3513 Sunrise Drive, Key West

I know that when most prospective buyers start to think about buying a second home or maybe a primary home in Key West, they first think about finding a place in Old Town or maybe the swank Casa Marina Area. That's usually because they have never ventured out to see other parts of town and did not know the kinds of properties available. Today's featured property is located on the same street where Jimmy Buffet used to live. Click GOOGLE MAP for an aerial perspective of this newly listed home located at 3513 Sunrise Drive, Key West. Use the Google toggle switch to take a street walk of the area.

If you took the street walk you will already know this home is located on a large corner lot. The lot measures 69' X 137.5' (9487 sq ft) which is enclosed a impressive fencing to ensure total privacy. A stunning tropical garden lays on the opposite side of the fence and wraps three sides of the home. the fourth side is the play area - the poo. The entrance on Sunrise Drive (above) has saltillo tile which continues from the exterior to the interior.

This three bedroom three bath home measures 2329 sq ft of interior living space. This does not include the covered outdoor loggia. The main floor living space is open concept for easy living, but don't let that fool you into thinking the owner cut corners to save on dollars. Nope, everything you done with attention to details. The panache is evident everywhere in this house. Among the features are the recently installed new kitchen. There is a main floor guest bedroom which is used by this owner as an office. Three sets of sliders make the transition from interior to exterior ever so convenient.

Outdoor Kitchen

The loggia and pool area were also updated. Your family and friends will be so impressed with your abode, they might want to come to visit and decide to stay on for an extended visit. To that end, this home has the ideal solution. The main level guest suite is located within the main house but can only be accessed via a side entrance. That gives the guests privacy and the owner the same privacy.

The master suite takes up the entire second floor of this home. You'll notice dark rich wood floors add warmth to this soothing space. There is plenty of storage space and an extra large en-suite bath. But it has to be the covered rear deck that overlooks the pool below that makes this place so special. Imagine waking up in the morning sitting on the deck drinking your coffee and pitying your friends up north in America - those poor souls who have to commute to work on freeways or who have to take trains or subways to their jobs in the freezing cold of winter or the heat of summer.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet on 3513 Sunrise Drive which is offered at $1,695,000. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to schedule a private showing of this beautiful home which offers superior living space in a quite Key West location. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

1435 Flagler Avenue, Key West - Just Listed - Mid-Century Home

Just Listed, but not by me, 1435 Flagler Avenue in Key West, Florida. This is a genuinely interesting and inviting Mid-Century home located on a large corner lot a few blocks south the the Atlantic Ocean. If you, Dear Reader, are age 50 or older, you may have grown up in a house like this because it is typical of that time period. There are little touches here and there that hearken back to that era. And for the most part, this home has been untouched by time. While the listing Realtor calls this place a "fixer upper", I'm not so sure that everyone would agree. It needs some paint and a new kitchen, but many buyers could move in and feel right at home. Read on and imagine how you what you might do with this classic home.

The listing Realtor describes this house this way:

"Opportunity presents itself with this large home on a large corner lot. This fixer upper already has a good, strong metal roof plus a clean and working pool. The existing floor plan will be easy to work with to create your own dream home."

This is the view when you enter the front door. Homes of this era are often repetitions on a theme. This place happens to have been a higher-end version of that them. The opening on the right leads to a hallway to the two bedrooms. The room to the rear may have been used as the family room while the room to the left is definitely the dining room. The kitchen and laundry are to the upper far left.

The above photos clearly demonstrate the way houses were laid out fifty years ago. Each room had a specific purpose. The formal dining room was probably that special room reserved for special occasions. The family room probably has a door that opens out to the huge back yard and pool. I am sure the family room was the real gathering place for this home. The laundry room is quite large. It has a door that opens into the carport. CLICK HERE to view more photos of this home.

This is a two bedroom, two bath house. If I owned this house I would blowout the back windows and add glass doors and a small landing leading to the pool  I suppose a new owner could convert the dining room into a new third bedroom. That is certainly a possibility. The master bedroom has an en-suite bath with classic white and black tiles. The guest bath is located midway between the two bedrooms.

This 1511 sq ft home was built in 1963. It sits on a 7646 sq ft lot (82.66' X 92.5') corner lot. The lot is really nicely landscaped with many matured trees and tropical foliage. It needs some trimming, but it is a beauty otherwise. 

I like this home the way it looks but it could be re-interpreted by adding impact windows and doors and opening the spaces between the rooms so that the informal living spaces flow into each other rather than continue to exist as separate spaces.

CLICK HERE to view 1435 Flagler Avenue in the Key West MLS datasheet and listing photos. This home is offered at just $479,000. Please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to see this really nifty Mid-Century home. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. I think you're gonna like this place.

1518 Rose Street, Key West

Just Listed by Preferred Properties - 1518 Rose Street which is located in the Mid Town area of Key West. This 1562 sq ft home was originally built in 1958 and was updated with a Florida room several years ago. The house sits on a 5547 sq ft fenced lot which includes gated off street parking and what once was a nicely landscaped yard with pool and rear patio.

The listing Realtor describes this home this way:

"Located near the beaches, this home has three bedrooms and two full baths including a master en suite. A spacious bright Florida room opens to the back yard and covered porch. The large kidney shaped pool gets lots of sun. This home needs some work but it already has a newer roof, impact windows on three sides, terrazzo and tile floors and a good floor plan."

This house is laid out just like so many other houses of this era. I believe the original home was a two bedroom one bath with dining area and kitchen located at the rear.  The photos show the kitchen probably has not been updated other than new floor tile, appliances, and lighting.

The master bedroom and bath are located on the right side of the living area. The bedroom space currently accommodates a king size bed with room to spare. The en-suite bath is quite large.

Two additional bedrooms plus shared bath are located on the east side of this home. The front and side windows were replaced with wind impact resistant windows in 2014.

The Florida room plus laundry and utility room are located at the rear. Notice the original Cuban tile floor and the original jalousie windows which provide abundant light to this large space.  The Florida room opens out to the patio and kidney shaped pool. There are large side yards on both sides of the house.

CLICK HERE to view more photos I took of the house and yard. This pool and yard have not been maintained as well as could have been. The pool needs resurfaced. The gardens will respond quickly to TLC, fertilizer, and a good trimming. You will be amazed  how quickly the  plants and trees respond to proper care and  water. A new owner may want to update the kitchen and one or both bathrooms. The Florida room offers so many additional possibilities for a new buyer looking for a project now or a few years down the line.

1518 Rose Street is offered for sale at $499,000. CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet and to view listing photos. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to see this new listing. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. If you are familiar with the Key West market there are very few homes listed at or below the asking price of this home.  This place will go fast. Higg's Beach is located just a couple of blocks to the south. Once the new owner has the house back in tip-top condition, he or she can be basking in the Key West sun or lounging pool side.