The Boomer Century

“The Boomer Century: 1946-2046” is a two-hour documentary that looks to the baby boomers’ past for clues to how this generation of 78 million Americans will shape the future. The program focuses on the boomers’ formative years to reveal the personality traits of a generation that has since rewritten the rules for work, marriage and parenthood, and is now redefining retirement and aging.


The Boomer Century is currently airing on PBS stations across the country. I have watched it twice, since it is all about me. Well, me and millions of other baby boomers. I was born on January 1, 1947 so I started the whole damned thing. If you are a boomer, you owe it to yourself to spend two hours to see how we got to where we are today.

Ten Interesting Facts about Boomers:
1. The number of baby boomers in America is estimated at 78.2 million.
2. Approximately 7,918 Americans turn 60 each day. That’s about 330 every hour or more than four million a year in 2006.
3. Within 20 years, the age profile of America will match that of Florida – about one in five Americans will be older than 65.
4. Boomers who reach age 65 in 2011 can expect to live, on average, at least another 18 years.
5. Four out of 10 boomers have less than $10,000 in retirement savings.
6. One-third of boomer households today have at least $100,00 in investable assets.
7. About one-third of baby boomers think they will have enough money to live comfortably once they retire.
8. Four out of five boomers intend to keep working and earning in retirement. Half of boomers plan to launch into an entirely new job or career in retirement.
9. Only one in seven baby boomers say they plan to collect Social Security benefits at age 62.
10. The unpredictable cost of illness and healthcare is by far boomers' biggest fear. They are three times more worried about a major illness (48%), their ability to pay for healthcare (53%) or winding up in a nursing home (48%), than about dying (17%).

Most of my clients have been or are boomers. They still consider themselves young, but are usually looking for a second home or investment property that they can eventually retire to a few years down the line. If you are considering such an investment, whether you are a boomer or not, you can CLICK HERE to search all current mls listing in the lower Florida Keys. Then consider calling me at 1-305-766-2642 for further information.

April Fool's Day Open House

I'm not fooling, I'm working today. Hosting an Open House at the Sea Isle Townhomes on Windsor Lane. Come see me between 11:300 to 2:00 this afternoon.

By the way, that's not me in the photo. He is sitting in front of Fast Buck Freddie's, I think. It's a Key West variation on "I'll work for food." Who wants to work when you can live off tourists...

Atlantic Shores to be No More this Summer

Atlantic Shores to be no more this summer That was the title in the March 25th edition of the Citizen. End of an Era. Another part of Key West is giving way to big development. CLICK HERE to read the full story in The Key West Citizen.

On my virgin trip to Key West learned much of the folk lore about this tiny town. I remember learning about tea dance at La Te Da followed by tea by the sea at Atlantic Shores. I didn't drink tea. I was from Colorado where we didn't drink tea. So I had no idea what the fuss was about. Twenty-three years ago it was about hundreds of gyrating bodies dancing (mostly gay men) on the deck and pier at Atlantic Shores with music so loud that it could be heard for blocks and blocks. Dancing under the stars and on top of the water. Wow!

Then I learned that Atlantic Shores was a daytime hangout as well. There is a huge (unheated) pool surrounded by concrete and wood decks, the tiki bar, the cook shack, and the infamous pier. And there are the hotel guests, tourists, and locals that worship the sun in various degrees of undress. Most people wear bathing suits, but clothing is optional. For some it ought to be required.

I've seen lots of unforgettable spectacles there. So many fond memories such as laying out almost all day on Christmas Day a few years back. The temperature was near 80 as I remember. And the weather up north was frightful, and that was so delightful.

The photo to the right shows just a portion of the property--mainly the pool and deck area. The attraction for the developer is the ocean front location. Just to the right is the Reach Resort and the Casa Marina Resort is to its right. Both are undergoing massive renovations. The Santa Maria Condominiums are just above the Reach Resort and share that resorts amenities.

The other photo shows some prop set up for Fantasy Fest in 2005. It got blown away along with the deck during Hurricane Wilma. They never really put the shores back together after that.

But the Shores is coming down. Never more, never more.

If you want to buy a home or business in Key West, please CLICK HERE to checkout all current mls listings. And then consider giving me a call to help you find your home or business in Paradise 1-877-778-7092.

Cents & Centsibility

Did you ever see the Cary Grant classic "Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream house"? Photo above. It's the charming, funny, and disturbingly true story of a couple who decide to do a quick little fix-up of a house in Connecticut. The couple learns how expensive cheap can be. Before you decide to buy and re-build a dreamhouse or a "flipper" I suggest that you watch the mover--until you learn your lesson.

Last week I was working with a potential buyer of a vacation home in Key West. We looked at a variety of homes in the Old Town area and opted to see both fixers and homes that are perfectly liveable as is. One of the houses we considered looking at was located on Mickens Lane CLICK HERE. This little charmer is listed for only $525,000 or just shy of $700 per square foot for this 753 sq. ft. abode. We did look at an equally appealing cottage on a Key West lane that had a larger piece of ground and an out building that could be rebuilt using the footprint of the existing building.

My potential buyer is sophisticated in buying and selling properties up north. But is not experienced with the ways fo Key West. I explained the cost of a rennnovation of either cottage would be the same as if she were to renovate a larger property in a better location--at least on a price per square foot basis. As I have said before, renovation costs in Key West can go between $200 to $400 per square foot. And the low end is almost non-existent unless the owner acts as his own general contractor.

There are a lot of qualified general contractors in Key West. And they charge a premium for their services. So my feeling and recommendation to potential buyers who want to renovate their "dream house" is not to do it, but rather is to buy a property that is already done and liveable as is. Tomorrow I'm going to write about HARC and how it can impact on what a homeowner can do with his/her "castle".

My recommendation makes more sense today than ever before because so many properties are on the market and the asking prices are more reasonable. (Save for the house on Mickens Lane and other ridiculously priced properties.) Don't let your dreams of owning a perfect little vacation home turn into a nightmare of dealing with building officials, contractors, plumbers, electricians, etc.

Rely on a professional Realtor to help you find your vacation home. It's as easy as pie to get a real estate license in Florida. Be careful who you work with. Ask lots of questions and make sure that the person you select is knowledgeable and honest. That's for starters. And listen to what your Realtor tells you. It's perfectly reasonable to question what someone tells you, but if you are buying in an unfamiliar market (such as Key West) listen to what someone familiar with the market tells you.

CLICK HERE to preview all Key West mls listings. And give me a call if I can provide any further information 1-877-778-7092.

Island Fever

I received an email this morning from Guillermo Orozco my friend and Key West residential designer that referred me to an article in Coastal Living Magazine. CLICK HERE to read the article. The article is only a couple of paragraphs long. Read it.

The house is located on a quiet little lane off Fleming Street. You'd miss it if you were not looking for it. In another blog CLICK HERE I wrote about the joys of living on one of Key West's lanes. And even though I did not talk to Guillermo about the owners (and I do not know them) I have a pretty good idea why they chose this particular house and location. I think it was the seclusion and quietness of the location.

The owners hired Guillermo to re-design the home and gardens and enlisted New York interior designer Zina Glazebrook to help. Guillermo added special touches such as the outdoor shower and poolside bath and laundry that are unique to Key West. And he designed the custom made kitchen cabinets and created the inviting master bath shown in the article.

The above pics show two shots of the home and pool areas. More photos are found in the article.

If you are looking for a place to get away from the noise of New York (or anywhere else), CLICK HERE to checkout all of the residential properties currently for sale in the Key West area. And please give me a call if you see something that interests you. 1-305-766-2642.