There are many ways the pandemic has changed our lives in Key West including the elimination of in person Realtor Caravan. Boo Hoo! you say. It is a real loss for me as it gave me and other agents the opportunity to see new listings and houses that had been on the market longer than six months to get a fresh look. I have resorted to going to open houses to check out new listings as an alternative.
The photo above is not from one of the open houses so don't think what I am about to write has anything to do with this house. But I did select this photo because it is typical of what I am seeing in many renovated and some newly built homes in Key West - blah.
One particular open house was a brand new renovation. It had new windows, doors, floors, lighting, air conditioning, on demand hot water, fans, pool, wood deck, landscaping, outdoor lights, irrigation system, and nine yards of mulch. It looked a lot like the photo above. In fact it looked like about every other recent renovation in Key West. The appliances, decking, cabinetry were cheaper than featured in many similarly priced homes. That was surprise. I wanted to be impressed but left distressed. The price was so high that I expected more but I got nothing I had not seen before and better done at lower asking price.
There is more. The thing that makes Key West architecture so interesting is that is was interesting. Earlier renovations improved on what had been built by craftsmen in the 19th Century. Most of the stuff I am seeing comes out of Home Depot which imports its products from Asia. The landscaping at the particular open house was as cheap as the owner could find and sparsely plated.
You can buy the same blah bedroom and Home Depot kitchen and baths in other locations for a lot less money. Why come to Key West to add a couple zeros to the purchase price to get the same thing?
There are still great properties in Key West. You need to work with a seasoned Realtor to find them. I am available to help you avoid buying the wrong property.
