727 Waddell Street - Casa Marina - Key West

You can see the Atlantic Ocean from the third floor (5th bedroom) of the new house at 727 Waddell Street in Key West's Casa Marina area. It's only a partial view but that beats no view at all. The house is a one block walk to both public and private beaches in the area. The Casa Marina Hotel has a private beach club, tennis, and gym that you can join so your second home could almost seem like living at the resort itself.

727 Waddell Street is a newly constructed three story home with 2800 sq ft of living space that sits on a 5000 sq ft lot (50'x100'). There is a formal entry with an office/den/guest room and private bath adjacent to the right. The huge living room takes up the right rear half of the house and the kitchen on the left takes up the balance. The kitchen is very large, open, and bright and was built to accommodate more than two people at a time. You can tell that the architect designed the kitchen for some serious entertaining.

The master bedroom and en-suite bath take up the front half of the second floor. There is a second story front balcony where you can watch the world very slowly.
Two bedrooms share the rear half of that floor. Both have en-suite baths and separate doors opening onto a large second floor rear balcony that overlooks the pool and gardens.

Then there is "nosebleed", the third floor bedroom with en-suite bath and an adjacent ante-room. There is even a lighted storage area as well.

The heated pool is 16'x12' and it has a spa and waterfall. It is an auto clean pool. Mature plants and shrubs surround the pool, deck and patio. Other exterior features include Fencing, Irrigation System, Landscape Lighting, Outdoor Shower, Outdoor Kitchen, Patio, Storage, Water Display.

727 Waddell Street is priced at $1,925,000. That may sound like a lot of money. It is. The house was originally priced over $3 million. The builder has a house just like it available next door on the corner that is priced just a bit higher. I think the price is negotiable. In fact, I'm pretty sure of it. CLICK HERE to see the information provided by the listing broker.

CLICK HERE to see 32 photos I just took of the property. The house is beautifully furnished and the furniture and furnishings can be purchased separately.

The nice thing about this area is that you are close to everything, but you are far enough away not to be on top of everything. You can ride your bike to just about any place in Old Town in about 5 to 6 minutes. You can drive to the airport to pick up friends at the Key West International Airport in about 5 to 7 minutes. I live about 4 blocks away, and I love the area.

If you would like to schedule a private showing of either 727 or 731 Waddell Street, please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642.

Help! I need a Bailout!

I was a political science major in college. I considered myself liberal. I was a champion of human rights before it was vogue. I never really bothered myself with economics because money has never been the focus of my life. But I guess you could say I am conservative when it comes to money because I appreciate how money is made.

I grew up in one of Denver's western suburbs--a place built right after the end of World War II. Everyone I knew was lily white and most were Protestants. As I grew older I came to realize that some of the kids I went to school with were "richer" than I was. I figured that out by the size of the houses they lived in and the large new cars that their parents drove.

My parents were almost kids themselves when my sister was born in 1930. I came along 17 years later. My dad had to get whatever work he could find during the Depression to support my mom, my sister and my big brother. Like so many people that endured the Depression, my family came out of it with a fear of ever having to live through anything like it again. So my roots are humble and I have a respect for people who work for a living and who know the value of saving and earning what you get in life.

As an attorney that worked in a couple of Denver banks managing problem loans, I learned that sometimes the rich people that live in big houses and drive big cars are not exactly the nicest people around. Sometimes those people lie and cheat and deceive other people (and bankers) into giving them money they do not deserve and cannot pay back. Oh, they will pay it back if things workout alright for them. But if things go bad, there is always an excuse or a defense.

Back in September when politicians and the media started beating the drums for a bailout of Wall Street, I raised my voice in opposition. I wrote my Congresswoman and my two Senators. A lot of good that did. Congress approved the $700 Billion bailout with no bona fide strings attached. Can you believe they got taken again?

