Just Listed - 304 Julia Street - Key West

304 Julia Street Key West, Florida

The Red X marks the approximate location of 304 Julia Street Key West

Just listed by Preferred Properties is 304 Julia Street located in the Bahama Village area of Old Town Key West. This is how the listing Realtor describes this home:

"Renovated two story Conch House. Upgraded kitchen and bathrooms with wood floors throughout, stainless steel appliances and granite countertops. Large master suite on second floor with additional bedroom and bathroom. Private master suite rear balcony. First floor guestroom with attached bathroom and french doors onto pool deck. Large front porch and upstairs balcony. Covered deck overlooking the heated pool. Fenced for privacy."

This home has three really good sized bedrooms and four real bathrooms. There is even a second floor rear balcony just off the master bedroom perfect for checking out the views of the Atlantic Ocean. The views aren't great, but there is an ocean view. The living room is large and spacious. The kitchen opens into the dining room so the cook can always be part of what is going on elsewhere in the home. This home provides a lot of real usable living space unlike a lot of houses in the Old Town area.

The house comes complete with a heated pool and a nice private deck area. CLICK HERE to read more detailed listing info and to see several photos of this really attractive family-sized home that is priced at $524,900 or $287 per sq ft.

304 Julia Street is located two blocks off of Upper Duval. You can walk to the beach at Ft Zachary Taylor in about 10 minutes or ride your bike in about five minutes. I put up a couple of pics of the beach because it is so damned nice. So what if we don't have crashing waves. We have whispering pines and lots ocean without thousands upon thousands of locals and tourists crowding our beaches (unlike Ft. Lauderdale, Miami, Daytona, etc.). Blue Heaven and other neighborhood restaurants are nearby as well.



CLICK HERE to checkout the Key West Association of Realtors mls database. If you see something you like, please consider calling me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642. I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties in Key West, Florida.

903 Southard St -Old Town - Key West

903 Southard Street Key West, Florida

The pool!

Just listed, but not by me, 903 Southard Street in Old Town Key West. This house is priced to meet the market at $550,000 or $924 per sq ft. Read on to see why it will sell right away.

The listing Realtor describes 903 Southard Street this way:

"This cute & adorable renovated Old Town cottage is located on a corner lot and within walking distance of great restaurants, the Key West Bight and Duval Street and clubs. The French doors leading from the living area open onto the tropically landscaped inground pool with lots of privacy. Please note interior of property is approximately 594 sf. Possible encroachment onto property by adjoining rear property."

903 Southard Street has been actively rented as a vacation rental for a couple of years and has a good rental history. The cottage has two bedrooms and one bath. The kitchen opens into the living area. And then there is the pool and courtyard. CLICK HERE for more detailed mls listing info and photos.

The cottage is located at the corner of Southard and Margaret Streets. Mangia Mangia restaurant is located directly across the street. Michael's Restaurant (the tony T-bone joint) is located on the opposite side of Margaret. Five Brothers is located one block to the east; the Historic Key West Seaport is a five minute walk to the north and Duval Street is a five minute walk to the west. You could not ask for a better location. I showed this cottage several times and it is always rented. I've repeatedly ask renters how they like the location and the house. Everybody raves about it. All of the above photos were taken about one year ago.

If you read my blog from yesterday you know there is very little for sale in Key West in the $500,000 range, let alone a good location with a pool. I urge serious buyers to contact me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 or by email at kw1101v@aol.com. I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty Inc. in Key West, Florida.

730 Southard Street - Back on the Market - New Lower Price - Old Town - Key West

730 Southard Street Old Town Key West

Imagine opening your front door to that view every day!

This may be your last chance to grab an iconic Key West property at a reasonable price. The one of a kind property located at 730 Southard Street (which had been under contract) is back on the market and is now offered at $1,100,000 or $388 per sq ft. This is how the listing Realtor describes the property:

" Right in the heart of Old Town Key West sits this jewel of an original Conch home built in the 1800's awaiting your special touch. The history behind this home spans several generations of just one family. The rooms are large, the ceilings are high and everything is original in this two story home including Dade County pine throughout. There's over 2800 square feet of living space including the large master and guest bedrooms upstairs plus the living room, den, study, dining room and kitchen downstairs. The standup attic runs the length of the building with access to the widows walk allowing for a bird's eye view of Old Town. All this plus room for a pool in the back."

