1301 Petronia Street - The Meadows Area - Key West

Just listed by Preferred Properties (that's where I work but this is not my listing) 1301 Petronia Street in the Meadows Area of Key West. The bungalow style home was built in the 1920s. It has been updated several times over the years but still retains the charm of the homes built during that era. The home has two bedrooms, two baths, plus a loft space on the "second level" which offers additional sleeping area. It has a lovely 30' x 13' swimming pool and potential off street parking as well. This property is offered as a Short Sale at the asking price of $548,100.  CLICK HERE to view some photos I took of the property.

The listing Realtor describes 1301 Petronia Street as:

"Adorable cottage on a corner lot in the Meadows with a deep front porch which flows to the long side-yard heated and decked pool. There are two bedrooms with en-suite baths plus a large stand-up finished loft (not included in square footage)."

  30' x 13' pool is surrounded by a big deck. The front porch is equally inviting.

 Dining room is currently used by the tenant as an office

Compact but cute kitchen

 

Master bedroom is large and has access to outdoor shower

But the master bath has an insider shower as well...

 Second bedroom plus en-suite bath

Listing agent says there is room for off street parking if fence removed

 view the Key West Association of Realtors mls datasheet on this property.  Better than that, call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule a showing of this really cute Key West cottage that offers a lot of living space, a wonderful pool, and a quiet neighborhood. I am a Buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

904 Washington Street - The Casa Marina Area - Key West

 904 Washington Street - The Casa Marina Area - Key West

The listing Realtor describes 904 Washington Street this way:

"Located in the heart of Casa Marina sits this magnificent one level, Mediterranean 3 Bedroom, 3 bath with a laundry room and den. As you enter you are greeted by a bright open living/dining area with French doors leading to a beautiful pool surrounded by tropical landscaping. The kitchen is definitely for cooking with Viking appliances and granite counter tops. Adjacent to the kitchen is a wonderful breakfast area. The master opens to the pool and has a state of the art bathroom with a 7 FT. walk-in shower. The other guest rooms have their own entrances and baths as well. The home is well appointed and has Brazilian flooring and crown molding throughout. Carport. Located just 4 blocks from Higgs Beach."

904 Washington Street is will appeal to the buyer who seeks a large and elegantly designed home with three bedrooms and baths, a den, chef's kitchen, breakfast room, covered and open outdoor living areas, a wonderful pool, a rooftop deck, plus a gated courtyard entry and a carport. As I was writing that sentence, the phrase "country club casual" popped into my head.  Except we don't have a country club in Key West. But we do have a lot of casual living.  Here, however, the casualness is taken to higher level.

Everything in this home reflects the owners sense of style and easy living. From the crown molding at ceiling to the Brazilian cherry floors, the home is gracious without being pretentious. Paladin windows are featured above the multiple sets of French doors on the front and rear of the home. When you walk into the formal entry your eyes are immediately drawn through the elegant living room to the sunny pool area beyond.

The chef's kitchen features Viking appliances and custom cabinetry topped with granite countertops. A lovely breakfast room is located just off the kitchen. Sets of French doors open out to the pool or covered outdoor dining area from there.

 

The master bedroom is located on the east side of the house. It, too, has French doors topped by paladin windows the look out to the pool. Imagine opening the door and jumping into the heated pool for a quick dip to end your day in Paradise. Two more bedrooms (with private baths) complete the sleeping areas. There is a den up front which has a view of the front courtyard.

 Master bedroom opens out to the pool for late night dip

 Master bath

Guest bedroom with en-suite bath

The Den is really a Man Cave!

Third bedroom with bath beyond

904 Washington Street is offered at $1,399,999. CLICK HERE to view the Key West Association of Realtors mls datasheet and to view listing photos.  Better yet, please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule a showing.  I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. I live in the Casa Marina area and love it.  Let me help you find your home in Paradise.

Just SOLD - 400 - 408 Duval Street - Old Town - Key West

Locals woke up this morning to the news of the sale of the 400 to 408 block of Duval Street as being sold for a whopping $19,130,000.  I heard about the sale on Thursday morning as I was working in my yard. The Selling Realtor was Mitzi Krabill of Truman and Company. She procured the buyer who just happens to be my next door neighbor. Mitzi told me that Claude Gardner at Prudential Knight and Gardner Realty was the listing agent. The property had not been listed in the mls so the sale came as quite a shock to me. A good shock, however. The sale was posted in the mls later that day.

I mention this sale to would-be buyers who continue to sit on the fence and whine and moan about the state of the economy.  The doomsayers want everyone to believe the whole American economy is in turmoil. There are a lot of unemployed people in many areas of our country.  But there are eight or nine times more people employed than there are people not working.  And those people are driving our economy and buying things and using things. At the higher side of that group of Americans are people like those reading my little blog. They are making money or have saved money to buy a place in their retirement years. They either own a second of third home in some destination location or they are thinking of buying one. It is to that group that I submit the thesis that now is a good time to buy in Key West.

