625 Louisa Street - Old Town - Key West

Attention Snowbirds: the asking price on 625 Louisa Street, the really nice two story stand alone townhome in Gato Village, was recently reduced to just $519,000 or $360 per sq ft. This home has 1440 sq ft of living space with two bedrooms, two baths, gracious screened-in rear porch overlooking one of the most beautiful pools in Key West. This is the way the listing Realtor describes this home:

"Gato Village is a complex of 9 Single family homes with a beautifully landscaped pool area located just 2 blocks from Duval and 1 block from some of Key West best dining. This is a spacious 2 bedroom 2 1/2 bath two story home with a fantastic screened in porch. The perfect property if you are looking for low maintenance and the possibility of producing some income. Complete with off street parking and hurricane shutters. This unit can be purchased with the furniture..."

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CLICK HERE to checkout the mls listing datasheet and to view listing photos. The listing photo shows this home from Louisa Street. The photos at the very top and very bottom of this blog were taken from the rear which overlooks the inviting pool.

I like to suggest that buyers compare features and locations with similarly priced units in Key West to find the place that makes the best economic sense and that provides the amenities buyers are seeking. CLICK HERE to SEARCH the Key West mls. Do your own search using features important to you as a buyer and compare the results with this property. This property is a listing of Preferred Properties. I didn't write about it until now because I thought it was priced too high. But now I think it is priced very competitively. And you must admit that pool is pretty special.


If you are looking for your place in Paradise, please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642. 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. Get over being a snowbird: become a local.

1006 -1008 Fleming Street - Old Town - Key West

1006 Fleming Street in 1965 sat right on Fleming Street

1008 Fleming Street sat further back and anchored a huge undeveloped lot

1006 Fleming Street (2010)

I remember showing the two house assemblage at 1006-1008 Fleming Street when it was offered for sale in 2001 at $899,000. I remember one particular couple who loved the property and appreciated the rarity of having two houses located on such a large lot on one of the best blocks in Old Town Key West. The were lookers-not quite ready to buy. More about them later.

The house at 1008 Fleming Street had been redone. The renovation was less than professional in my opinion. Let's just say the place had its faults. I remember urging buyers to look beyond the mistakes of that existing renovation and instead to consider buying the property because of its great location and upside potential.

1008 Fleming Street in 2001

The front door of the second home at 1006 Fleming Street was located almost on the front sidewalk. That place was then used as a long term rental. I urged buyers to consider that building as a good spot for a guest house. Although the front is only 50 feet wide, the lot is deceptively large for Old Town. (It is 150 feet deep and includes a back parcel for a second Guest Cottage. The total lot is 9108 sq ft.) But the lot did not have a coherent flow between the houses or the pool at the rear. The pool was quite large. Palm trees sheltered the pool from the adjoining properties on the east, south, and west. The rest of the garden was pea rock and a few straggler plants. The large pool and yard had the potential to become a great Key West garden.

Fast foword ten years and a couple of intervening renovations. The house at 1006 Fleming Street is now the guest house I envisioned except it is totally fabulous. Treat your guests to a stay in this place and they will not want to leave. A front door still opens onto Fleming Street, but the real entrance is located at the rear where the guest house and The Great House meet at a common elevated deck. The front facade of 1006 Fleming Street has been dramatically altered. The front porch is more gentile and refined. The facade fits the character of the compound as a whole and blends with the other homes in the area.

1006 Fleming Street in 2010 as The Guest House

The guest house living room (or library) is a large rectangular room with vaulted ceiling and bookcases on three walls. Window seats have been added as delightful perches where you can read or contemplate the art of living well. The bedroom is another delight. Large pocket doors create the illusion that the two spaces blend together as opposed to a typical door that closes one space off from the next.