So now DETROIT wants a bailout as well. The apologists are on TV talking up the end of the American way of life if the Detroit automakers have to file bankruptcy. I find myself siding with Republicans like Senator Dick Shelby on this one.

Mitt Romney was all over the morning TV programs today discussing his OP ED piece in today's New York Times. CLICK HERE to read. It's short and to the point. Read it.
I agree. With a Republican. My dad would disown me.

One of Romney's major points is that Detroit can use a Chapter 11 Bankruptcy to get out of many of the costly and burdensome obligations that will continue indefinitely unless they are disgorged by bankruptcy. Romney and others are calling those costs "Legacy" costs. Those costs are primarily health care and retiree benefits. In government speak those costs are referred to an "entitlements" because the demand is always present and everlasting.

Romney also calls for the ouster of the geniuses that have been running Detroit that created the current mess. Again, I agree. In a Chapter 11 Bankruptcy the new companies could use the law to avoid all kinds of burdensome contracts (including the costly executive compensation packages) that have added thousands of dollars in unnecessary costs to autos produced in the United States.

Yesterday afternoon one of the guest commentators on MSNBC blamed Congress for the fact that American automobiles get less miles per gallon than most Japanese cars. Wait a minute, buddy. It was Detroit that lobbied Congress for the lower standards. I am old enough to remember that we went down this same road back in the late 1970s. Detroit was going to build cars that got better mileage. But they didn't.

Lately it has been the Bush White House that objected to the efforts of states like California to enact higher miles per gallon requirements that would limit pollution. The talking heads always seem to blame someone else for the problems that their industry created. This time its just the blame game on wheels.

If Congress gives Detroit a bailout the executives keep their lucrative executive pay and all the trimmings that go with it. That includes deferred compensation plans, bonuses, stock options, etc. Forget that the stock prices are low right now. The executives are probably buying as much of it as they can. Because if the bailout comes, the stock will go back up, and the executives will make out like bandits again.

This is how Romney ends his OP ED: "The American auto industry is vital to our national interest as an employer and as a hub for manufacturing. A managed bankruptcy may be the only path to the fundamental restructuring the industry needs. It would permit the companies to shed excess labor, pension and real estate costs. The federal government should provide guarantees for post-bankruptcy financing and assure car buyers that their warranties are not at risk."

"In a managed bankruptcy, the federal government would propel newly competitive and viable automakers, rather than seal their fate with a bailout check."

2301 Linda Avenue -- Bank Owned -- Key West

You know the house by the photo to the right. It's that Big "A" Frame house at 2301 Linda Avenue -- just one block east of the Key West High School on Flagler. This 4 bedroom, 3 bath house has 2980 sq ft of living space and sits on a very large, if oddly shaped, lot of 11,930 sq ft. This huge property is BANK OWNED and PRICED TO SELL. The asking price is only $459,900 or $154 per sq ft. CLICK HERE for more info and more photos of 2301 Linda.

Forget about the architecture. Look at the price. This is one of the largest building lots in Key West. My suggestion: buy the property, tear down the existing structure, and redevelop the site. Better yet, buy the adjacent building lot at 2303Linda and redevelop both parcels at the same time. Buyer will need to verify that 2303 Linda either has existing building rights or that Buyer can acquire rights and transfer those rights to the property. 2303 Linda is a 7048 sq ft lot and it is priced at $349,000 or $50 per sq ft. CLICK HERE for more Info on 2303 Linda. The property at 2303 Linda is not bank owned.

The combined square foot on both parcels would be 18,978 square feet. That could make for an impressive development. CLICK HERE to view other building lots currently available for sale in Key West. Compare the price per square foot among other features to determine the best buy for you.

It is very easy to show both properties. Please call Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 or e-mail me at kw1101v@aol.com.

The Meadows of Key West -- This is a Real Deal!

The sky may be falling. The stock market may be plunging. The real estate market may be unstable. But there will always be a Key West.

