3838 Flagler Avenue, Key West

It is amazing how much Key West has changed in the last thirty years. But it is more amazing how it has changed from 100 years ago when the photo at the top of today's blog was taken on the eastern end of the island looking southwest on Flagler Avenue. That is where today's house is located.

3838 Flagler Avenue, Key West

The listing Realtor describes 3838 Flagler Avenue this way:

"Create your private Key West waterfront oasis in this Mid Century Modern Marvel with quick boating access to the open water of the Atlantic or the Gulf. Come discover the potential of this sprawling single level home surrounded by tropical courtyards and covered patios overlooking a large canal-side pool. A unique and architecturally fabulous 2 bay carport graciously leads you behind the CBS privacy walls.The main house totals 3bd/2ba plus a large guesthouse and bath for a total of 4bd/3ba and room to incorporate another bedroom, office or bonus space in the existing floor plan. Large panes of glass and walls of sliding glass doors invite the outdoors in and frame this open palette awaiting your renovation dream."

The 3,189 Sq Ft house sits on a 9,450 Sq Ft Lot at the eastern end of Key West and the terminus of Sunrise Canal which flows in the the Atlantic Ocean. The house was built in 1968 and is solid CBS construction and was updated in the early 1990s. The house has been well maintained but it is dated. This is one of a few homes actually on the water for sale at this time. I consider it a buying opportunity. Let's look at the interior and then the pool and water views.

You enter the home thru courtyard (fallen into disrepair as the owners have passed) and the landscaping has been allowed to dither a bit. The space and elegance of the entrance can be easily brought back to life. Nature thrives in Key West. Bring your vision. You proceed into the house thru two large glass panel doors into the living room which has a massive fireplace. The expansive dining room then comes into view. Windows and glass panel doors expose the pool and canal beyond. The combined living and dining area are larger than a Shipyard condo.

Glass panel doors at the end of the family room open out to a covered patio that wraps around to the gated entry. Additional large windows bring abundant light into this space.

Three of the bedrooms are located on the east side of the house where a long hallway separates the the bedrooms from the living area. A guest cottage with bath is located the very rear of the lot and can be seen above.
The house is certainly livable as it is but could be so much more if renovated. The house at 3810 Flagler was renovated and sold in March 2020 for $4,000,000.  That is not to suggest this house would sell for that much. But it does suggest that the waterfront location and quality renovation can create new value where a century ago there was only a gravel road and scrub brush and trees.

The Sunrise Canal flows into the Riviera Canal which flows into Cow Key Channel and the Atlantic Ocean

CLICK HERE to viiew the Key West MLS datasheet with listing photos of 3838 Flagler Avenue, Key West offered for sale at $1,120,000. 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.

A Memorable Closet in Key West

The furor over the allegations President Trump denigrated members of the military are troubling on so many levels. I will leave it right there and let the electorate decide how to judge him.  I have been going to write this particular blog for several months and then stopped. I planned to expand it and give many other examples of items left behind in closets when people leave their homes. The Trump allegations about the military brought into focus one moment in real estate that I will never forget.

In early 2009 a friend and fellow Realtor listed the above house at 924 Flagler Avenue in Key West. The MLS listing described the house as follows:

"Welcome to 1935. This home is the first home built in the Casa Marina development. It was built by Mr. Edward Strunk, and has been in his family since that time. This lovely architectural time piece is in very good condition and has a fabulous lot ( approx. 100' x 125'). The floors throughout are of decorative Cuban Tile,and the bathrooms and kitchen are original. A sun porch brings wonderful light and breezes throughout the house. This is a one of a kind opportunity!!!"

 It was and still is a remarkable piece of Key West history and architecture. I got inside the day it was listed and contacted a buyer who I had been working with and convinced him to make a sight unseen cash offer. He did and the offer was accepted. He flew down to Key West a few days later for the inspection. We stood across admiring the house before went inside for the inspection. A man riding his bicycle rode over to us and said something like "You're too late! Somebody bought it before anybody else had a chance!"

