721 Chapman Lane - Bank Owned - Key West

Entrance to Bahama Village Petronia & Duval Streets Key West

721 Chapman Lane built 1906 as it appeared in 1965 (above)

721 Chapman Lane Key West as it appears in 2010

I wrote about 710 Chapman Lane in June 2009. It is located directly across the street from 721 Chapman Lane. That place was a "bargain" if I ever saw one. It was artfully renovated for today's lifestyle. That property was a short sale and the new owner got a terrific deal at the purchase price of $385,000. There are three houses for sale on that block today. One is a short sale (a cute house but a new owner will probably need to do some serious fixing); one is a regular sale and over-priced (have not been inside and probably will not-not at that price); and then there is 721 Chapman Lane. 721 Chapman Lane sold for $900,000 in December 2006. Today it is BANK OWNED and offered for $469,000 or $247 per sq ft.

The listing Realtor describes 721 Chapman Lane thus:

"Old town Key West treasure! Tucked away in Chapman Lane is this quaint, two story bungalow style single family home with private swimming pool. You will not believe the space and layout. Just a few steps from Duval Street and Fort Zachary Taylor beach. Paradise awaits you in the heart of Old Town Key West. Come see it before it's gone!!"

The pool at 721 Chapman looked like this in 2006. Not now!

The original cottage (see black and white photo above) located at 721 Chapman Lane was built in 1906 according to the Monroe County Property Appraiser. The house was enlarged and a pool was added. The house as now configured has large rooms and big spaces. This is not the cottage of yore. This photo CLICK HERE probably best demonstrates how the house grew so large. A new two story addition was added to the back of the old cottage. Downstairs you will find the livingroom complete with black and white checkerboard style floors, a bedroom and bathroom, and a large eat-in kitchen with French doors that open out onto the back deck and pool area. Upstairs you will find two other bedrooms each with private bath. The tub-shower in the master bath looks like something you might find in the International Space Station.

The 1900 sq ft home has 3 bedrooms, two and one-half baths. It sits on a 2646 sq ft lot. There is a white picket fence in front. In my opinion this place needs a serious "fluff" but I did not see any major renovation expense. I do think the master bath is odd, and a new buyer may want to redo it. The color choices and carpet selections throughout the house are a little overwhelming, but the cost to spruce this place up won't be. Most new home owners want to paint and do a bit of cleaning anyway.

Corner of Petronia Street and Chapman Lane

CLICK HERE to see photos I took of the house and the other houses on Chapman Lane. Chapman Lane is located in Bahama Village-one block west of the famous Blue Heaven Restaurant and La Crepere (notice the tourists riding the wrong way on a one-way street. Don't you just love 'em. Not a care in the world.) Many of the neighboring houses have been redone. Chapman Lane runs just one block and is accessed off Petronia and Angela Streets. It's an easy two or three minute walk to Duval Street. The new Key West marina and boardwalk will be a two or three minute walk when it is completed. I believe the new Truman waterfront development will invigorate growth and development in the Bahama Village area as well.

CLICK HERE to review the mls listing info and to view mls listing photos. Better yet, please call me, Gary Thomas, 305.766.2642 to schedule a showing of this old-new house. I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West, Florida.

Psychic

The Psychic on Duval appears to be out of business.
Couldn't he see the future when he signed his lease?

On July 15th a reader posted this comment in regard to a property I had written about:

"There was a report released today and covered on CNN about a jump in foreclosures and news that banks are beginning to act faster on booting delinquent homeowners (or second or third homeowners) and also liquidating the houses more quickly.

Any thoughts about that from a local perspective? There are also reports that more high-end owners with mortgages are defaulting. I've noticed the foreclosure and short-sale numbers have been ticking upward again in Key West."

I questioned his/her source and was referred to a local real estate website. The commenter later added:

" Foreclosures were down in the teens for awhile but are up to 26. Short sales were also down around/below 100 and have moved up to about 110."

I made my own inquiry in the Monroe County Clerk's online records. I did a very superficial review of two fields that show the filing of new foreclosures (which occurs with the filing of a Lis Pendens). I did a similar review to determine how many Certificates of Title were recorded. (A Certificate of Title is the document by which the Court approves the sale of property at public auction through judicial foreclosure.) The results are shown below.

