3222 Riviera Drive, Key West - Bank Owned - Incredible Buying Opportunity

Just Listed (but not by me) 3222 Riviera Drive, Key West. This home is new to the market this week which means few people have seen it yet. It is a Bank Owned property located on the Riviera Canal. This is a big property - 3,165 square feet of living space situated on an 8,020 square foot corner lot. Best of all, it is offered at just $1,190,000 which I think makes it an incredible buying opportunity.

Tall palms and mature landscaping frame the lot. A brick path leads to the front entry hall which opens into the living room. Multiple sets of glass panel doors open out to the side and rear allowing sun shine into the house during the daytime. The living room opens into the great room and kitchen.
All of the rooms except the master bedroom have high quality and properly installed travertine marble floors.

The kitchen has a large Wolf range, SubZero refrigerator, separate ice maker, dishwasher, coffee maker, warming drawer, and microwave. The cabinets are very high-end. This is definitely not the kind of kitchen you would expect to find in a house priced this low in Key West. There is a built-in niche for a kitchen computer. A glass panel door opens out to a gated courtyard which leads to the carport. Readers up north in America may not appreciate the fact that a house has a carport. You would if you lived here and owned an expensive car that got baked in the Key West sun every day. The house had new air conditioning, doors, shutters, and roof added in 2006.

There are two good sized bedrooms on the main level. That is important.  A family with teens or an agent parent will find these rooms offer real living space. These bedrooms share a bath. There is also a guest bath located just off the great room.

The 682 square foot master bedroom and bath (that is larger than almost every two bedroom Shipyard condo) is located on the second floor. Glass panel doors open out to a private deck which overlooks the pool and guest cottage below. I might change out the curtains! It is, however, the view of the Riviera Canal and mangroves to the south which makes the view so special. So many of the homes in Old Town are cloistered among tall houses and trees offering smidgens of sunlight and not all that much privacy.

The canal side of the lot includes a guest cottage with mini-kitchen, bath, and bedroom. (The main house has three bedrooms and two and one-half baths. The guest cottage is a forth bedroom with bath.) This is the perfect place for a teenage boy to rock out or a brother-in-law who won't leave.  You won't have to hear or see them except during feeding time.

The 62 foot sea wall has davits in place. Tall palms, mature tropical foliage (okay, it needs updated), and the guest cottage provide privacy from the watercraft that may pass on their way out to the ocean which is located about eight blocks to the east. That's another feature that makes this house so appealing, especially to readers who have a life and enjoy boating. Easy access to open water and not having to pay for a place to store your boat is a dream-come-true for many. CLICK HERE to view more photos I took of this house.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and really good listing photos of 3222 Riviera Drive, Key West, offered for sale at $1,129,000. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to set up a showing of this home. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. The house is vacant and easy to see. Don't wait. This will not last long. It really is a good buy!

3300 Riviera Drive - Key West

The home at 3300 Riviera Drive will appeal to a buyer who wants a house in Key West and on the water. This expansive home with 3402 sq ft of indoor living space was newly built in 1999,  The home is located on the Riviera Canal across from Little Hamaca Park and which has easy boating access to the Atlantic and Gulf. The listing Realtor at Preferred Properties describes the listing this way:

"Situated on three lots with direct water access sits this magnificent two story home with a two car garage and mother-in law suite. As you enter this home, you are greeted by a large living/dining/kitchen space with pocket sliding doors, bringing the outside in. There is a large covered lanai with an outdoor kitchen overlooking the canal and pool which is surrounded by rare tropical plants. On the first level is a bedroom/bath currently being used as an office. On the second level there is en-suite guest room and oversized Master with a very large bathroom complete with jacuzzi,custom fitted walk-in closets, all surrounded by balconies over looking the pool and canal. An electronic lift will hold up to a 12,000 pound boat."

This home is located in the Riviera Shores Subdivision where many of the homes were built in the 1960s and 1970s. This is one of several homes that were built in the last fifteen years on premium waterfront lots in this sought after location. Even though Key West is an island surrounded by water (what else?) there are few single family homes that are actually located on the water. This is one of them.

Foyer

This home has a welcoming foyer that opens into the combined living, dining and kitchen area.  One quite large guest bedroom with en suite bath is located on this level as well. Second guest guest bedroom is located on the second floor on the canal side of the home.  The extra large master suite takes up much of the second floor. This area includes a sumptuous master bath lots of closets. Sets of sliding doors open out to the covered covered second floor porch and first floor veranda.