My buyer and I walked through the property room by room taking everything in. The seller no longer lived in the house which was empty with a few items of furniture and knick knacks left behind.  We went upstairs to look at the three bedrooms. I remember walking into the southwest bedroom where I opened the closet door and saw it. I took a picture. It was that important. 

I searched my old shoebox but I could not fine the photo I took So I did a GOOGLE SEARCH and found the above of an Ike Jacket from World War II.  I am sure the seller kept that jacket as a remembrance of his service. World War II was a moment of great importance to most Americans - actually, most people in the world who were affected by that war. Preserving his service jacket was a small way of remembering what he did in the war. Those who served remember. Those who lost members of their family remember.

Key West Throwback Thursday #1

 From April 25, 2015

Be Careful Who You Trust with Access to Your Home in Key West

I love living in Key West. You can be who you want to be and love who you want to love. Nobody cares what you do or who you sleep with other than the guy who parades around town with his anti-fags sign. Gays and straights and rich and the not-so-not rich mix at work and at play with ease. We have a lot of people that have moved here from all over the world. There are good people and some that are not so good. The bad people sometimes give the rest of us a bad name.
I recall an evening a couple of years ago when  a couple who I had recently sold a house to called me. They told me they a nephew drove a new car they purchased for their Key West down here from their home up north. He had parked under their carport and went back home. 

They said a week later they were contacted by the Key West police. Their new Key West car had been involved in a hit and run accident after the nephew had returned to his home. Someone had got inside their house, found the keys, and drove the car more than a mile away to get involved in an accident. The car was returned to the covered parking space where it belonged.

I asked the obvious question: who had keys to the car?  The couple did not know. They said the lady's Key West hair dresser had recommended a painter who did some work inside the house for them had access to the keys to the house as did the pool service man. My mind raced back to several prior conversations I had with the lady where she related stories about the hair dresser who she adored.

My buyers asked me if I would go to their house and remove the key to the house that was supposed to be in a lock box near the front door. I immediately went there. As soon as I got to the place I inspected the car.  All four sides of the new car had damage. A chain had been wrapped through the trunk to keep the rear bumper from falling off. I took photos of the damage and then went to the lock box to remove the key. It was not there.

I got on my phone and called the owners. While we were talking I noticed a guy walking down the sidewalk and up to the house. He was in his 30s or 40s and had an open beer in his hand. He had that just-off-the-streets look that I am familiar with.  I checkout the Monroe County Sheriff's online crime page every morning. I see guys that look like this every day of my life either on the page or walking the streets of Key West. I asked the guy "Do you live here?" He replied "I'm doing work for the owners." I told him I was the owners' real estate agent and that they sent me to fetch the key. He reached in his pocket and decided he did not have the key. He said to wait a minute and then walked around the house to the rear. Several minutes elapsed. I knocked on the door. No answer. I talked with the owners who were now mildly distressed. The owner suggested that I go home. He said he would come down (from more than a thousand miles away) and sort things out. Then the guy opened the front door and said to come in. Although the house had been freshly painted and furnished, it reeked of cigarette smoke. The smell of recently over-fried hamburgers lingered in the air. Every light in the house was turned on. The volume on the TV was on full blast. It was obvious this guy had moved in-to stay.


I asked the guy "Do you know how the car got damaged?" to which he replied "No." He turned away and walked toward French doors that opened out to the pool. His  hands jerked up to his head. He grabbed his hair and ordered me to get out and said to come back in five minutes. He needed time to think.

I went back outside and spoke to the owners. I decided it was best for me to leave before this guy went completely insane. I had asked two questions in a calm and polite voice. I made no accusations or inferences in the tone or words. The guy, however, seemed over whelmed by the thought of having to leave his new house.