Number Lis Pendens Filed 2008 (1473) 2009 ( 1948) 2010 (609) [Jan to Aug]

Number of Cert of Sale 2008 (321) 2009 (721) 2010 (341) [Jan to Aug]


It appears that 2009 was just horrible because the number of foreclosures was very high and the number of Certificates of sale increased over calendar year 2008. When I saw the the number of Certificates of Sale for the first six months of 2010 was .5599% of the new Lis Pendens I almost started to believe the naysayers that the end of the world is near.

But then I stepped back and used by noggin. There is no definitive time link ( or certainty) between the filing of a Lis Pendens and subsequent issuance of a Certificate of Title. The time lag is quite analogous to the listing of houses for sale. Many are listed. Some are sold quickly. Other take months if not longer to sell. Some properties are withdrawn from the market and are not sold. Some foreclosures go quick and the property is sold at public auction. However, some owners hire lawyers and drag the foreclosure process through the courts for as long as they can get away with it. And some owners find a way to avoid foreclosure by selling through the short sale process or through a conventional sale.

I then reconciled the passage of time between the date the Lis Pendens was filed and the date the Court approved the judicial foreclosure bid amount and authorized the Clerk to issue a Certificate of Title. I assume that the large number of recent Certificates of Sale are from lawsuits filed in 2007, 2008, and 2009 that have wound their way through the judicial process and that finally got approved for court ordered sales.

I also did a simple comparison of the first six months of 2009 versus 2010 to see if there was an similarity of numbers or percentages.

Number of Lis Pendens Filed Jan 1 to Jul 1, 2009 1022
Number of Lis Pendens Filed Jan 1 to Jul 1, 2010 609
Percentage Difference -48.5% in 2010

Number of Certificates of Title Jan 1 to Jul 1, 2009 221
Number of Certificates of Title Jan 1 to Jul 1. 2010 599
Percentage Difference +200.7% in 2010

These numbers are for all of the Florida Keys. I am not certain that what happens in the other Keys reflects what is happening here. I look at the real property records every week but I only search Key West. What happens in Marathon or Key Largo does not concern me anymore than what happens in Altoona, Pa. What I do see are fewer new Lis Pendens and even fewer Certificates of Sale for just Key West.

I would caution readers to take what you see on any website that extracts raw data and converts it to use to fit into that website's format. I have been cautioning readers to understand that bad info into a computer database will cause equally bad info out. Not all agents nor their assistants fill out the mls listing data sheets completely or correctly. Some agents do not encode short sale or bank owned properties even though they are supposed to do so.

My answer to the reader who asked for a "local perspective" is that I believe the number of new foreclosures in Key West is down from a year ago and the number of bank owned properties is about the same this year as last year. What I have seen is more short sales are getting approved. The short sale approval process has gotten more efficient and a bit quicker. I would also caution readers not to infer what goes on elsewhere in the United States (or even Florida) is what is happening here. There is a huge pent up demand for housing in Key West. It is the high price of housing and the cost of construction that prevents our market from over-heating. But the demand is still there. You don't need to be a psychic to predict that people will always be looking for a place in Key West.

Key West - The Real Thing

The above photo is of the Key West Cafe - the one located in Wildwood, New Jersey. There is a reason people that live in places like New Jersey try to recreate places that remind themselves of the real thing-Key West. It is the fact that they probably have had some of the best moments of their lives in Key West. Many dream of eventually moving to Key West. Some who dream of moving to Key West live in other places, like the ten cities listed below

There is a piece on the Internet today that discusses the ten worst places to live in America which are (according to the item) 1. El Centro, California, 2. Cleveland, Ohio, 3. Detroit, Michigan, 4. Las Vegas, Nevada, 5. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 6. Los Angeles, California, 7. Phoenix. Arizona, 8. Newark, New Jersey, 9. Miami, Florida, and 10. Memphis, Tennessee. CLICK HERE to read the story and get the details. The reasons cited for naming these cities bad places to live include crime, crime rate, violent crime, joblessness, foreclosures, weather, and traffic. (Most sane people don't dream of moving to places like these cities.)

I once toyed with the idea of moving to Laguna Beach, California. It is a small town much like Key West. Lots of laid back people living very comfortably from what I was able to see. The old part of Laguna has mix of California bungalows and mission style homes built before World War II. The oceanfront climate keeps the area lush compared to the tinder dry hills that protect Laguna from the megalopolis to the east, north, and south. Like Key West, it is isolated. The big Interstate highways are several miles to the east but are close enough to get you back to mass civilization within minutes. The isolation the seaside community once had is only ephemeral today.

