807 Washington Street #102, Key West, Florida

Just Listed, but not by me, 807 Washington Street #102, Key West, Florida. This has got to be one of the best buys on the market in current day Key West.  There are just nine of these babes that were built in 2007.  I have listed and or sold four of these homes over the years. I know them well and feel very comfortable is recommending a buyer purchase one.

The homes are located on the corner of William and Washington Streets in the swank Casa Marina District of Key West. This home is located in the X Flood Zone. The Casa Marina Resort is just a couple of blocks to the west and south. Higgs Beach is a five minute walk as is Louie's Backyard and dog beach. Upper Duval Street is only four blocks to the west.

These homes were originally built to sell for $1.5 and higher price point back in 2007. That is when the economy took a nose dive. Several new high end housing projects tumbled along with the national real estate market. Our local market has recovered although some price points are not doing as well as others. This particular listing is particularly attractive because it has so many high end features that were built in to the house and that it has just been updated with a new kitchen and new master bath. The above photos show a formal entry hall that includes powder room, new kitchen with high end stainless steel appliances, beautiful heart pine floors, high baseboards, crown molding, recessed and track lighting.

Two sets of glass panel doors open out to the covered rear deck, private heated pool and garden in the rear. There is a walking service alley behind the property where the pool man can enter each property to service to pool. There are four buildings with four one bedroom units each at Southpark Condominiums. They have one beautiful pool. Southpark Condos are a great property and will not create any issues for a new owner at today's listing.

There are two bedrooms, each ensuite, on the second floor. The master bedroom is at the rear. Note the soaring vaulted ceiling and double glass panel doors that open out tot the covered rear porch which overlooks the pool below.

The second floor front bedroom has a private bath and also has a private second floor covered front porch which overlooks Washington Street. This home has one designated off street parking spot plus lots of off street parking on the beautifully landscaped lot.

The third floor bedroom and bath runs the entire length of the home.

Everybody has their view of what living in Key West would be like. I have lived in the Casa Marina District since 1995. I love the area. I don't make it to the beach like I used to, but I love having it there. The homes in the area are by and large much more expensive than today's listing. That signifies to me this property gives the new owner a chance to move on up without paying the price of a single family home. More photos CLICK HERE.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet on 807 Washington Street #102, Key West, Florida. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to schedule a private showing. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. Let me help you find your place in Paradise.

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808 Shavers Lane, Key West - Just Listed

Just Listed, but not by me, 808 Shavers Lane, Key West. This 1400 square foot home sits behind a white picket fence which when opened provides off street parking for two cars. That's unremarkable in most towns, but in Key West it is quite a fete.  Look at the crisp Greek Revival style architecture. There are front and rear two story porches. You'd think this is one of the historic Conch Houses for which Key West is famous. Neigh, it was actually built in 1999 along with two adjacent homes. In fact the builder made this house a bit larger, increased the main floor ceiling height to nine feet, and created two mater suites which I will discuss later. 

 I searched my old shoebox and identified what I believe to be 808 Shavers Lane in the above black and white photograph taken half a century ago.  I added the check mark to show the property. The house with the man on the front porch definitely was 818 Shavers Lane. There was a small one level cottage in between. All three buildings were in bad condition and were razed. The three new houses look nothing like the old.

In his book The Streets of Key West author J. Willis Burke wrote "Shavers Lane, between Whitehead and Duval, is named for a black resident of the area"..."in what was called Jungle Town in less racially sensitive times". (You think!) Today this area is now recognized as being an easy stroll to the shops and sights of Duval Street and the nearby restaurants on Petronia Street including Blue Heaven, Firefly, and Santiago's Bodega. Fort Zachary Taylor Beach and State Park and the Key West amphitheater are also within easy walking distance. 

The current owner updated the most of the house including replacing drywall, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, new porcelain tile floors on the main level, new kitchen cabinets and appliances. new pool systems, as well as impact glass windows on main level side. All other windows and doors have approved shutters which make the house qualify for a 30% discount on wind insurance. The house is located in the X Flood Zone so flood insurance will not be required by a mortgage lender. The house has Hardiplank siding. The entire exterior was just painted and looks sharp as a tack.

The house has a formal entry with what I like to call a drama wall - in this floor tiles attached to the wall which look like old stressed pine boards. The drama wall is repeated in the nearby first floor guest bath. The kitchen opens into the great room where the south wall has grass cloth wallpaper. Note the crown molding and recessed lighting. Glass sliders at the rear of the living area open out to the covered rear deck and pool. The grounds are both irrigated and lighted at night.

This home sits higher than the houses on either side. The builder was going to keep this place for himself. (I like those houses. They are always better than the rest. In this instance this house has nine foot ceilings on the first floor. The second floor has two master suites while the adjacent houses have a larger master and two smaller bedrooms in front.

The front bedroom has dual doors which open out to the covered front porch. There are three closets in this bedroom along with a sitting or desk area. Note both bedrooms have vaulted ceilings. This adds so much to these rooms. If you have looked at many genuine older houses in Old Town you know some have claustrophobic sized bedrooms. That's not the case here.

The current owner added wood shutters to semi-enclose the second floor porch and added floor tiles which created a cool sitting area. I snapped a pic of a property down on nearby Petronia Street as well as pic of the pool.

Whether you are coming or going, this a place you would be proud to call home. And if you are looking for a second home that you could rent to help pay part of the cost to purchase, this could be a good investment. The house next door rents for $12,000 to $13,000 per month during season. The owner has been advised a full time rental should generate about $100,000 in gross rent.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and listing photos of 808 Shavers Lane offered offered for sale at $1,295,000. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to schedule a showing. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

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!

Tales From Key West - Early Arrival

A few weeks ago a fellow agent in my office asked me to show a pocket listing that may be available for purchase but that is not yet on the market. I called the owner and asked if I might be able to show his home later that day at 2:00 PM. He said yes and told me how to get inside when I arrived.  I notified the other agent to meet me promptly at 2:00 and not before.

I arrived at 1:45, went inside, and started to turn on the lights. This particular house is what we call a cigar makers cottage - small single story houses with one or two bedrooms and one bathroom. Other areas of the south call the same homes "shotguns" as the entry hall is located on the side and all rooms are to the opposite - you could shoot a bullet from the front door straight out the back door. This house had been remodeled and had the master bedroom at the rear. An addition was built on the side where the living room was located.

I made may way to the rear by turning on lights in each room along the way. As I neared the bathroom door I heard water running in the shower. I had been mumbling something to myself and then uttered something like "Oh, God!" I looked to my right toward the living room where I saw the owner sitting in his swim shorts typing on his laptop. "Oh, God!", I said again.

At the exact moment I said "On, God!" for the second time the bathroom door slammed - the owners' wife had been taking a shower, heard me calling the Lord's name, got out and shut the door. The owner stood up and glared at me. I turned bright red.  Well, I couldn't see myself turn red but I know it happened. The owner said I had set up the showing for 4:00 PM. I confessed I must have made a mistake and explained the other Realtor and her buyer would be arriving in fifteen minutes. He said he and his wife could leave but it might be a few minutes after 2:00. I went to the front porch and waited for the potential buyer and her agent to arrive. They arrived on time and waited until the all clear was given. They looked but did not buy. Next time I text to confirm my appointment.