The most recent resident was born in and lived in that house for nearly ninety years. She passed away a couple of years ago. Many of her possessions are still located in place throughout the house. The house almost shows like a museum of a life in another distant time. The outside of the house looks ragged and forlorn. But the inside of the house is quite different. Read on.

The house has wonderful wraparound porches on the first and second floors, and there are rear porches on both levels as well. Those porches provide potentially dramatic openings from the historic French doors that open onto the porches. That includes the rear second floor porch just off the master bedroom. The porches all need replaced. Some of the shutters need replaced. But the French doors appeared to be in fine condition and properly located.

Master bedroom in on second floor right

Any renovation of the house would entail all new electric, plumbing, and air conditioning. The house is very large. A local architect told me that he believes three buildings were brought together to make one large structure. (That would explain the two separate formal living rooms on the first floor.) The third floor attic is gigantic. The architect commented that the attic would provide excellent space for location of HVAC.

The Attic is larger and more spacious than many Key West Cottages

The existing bathrooms are very old and very dated. I think there is more than enough room for a creative architect to carve out some very useful bathrooms that meet our modern needs and still preserve the dignity the present structure.

The kitchen is located in a separate building just off the grand dining room. It has three sets of French doors that open onto the William Street side of the property. The room is very large and the ceiling could be vaulted to create a really dramatic area. The kitchen even has an existing fireplace that might become a feature in a renovation

.Kitchen is smaller one story building with 3 sets of French doors shown above

The dining room is likewise located just off the kitchen and next to the front parlor. The living room, on the other and, is a giant room located just to the west of the front door. The living room has French doors that overlook the rear grounds. The dining room, parlor, and living room each have French doors that open onto the wraparound porches on front and the rear as well. The layout is a bit formal for today but the space is entirely useful. Imagine the house re-fitted to meet the needs of 21st Century living complete with existing French doors that open from every room that would over looking the pool and gardens.

Parlor is located just off main entrance and adjacent to the formal dining room

The second floor has enough space for two great bedrooms and baths to compliment the huge master bedroom suite with front and rear balconies. The space for the master suite is just grand. I envision treating the very simple structure in an understated manner. The classic design elements are already there. It is just coming up with a good and useful design for today. There isn't a need to add, but there is a need to edit.

All of the interior has Dade County Pine walls, ceilings, and wood floors. Those rooms look as solid today at they were a hundred years ago. They have not been messed with.The building appeared seemed very structurally sound with the exception of some of the piers that will need to be repaired. (I am not a qualified inspector but I feel comfortable in commenting on things that are easily noticeable.) All of the plumbing and electric needs replaced. HVAC would be all new as it is non existent.

There is no pool. But there is room for a great pool and garden as well. The fence is dilapidated as is the widows walk on the top roof. But you should see the view from up there. You can see the Gulf of Mexico and all of the small homes for blocks and blocks. You could have a great sunrise view from the kitchen of dining room each morning. And in the early evening you could sit on the second floor front porch and watch the sunset.

Room for a large pool and beautiful gardens

View from the Widow's Walk of the Gulf of Mexico

730 Southard Street is a big house with 2838 sq ft of space under roof. It sits on a large 6853 sq ft lot (at the corner of William and Southard Streets) right in the smack dab middle of Old Town. CLICK HERE to read the listing Realtor's description of the property and to see some very good interior and exterior photos.

It's going to take probably a several months and quite a bit of cash to renovate the place. But in the end someone is going to own one of the great beauties of Key West. If you would like to see 730 Southard Street please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642. My email address is kw1101v@aol.com. I can send more photos to serious buyers. I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West, Florida. Our office is the exclusive lower Florida Keys affiliate of Christie's Great Estates.