The Guest House Living Room or Library

Built in window seat

The guest house bath is extra large. The walls are covered with incredible Czechoslovakian iridescent green glass tiles made in the 1950's. These tiles catapult an otherwise common space into another dimension. The glass tiles, bath fixtures, and lights make this space truly one of kind. In a town where so many styles are repeated and re-created, this is a space that will be forever unique. A Pullman kitchen rounds out the guesthouse which has a rear door that actually opens onto the welcoming raised courtyard which marks the entrance to the Great House.

The Guest House Bath
Czechoslovakian iridescent green glass tiles made in the 1950's

Recall my criticism of the original renovation and how there was no cohesive flow between the houses. That problem has been resolved by the creation of an elevated courtyard that brings the two original houses onto a common platform where residents can go from Point A to Point B without walking on ground. Moreover, the buildings now share the same simple geometric design and work in harmony with either as a compound instead of as dysfunctional seemingly unrelated buildings sitting next to each other. The lines of the original house at 1006 Fleming were totally different from 1008. The new master bedroom addition mimicked the lines of 1008 and 1006 was changed to look compatible with 1008. The Guest Cottage at the very rear adopted the architectural look. The result is a unified design made simple by geometry. Moreover, even though the houses are old, they look totally modern even from the outside. It is as if time doesn't matter when you are creating something eternal.

New Master Suite addition

The Great House was featured in Metropolitan Home Magazine a few years ago after the current owner renovated the property the first time. I mention this because the property just went through a new upgrading to make it more special and more fresh. So if you saw this home before, you must see it now.

You enter the Great House though large French doors into a very formal entry hall with a one-of-a-kind chandelier that attracts your eyes ever so briefly, that is until you look down toward the living room and then though the wall of French doors that open onto the large pool and garden beyond. A second guest cottage is secluded away at the far end of the garden.


The freshly renovated kitchen is located to the left. The kitchen is bright and modern and is almost too pretty to cook in. (Why cook when you can walk for a few minutes and get great food and won't have to clean up after yourself later?)


A custom fireplace and entertainment cabinet anchor one end of the living room. A wall of French doors frame the pool and garden area but also help to create the special feeling you get being "inside" this incredible living space. Huge architectural columns are almost dwarfed by the soaring height of the fifteen foot ceiling in this truly great room.



The main house has two bedrooms. The master bedroom is quite large and has traditional Key West six over six paneled windows framed with bright white trim and crown molding. The master bath is larger than many master bedrooms in other homes. A second bedroom(with en-suite bath) is located in the front portion of the original 1008 Fleming Street house. This space has a subtle opulence.

The Master Bedroom

A second smaller Guest Cottage is located at the back end of the property. A private porch provides sitting space where you can watch the people in the pool or the goings-on in the main house. But sitting there, you are away from the to do up front. This is a private space for the lucky duo who get to use this special space. The extra bedroom has a sitting area and dining area plus high vaulted ceiling. This cottage has another special bathroom and an outdoor shower. In my opinion, it is the view out onto the garden and pool that make this little retreat so neat.

The Guest Cottage adopted the same lines as the Great House and the Guest House

View from the secluded Guest Cottage toward the pool and the Great House

This incredible Key West home is offered for sale at $2,999,999. CLICK HERE to view the mls datasheet and to view listing photos.

If you read my blog often you know that I like to remind readers about the importance of location in Key West. This property is within a few minute walk to the Historic Key West Seaport or Duval Street. There are neigbhorood eateries like Azur and Cafe Sole. Michael's is a Key West favorite and it is located just around the corner. The A&B Lobster House is a few minutes walk. The new Old Town Bakery is down on the corner of Eaton and Grinell. The Monroe County Library is only three blocks away. The Tropic Cinema, The Red Barn Theatre, the San Carlos Institute, and The Waterfront Theatre are less than a ten minute walk. Various pubs and watering holes are nearby. Music is free most nights in many Old Town venues. And you can walk to almost every place you really need to go.