The Meadows of Key West is located in the 1500 blocks of Petronia and Pine Streets between Eisenhower Drive to the east and Pearl Street on the west. There are eight luxurious new single family residences woven seamlessly into the fabric of the historic neighborhood known by the same name. CLICK HERE to view MAP.

The homes have about 2,000 square feet of living space with stunning interiors by Pascal Delisse. There are two and three bedroom models to choose from. Each home features hardwood and travertine floors, a luxurious master suite; gourmet kitchens with granite counters and gas ranges. Each home has a private pool, spa, patio, main level and second floor front porches, and a covered carport. Scott Montgomery designed the indigenous landscapes. Each new home looks like it has been a part of the area for many a year because everything blends together with the other homes in the area.

CLICK HERE to view the information an photos of the house at 1509 Pine Street listed at $999,000--that is just $629 per sq ft for this 1629 sq ft, 3 bedroom 4 bath home. There are only four of the three bedroom homes available.

There are four two bedroom homes that sit on the corners of both blocks. Each two bedroom home has a turret which is a focal point in the grand kitchen on the first level and a cozy nook in the second floor master suite. There are vaulted ceilings, grand spaces, huge closets, elegant baths. The two bedroom homes are simply "OVER THE TOP!". The second bedroom is far removed from the master suite so the owner will have total privacy. The second bedroom is equal to the master suite in just about any other Key West residence. It is just that nice.

CLICK HERE to see more information and photos of the two bedroom home located at 1502 Petronia Street (corner of Pearl Street). This 1932 sq ft home is priced at $1,050,000 or $549 per sq ft.

These eight homes belong to a community association which is responsible for the maintains the common rear drive, fencing, exterior home maintenance, swimming pool, and all landscaping. The Meadows offers the best of all worlds: the privacy and spaciousness of a single family home within the managed structure of condominium ownership.

If you doubt my high regard on the price, location, and amenities offered, please do your own personal search of the Key West mls. CLICK HERE and set your search parameters between $950,000 to $1,075,000 and see what you come up with. The Meadows of Key West were originally priced between $1,695,00 t0 $1,999,000. The new lower asking price is a real deal.

CLICK HERE to view a series of exterior and interior photos of the properties.

If you would like to see these properties, please call me Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, and let me help you take a look at a real deal. This is a buyer's opportunity.

Real Estate Market Lows, Real Estate Market Woes!

I was talking to a fellow Realtor yesterday about the current real estate market in Key West. I was asked my opinion of what is going to happen.
I don't have a clue. I see great properties that cannot find buyers. There are buyers. Don't get me wrong. They just don't want to buy now.
One of the commentators on CNN or MSNBC was recently discussing the huge drop in the stock market during the past weeks. He spoke about the stock market testing new lows in an attempt to find it's bottom.

That discussion caused me to look at the single family homes that sold during the period between October 2007 through October 2008. I included all single family home sales from Sunset Key just off shore from Old Town through Shark Key. These homes are all in the Key West Association of Realtors database of homes in Areas One, Two, and Three. I did not exclude any sale. So the material is raw. And it is uniform in the sense that it was not manipulated. Statistics can be used to show just about anything. I'm not trying to prove any particular point. You as the reader can draw your own conclusion as to what the data shows.

The "spike" in prices during June, July, and August occurred in months when we had a couple of very high priced per square foot sales in Old Town and Sunset Key. Had those sales not occurred, the monthly averages would have been reduced.

The drop in sales during September and October 2008 is pretty much a seasonal occurrence. Sales during the summer usually take about 45 to 60 days to close. So the early fall sales reflect the lack of earlier sales activity. The disturbing reduction in price per square foot sales during September and October 2008 from September and October 2007 is troublesome, however.

The graph at the top of this page is the result of my attempt to try to figure out what our market is doing. I am not a statistician. I do not claim the figures are anything more than I mentioned earlier. You can judge for yourself.

