421 William Street, Key West - Prime Property

I played "buyer" today and checked out the listing at 421 William Street in the Old Town area of Key West. Before we go inside, let's look at the way the house appeared in 1965 and compare basically the same view as it looks today.

A couple things are obvious: wrap around balconies were added on the first and second floor levels; a staircase was added to access the third floor space for one's brother-in-law; the concrete fence was removed and replaced by white picket fence and a gated off street parking space. Louvered windows and doors were replaced by wind resistant impact glass as well as decorative shutters. When you examine the house up close you will be impressed by the high quality paint job and attention to detail. That attention to detail carries out throughout the entire house - outside and inside.

I was awed by this house as soon as I crossed the threshold. You will be too. Depending on the Realtor you talk to, this style of house may be called a Conch House, a Grand Conch, a Temple Revival, and as the listing agent correctly calls it a Grand Dame. All are correct. I have been inside many house like this. This is one of the best examples of this style of architecture. It is in perfect condition. I suspect the front room may have been a parlor but I doubt the opening was as grand as it is now nor that there was an opening into the adjacent dining room. Many of the larger homes had crown molding, large baseboards and fancy trim. These design elements are superior to most I have seen. The dining room and front room each have incredible chandeliers. I am not  sure they are original to the house, but that does not matter. All of the floors on both levels have been replaced with Brazilian cherry wood flooring.

The new flooring is evident as we move to the rear of the house where the great room (kitchen, informal dining, and family living area) are located. A two story addition was added to the rear of the original house. All of the design elements in the original front were added in the rear. The continuity of design and high quality materials is consistent. Look closely: did you spot the hidden refrigerator and freezer and island style dining space? French doors open to the side and rear where the pool is located. Notice the balcony off the second floor rear master suite.

I am not tall. But a lot of my male buyers are. Most of them cannot fit into a Cigar Maker Cottage. Those houses have small ceilings and small rooms. This house has tall ceilings on both levels. The ceiling in the master suite has to be 20 feet or taller. It soars. There is a huge master bath with tub, shower, sink, and other necessities. It is however the the French doors that appealed to me. The doors were shut when I viewed. It is in the 90s today. The AC was working fine. The room was cool. I looked to the east and snapped an iphone pic looking to the far right window. Forever views like below. Views are terribly important to me. They should be to you.

There are two guest bedrooms on the second level. Both have private baths and new closets. Closets are new to old houses like these. I guess people from two centuries prior did not have need for as many changes of clothing as we do. Although real Conchs and people who have lived here for a quarter century like me find that a couple of pairs of shorts and tee shirts are sufficient. If you can afford this house, you will probably have a tux or an evening gown and high heels (sex not dependent on either). There are adequate closets in both bedrooms. I checked.

The second floor front bedroom has two sets of petite French doors which open out to the front porch. The doors are original. The glass was re-glazed. Rubber insulation was placed around the frame to keep the cool in and the weather out. That is attention to detail you might not notice. I did. AC was added throughout the house. All of the Dade County Pine walls and ceilings were sanded, filled, and re-sealed. These walls were originally used in our old homes because the high resin helped deter damage from out flying termites. Today we rely on periodic est control The beauty of these walls is forever. 

The wrap-around porches are such an improvement to this already impressive house. There is a door at the second floor rear that provides quick access to the second floor guest apartment. If I owned the house, I would rent it. Probably for $1,800 per month. Easy.That would pay part of your taxes and or insurance. Ot it's a place to keep your teenage boy or brother in law. Both are better kept apart.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and listing photos  of 421 William Street offered for sale at $2,800,000. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2542, to schedule a private showing of this home with a PRIME LOCATION NEAR EVERYTHING. There are lots photos. Let me fill in the details and take you on a tour of the house and the area. You will fall in love with both. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

True Tales of Key West Real Estate in the Time of Covid 19 - Part Six

This really happened.

A Realtor friend of mine had a broker's open to showcase her new listing of a very expensive home in Key West. There are few homes that aren't, but this one was really expensive! The event was catered. Lots of agents showed up for free wine and tidbits. And to see the house.

I had seen the house severs years earlier, long before the current owner did the renovation. I was impressed by all the work and money spent on updating the home. It had all the bells and whistles one would expect for a two million dollars plus home...

...except the snazzy new kitchen was useless. It was a show stopper as far as style. It had expensive stainless steel appliances and high end cabinets, but the minimalist cabinets and limited counter tops made it totally dysfunctional. Prior to the brokers open, my Realtor friend hid all the appliances and things one would use in the oven so as to hide how dysfunctional the space really was.

Not the actual kitchen, but you get the point!

Florida law does not require Realtors to disclose that a murder occurred on a property or that a kitchen is useless. Nobody died in that house and nobody cooks there either.

Happy Fourth of July!

1100 Flagler Avenue, Key West - Stunning Mid-Century Residence

1100 Flagler Avenue is a stunning example of true Mid-Century Modern Architecture and is one of Key West's most beautiful residences. The main house and guest house feature walls of glass overlooking the tropically landscaped gardens. The house was originally built in 1958 and has been remodeled and tweaked a bit by various homeowners over the decades including author Judy Blume when the home was featured in Architectural Digest in 2016. I dug into my old shoebox and found photos of the house way back when.

I actually live one block north of this incredible property. I drive by it a dozen times a week. I took the photo immediately below in 2016 which shows a banyan tree anchoring the corner lot. The two following photos show the location after Hurricane Irma toppled the giant banyan. The house was not damaged. The last photo from 2018 shows that owner's addition of a brick fence that curves the corner. 

The expanded house is now 3,522 square feet of living space situated on a massive 15,336 square foot lot located just four blocks from the Atlantic Ocean and Higg's Beach. Louie's Backyard (that is not a neighbor but a posh restaurant and Doggie Beach are located just a couple of blocks to the west. 

