The Real Housebuys of Key West

Summer is over. Fall is on the way. This is always the worst time of the year to sell a house in Key West. It is the same way every year. 2010 isn't special in that regard. Many shop owners and restaurants close for vacation. There's no reason to have a crew working if nobody is buying or eating or sleeping in hotel rooms. Five weeks from now, however, Fantasy Fest will be here and so will the tourists. Money will flow like crazy once again. The boat races follow and then Christmas ushers in season when the cycle starts all over again.

A few years back buyers wanted into the Key West market so bad that they would buy just about anything to get a piece of the action. So much of what was bought then at high prices is now offered as either a short sale or maybe it is already bank owned. I have heard of sellers who own too many homes in different locations that have decided they need to sell off unnecessary properties which in some instances means their place in Key West. Our inventory of homes is down from the past few years. That is a good thing. But the selection of homes is down as well. Fewer homes means fewer to choose from.

Most of the Realtors I know have buyers looking for "deals". I thought it might be helpful to list a few properties that I consider real housebuys in this market at this point in time. Here are some potential real housebuys.

2507 Linda Avenue in mid town is a short sale offered at $370,000 or $152 per sq ft. This is a four bedroom 3 bath home that looks pretty attractive. Photos of the kitchen are below. CLICK HERE.

Older photos of the Linda house

711 Georgia Street is a bank owned home located in the Meadows. It recently had a price reduction to $389,000. (This place used to be owned by a real estate agent who had it priced at $1,199,000. It had appliances then and kitchen cabinet handles. They are gone but they house is priced a lot better.) This is definitely worth looking at. CLICK HERE


721 Chapman Lane is a big house (1900 sq ft) priced at $469,000 which is located in Bahama Village. This place has big rooms and a good sized pool. It is bank owned and it has been actively market for 118 days. The house is in pretty good condition but it needs painted and cleaned. CLICK HERE.


3715 Pearlman Court in New Town is now a short sale which is offered at $495,000 or$295 per sq ft. This place is beautiful. The pool is magical. CLICK HERE.

The pool at 3715 Pearlman Court is magical

507 Frances Street is an odd duck. (I mean that nicely!) It is presently configured as three legal apartments but it could be converted into a single family home. It is one of the tiny few double gabled houses in Key West. This is not a short sale nor bank owned but it is offered for much less than the owner paid for the property. This Old Town property is offered at $599,000. Read the comments, this place generated $48,000 in income last year. CLICK HERE.

507 Frances Street is one of only a few double gable homes

3334 Riviera Drive is a very large waterfront home located directly on the Riviera Canal. This place is bank owned. The asking price was recently reduced to $689,900 or $244 per sq ft. The "bank" that owns this property is actually a local Key West credit union that itself is now in conservatorship. It has to sell this property. I think somebody can make off like a bank robber on this one. CLICK HERE.

The Riviera pool before it became bank owned

1012 Southard Street is located on one of the very best blocks in all of Key West. This home has a separate full guest cottage, a large pool, and off street parking. The asking price is $895,000 or $463,000. CLICK HERE.

1012 Southard Street: location, location, location!

If you are looking for a place in Key West now is the best time to look. Sales are slow, hopes are down, buyers who want or who need to sell may be receptive to an offer that they never thought they would entertain. If you would like to see any of the properties shown above (or anything in Key West), please contact me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 or by email at kw1101v@aol.com. I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West.