If you think prices have dropped enough for you to seriously consider buying a home in Key West, please CLICK HERE to search the official Key West MLS database in real time and without registering with anybody. If you find a property that you like, please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, or e-mail me at kw1101v@aol.com.

Real Estate Auction - Key West

Attention Bargain Hunters! I know you are out there. I know there are buyers waiting for the absolute rock bottom prices. When bank owned properties do not sell after being on the market for several months, they are moved to the next level in an attempt to sell them. The next level is public auction.

There is going to be a huge public auction in Miami on Sunday, December 14, 2008 where the Key West houses shown here are available for purchase to the highest bidder. A company called REDC (REAL ESTATE DISPOSITION CORPORATION) is conducting the auction for various bank owners. CLICK HERE to see the RULES of the auction and the drop down menu of properties available across the state of Florida. The same company is conducting similar auctions in other areas of the United States in the immediate future. So spend some time on the internet to checkout other areas of Florida or elsewhere. Why anybody would consider buying a vacation house anyplace else boggles my mind, however.

The five Key West properties are listed below. I am not recommending anything. I am simply letting the buying public know about this opportunity.

3533 Flagler Avenue Key West. Nice two story single family home near the east end of Flagler. There is a newer kitchen, 3 bedrooms, and a pool.
Starting bid is $189,000.

630 Elizabeth Street Key West sits at the top of Solares Hill. This is an apartment building in need of TLC. There is a small outside area at the rear. Great location but it is going to need some work. Starting bid is $169,000.

1 Coral Way is a cute townhome located on sunny Stock Island. The starting bid on this two story unit is only $99,000. I have not seen the unit itself, but others have recently sold for a lot more than the current asking price on this unit.

3711 Duck Avenue is located in the New Town area of Key West. The starting bid on this single family home is only $69,000.

The final is a condo at 201 Coppitt Road (Unit C 204) on Big Coppitt Key. The opening bid is only $5000.

Two of the properties have been listed by a real estate firm out of Miami that has no physical presence in Key West. I personally think Realtors that list properties this way are hurting the seller and harming the local community as well. The bank owner does not get its property promoted and shown properly; the property stagnates and does not sell; the property is sold at a huge discount to its real market value; and that discounted price tends to drive down prices of other houses in the area.

Checkout the links and checkout the properties. All homes Open for inspection 11AM to 4PM on 11/22/08, 11/23/08 and 11/29/08.

Read the RULES at the website carefully. The RULES must be followed. Advance registration is required. This is not a solicitation for business on my part. I am not affiliated with the auction or any of the properties listed.

But if you are looking to buy a place in Key West, I would appreciate your phone call to me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, or e-mail at kw1101v@aol.com.

Just Listed 723 Southard St - Old Town - Key West

Just Listed (but not by me!) 723 Southard Street - right in the Heart of Old Town Key West, Florida. This is how the listing Realtor describes this most charming cottage: "Totally renovated Old Town cottage located in the most desirable location atop Solares Hill. Absolutely stunning 2 bedroom, 2 bath home with a large family room with 3 walls of sliding glass doors opening onto the tropically landscaped yard, large deck and in-ground jacuzzi/dip pool. The gourmet kitchen has granite counter tops, Bosch stainless steel appliances, vaulted ceiling and a dining area with a wall of glass. Crown molding, designer lighting and beautiful heart of pine floors throughout make this one of the most appealing homes available."

723 Southard Street has 1100 sq ft of living space and sits on a 2228 sq ft lot(24'.75 X 90') midway between William and Elizabeth Streets. It sits in an eclectic block of similar conch cottages and larger conch houses. The location is a three minute walk to Duval and five minutes to the Historic Key West Seaport. If you run out of bread and milk, Faustos Food Palace is a five minute walk. Of course you could just walk to any of the dozens of cafes and restaurants within minutes. 723 Southard is offered at $899,000 or $817 per sq ft. CLICK HERE to see more photos and obtain detailed information on this cottage.