The other side of Laguna Beach, the side that I did not care for, was the fixation the Lagunatics have on their own self-importance, flash, vanity, call it what you will. The ever present pre-occupation with self-indulgence is really magnified in a small town. And while I loved the idealic little town of Laguna Beach with the roaring Pacific Ocean and the wonderful beaches, I opted in favor of a location where "style" is often more about wearing clean clothes and riding bikes as opposed to wearing designer labels and driving flashy cars. That place is Key West.

I grew up in Denver in the 1950s. I lived in the suburbs as a kid and moved to the Capitol Hill area near downtown Denver when I started law school in 1969. I lived there until I moved to Key West in late 1993. Towards the end I started to feel ill at ease about Denver. The air (smog) was getting worse each year. Driving, even just a few blocks to work, became horrible as the streets were incessantly clogged with too much traffic. The crime rate started to rise all over the metropolitan area. (We didn't have a metropolitan area when I was a kid. But we had a huge one when I left town.) I remember a senseless drive by shooting where a little three year old girl was shot and killed in her parents' car in a northern suburb. Once my house was broken into. I came home and found the burglar standing in my kitchen where he had smashed in the back door. My Old English sheepdog was quivering under the breakfast table. My house had been ransacked, and I felt very violated. A woman Realtor was raped and killed little over a block from where I lived just before I left town. That was about one of the scariest things that ever happened to me. (I lived in a very good part of town.) I know individual acts of violence can happen anywhere, but there were too many of them occurring too frequently and then too near me.

The "air" in Key West is not the same as the air in Denver. Thank God!

I made my first trip to Key West during spring break in 1984. It was buzzing with people. I fell in love with this place very quickly. I imagined what it would be like to live here all of the time. The rational good angel on my shoulder told me to step back and not act rashly. I waited nine years before I took the final step that got me to Key West. I passed up several good opportunities waiting for the right place, the right price, the right time. But during the nine years I never gave up dreaming about moving to Key West because I knew my life would be different here.

I had a preconception of what life in Key West would be like. It didn't turn out the way I thought. It was better.

A few days ago on Duval Street - Key West

I found the photo (just above) on the Internet on Wednesday. It was taken in front of St. Paul's Episcopal Church on Duval Street. The two signs are self-explanatory. The guy who hates Fags carries his sign anywhere he can attract attention. He is a daily sight somewhere in Key West. The guy with the "other" sign is new and is making an equally forceful counter statement. What caught my attention was the two guys kissing to the left rear of the photo. In case you missed it, a federal judge in California ruled on Wednesday that Proposition 8, the ballot issue that outlawed gay marriage in California, was unconstitutional. I thought this photo pretty much sums up the debate on the issue: some hate; some hate back; and some make love in Key West where it is okay to be gay in public. Key West is pretty non-judgmental no matter who you are or what you want to do.

Key West has changed a lot in the twenty six years since I first came here. Many of the houses look much nicer, and the sidewalks and streets are certainly in better repair. There is more traffic for sure. During season the streets are filled with Conch Trains, scooters and those damned electric cars. All the tourists bring lots of money to Key West and that keeps our economy running, Thank You very much. The talking heads on TV do their damnedest to stir up trouble by scaring people about hurricanes, oil slicks, Cubans who float over to Key West to escape old what's his name. It works sometimes but the public eventually remembers how much fun it is to be in Key West. So they return year after year after year.

"Pinkie" the beautiful home (left) in Truman Annex - a new addition to Key West

Right now the island is in the summer doldrums. Town is still busy, but not like it is in season when everybody is making lots of money. Each weekend something is happening that targets certain groups to come here. A couple of weeks ago it was Hemingway Days. Last week it was the start of lobster season. It will be something else every weekend-forever.

After living here for several years I figured out that life here is not about the houses, the climate, the ocean and beaches, the gay acceptance thing, the culture, or the laid back lifestyle. No, to me, it's just about living life each day and being very contented.

People who live here learn to adapt to Island time and Island style. I remember getting on the highway and sometimes city streets, and speeding a lot. I always felt the need to get ahead of the guy in front of me so I could get where I was going sooner. Key West is so small there is no reason to speed and no place to do it. You gotta be pretty lame to get a speeding ticket here.

When I moved to Key West I brought 14 suits. I had two Donna Karan's, a couple of Ralph Lauren's, Alexander Julian, Hugo Boss, and others. They are all in a cedar chest. There is no place to wear them. I wear shorts in the summer and usually khakis in the winter. Designer labels aren't important like they used to be. But I still wear clean clothes and normally they are pressed. I am not alone. Most Key Westers dress down, not up. I doubt that the book "Dress for Success" had many buyers here.