I think it is very important that new owners hire licensed and insured contractors and other business professionals who may access to the inside of their homes or access to a car. Most real estate companies offer once a week home inspections to make sure a Key West dream house is safe and secure. Like I said "There are good people and some that are not so good. The bad people sometimes give the rest of us a bad name." 

Bill Butler Park, Key West

I have made numerous references in my blog to Bill Butler Park when discussing homes on Upper William Street, Galveston Lane, and Poorhouse Lane. This "Pocket Park" is named after  Bill Butler, a musician who led funeral procession band to the Key West Cemetery. I did not see him play, but I have always stopped when such a band passes. It brings tears to your eyes and a hope that one day someone might care enough to commemorate one's passing.

"When the hearse carrying William “Bill” Butler’s casket broke down on the way to Key West Cemetery in August 1984, his nephews put his casket on their shoulders and carried him the rest of the way. The irony was lost on no one."

Bill Butler Park circa 2010

In his book The Streets of Key West: A History Through Street Names author J. Willis Burke informs us that "Over the other side of Solares Hill a couple of entries are self-explanatory. Galveston Lane is named for the Texas gulf coastal city that was served by the Mallory Steamship Company, and off Windsor, on Poorhouse Lane, a poorhouse was once tucked away."

Two years ago I started photographing two houses on Poorhouse Lane which were being renovated. I noticed the city had started to upgrade Bill Butler Park. The construction on both houses passed at a snail's pace as is to be expected on this island of endless tomorrows. In July 2020 I attended an open house at 725 Poorhouse Lane. I looked out the second floor widow and took in the view of the yet to be over-gentrified area surrounding Bill Butler Park. The park was still under construction. The view was remarkable. This could be cool, I thought.

I went back the park the past weekend. I think the renovation is now complete. Upper William Street has some notable locals. But then there are notable people people on just about every street in Old Town. Butler was notable for what he gave the community, not his fame or fortune. 

Upper William Street

Galveston Lane

725 Poorhouse Lane

Most of the original homes and cottages in this area were owned or at least occupied by black families. The homes were usually sold by surviving heirs as the grand parents, aunts or uncles passed. Most of those homes have been renovated and are now quite valuable. Photographers from the WPA took photos of the area during the Depression while artists created depictions of life in this area - a few examples follow. I originally viewed the photos and images as quaint portrayals of black lives in Key West during the Depression. Given what has happened in the past couple of years I see these images more like minstrel shows - portals through which White Americans could view Black Culture with images of barefoot children and simpletons. 

While preparing to write this blog I searched the Historic Sanborn Fire Maps and found something I had never seen before. Locals and returning visitors to Key West know that houses on three sides of the cemetery were taken down or relocated to make more space for the dead. Among the houses taken down were cottages on Darkey Lane - noted on the map by a check mark. It is my understanding that the mappers sometimes gave arbitrary names to certain lanes which were not identified by the city. I can only guess the mappers were referencing the color of the skin of the people who lived there. Maybe we chalk this up to not knowing any better .Or maybe it is just another example of corporate racism.

I have never, ever, seen a child play at the original or newly updated Bill Butler Park. Old Town has few children.

907 Washington Street, Key West - Just Listed

JUST LISTED 907 Washington Street, Key West. This 2,120 Sq Ft home sits on a huge 8,960 Sq Ft lot (80' X 112') just four blocks from the Atlantic Ocean in the Casa Marina Area of Key West. I dug down into my old shoebox and found a photo of this same home that was taken in 1965 just two years after this house was built. See below.

The listing broker describes the property this way:

"Enjoy island living in the sought after Casa Marina area. This spacious one level three bedroom two bath home has a separate one bedroom, one bath guest cottage and sits on a large beautifully landscaped 8,960 sq. ft. lot. The newly renovated kitchen has a peninsula bar with seating, double sinks, stainless appliances and a breakfast nook that opens to a separate patio. The living and dining rooms open to an expansive covered terrace and create an ideal indoor/outdoor living space. The master bedroom features a sumptuous marble bath, loads of closets and a private patio. A large heated pool is surrounded by lush vegetation and is completely private. Covered parking, a whole house generator, ample storage and an excellent location add to the desirability of this special home."