If you are looking for a place in Key West, now is a good time to buy. Prices are way down from their historic highs on all types of properties. I am a firm believer that any property that is listed for sale in today's market is listed because the owner wants or needs to sell it. I think all prices are negotiable. Please CLICK HERE to checkout the Key West mls database. If you see something you like please call me, Gary Thomas, or e-mail me at kw1101v@aol.com.

Like a Virgin -- 522 Grinnell St. Key West

I love old houses. I've spent years watching This Old House as the hosts and professionals restored neglected homes from another era. The end product was almost always very appealing and seemed to fit nicely into today's lifestyle.

One of the first houses I "almost" bought was the Croke Patterson Mansion at 428 East 11th Avenue in Denver. Like a lot of large older properties it was converted into apartments and deteriorated somewhat. Click HERE and HERE to see what I almost bought for $90,000 in 1974 or 1975. I was a young lawyer at the time and needed to borrow some of the down payment money from my mother. She didn't say "No" but instead said it was too much work for me to handle. Same thing. So I didn't buy it. Someone else bought it, fixed it up, and resold it a couple of years later for a little over $1,000,000.

A lot of the old houses in Key West got "bought up" in the 1970s and early 1980s. They got restored and the price of real estate in Key West exploded. Some of the very large houses were converted into apartments and others in guest houses (bed and breakfasts). And a few of the big houses just sat there, neglected. They sat for decades and nobody did anything to them. The exteriors did not painted or the gutters repaired. The facades were untouched. The interiors were un-fooled around with.

It invariably happens when I am driving clients around Old Town they spot one of the virgin houses and ask "How much does that cost?" thinking it must be cheap since it looks so run down. Nothing in Key West is cheap. So properties are just priced more affordably than others. And most of the old virgins are not priced affordably. But that may not make them expensive.

The new listing at 522 Grinnell Street belonged to the same family since it was built in the late 1800s. It was purchased from the original owners a couple of years ago. The house now sits vacant and awaits new owners. Potential buyers can look around this great hulk of a house without feeling like you are intruding. (The previous owner insisted that only she could show the house. She always re-told her family's history room by room. I actually enjoyed her showing the house because buyers got a real appreciation for the property.)

As I recall the story the former owner told this house, like so many of the grand old homes in Key West, was built by ship chandlers. That means the house was built to withstand strong winds and the elements. I would not call this house "grand", but I do think it has a very simple beauty that could just shine after a careful restoration. The house is big (2754 sq ft) and sits on a 55' x 100'lot.

There are bay windows on both the south and north sides. There is a large inviting formal entry. The living room and dining room are formal by design. The other rooms are just basically large rooms with tall ceilings. There is a wrap-around front porch on both the main and second floors. You can see so much of the Key West skyline from the second floor.

The rear yard has a small building that might allow you to "renovate" and turn it into a pool house. Yes, there is room for a good sized pool as well. I'd ask for permission to tear off the existing kitchen addition at the back and reconfigure the main rooms downstairs into spaces that meet our current lifestyle. That would mean creating indoor-outdoor living space. Perhaps you could add a first and second floor rear porches overlooking the pool and garden. Certainly you would want to redo the second floor and have the master suite at the rear to take advantage of the pool views. The nice thing is that this house is so large and so sound that you could dream up all kinds of creative ways to renovate it in style and yet retain that simple architecture that we can see under the peeling paint.

Cornish Lane (it's so small there isn't even room for a car) flanks the south side of the property. There are four cottages on Cornish Lane and a good sized house next door to the north. There are a couple of beautiful restorations on the opposite side of the street. And Five Brothers Grocery is on the corner at Southard Street. The Historic Key West Seaport is a three minute walk to the north and Duval is a five minute walk to the west.

CLICK HERE to see more photos and more details on the grand old virgin at 522 Grinnell Street in Old Town Key West. They don't make virgins like her any more.