The Bottom of the Barrel - Key West Real Estate

Bottom of the Barrel - Key West Real Estate

I think Key West real estate has hit the bottom of the barrel. CLICK HERE to see the remaining 17 single family homes priced at or below $500,000 and that are located in the Old Town, Meadows, and Casa Marina areas. The average house has 943 sq ft of living space and is priced at $477 per sq ft. I have written before that most of the buyers that call, email, or meet me say that they would prefer to purchase a house priced under $500,000. Kind of slim pickin's.

There are just 11 Active Short Sale single family homes that priced under $600,000. These houses average 1,331 sq ft and are offered at $339 per sq ft average. I feel confident that only the house at 826 Eaton Street would interest some potential second home buyers, and most potential buyers would probably would not consider even that house because of its location. There is nothing wrong with this house. But a lot of buyers will not consider Eaton Street, or White Street, or United Street, or South Street, or any street that looks upon the cemetery.

We must go outside of the Old Town are to find more houses under $500,000. There are 33 more houses CLICK HERE in the mid town and new town areas priced $500,000 or less. (One of those had extensive fire damage and is back on the market. No mention of the fire damage in the listing. I did not see any building permits either. I wonder how that happened.)

Currently, 57 single family homes in the Old Town, Meadows, and Casa Marina areas are shown in the mls database as being contingent or pending. Thirty-eight (or 66%) of those properties are shown as short sales. One short sale has been shown as contingent as far back as March 2009. Five of the 57 are priced over $1,000,000. The average house on the list has 1,490 sq ft of living space and is priced at $484 per sq ft.

There is an interesting conflict going on right now in the Old Town, Meadows, and Casa Marina areas of Key West. As you can see the lower priced homes market looks pretty bleak. There is scant inventory in the lower price range. The places that remain unsold may have locational issues or may need renovation. Renovation takes time and money so the cheaper prices will be off set by more spending later. I often drive potential buyers past most of the lower priced houses before I set up showings just because I know most people would not consider the location no matter how cheap the price.

There are 76 homes priced between $500,000 to $999,000 that are shown as Active (67) or Active Short Sale (9). The average house has 1509 sq ft of living space and is priced at $533 per sq ft. The total number of available single family homes (Active and Active Short Sale) is 217 with an average asking price of $666 per sq ft. The problem is most of these houses do not have active buyers-at the current asking prices. There are lots of buyers. The just are not shopping for houses in the mid-level price range. Everybody wants a "deal". So few sales are occurring in this price range.

The other day I wrote about 604 Elizabeth Street. The owner is a Realtor who had listed and showed the property himself for several months. The house had been priced too high for this market. The house is absolutely beautiful. It is located on a great Old Town block. The owner finally fired himself as listing agent and gave the listing to another agent. The asking price was lowered to a price point that made sense. Bingo! Contract!

Buyers remain focused on the low end of the market. And it looks to me like that market is all but gone. The mid-range market ( $500,000 to $1,000,000) has a good amount of available houses but that section of the market isn't really selling. The high end market isn't selling either. There are individual sales of high priced homes but not as many as one would expect-especially at this point in season. There are 140 single family homes in the Old Town, Meadows and Casa Marina areas priced at $1,00,000 or higher with the average home priced at 818 per sq ft. There are only 17 houses priced under $500,000 with the average house priced at $477 per sq ft. Something has to give.

CLICK HERE to conduct your own search of the Key West Association of Realtors mls database. If you see something you like, please contact me, Gary Thomas, 305.766.2642. I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. Our office is the exclusive Lower Florida Keys affiliate of Christie's Great Estates.

Key West - Bank Owned - Open House - Today

Open House - Sunday - 1:00 to 3:00 PM
1502 Petronia Street The Meadows Key West
Originally $1,795,000 Now $975,000

1502 Petronia Street Key West

1502 Petronia Street is priced at $975,000 or $568 per sq ft for this 1717 sq ft home. It is owned by a local bank in Key West. Come by and compare what you can get for your money. This property is one of eight completed in 2007. Four units are currently available. This unit is the only two bedroom unit available, and it is a doozy! This home is located on the corner and it has a lot of privacy and great view from the second floor front porch where you can sit and watch the incredible Key West sunsets every night. Only One house sits across the street. That house takes up the entire block. It is priced at $4,795,000. Nice neighborhood!