Doing it doggie style in Key West

I don't have the need to "shop". I can buy what I need on the Internet. I need less living here. Really! I remember going shopping for hours on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon. That is how many people up north in America spend their private time. Buying stuff. Here you need less stuff and you end up spending your time doing more fun things. Or nothing at all.

If you are in to social and political affairs, there are plenty of people with whom you can mix and do your thing. Or not. If you are into the outdoors and love to run, bike, workout, box, do yoga, sail, fish, or just boat, this island is full of similarly inclined folks that share your passion. If you are cerebral the arts community flourishes here. We have several theaters and our own symphony. Key West has lots of artists and writers that live part or all of the year here. We even have dress-up affairs where women wear gowns and gents wear tuxes. But you will also find people who don't participate in much of any thing, mind their own business, and wear the same clothes for several days in a row. It's not that they are anti-social, but they are just living their own lives.

Almost everybody dresses up for the annual Fantasy Fest People's Parade

In my old life I could be pretty demanding. Everything I did was important. Or so I thought. So I needed stuff done right away. Timing is important in what I do now, but either my advanced age or my acceptance that things move more slowly in Key West has made life (normally) much easier to accept. "Island time" is for real.


I have found the experience of living here to be more fulfilling than I ever imagined. It's the little things that happen every day (or every season) that make life in Key West so pleasant. Each morning around 8:00 AM a flock of sea gulls (I think that's what they are) sit atop the electric lines at the corner of Reynolds and Von Phister Streets awaiting their breakfast which is supplied by the guy who lives at the house on the corner. It's not uncommon to see an egret walking around the Casa Marina area. I've had blue crabs walk the four or five blocks from the ocean and end up in my pool. One even walked into my kitchen a few years ago. I've seen iguanas and even a raccoon in my yard. I don't like the frogs that screech in the night each summer but they eventually stop. Otherwise, the little animals and birds make life in Key West interesting and sometimes entertaining.

This iguana lives in the yard by my pool. Photo taken from pool at close range on a float.

A few blocks away on the corner of White at Virginia Street cops and construction workers and everybody else stops at Sandy's to get a cup of Con Leche or a buche. People in the nearby neighborhoods walk their dogs and say "Hello" as the pooches pee and sniff butt. The town comes alive as the cars, scooters and Conch Trains begin to move around. About eight hours later most locals return to home and tourists go to Sunset or a bar, or both. Dusk sets in and locals walk their dogs again and say "Hello" again. The traffic such as it is really shrinks to a snail's pace. Soon the sky is black and if you live in a place like the Casa Marina area, you can listen and hear nothing. You can sit outside by the pool and feel the gentle breeze and maybe see palm fronds waive just a bit. If the wind is strong enough you might hear the trees as they woosh.


Riding a bike in Key West is more than exercise or a convenient way to get from place to place. I get "mushy" when I ride my bike under the flowering trees. I think how lucky I am to live in a place this beautiful.

Bayview Park - Key West - Memorial Day 2010

I don't feel alone or isolated even though I live at the end of the world so to speak. I can get anywhere I need to go. But I have found that I don't need to go to as many places as I once did. Living in Paradise makes going other places kind of pointless. Seriously.

I do not miss the snow and cold of Denver. Nor do I miss the awful choking smog or the horrible traffic. I don't know how or why people live in places that are so far removed from where they work that they must endure commuting. I don't miss the crime and all of the people. Real life in Key West is much more fulfilling than I ever dreamt.


If you live in Wildwood, New Jersey or anyplace else and dream of someday moving to Key West, please consider using me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 as your Buyer's Agent. I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West. If you live in one of the ten worst cities in America, get the heck out. I don't want all of you coming here. But go someplace safe and live your lives more sanely.

529 United Street - Old Town - Key West

The quaint little cottage at 529 United Street was just listed by Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. The listing agent implores the reader to "Think Outside the Box" when exploring the possible uses of this cottage. This is how the agent describes 529 United Street:

"Think outside the box on thischarming 2 bedroom, 2 bath cottage. Legally zoned to house one commercial space and one residential apartment, its all in place. Your location could not be better, just 1/2 block from Duval Street with plenty of street parking available. This cottage is a receiver site for a transient rental license offers great curb appeal and would make a delightful vacation rental property or single family residence. Past uses of this cottage include a Real Estate Office and a Mortgage Brokerage office."