Master Suite

Wrap around second level porch - Mother in law suite to the right

The two car garage has a second level mother in law suite complete with its own private entrance so she doesn't have to come through the house every time she gets home from yoga classes or writing seminars.

The outdoor living area at this home is wonderful. The covered veranda wraps around the area from the garage all the way to the guest bedroom on the far south side of the home. The outdoor kitchen is shown just above.

The first time I saw any house on the Rivera Canal was at Christmas in 1993. I went on one of the house tours and a canal house was included. I had no idea the canal existed and absolutely no idea who incredibly beautiful and peaceful the mangroves are. Over the years I have shown houses on the Riviera canal and others over in Key Haven. The difference between the two is remarkable. Canal houses on Key Haven usually have neighbors on the opposite side of the canal who can watch you in your pool or on your lanai. Not much privacy in that kind of situation. There are no neighbors with opposing views on the Riviera Canal.

3300 Riviera Drive is offered at $1,999,999. CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet and listing photos. If you would like to see this home, please contact 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.

2800 Flagler Avenue - Development Parcel - Short Sale - Key West

2800 Flagler Avenue, Key West, Florida

If you are a potential developer or an investor interested in buying a land play in Key West, you might want to take a look at the new short sale offering of 2800 Flagler Avenue. The listing Realtor describes this large property this way:

"Over 4 acres of canal front property with over 1.76 acres of upland land available on Flagler Avenue in Key West. Preliminarily approved plans called for a 6,500 SF religious building on site with 35 parking spaces which would comply with zoning requirements. Conceptual preliminary plans have also been drawn for up to 10 affordable homes on the parcel with ample parking and surrounding space. If a market rate rogo is secured, this could also be a fine residential compound with privacy and water access to the canal. The site contains 480 feet of frontage on Flagler Avenue and Riviera canal. This is a short sale and the Seller is motivated to look at offers which would require bank approval."

A previous listing agent described the same parcel a bit differently when he wrote "There is nothing like this in Key West.(Emphasis added by me.) Zoning allows for up to 14 dwelling units and requires over 2 acres remain open space. Also allows for group homes with less than or equal to six residents. Conditional uses allow two-family residential dwellings (duplexes), educational institutions and day care, parks and recreation, active or passive, places of worship, protective services, public and private utilities." You decide which description whets your appetite the best.

480' Frontage along Flagler Avenue - Key West

I have been to the site a few times and have walked the frontage along Flagler Avenue and down 11th Street which runs two blocks from Flager to the Riviera Canal where there is a public boat ramp. The boat ramp gets a lot of use by locals who launch their boats on the weekends. The houses on either side of the Riviera Canal site to the west and down the canal one mile to the east where the canal feeds into the Atlantic Ocean probably all had scrub mangroves like exist at this site. Having potential waterfront access makes this property worthy of serious consideration. I am not saying a new owner could unequivocally bulldoze the mangrove and use all of the space, but I do think a good land planner and a good local real estate attorney could make a credible case for development of the parcel.

11th Street at Riviera Canal Public Boat Ramp

CLICK HERE to view a slide show of photos of this property which is offered at the asking price of $699,000 or $3.78 per sq ft. They aren't making any new land in Key West. This is a very large parcel by Key West standards. A potential investor might decide to buy and hold a property like this until the market recovers.

If you would like more information on this property please contact me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642. I am a buyer's agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West.

3334 Riviera Drive - Key West - Bank Owned

The Riviera Canal at sunset as viewed from the bridge to the Atlantic Ocean

3334 Riviera Drive Key West

The Bank Owned home at 3334 Riviera Drive was just listed for sale at the asking price of $750,000 or $$265,000 per sq ft for this large 2833 sq ft home that sits on a 11,062 sq ft lot in a great Key West location. Even though Key West is an island there are not that many homes that actually have water access. This property is one that does.

The listing Realtor describes this property this way:

"Nice one level ranch style home located on Riviera Canal being sold as-is. Open floor plan with large family room, eat-in kitchen, separate laundry room and wonderful master bedroom with oversized master bath. Additional features include covered off street parking, storm shutters, canal front pool and easy boating access to the Atlantic Ocean."