This stunning home is part of The Meadows condo association. Each home is owned in fee simple and sits on an individually owned lot. The association is exists to provide access to rear parking via gated driveway and storm water runoff. The homes were newly built in 2007 with top of the line materials and craftsmanship. This home features soaring 11' ceilings in the living area and kitchen. The kitchen is top of the line with stainless steel appliances, beautiful granite and solid wood cabinets. The kitchen area includes the lower portion of a two story turret. The turret portion of the kitchen is configured as an office or nook area of sorts. Lots of windows in the kitchen so your cooking will not be a chore but a dream. There is also a wet bar in the living room. The floors on the first floor are travertine marble. And the stairway and second bedroom floors are wood. The bedrooms have en-suite baths. The master bath is just incredible. I challenge you to find any more luxurious bath in Key West for less than $2 million. You won't find one.

Architectural details including crown molding, high ceilings, porches and solid wood doors. The wood doors on the first and second floor front are massive and of the highest quality. The 8' sliding doors that separate the living area from the pool are hurricane impact resistant to 155 mph that open wide to let the outside become part of the inside. A private, gated drive leads to the carport and a separate entry to the private pool and spa area. Each home is completely fenced and beautifully landscaped. CLICK HERE to see more photos and listing information.

This home is located in the Meadows area of Key West. Bayview Park, complete with an old fashioned bandstand and public tennis courts, is two blocks to the south. The White Street arts district is a five minute walk. The Garrison Bight Marina is located one half block away. Duval Street and the Historic Seaport are each a five minute bike ride. The big (f0r Key West they are big) shopping centers are five minutes by car to the east. The Key West International Airport is five to seven minutes depending on traffic.

This home would be great as second home for someone who wants everything that is done just right and only requires room for an occasional visitor. The second bedroom is just beautiful and would work great for a family of three, but I think empty nesters or a gay couple would find this place just about perfect. Stop by today and check it out.

CLICK HERE to view a list of of town homes and condos with similar features that were built about the same time. Compare the prices (and size, amenities, and location) to see why I think this property is such a really good buy. Nothing constructed then is priced lower than these units.

626 Grinnell Street - Old Town - Key West

626 Grinnell Street Old Town Key West

Corner of Angela Street and Grinnell Street Key West

Just listed, but not by me, 626 Grinnell Street in Old Town Key West. This is one of those great eclectic and cheerful Key West houses that has so much too offer. This home has nearly 3000 sq ft of living space with a very friendly front porch for people watching, an old fashioned formal living room at the front of the house followed by a formal dining room at the rear. There is a newer kitchen with very tall wood cabinets and great natural light. There are high ceilings, crown molding, and lots of Victorian charm that you do not see in a lot of Key West "conch style" homes. Much of the original house has Dade County Pine. There is a huge second floor master suite with great outdoor views from rear porch. The master bath is very large and sunny. The house has three bedrooms in total. (The mater bed and bath area is a later addition and can be seen in the photo below.) The rear yard has a heated pool, mature trees, and privacy.

The second floor master bedroom and bath are new additions to 626 Grinnell Street

626 Grinnell Street is located one house in from the corner of Angela Street. (Angela is a one lane, one way street that runs from west to east on the north side of the Key West cemetery.) Conch Trains and Trolleys can't drive on either street so this is one of the quieter locations in Old Town. A small Key West Pocket Park (see photo) is located across the street. Five Brothers Coffee Shop is located at the end of the block on Southard Street. The Historic Seaport is three blocks further to the north and Duval Street is a five minute walk to the west. The White Street arts district is a five minute walk to the east and south.