Blume and her husband hired Key West architect Tom Pope who added walls of windows opening to the gardens where now the inside and outside are one. Raymond Jungles did the landscaping. The current owner is the second to own since the Blume and her husband sold. Let's take a quick look.

The house had five bedrooms and five baths. The outdoor shower is a work of art. Notice the showed extending out from the wall. I use my outdoor shower almost every day of the year - even the few days that get chilly and even in the rain. I just turn the water temperature up a bit higher. Looking up at the sky and seeing palm trees swaying is just awesome. Try it. You'll love it.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and listing photos of 1100 Flagler Avenue, Key West offered for sale at $4,300,000. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to schedule a private tour of this very private treasure. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. I have lived in the Casa Marina neighborhood for 25 years. You will love it.

4th of July Cancelled in Key West

I complained a few days ago about all the tourists in town walking around without face masks.  They are everywhere - enjoying their lives like there is no tomorrow. The city fathers and mothers took note.

The Covid 19 crisis is not over. It appears to be getting worse.  This afternoon the Key West Association of Realtors excecutive sent out a new directive that includes the sad news that the
4th of July Fireworks has been cancelled as well as...

EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY
The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) issued Emergency Order 2020-09, which closes bars for on-site alcohol consumption
 

 

 

The information is as follows:

 

Establishments that derive more than 50% of their gross revenue from the sales of alcohol beverages must suspend sales of alcohol for consumption on the premises. These establishments can continue to sell beverages in sealed containers for consumption off premises. 

 

Establishments that are also licensed as public food service establishments or restaurants under Chapter 509 can continue to operate for on-premises consumption of food and alcoholic beverages at tables consistent with the requirements of Executive Order 20-139, so long as they derive 50% or less of gross revenue from the sale of alcoholic beverages for on-premises consumption.

Also in the news today:

The prospect of mass gatherings spreading coronavirus has led the Key West City Commission to rescind its original approval of Fourth of July fireworks, including all events in the beach areas that had previously been issued permits. The actions came during a special meeting of the commission on Friday morning. In addition, more detail has been added to the city's mask ordinance, requiring face coverings anywhere in public (i.e. sidewalks) if persons are within six feet of others. The commission reiterated that masks must be worn inside an establishment unless persons are seated and eating or drinking. Police will issue warning prior to writing citations that will carry a $500 fine.

Joey One Pants, A Cautionary Tale

Less than an hour ago I was exciting the Winn Dixie Shopping center onto North Roosevelt Boulevard in Key West at a controlled intersection. An older adult male was riding his bicycle on the opposite side of the street continued to ride across the intersection long after the light changed. Then he abruptly turned to cross the street in compliance with a directional light. He did not interfere with any of my driving. But he clearly violated the law and potentially put his safety and that of others in his hands.

We all see people do something like that every day. I drove to my office to pick up signs and balloons for my open house yesterday morning. There must have been a couple of hundred people walking on the sidewalks and either eating in or standing in front of restaurants waiting to get a table. Maybe ten percent were wearing face masks which are required in Key West. I guess the other ninety percent are invulnerable to Covid 19. This blog is not about Covid. It is about not following rules.

I knew Joey One Pants for about 20 years. He was the night clerk at one of the hotels in Old Town. He and I were both born in 1947.  He went to Viet Nam. I dodged the draft along with Clinton and Trump. Joey was kind of slow. His slowness agitated me. I can't abide slow people. He was a miser. He saved and invested his money. He had no children or siblings.

About five or six years ago he was riding his bicycle at that same intersection mentioned above. He rode thru the intersection disobeying the traffic light and got hit by a car. He was airlifted to Miami. People I know who knew him said they were certain he would die. But he didn't. I don't know who paid for the helicopter ride. I think it is about $70,000. He stayed in Miami for quite awhile recovering from his injuries. He eventually returned to Key West. He had lost his job and finally retired.

He lived in an apartment somewhere. I think it was in Mid-town. Then Hurricane Irma happened. Joey One Pants stayed. He had nowhere to go or to be with. A day or two after the storm one of the guys at the hotel where he used to work went to Joey's place to make sure Joey was okay. Joey was not there. The door was unlocked but not open. The guy went back again. Nobody but the guy from where Joey used to work cared about him. The guy from work went to the Key West Police Department to report Joey One Pants was missing. As I recall the story, the police were not actually back in business at that time. Many had evacuated the city and went north. I think the guy convinced a cop to take a look. The guy gave the police Joey's description.

The guy from work called the police a couple times to see if they had heard anything about Joey. No, they hadn't.

A few weeks later the police called the guy from work. They located the unclaimed body of an old man in the morgue. The body was found by the side of a road after the storm passed. The guy went over. It was Joey One Pants. 

Found on the internet

You may think that a simple little act like illegally crossing an intersection does not have any consequences. Or that not wearing a face mask in this time of international pandemic is okay. The President does wear one. You might think that. And as you can see from this story, you would be wrong. Actions have consequences.

912 Fleming Street Key West - Fathers Day Open House

Happy Father's Day Open House to 

All You Daddies out there!

912 Fleming Street ~ KEY WEST

12:00 to 2:00 PM

Stop by after church or on your way to brunch.  The Seaport and Duval Street are steps away.

Two Amazing Front Porches for Great People Watching!

It's not up front that counts here. You gotta see the rear!

 A buyer of mine sent me the link to Bob Dlyan's new record about Key West. Check it out.

Total Privacy Abounds. You'll be tan allover all year long and your friends will be Green with Envy!
CLICK HERE to see more photos.  Better yet head over to see this house on Key West's Millionaires Row. It can be yours.