Atlantic Ocean access is about 5 blocks east

Riviera Canal runs east - west for about a mile on the north side of the Key West International Airport. The Riviera Canal was historically "the location" for the Key West elite. Many of the upwardly mobile professionals moved to that area in the 1960s and onward. Homes that actually abut the canal have always been in high demand by locals as the canal provides quick access to the Atlantic Ocean. Mangroves line the opposite side of the canal so canal life here is different than other locations where neighbors can see everything that goes on at the rear of the each others homes. Since this is an active canal people do pass by from time to time, but it's not quite the same thing as getting to watch your neighbors on a daily basis.

When I first moved to Key West a home on the Riviera Canal was a part of the Key West Christmas Homes tour. I was awed by the total privacy that home had and the nature views across the brief water span. So private and enchanting, it was. I immediately understood why some buyers would prefer that setting to an old house in Old Town.

Mangrove views across the canal and plenty of sunshine from up above

The house at 3334 Riviera was built in 1963. So it has many of the architectural features that were in vogue then. That roof line is unmistakable. When this home was listed for sale three years ago the listing agent then wrote "4-bedrooms, 2.5 baths, pool, off-street parking, quick access to the Atlantic. Every detail is attended to ... 200 sqft master bath/spa, waterfall faucets. Eat-in kitchen with Sub-Zero, JennAir, corian counter-tops. Huge family room w/surround-sound, laundry room, high-end amenities. Pella blinds-in-glass hurricane shield French doors, shutters, solid mahogany doors. " The asking price then was $1,649,000. It did not sell. But the house is pretty much the same; the view is the same; and the asking price today is much more affordable.

CLICK HERE to see the listing Realtor's mls listing presentation and to view a lot of current photos of this property. (The photos in today's blog were borrowed from a prior listing of this property and do not necessarily reflect the current condition.)

If you are a potential second home buyer looking for a place in Key West and want to see an alternative to Old Town and Casa Marina area homes and you would like to see 3334 Riviera Drive please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642. I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West, Florida.

3814 Flager Avenue - Riviera Canal - Bank Owned - Key West

3814 Flagler Avenue on the Riviera Canal - Bank Owned - Key West

Very Brady Family Room with Fireplace Opens onto Kitchen with Pool Beyond

The Informal Dining Area is on the Near Side and Family Room on Far Side

The Pool is accessed from Family Room, Master Bedroom and Alice's Room

I have shown 3814 Flagler Avenue several times. Each time somebody says something like "This reminds me of the Brady Bunch house". You can look at that as a good thing or a bad thing. But there is a reason the Brady Bunch is ingrained into our minds. No matter how icky-wholesome the Bunch was, we all watched them. Part the aura of the Brady Bunch show was that damned house. It was a character as well. The exterior facade was seen in every episode. The house was a late 1960's split level that in real life was quite small, but in TV life it had large open rooms with vaulted ceilings and brightly colored walls. There was an openness to the house and the characters who lived inside. The interiors and colors, just like the haircuts and clothes the characters wore, are that of another era. So when today somebody says a house looks like the Brady Bunch house, we all get it-exactly.

3814 Flagler Avenue is Bank Owned. And the bank (credit union to be precise) that owns this house is actually in Conservatorship itself. So there is a real reason this bank owned house needs to be sold. Soon! The listing Realtor describes this house this way:

"Bank owned property. What a steal! Bring all offers! Don't miss this rare opportunity to own a Waterfront 5BR, 3BA home in Key West. Tremendous potential with 3,109 sq ft of living space, a 14,175 sq ft (1 and 1/2 lots) piece of property with huge pool and lots of extras. These amenities include a large two car garage with workshop area, eat-in kitchen, great room with fireplace, formal dining room, spacious living room, laundry room, walk in pantry, cedar lined closets, 2 zone air conditioning, tile floors, new metal roof, and gated second driveway for additional off-street parking. All on a wide protected canal with 105 ft of step down sea wall and easy access to open water. This special home can be your piece of paradise!"

Did you get that: five bedrooms. And they are not dinky. The master bedroom is very large and has an en-suite bath plus two large walk-in cedar lined closets. The master bedroom is at the east rear of the house. It has a nice view of the pool and the Riviera Canal beyond. There are three more large bedrooms on this side of the house. There is one bathroom for these three bedrooms. On the west wing of the house (the other side) you will find bedroom number five which has a separate bathroom and a rear door that opens out to the pool deck.