I took photos of this property that you may want to view. CLICK HERE to see more photos of this incredible Key West Property. Better yet, please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule your private showing. This home is listed by Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West, Florida. Our office is the Exclusive Lower Florida Keys affiliate of Christie's Great Estates. Remember the couple that I showed this home to ten years ago. I run into them from time to time. Their kids are almost out of college. Maybe they've sold that investment property in Connecticut and now have the money to buy their Key West dream house. This place will cost them more today than it would have ten years ago. But it was worth the wait, and it is well worth the price.

1505 Pine Street - Bank Owned - Key West - Do the Math

Do the Math

The local bank that owns the three remaining homes for sale at The Meadows just dropped the asking price. Two of the Bank Owned homes are three bedroom models and those are the properties I want to discuss with you today. I think they are a real deal and you may feel the same after you do the math.

1505 Pine Street is a 3 bedroom 3 1/2 bath home that was built in 2008. The bank foreclosed on the entire development (except the model which was financed by another lender). The units have not been lived in. This three bedroom unit is a two story 1629 sq ft home that sits on a 2503 sq ft lot. It is now priced at $825,000 or $506 per sq ft. The listing Realtor describes this home like this:

"...Built with quality materials and craftsmanship, this home offers everything one expects in a luxury residence. The first level features marble floors, soaring 11' ceilings, a wall of glass doors leading to the private pool and spa. A gourmet kitchen provides solid wood cabinets, high-end stainless steel appliances, luxurious granite countertops & lots of storage space. The living room features a wet bar and is great for entertaining. The bedrooms are en suite and feature high ceilings & sumptuous baths plus a second floor laundry. A private carport has an entry through a gated drive. Lush landscaping provides a tropical backdrop for this spectacular home."

If you have walked inside as many Key West houses as I have you would be impressed by the quality of the materials used and craftsmanship that went into the design and construction of this home. Light fixtures, fans, toilets, kitchen cabinets, etcetera all have functions but life teaches us that some things are made to last and some things are made cheap. Sometimes cheap lasts a long time. Usually not. These homes were designed and built to sell in the $1,700,000 and higher price range. The developer built quality and long term value. The developer obviously missed the market: these homes came onto market after the decline had begun and failed to price the homes into the market quickly enough. But the developer did succeed in building quality homes.

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. The exterior features Hardiboard siding which is pest resistant and easy to maintain. The roof is a tradition Key West metal. While the home looks old on the outside, it is built to the highest building standards in the State of Florida. This means long term costs of maintenance and insurance should be lower than a similarly sized stick built older home in Old Town. 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.



One of the biggest challenges to selling these homes is the fact that they are not "old". Buyers in the sub million dollar price range seem to prefer the original Key West homes with the Dade County Pine walls and profess a willingness to buy a fixer at a better price than to pay for a house that has had all the flaws of age fixed. Some will be willing to accept a home without a pool or parking or both if they can get a good deal. Yes, folks will settle for less to save money. I get it. I accept it. If a buyer wants old, buying new that looks old is not an option. Saving a few thousand dollars now (especially at today's historic cheap interest rates)

Here is the math quiz: 1505 Pine Street is offered at $825,000 or $506 per sq ft. CLICK HERE to review the mls listing info sheet on this property. I did a search of other 3 bedroom homes in the Old Town area (I even added a bank owned property on Atlantic Drive) priced at or under $825,000. CLICK HERE to see the mls datasheets on each comparison property. I have written about some of these homes previously. I have shown them. I know what they feature and what "issues" they may have. The average asking price on the comparison homes is $774,555 and the average price per sq ft is $396. It looks to me like the price difference is about $50,000 or so. The question is which is the better value. You do the math.

If you are looking for a quality Key West home priced below a million dollars, please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642. I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. Let's go house hunting. Let's look at some of the homes shown above and do your own comparison shopping. Let's compare age, features, amenities, presence or absence of pool, parking and landscaping, quality of construction, location, and cost of insurance. I'm not saying that 1505 Pine Street is the best deal. But I do think it is a very good property that ought to be given very serious consideration. Do the math. You may agree.