Pocket Park located across from 626 Grinnell Street

This house shows very well. It does not have off street parking and that is a put off to a lot of potential buyers. But almost all of the houses in this block are single family residences, and there is not a lot of competition for on street parking. Remember the cemetery is only about 40 feet to the south so the area is very quiet at night and there are not a lot of cars at any time of the day.

CLICK HERE to read the mls listing info and to view some additional photos. Better yet, call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 or send me an email at kw1101v@aol.com. I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West, Florida where today it is 79 degrees at 2:15 PM. Thank God!

1445 South Roosevelt - Coconut Mallory Penthouse - Key West

Unit 201 is located top floor right with parking below. Only 2 units per floor.

I have written about this particular property twice before. I think this particular condominium has a lot to offer a potential second home buyer looking for a place that can be legally rented to help defray part of the cost of ownership.

This is how the listing broker describes Unit 201 at Coconut Mallory Resort and Marina, a condominium located on the eastern edge of Key West:

" Boat slip & transient license! Second floor unit boasting an open floor plan with water views. Elevator access from pool area to private wrap around balcony accessed from living area and bedrooms. Recently renovated kitchen and baths. Offered fully furnished ready to move in today or start earning rental income. Dock Fees associated with the boat slip are $1,140.00 paid one time annually. Condominium Fees paid monthly include all utilities, electric, water, sewer garbage & cable along with exterior insurance and building/common area maintenance.

This unit sits on the top floor and has water views of the Cow Key Channel that separates Key
West from its nearest neighbor, Stock Island. This channel provides instant deep water access to boaters and fishermen. There are only two units on the second floor and they each have large wraparound balconies on three sides. The views from this unit include the adults only pool to the north, the water to the east, and the timeshare units to the south. There is a second family pool and spa plus a really cute playground for the kids on the opposite side of the timeshare buildings. There are two units on the floor below and covered designated parking at ground level.
Coconut Mallory has 1126 square feet of newly remodeled interior space and wrap around covered lanais. The living room and both bedrooms have immediate access to the lanais and this makes the interior spaces seem even larger. The are no neighbors across the courtyard or next door to watch your every move. The only "neighbor" occupies the west one-half of the floor and that unit has no view. The neighbors to the south, east, and north are open skies, some palm trees, and the waterfront where the Coconut Mallory Marina is located CLICK HERE and CLICK HERE.

This unit has a real killer view of the adults only pool just to the north. (There is another pool that does permit children. That pool is secluded and surrounded by palm trees.)
Unit 201 has a large covered parking space with easy access to the enclosed stairway or elevator. That means you do not need to get beat up by the occasional rainstorm or blistering heat when you are bringing in the groceries. There are no bowling alley long hallways or tourists to dodge on scooters zooming around the parking lot. When you are home, you are home.

The interiors were very recently tastefully renovated to provide both utility and style. The space was designed for a lot of potential use but it looks great. I will be happy to send interested buyers more photos. Email me at kw1101v@aol.com.

Everything is new.CLICK HERE to read the details on Unit 201 and view more mls photos. The new owner can rent the unit or not as he or she decides. But on-site management is available. CLICK HERE to look at the snazzy property management website and take a look at the photos of the amenities offered. Then you will get an idea why I really like this property.

This unit was originally priced at $550,000 and it is now offered at $425,000 or $377 per sq ft. But keep in mind that the price includes a valuable TRANSIENT RENTAL LICENSE and a BOAT SLIP. I did a quick search of other two bedroom condos and townhomes priced at or under $425,000 to see what else is available for comparison sake. CLICK HERE to compare.

Please give me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 a call to schedule a showing. I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty Inc. in beautiful Key West, Florida.

919 Southard Street Renovation Project - Key West

I wrote about 919-921 Southard Street a few months ago. It is still sitting there, unsold, on a great block in the middle of Old Town Key West awaiting someone with a creative eye and a big billfold to turn this property into something really special. The new asking price on this property is now $569,000 or $365 per sq ft.