The listing agent says the house has 900 sq ft of living space and sits on a 1563 (58' x 226') sq ft lot. The cottage is located near the corners of United and Simonton Streets at the southernmost end of the island. The place does not have room for a pool or even a hot tub. What it does have is an excellent location that is near the Atlantic Ocean. (South Beach is just one block away.) The quieter section of Duval is just one-half block to the west. Old favorites like La Te Da and the Banana Cafe are only a couple of minutes by foot. For a cup of con leche or an economical lunch, Ana's Cuban Cafe and the adjacent Southernmost Deli & Groceries is one block to the south.


529 United Street is offered at $389,000. I was inside the building a few years ago when it was used as a mortgage broker's office. The price and location make this listing interesting enough to take a look to see what uses it could be put to today. I agree, think outside the box on this listing. CLICK HERE to checkout the mls listing data on this property.

If you are looking for a place in Key West, please consider working with me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642. I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West, Florida.

711 Georgia Street - The Meadows Area - Key West - Bank Owned

711 Georgia Street - The Meadows Area of Old Town Key West
It used to be that potential buyers would ask me if I could find them a good bank owned property and I would tell them there are none. That was then. This is now. There are various kinds of kinds of bank owned properties. Some are real dogs. Some have "issues". And some are sweet deals ripe for the picking. The new listing at 711 Georgia Street is one with only a couple of minor issues and it might just work for you. Read on.

711 Georgia Street is BANK OWNED and it is located in The Meadows Area of Key West. MAP This property was previously owned by a real estate agent and was previously offered in 2006 at $1,199,000. The place had top of the line stainless steel appliances then. Now that the property is bank owned the same property is offered today at $429,000 or $339 per sq ft. The appliances are missing. Other than the missing appliances, everything else about the place looks pretty much the same except that price. It got a whole lot better.

This is how the listing agent describes 711 Georgia Street:

"711Georgia Exceptional 3 bedroom 2.5 bath light filled sancuary on quiet, beautiful tree lined Georgia street. Between Angela and Newton in the prestigious Meadows. Tiffany colored jewel box with a brick drive and white picket fence surrounded by pretty Conch homes and lovely neighbors. Just a short bike ride to Duval Street, historic Old Town, Art District, beaches and Bayview Park. Exquisite use of space. Splendid architectural renovation in 2005. Ambient lighting, stunning gourmet kitchen, gorgeous baths, master bath ensuite with private balcony. Small yard. Impact windows and metal roof. Looks brand new. Centrally located."

There is a lot of "house" in this place. Things are compact but not tiny. The kitchen and livingroom share the main floor where there is an adjacent guest bath. The bedrooms and baths are on floors two and three. The finishes and construction look to be in good order. I did not see any thing objectionable except the missing appliances. There is a good sized off street bricked parking space surrounded by a bright white picket fence. Just beyond the parking area is a private fenced in area that the former owner claimed provided room for a pool. Bring a blow-up pool if you want to have chairs, however. That space is pretty dinky if you ask me. There are plenty of people who do not need a pool but do need a nice house that does not need fixing. CLICK HERE to see a bunch of photos I took of this property.

Potential with a grain of salt!

This house is one block off White Street and within easy walking or biking to all of Old Town. This block is really quiet because the adjacent street (Angelica Street) abuts the gated Peary Court Naval property. There is hardly any vehicular traffic. Nothing important happened nearby so you won't be seeing a Conch Train.

View from second floor balcony at 711 Georgia Street - it ain't bad!

If you are looking for an affordable house in a good location, please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to take a look at 711 Georgia Street. 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.

Tennessee Waltz - The Waltz of Realtors

Every night when I was a little boy my dad would take me to my room. We would kneel beside my bed and I would say my prayers. I blessed my entire family and my dog each night. I didn't know what "if I should die before I wake" meant, but I said it and meant it. Then I would get in bed and my dad would either tell me a story, whistle a gentle tune, or sing me to sleep with either "Red River Valley" or his favorite "Tennessee Waltz". The lyrics go like this:

I was dancin' with my darlin' to the Tennessee Waltz
When an old friend I happened to see
I introduced her to my loved one
And while they were dancin'
My friend stole my sweetheart from me.

I must immediately state my mother never, ever cheated on my dad. The thought would have never crossed her mind. The melancholy in his voice rang just too true when he sang that sad song, even to a little boy who knew nothing of the world.