1431 12th Street - Mid Town - Key West

1431 12th Street - Bank Owned - Key West

There is a Bank Owned townhome in the Mid Town area of Key West with bank financing that might make you want to take a look. In fact, the new financing offered seems like old times to me. This is how the listing Realtor describes this property and potential financing:

"Bank Owned Home!no Short Sale Hassles!special Financing Available. Zero Down,100% Financing With Rates Starting At 4.99%,No Bank Fees,No Points,No Appraisal Fee Required.No Income Verification To Qualified Buyers With As Little As 10% Down,Seller Financing Incentives."

Nothing in life (or banking) is free. Every time you deal with a bank there are strings attached. But like I said, you might want to take a look at this Bank Owned townhome which is located at 1431 12th Street. CLICK HERE to checkout the mls datasheet and the listing photos. Note the nice kitchen and in-ground pool. Also note the asking price of $350,000 or $190 per sq ft for this 1844 sq ft two story two bedro0om two bath home.

I have not been inside this place. The prior listing agent described the property this way:

"Huge 2 Story Townhome.1800+ Sq Ft.20' High Ceilings.Pool With Outside Covered Bar. Awesome Remodeled Kitchen With A Gigantic Granite Bar That Seats 8 Comfortably.Sound System Throughout.Entire Upstairs Is A Master Bedroom Loft With A Master Bath And Walk In Closet.2 Car Off Street Private Parking."

These townhomes are connected but there is no community association of common amenities. This property is located one block from Kennedy Drive and the baseball fields that run from Flagler Avenue to North Roosevelt. The three large Key West shopping centers are all within a three to five minute drive. For out of town buyers looking for a property you can rent as a vacation rental-this is not the property. But for buyers looking a good sized home with private pool at an affordable price, this may be what you have been hoping to find.

12th Street looking northeast

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

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1110 Curry Lane - Old Town - Key West

1110 Curry Lane - Old Town - Key West

Curry Lane looking east toward White Street - a world away

The delightful home across from 1110 Curry Lane to the east

The rear entrance to a larger home fronting on Fleming Street (west of 1110 Curry Lane)

The home immediately east of 1110 Curry Lane

For most of us fortunate enough to live in Key West year around, we live life in the slow lane every day. We don't have skyscrapers. We don't have big stores with escalators. There are no Interstate Highways. Our rush hour usually lasts five minutes or so. Many of us transplants have learned to live with less and certainly feel the need to buy less. We are not deprived but we are content. Our lives are simpler than before. No matter our religious beliefs or our political persuasion, most of us subscribe to the notion of One Human Family. For Key Westers who actually live on a lane, life is more slow and much more quiet.

Just listed, buy not by me, 1110 Curry Lane is an ideal example of the perfect cottage located on a quiet little lane in Old Town Key West. This Old Town gem is tucked away on one of Key West's slow lanes between Frances and White Streets. The cottage has been lovingly restored to maintain the character you would expect in a custom restoration.

The listing Realtor describes 1110 Curry Lane like this:

"This charming Old Town home is tucked away on a pleasant, quiet lane and was awarded a STAR from Historic Florida Keys Foundation for renovation. Dade County pine walls, Georgia heart pine floors and great attention to detail. The open floor plan and mature landscaping create a wonderful indoor/outdoor lifestyle in a lush tropical setting. There are two bedrooms and two baths. Serious cooks will appreciate the kitchen's utility with a commercial range, stainless steel appliances, and soapstone countertops. River rock decking surrounds the lagoon pool and the outdoor shower provides a cool, refreshing rinse in summer. Neighbor-freindly front porch & off-street parking."