 The Casa Marina Area is named after the world famous Casa Marina Resort located  two blocks away which extends out to the ocean. While there are a few original houses that resemble the historic homes you are familiar with in Old Town, most of the homes in the Casa Marina date from the mid - 1960s and newer. Most sit on lots that are 5,000 Sq Ft or larger. There are just four houses on this particular block including a home formerly owned and renovated by author Judy Blume. Each house on this block except one has been renovated and that one is being updated at this time. Values in the Casa Marina Area continue rise year after year due partly to the size of the lots and also the proximity to the Ocean and easy access to Old Town.

Buyers who are looking for a full time home or a second residence will love the spacious covered lanai and and sunny pool. Imagine entertaining friends and family in January when it's freezing up north. I remember shoveling snow. It was horrible.

Better yet imagine walking just a couple of blocks to Higgs Beach to dine at Salute, play volleyball, or tennis or just hang out and get a tan. Louie's Backyard is a stones throw as well. You can walk or Uber to Upper Duval Street. Your friends will be so jealous.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and listing photos of 907 Washington Street, Key West offered for sale at $1,795,000. Better yet call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule a private showing of this home. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West the listing brokerage of this home.

The Long Hot Summer in Key West

The spring and summer of 2020 have alternatively sped by and dragged on, depending on your mindset or the day of the week when my mind functioned normally. The tedium of the lock down and being forced to stay at home was moderated by the fact I live in paradise. Friends and fellow agents have shared moments of sadness, grief, woe, and dread of the future. We discussed loss of business and wondered what the future would bring - that is really an understatement! There was colossal doubt.

The reality of the pandemic set in. Then George Floyd was killed instigating the Black Lives Matter movement. Twitter exploded with videos of America under siege by police. America was experiencing chaos similar to what happened in 1968 - except this time no politicians have been assassinated.

The stock market fell. It always responds to bad new with a drop. Some investors lose their shirts and others buy low only to make huge profits on the losses of others. The stock market is back up. But the real economy, that one where average people work (or not work), is still down. Prices on everything in the grocery store are up - bread fifty cents a loaf. Bleach used to be $2.99. Yesterday it was $5.49 for store brand. I wonder how people with small children who are working can afford to pay for food, rent or mortgage and utilities.

I have had two former customers contact me to express interest in buying into the downturn in Key West real estate. It has not happened -yet. In fact, the Key West market made an incredible uptick right after people could return here. There are currently 48 single family homes under contract with an average list price of $1,068,265.

A total of 131 single family homes have closed since March 1, 2020 for an average sold price of $1,023,176. Eight of those sales were for homes that sold for an average sold price of $2,907,500. I have been a doubter of the over - two million dollar market for several years. It is real. It does exist and it has flourished in the pandemic.

But consider this. The real people that I talked about three paragraphs above are not being foreclosed upon or being evicted from their apartments or homes. What is going to happen when that federally mandated protection goes away.

And here is another thought. Sears has closed. Pier 1 is in bankruptcy and the Key West store is in liquidation. It will soon shut. The Escape Room next to Winn Dixie is gone as are many small locally owned businesses. Perhaps up to 30% of the shops, bars, and businesses on Duval are closed. When to government bailout runs out, what's going to happen? There is going to be a reckoning. On the bright side there is new construction and renovation occurring on Duval Street (see below) and throughout Key West.

Two weeks ago town was full of tourists. Last week I drove up Simonton Street toward the ocean. There were no cars past Truman Avenue. I turned east on South Street. No cars. It reminded me of how deserted South Street was after Hurricane Irma. It was scary. We have a lot of very scary things ahead of us.

Looking for a Realtor in Key West. Consider calling me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642. Preferred Properties Key West. 

Key West Writer's Block

I've got writer's block. I shall return. Soon!