If you are in the market for a virgin, or maybe a place that's been abused and needs some TLC, please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 or e-mail me at kw1101@aol.com.

Believe in Change

That freckle faced 17 year old kid on the right side of the photo is me way back in 1964. The guy next to me is now an attorney in Denver, and the girl on the end was my first love interest. We were at the old Stapleton Airport in Denver at a rally for President Lyndon Johnson.

I was president of the Jeffco Teen Dems (Denver's western suburbs). We had a crew of about 120 teenagers that had been inspired by JFK who wanted to see his legacy continue under the new President. (That was before Johnson took us to the dark side in Viet Nam.) We were true believers in all that is good. We helped as best we could to see that LBJ won Colorado in 1964 election. He won that race by a landslide. Big time.

My view is that Johnson's landslide victory was a ratification by the American people to extend the promise of President Kennedy. The Republican candidate, Senator Barry Goldwater, was portrayed as a demon and a war monger. Looking back more than 40 years later I don't know if anybody could have beat LBJ.

Ronald Reagan pulled off a similar landslide in 1980 when he decimated sitting President Jimmy Carter. Reagan's entrance into the White House was the beginning of a shift to the right in public policy. There was to be less government than envisioned by JFK & LBJ. Twenty-eight years have passed. Our world has been shaken by the events of September 11th, our involvement in a war without end in Iraq, the pernicious partisanship on both side of the aisle in Congress that keeps the peoples business from getting done, and the near collapse many segments of our economy. Everywhere people want change. It's not even about who is to blame. It is just to change the way things are done.

After his election as President, LBJ got a lot of programs through Congress that President Kennedy had been unable to do including the Voting Rights Act and the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Civil Rights Act prohibited discrimination in public facilities (restaurants and hotels), in government, and in employment, and it invalidated the Jim Crow laws in the southern U.S. It became illegal to compel segregation of the races in schools, housing, or hiring. It also created the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Prior to its passage I remember getting into screaming matches with white adult men who were opposed to this legislation. They are all old men now, if they are still living. I wonder if they are afraid of having a black man as President. They were afraid of having a black man having civil rights back then.

I remember the collective sense of loss all Americans felt after September 11th. It was the worst day in my life, and I wasn't even there. I was in Key West. I knew things would never be the same again.

I recall that later that day Republicans and Democrats stood in front of the US Capitol as the Speaker of the House said "Senators and House members, Democrats and Republicans will stand shoulder to shoulder to fight this evil that has perpetrated on this nation. We will stand together to make sure that those who have brought forth this evil deed will pay the price." And they did. For a while.

I remember watching President Bush climb atop a pile of rubble at the site of the World Trade Center on September the 14th. He spoke with determination into the megaphone and said "I can hear you, the rest of the world hears you, and the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon!" No matter how much many of us disliked him or his policies or how he became President, he was our President. We stood behind him. We were one.

Seven years later the list of woes is endless: the two wars, the housing market collapse, the bailout, the recession or whatever you want to call what "it" is that we are living through, the loss of American jobs, the high cost of gas and its impact on everything we consume or use, the mounting national debt and the impending social security surge, the lack of affordable health care, the decline of American education, the loss of America's prestige in the world, the illegal aliens, and so on.

The polls and pundits are predicting a landslide for both Obama and the Democrats in the House and Senate in tomorrow's election. I do not know a single person who wants our current way of living to continue. Everybody wants change. If the American public gives the new President a chance and stands behind him, like we did with President Bush after 911, maybe we will see the change we all want.

Key West Old Town Sales Report - October 2008

Last month a reader suggested that I report on the sales of just the Old Town area as opposed to all of Key West. I thought his request had real merit since that is the area that is most popular with out of town buyers looking to purchase a property here. So here is my spin on current Key West real estate sales.