The formal entry leads into the living room and the very large family room with fireplace beyond. The family room opens out to the pool. The kitchen opens onto the family room on one side and to the informal kitchen dining area on the other. Of course, there is a separate formal dining room as well. There is large laundry room and an incredible walk-though pantry with lots of places to put things.

There is a double garage on the west side of the property and a separate driveway on the east side. The middle ground is nicely landscaped. The lot is huge: 14,175 sq ft or (105' front X 135' deep).

3814 Flagler Avenue is located on the Riviera Canal. All of the frontage is just the same at the rear so this house has 105 feet of sea wall. (Control Depth is 3 feet.) The Riviera Canal has immediate access to the Atlantic Ocean so you can do your own booze cruise nightly.

This house is clean. The air conditioner and lights work. It doesn't have the smell so many bank owned houses in Key West have. (The listing Realtor and bank owner have taken care of this asset. Thank you for setting an example.)

The best feature of this really big house is the really low price: $699,000 or $225 per sq ft. CLICK HERE to look at the mls data sheet and to view more photos (taken when recently occupied by house sitters. They are gone now and it is easy to show this home).Some of the paint colors are a bit bright, but for a few hundred dollars in paint a new owner could create a brand new look. The appliances are dated, but they work. The whole house works. The fifth bedroom on the opposite side of the house would be the perfect place for your own Alice.

If you would like to see 3814 Flagler Avenue please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 or contact me by email at kw1101v@aol.com. I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West, Florida.

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3632 Sunrise Drive - Key West, Florida

I moved to Key West a couple of days before Christmas in 1993. I had been here many times on vacation but usually hung out around familiar Old Town locations. I got invited a party at a fancy Casa Marina estate on my first visit, but that was my one and only foray outside of Old Town. A few days after Christmas I made my first visit to one of the homes on the Riviera Canal. The house was on the Old Island Restoration Foundation annual Christmas House Tour. I had to use a map to find the place. I got there and was absolutely amazed.

Today's blog is not about that house. Instead, I want to share information on 3632 Sunrise Drive which the listing Realtor describes thus:

"Prime Riviera Canal location with sensational views of the protected mangroves. Privacy and location features a poolside cabana and wet bar, 15' X 30 heated pool, privately situated hot tub with canal views surrounded by beautiful palms and gardens. The 4 bedrooms and 3 baths include a guest bedroom and bath and a second story master bedroom with views of the canal a large walk in closet and beautiful bath. Kitchen with walk in pantry and loads of storage with access to the outdoor covered bar b que area. Tile and wood floors throughout, 3 zones of central air, covered car port, two gated driveways, glorious gardens all around with bronze landscape lighting and an 8 zone irrigation system. Driving by won't do."

CLICK HERE to read more details, see lots of photos, and see where 3632 Sunrise Drive is located on the hot-linked map. If you do a Google Map search, you will see that the land across the Riviera Canal is mangroves. That means there are no nosy neighbors to annoy you. And there never will be. The mangroves are protected. CLICK HERE to see the Riviera Canal as it flows behind 3632 Sunrise Drive to the right. CLICK HERE and CLICK HERE to see what the mangroves and wildlife that inhabit the mangroves may look like. CLICK HERE to see how one nearby Riviera Canal owner spent this morning. Those mangrove views at sunset are what amazed me the first time I saw them. And they do the same thing each time I see them.

3632 Sunrise Drive is a 2448 sq ft ranch with 4 beds and 3 baths situated on a 9794 sq ft lot (97.5'[canal frontage] x 100.48'). The house is priced at $1,395,000 or $570 per sq ft. The new price is a reduction from the previous $1,575,000.

If you like 3632 Sunrise Drive you might also want to checkout the house right next door at 3700 Sunrise Lane. CLICK HERE to see the $2.3 million house next door.

CLICK HERE to see the home that local architect Matthew Stratton of Bender & Associates designed and that was recently featured in Architectural Digest magazine. The point of looking at the this house is to appreciate that all three houses have that same priceless mangrove view, are located less than 500 feet apart, but that 3632 Sunrise is offered at a more affordable price point.

If you want a nice house with a place for your boat in Key West, please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule a showing of 2532 Sunrise Drive or 3700 Sunrise Lane. They are priced just a little under a million dollars apart, but they are located next door to each other. And remember the view is the same as that big house in Architectural Digest.