Neighbor-freindly front porch & off-street parking

1110 Curry Lane is offered at the price of $875,000 or $767 per sq ft per sq ft for this 1207 sq ft treasure that sits on a 2321 sq ft lot. If you bought this house you could walk to Duval within 5-7 minutes. Same for the Historic Seaport. Or your job if you have one and it is located in Old Town. There are two convenience stores within a two minute walk as well. You won't hear the noise of Harleys roaring down your street or the clang of a trolley car filled with tourists passing buy snapping photos, because they never get near the house. All manner of motor vehicles pass by the entrance to Curry Lane on a daily basis but normally only people who live on the lane actually drive a vehicle there. Even your creditors will have difficulty finding you. You see, life on a slow lane has lots of advantages.

CLICK HERE to checkout the mls datasheet and accompanying photos of this charming cottage. If you are looking for a quite place to call home in Key West, this may be the place you have been hoping you would find. Please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule an appointment to see this hidden gem. I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West. Give me a call and let me show you how slow life can really be in Key West.

Casa Loca

Casa Loca - 535 Petronia Street - Old Town - Key West

My Google translator says that "casa loca" means " crazy house". I'm not convinced about that. I'm sure someone may provide us with a more clarified translation after reading today's blog or perhaps by someone who is really familiar with the new listing (but not mine) located at 535 Petronia Street in Old Town Key West. The listing agent describes the property this way:

"Large and Luxurious with almost 2000 sq. ft and furnishings suited to Architectural Digest, Casa Loca is perfect for the discriminating homeowner who wants to enjoy the finest Key West has to offer. This transiently licensed property has been renovated with a modern touch all while retaining its classic styling. Home enjoys a wonderful split floor plan with a very private ground floor master suite overlooking the heated pool and outdoor shower. Guests will love their treetop wing, complete with sitting room and full bath. The main floor features an open floor plan with breakfast nook, den, dining suite and half bath. This home also has the perfect front porch for having that morning con leche. Home is offered completely turn key."

I found and old photo in the Monroe County Property Appraiser's shoebox of this same property that was taken in 1965. The original house was built in 1889. Sometimes it's almost hard to believe one place can look so much different.

This house has a very valuable City of Key West transient rental license which means the owner can rent the on a daily basis-much like a hotel room. An owner would not rent it that way because the turnover cost and time does not make economic sense. But the ability to rent the place everyday provides more opportunities to rent than a place where only one rental per month is permitted which is the case in most of Key West.

Better than me trying to explain to you the earning power of this house, see for yourself. CLICK HERE to checkout the property manager's website for Casa Loca. After you have looked at the great photos and description of the property, take the time to look at the Reservation Request at the bottom of the page. That area shows a series of calendar months. The days dates where advance reservations have been made are marked with a Red X.

The primary reason people buy houses like this is to have a great place in Key West that they and their family and friends can enjoy. This house has a great Old Town location and the photos certainly make the place look inviting. You would be close to everything and still removed from the fray.

The secondary reason people buy houses like this is that somebody else gets to help the owners pay for it. Casa Loca is offered for sale at $1,295,000. That is quite a bit more than the other transient licensed homes I have recently written about in my blog. I would encourage a serious buyer to do some real serious comparison shopping. Cheaper price does not always mean better value. I'm not saying this place is superior because of how wonderful it looks or the potential rental income it could produce. The asking price is about $500,000 higher than the most expensive of the other transient licensed houses I have mentioned of late. But those places probably do not generate the level of income that this place is capable of generating because of its features and location.

I need to mention a fact that potential buyers sometimes overlook when they start to realize all the money they can make by owning a place like this: if they rent it they can't stay there. They can stay there, but they can't rent it. It is a Catch 22. But a good one. I guess. Maybe that is why it is called Casa Loca-it is crazy.

CLICK HERE to checkout the mls listing datasheet and to view listing photos of 535 Petronia Street. Please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, if you would like to see this property or any other transient licensed homes in Old Town Key West. 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.