I gathered the sales info for the years 2004 through 2008. Pretty simple stuff. And the results are not surprising. The fall months historically are slow months. It usually takes a good 30 to 60 days for a contract to evolve into a closed sale. A contract signed around July 4th might take until late September or early October to close if the buyer is relying on borrowed funds. (Bank approval of the loan application, appraisal, survey, title work, etc. Each item takes time and time enlarges the date for final closing.)

2004 was the base year. We had 9 single family homes close for a total of $7,612,000 or sales at $699 per sq ft in Old Town. There were 8 condo and townhome sales totaling $4,745,000 or $866 per sq ft. Remember there were a lot of "conversions" of larger buildings into condos back then. Interestingly, I counted 7 of the total 17 sales in 2004 as being short sales or foreclosures as of today. The number could be higher because I relied just on properties I know from memory that are in foreclosure.

2005 marked the end of the housing bubble and sales had already started to tighten. In 2006 Key West was still reeling from Hurricane Wilma and the downturn in the real estate market. We did not know then that Key West was only a microcosm of what was transpiring nationally. And I don't think any of us understood the world wide importance of the burst of the housing bubble until late summer in 2008. Sales of single family homes in 2005 dropped to only 3 with a sales volume of $4,590,000 or $876 per sq ft. There were 9 condo sales that year at $8,061,750 or $951 per sq ft.

In 2006 the single family sales increased to 6 with a total of $6,047,500 or $683 per sq ft. There were 4 condo and townhome sales totaling $2,017,500 or $703 per sq ft. Condo prices were dropping more as compared to single family homes.

In 2007 there were 5 single family home sales totaling $5,290,000 at $647 per sq ft. Condo and townhome sales dropped to $640 per sq ft as there were only 4 such sales that totaled only $2,198,000.

And this year, 2008, sales have nose dived. There were only two single family home sales in Old Town. One was in Bahama Village and the other was a brand new house at 408 Grinnell Street that I wrote about on May 21st. I referred to it as a half price sale. Well, it went for less than half of the original asking price of $2,750,000 because it sold for just $1,325,000 or $535 per sq ft. Statistically our two single family solds in 2008 amounted to a whopping $1,700,000 or $398 per sq ft. And condo sales were down as well. There were only two sales in Old Town that totaled a mere $1,310,000 or $724 per sq ft. Interestingly, the larger unit (at Harbour Place) sold for $396,000 less than the seller paid for it four years earlier.

There are currently only 7 single family homes in Old Town shown in our mls as contingent or pending. Several of those are short sales. And there are only 5 condo or townhomes shown as contingent or pending. To make matters worse, 3 of those contracts are for units at Harbour House (the yet to be constructed condo development at the foot of Margaret Street).

I have maintained my optimism that Old Town will recover sooner and more strongly than other areas of Key West. I believe Key West will recover as a whole much more strongly than other areas in South Florida. This is because there is still a demand for homes in Old Town. Buyers are waiting to buy the deals. They are waiting for sellers to get more realistic with the asking and selling prices. To borrow and mangle a line from "Field of Dreams" If you price it right, they will buy.

There are a few really nice properties on the market right now in Old Town. Some are priced correctly as compared to previous prices on a per sq ft basis. Some properties are priced high and some low price per sq ft basis. It is not just the price per sq ft that buyers should consider. Some of the distressed properties cost a whole lot more to build than the asking price. And some of the properties enjoy an excellent location which means to me that they will be worth more long term than other properties that may cost less now on a per sq ft basis.

Sellers who need to sell in this market ought to price their properties based on what they are worth today--not on what the sellers wish they are worth. My advice to sellers is to get an appraisal from a good appraiser. Don't list your property based on what you think it is worth or what your Realtor will list it at simply to get your listing. Don't believe the hype being spread around town that short sales and bank foreclosure sales do not count in valuing property. Those sales are a good percentage of the current sales in Key West. They count. Those are the sales that happened. Don't let your life spin out of control and end up losing your property or your equity by irrationally believing that your property is worth more than it is.