The listing agent describes this property this way:

"Charming location and charming price on wonderful Southard Street. 3 legal units could easily be converted back to single family for the creation of a wonderful estate. In heart of Old Town and midst of multi-million dollar properties! House sits on one side of Double lot which provides room for expansion. In Bank Trust. Sold AS IS; Current incomes are month to month as follows: 1. 2/1 Rear down $1100 2. 1/1 down $900, 3. 1/1 up $850. Owner pays water sewer, and garbage."

I have shown this property a few times. It has been carved up and chopped up into small apartments. They work okay, but the location and size of the lot really ache for a new house to compliment the location. Cost of renovation is probably too expensive to make a remodel efficacious. The apartments would still be small and the rent one would get could not justify the effort or money.

But I think the location does justify spending money to demolish as much of the existing structure as HARC (Historic Architecture Review Commission) would allow. I'm thinking everything behind the facade should get demolished. The lot is very large (51' X 100' or 5075 sq ft). There is plenty of room for a large new single family home, pool, garden, and off street parking.

CLICK HERE to read the mls listing info and see more photos of 919 & 921 Southard Street.

If you are looking for an investment property or a renovation project, this is a place you might want to look at. Tenant occupied so advance notice is required. Please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule an appointment. I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West, Florida.

The House on the Hill - Old Town - Key West

604 Elizabeth Street sits atop Solares Hill in Old Town Key West

The Perfect Perch to People Watch

I guess I have written too often about the importance of location because so many potential buyers snub perfectly nice homes because sometimes they are located in sometimes challenging locations. The house at 604 Elizabeth Street which located near the tippy-top of Solares Hill (the highest point in Key West) could not have a better location. The house is located two blocks from Duval Street and just steps from Southard Street. So it's a quick walk to the shopping, restaurants, and nightlife but not near enough to hear it.

The neighboring houses CLICK HERE are a mix of super-expensive to moderate, but nothing cheap. The house directly behind 604 Elizabeth Street at 620 Southard Street CLICK HERE is on the market for a mere $12,800,000. Not a typo!

This is how the listing Realtor (who is also the owner) describes 604 Elizabeth Street:

"Now is an even BETTER time to buy what is perhaps the perfect house in the perfect location, the 600 block of Elizabeth Street, 3BR/2.5 BA, very near Solares Hill. Recent renovations with easy island living in mind, granite counter tops, stainless steel appliances, dense foliage,heart shaped cocktail pool for those romantic Key West evenings, off street parking, open living/dining area, and much, much more. Must be seen to be appreciated."

The Pool!

You enter the property through a white picket fence into a brick paved courtyard complete with a bubbling fountain and gated off street parking. There is a two story front porch that is perfect for people viewing and navel contemplation. (The yard isn't all that large so you will have time to contemplate something.)

When you open the front door your eyes immediately take you to the three sets of French doors that open onto the pool at the rear. The present owner replaced just about everything in this house which was originally constructed in 1997. (Not a typo.) All the materials are high-end and the quality of the materials and workmanship shows. Photos of the entry and rear follow.

The owner removed one interior wall at the top of the stairs to create an open office area (wall could be replaced to restore use as bedroom) with access to the second floor front porch. There are three or four transoms between the office area and the master bedroom at the rear that create a clever source of additional (but subdued) light in the master bedroom. The master bedroom has a little Romeo and Juliet balcony where you can peer down to the pool. The master bath and closet were totally revamped and the result is two great spaces that you normally do not see in Key West houses in Old Town. This house actually was designed to be lived in. There is a third bedroom also on the second floor and that has its own door onto the front porch.

CLICK HERE to see the mls listing page and to view more photos of 604 Elizabeth Street which is now offered at $1,095,000 or $698 per sq ft. The house has 1568 sq ft of real living space situated on a 2528 sq ft lot (79' x 32') in a great Old Town location. If you would like to see this really attractive home, please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642. I think you will be in for a very pleasant surprise. I can email you more photos if interested.

CLICK HERE to search the real Key West Association of Realtors mls database. No one (including me) will track your moves on the Internet or send you emails by using this official site. If you see something you like, please call me or send me an e-mail at kw1101v@aol.com. I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty Inc, an affiliate of Christie's Great Estates.