Last week I met with another Realtor to take photos of her new listing for my buyer. I don't recall exactly how it happened, but she unburdened herself of a recent phone call or email from a buyer for whom she had been working for several months. It seems the buyer "bought" a house using another Realtor in Key West. Key West is a small place with maybe 350 Realtors. She let go and told me how much time she had spent on this buyer. How many different places she had gone to take photos for him or her. How many emails and phone calls she had made. And then to find out the buyer actually consummated the deal with somebody else.

She said she felt like such a fool. She complained that this had happened before. She said she trusts people too much. And then she complained that she will have to see this other agent for maybe 20 more years, each time remembering that he stole away her buyer. Frustrating. Hurtful. Maddening.

I'm sure all Realtors have had this happen. I have. I even know the physical feeling I get when it happens. It is very similar to the finding out that your sweetheart has been cheating on you, like in the song, and has run away with your best friend. If you have not experienced such a feeling, congratulations. And if you have, welcome to my world.

617 Fleming Street - Old Town - Key West - Bank Owned

617 Fleming Street Old Town Key West August 2010

617 Fleming Street Old Town Key West c 1965

The Campbell Courtyard Condominiums have one of the best locations in Old Town. They are close enough to Duval and the Historic Key West Seaport that you can be in either place in five minutes. But they are far enough away that you do not hear the frenzy on Duval. Many of the neighboring properties are among the highest priced homes in Old Town. The condos were "developed" or assembled in the late 1990s from a group of unrelated buildings into the compound with a shared location, identity, and an incredibly inviting pool. The nine units were sold off and there has not been a large turnover of ownership since then. The main building shown above was built in the 1920s and the eyebrow cottage (just below) was built in the 1890s. All buildings were totally renovated during the condo conversion.

Unit No. 1 at Campbell Courtyard is BANK OWNED and was just listed for sale at $259,000 for this 842 sq ft one bedroom unit. CLICK HERE to see the mls listing and view agent provided photos. The unit is offered at $309 per sq ft. Compare the size and prize per square foot to units in Truman Annex Shipyard that are 680 sq ft priced at $587 and $616 per sq ft (these units are two bedrooms).

This units is located on the first floor front of 617 Fleming Street. I took some photos which show how the unit is laid out CLICK HERE . The space is optimized. All of the rooms seem large and inviting. The combined living, dining and kitchen area open onto a private courtyard through French doors at the rear. (A large storage closet and a separate private laundry room are located in this area.) That private courtyard then leads through a little white picket fence to the pool. Imagine taking a late night dip in that incredible pool then going back home to hit the rack.

Campbell Courtyard Pool August 2010

Same spot sans pool c 1965

The last time a unit in Campbell Courtyard was offered for sale was in December 2009. It was gone in a flash. The mls records show 11 days, but I showed it the day it hit the mls and it was already under contract.

If you are looking for a well priced and not too expensive a place in Key West, may I suggest that you consider this unit very hard and very quickly. I have seen and shown a lot of little condos at very big prices. This is the reverse, but I understand one bedroom will not work for many buyers. I do have a suggestion for potential buyers that have lots of friends who may want to come and visit, Ambrosia Guesthouse and The Marquesa Hotel are located within 150 feet. Let your friends stay nearby. Or buy a sofa bed. I'd prefer that they stay someplace else but that's just me.

Don't wait, dear readers, this one will go quickly. Please call me, Gary Thomas, 305.766.2642. I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West, Florida. If you snooze on this one, you lose.

1420 White Street - Key West - Grand Conch House

1420 White Street Key West

I have only been inside the grand Conch House at 1420 White Street once, and that was several years ago when it was offered for sale at the price of $2,695,000. The inside had been carved up. The interior stairway between the main floor and second floor was removed so that the upstairs could be used as an apartment. The large side yard on the north was sold away and a beautiful new home built thereon. The garage at the back had been made into an apartment years earlier, and it was legally separated from the main house. Despite the loss of the side yard and garage properties,the main house still stands as an anchor in the Casa Marina Area of Key West. It is now offered for sale at the short sale price of $495,000 or $190 per sq ft. CLICK HERE to checkout the mls listing info and view more photos of this property.

This is how the listing Realtor describes 1420 White Street:

"Casa Marina Area! This 2-story 5 bedroom, 3 bath home has over 2600 SF of living area. It sits on a large corner lot and is within walking distance of the beach. The separate guest quarters on the second floor of the house is not currently accessible but could be renovated to make the house one grand home again. This is a potential short sale that may be subject to third party approval."

