool.

The first floor is entirely devoted to family living space whereas the second floor is the cloistered master suite which has front and rear decks. The staircase delivers guests to the third floor which has two additional bedrooms each with en-suite bath.

The guest cottage abuts the communal rear driveway but this house has dual parking spaces in front. I mention the driveway only to show that the space is not occupied by another house.

I have mixed feelings about the guest cottage. It is one of the very best I have seen. It has a mini-kitchen (which is fully stocked with dozens of mini bottles), a full bath, and a full second story bedroom. First floor and second floor walls were partially removed to create a more open environment. I was just awed by the space and level of finish. That's why I have mixed feelings. I feel the brother-in-law will never leave. Ever. 

This home is located in the X flood zone just four blocks from upper Duval and four blocks from the White Street arts distinct. The Atlantic Ocean is a short bike ride to the south. On a good day you can be just about anywhere in Key West in five minutes or so by car. On a bad day if you are following a Conch Train or Trolley Car or a tourist driving a golf cart, bring your lunch.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datashet and listing photos of 1221 Margaret Street, Key West offered for sale at $3,450,000. 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.