But that's not the end of the story. The garage at 1133 Von Phister Street (rear of 1420 White Street) became a "cottage" and was sold in May 2005 for $749,000. The 648 sq ft building has two bedrooms, one bath, a nice little kitchen and living room. There is a second smaller building that is part of this parcel that could possibly be incorporated into living space in some way or perhaps be demolished to make room for a pool. 1133 Von Phister Street is now offered for sale as a short sale at the asking price of $299,000 or $441 per sq ft. CLICK HERE to checkout the mls listing info and view more photos of this property.

This is how the listing Realtor describes 1133 Von Phister Street:

"Short sale. Quaint cottage in the Casa Marina neighborhood. Two bedroom one bath residence has off street parking and an additional 126 sq ft CBS building in rear of slender but deep lot. This building does NOT have its own electric, water or sewer accounts. New owner will need to establish utility accounts/services. This is a short sale & will require approval by seller's finance companies."

1133 Von Phister Street Key West

I think somebody with money and vision need to take a serious look at these two properties as one project. The main house is one of the prettiest houses in Key West. It deserves a better fate than it has been dealt. The cottage portion of the deal may be more difficult because it will be hard for someone at the big bank up north to understand that it lent so damned much money for a garage that someone called a "cottage".

A smart buyer might buy just the cottage at 1133 Von Phister Street. Other than not having its own water, sewer, and electric lines, it could be dolled up quite nicely. It will cost $20,000 +/- to put in new utilities to the property. Throw a few thousand bucks and some fairy dust at this place, and you have yourself a nice little cottage in the Casa Marina Area of Key West for about the same price as a condo.

Or an investor might just buy the parcel and wait for one of the three neighboring properties to buy it. The big house at 1420 White Street is just a big house without room for a pool. It has a very small back yard and really needs the space occupied "cottage". The house next door to the north on White Street is absolutely grand. It would be more grand if it had a garage and off street parking. And the house next door on Von Phister Street CLICK HERE could also benefit from having covered off street parking or possibly use the property as a guest house. 1133 Von Phister Street could make a nice income rental property for several years until one of the three neighbors decides to bite the bullet and buy the property. Because 1133 Von Phister would make any of the three adjacent properties more valuable.

There is some renewed construction going on in Old Town and Casa Marina areas. I sincerely think buying these two properties as one package makes an immense amount of sense. There are two separate owners and different lenders, however. Doing one short sale will test your patience. Doing two might send you to the hospital where you will end up a patient. But the reward of redoing a big grand old house and having either a guest house or garage and a pool may be the kind of challenge you are looking for.

If you would like to take a look at either or both of these properties, please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642. I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty,Inc. in Key West, Florida.

1125 Von Phister Street - Casa Marina Area - Key West

Do you know the difference between Boca Raton and Key West? Key West is not Boca. Thank God! We have better weather year round. We don't have freeways and interchanges. True we have a traffic jam of tourists on Duval Street, but that helps the rest of us live here. We have real people that live in real houses in real neighborhoods. Key West has a rich history and people who are born here or who move here on purpose love just living their lives each day. The way I look at life, you get one shot at it and you ought to spend it where you want to be and do the things you want to do. If you have an jerk for a boss, you quit your job. Life is too short to deal with morons. And if you don't like where you live, you ought to do something about that too. If you put everything you want to do in life until a later date, what happens if you don't make it there?

Preferred Properties (that's where I work) recently listed the great house located at 1125 Von Phister Street. I call big impressive Key West houses "great houses" because of their size and importance. But in the instance of 1125 Von Phister "great" is an appropriate adjective that describes a very beautiful home in a great Key West neighborhood. I know the neighborhood well because I live just a few doors away. I love the neighborhood and you will love this house. This home is owned by a local family that recently purchased a business outside of Key West. This is not a distress sale of any kind. But this great house is a great value none the less. It is offered at $1,299,999.

The listing Realtor describes 1125 Von Phister Street this way:

"Located in the Casa Marina Area of Key West, is this elegantly renovated 4 bedrooom 3/5 bath with lush tropical landscaping. Some of the outstanding features are the hardwood floors, cherry cabinets, granite counter tops, stainless steel appliances,wrap around porches, reverse osmosis system, landscape lighting and irrigation paved pathways and driveway, large rear deck for entertaining and beautiful pool with water features. Just 3 blocks from Higgs beach and minutes From Duval."

This house is large: 2352 sq ft under roof plus lots of covered porches and outdoor lounge area. The lot is 4621 sq ft. The house was extensively renovated a few of years ago and a large addition was built at the rear that now houses the combined kitchen and great room downstairs and the master bed and bath upstairs. The rear lounge CLICK HERE and deck area, pool, and bath house with outdoor shower were also new additions. There is a bricked driveway that could accommodate two cars but parking is not an issue in this area anyway. The surrounding houses are single family and most have off street parking.

Downstairs you will find an inviting guest room/den/office CLICK HERE with a full bath that can be accessed from the formal entry hall or from the guest room. The entry hall leads to the rear with large ceilings and lots of French doors that open the inside to the outside. The kitchen sits off to the right.CLICK HERE

Upstairs you will find two good sized bedrooms with real closets. The front bedroom opens onto the wraparound second floor porch. These two bedrooms share a bath. Then at the rear is the the third or master bedroom. It has a vaulted ceiling that adds lots of volume to the room. The owners had a special cabinet built to provide extra storage space. CLICK HERE to view. The master bath is just beautiful. CLICK HERE.

The pool sits at the back of the property and gets lots of morning and afternoon sunlight. There is a bath house CLICK HERE and a separate outdoor shower! The outdoor lounge area is covered for the most part, but part is open to the beautiful blue skies.
This house shows attention to detail everywhere. I won't bore you with for-instances. Well, maybe a couple: hardwood floors (not laminates or engineered); coffered ceiling in the kitchen and great rooms; real operable storm shutters CLICK HERE that add grace to the house; custom built cabinetry, moldings and casements CLICK HERE that adds valuable storage space and interesting places to showcase your books and collectibles; totally unique switch plates (new to me!) CLICK HERE; old fashioned floor registers for air conditioning (mimics what you saw in your grandmother's house); and a killer front porch! CLICK HERE Lots of interior and exterior photos CLICK HERE.

You may or may not want me as your neighbor, but I am sure you will really like this house. Please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule a showing. 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.

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Welcome to Paradise - Old Town - Key West

The asking price on the charming three bedroom (and three bath) home at 413 Frances Street was recently reduced to $850,000. The home is offered furnished. The original price was $1, 250,000. The listing Realtor describes the property this way:

"Price Reduced!! Fully Furnished Historic Home: Frances House is a beautiful, tropically landscaped, designer decorated, turn of the century 3 bedroom 3 bath Conch home located in the heart of Old Town Key West. Careful care was taken of this full renovation winning a historic preservation award from the Historic Florida Keys Foundation. Frances House is extremely well appointed with locally built, hand crafted, custom island style furnishings. This is a great income producing property that has an excellent history as a monthly vacation rental. Price includes a website and all furnishings. Heated pool with waterfall, Off-street parking for 2 cars, Granite counters, Stainless appliances, Hardwood floors, Storm shutters, Sun deck/patio."

When you enter the front doorway your eyes are immediately drawn to the Dade County Pine walls and stairway to the second floor by the sign over the stairway entrance that reads "Welcome To Paradise". This house is the embodiment of what would-be home buyers dream of in a Key West house. The Dade County Pine is a given. The almost rustic appearance is intentional. The lack of some finishes was an artistic choice and not an excuse to finish something. (The owner has meticulous records of all the remodeling work that was done that will convey to the new owner. ) This house has what discerning second home buyers want: lots of charm, off street parking (for two cars), a pool, and nothing that needs fixed. That's almost Paradise in itself. CLICK HERE to read the mls listing details and to view more photos of this home.

The main floor has the entry hall with living room and dining room on the right side of the house. A full bath is on this level as is the kitchen with center island. A full bedroom is located at the back of the house. It has French doors that open out onto the pool area. The downstairs living space would be great for a buyer that wants all the Key West charm but who doesn't want to have to climb stairs to go to bed. Upstairs there are two very good sized bedrooms and full bathrooms. CLICK HERE to see photos I took of the interior.



This home would make a great vacation rental. In fact it has been used that way for the past couple of years. The location is near the Historic Key West Seaport. Duval Street is a five to seven minute walk. The Old Town Bakery is a block away. Blossoms Market is a block away down Elgin Lane.

Please give me, Gary Thomas, a call at 305-766-2642 if you would like to see this house or any other home in Key West. I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West. If you play your cards right that "Welcome to Paradise" sign will be hanging in your entry hall very soon.