A couple of years ago Key West faced the prospect of economic "ruin" if oil from the BP oil spill hit our beautiful coral reef and landed on our shores.  Buyers got frightened by the continual banter in the press about doom and gloom. Negative talk can really upset a market.  Assume for argument sake that what I suggest is true: some people stir up trouble just so they can buy assets at a lower price. Some buyers balked and even walked away from contracts because they feared the prospect of ruin if the oil hit Key West.   The oil slick did not hit Key West. But the fear mongers did their job and scarred the beejeezus out of a lot of people. Other buyers took advantage of the situation and made out like bandits by buying assets at truly depressed prices.

I view the sale of the Duval Street property as a very positive vote of confidence in the economic vitality of Key West.  The hotels, motels, and guest houses had their best year ever last year. People from all over the world come to Key West for a day, a week, or longer. They come to experience life a lot less directed than it is where they come from. They come here most return year after year. They come here to eat, drink, party, and other really fun things.  Key West has an exotic feel and wonderful weather. But it is located in the United States and Americans don't have to go through customs or worry about the government nationalizing their property.

Real estate in Key West is scarce and scarcity usually drives prices higher. We have a limitation on new growth and development. We have a height restrictions and density limitations on any new or remodeled properties.  Developers cannot do here what they can do in places like Miami, Ft Lauderdale, Sarasota, Pensacola and other beach locales.  Besides that, those places have big highways, tons of people, and end up on shows like COPS. 

If you are thinking of buying a small getaway place, a full time home, or maybe a business in Key West and are not working with someone, please consider contacting me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 or send me an email at kw1101v@aol.com. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

912 Truman Avenue - Old Town - Key West

Photo from Monroe County Library showing horse drawn trolley on Division Street (now Truman Avenue) at the corner of Francis Street C 1890.

Just listed by Preferred Properties Key West a truly interesting bit of Old Key West located at 912 Truman Avenue. I dug around in the famous old shoebox and found a photo of the property taken back in 1965.  If you study the old black and white pic you will see an almost ancient chain link fence that surrounds the corner lot. Note the extra long posts that support the roof overhang and the 'missing' second floor porch floor. Also see quite tall high pitched roof with gables facing front and sides which will be discussed below.

912 Truman Avenue as it appeared in 1965

912 Truman Avenue - June 2012

Fast forward to June, 2012 and view the front porch of 912 Truman Avenue that sits back off the busy street behind a white picket fence and spacious front yard populated with lush palms.  This is one of the few surviving homes on Truman Avenue that remain a single family home. And when you step inside, you will find a property that is reminiscent of olden days.  This home retains the functionality and character of the original home. Some new fangled features such as nearly gourmet kitchen, updated baths, and central air conditioning have been added. But the old style rooms with all of their charm and character (flaws and all) remain in tact.

As you enter the front entry you are greeted by a wonderful staircase and central hallway that divides the house in two. On the right side you will find the living room on the right side and the dining room and kitchen behind.

 Front door with living room located on the right

The dining room is located to the left. Note the crown molding and high baseboards.

The beautiful staircase leads to the bedrooms on the second and third floors

The living room (above) is divided into two sections.  Note the rich Dade County Pine walls, the rich and very real wood floors (not the kind of manufactured floors we see in modern homes which you just know are fake), and the old school wood ceilings. Note as well the ancient windows with glass that ripples.

The dining room obviously hearkens back to another era. But what a wonderful space to dine with family and friends. So what if it is formal. Instead of buying take-out or nuking Healthy Choice or Marie Callander's you might actually cook a real meal.

My dear old grandmother had the same octagonal tile in her bathroom. I love the look and feel of this place. It evokes a feeling continuity over generations of people that lived here. The house has the necessities, but it is not consumed by modernity. It retained its soul.

The master bedroom and bath occupy the west side of the second floor. Two more bedrooms plus a shared bath are on the east side.

The two second floor bedrooms are shown above. One is now used as a sitting room. Note the old newspapers glued to the ceiling. The papers were originally used as insulation and where retained when the home was renovated.

A door in the hallway opens to the second floor front balcony that spans the breadth of the home. 

The second floor hallway divides the spaces by function and use. The master bedroom is located to the right and it's bath is located to the right rear. The second bath is located at the far rear and it is used by the occupants in either of the bedrooms on the left. Note the staircase at the rear. It goes goes down to the area just off the kitchen. The main staircase provides access from the main floor (at front). And the staircase rising on the left leads to the third floor bed and bath.

The third floor space is actually quite large. Unfortunately I took lousy pics.

The listing Realtor describes 912 Truman Avenue this way:

"This elegant historic three-story home has been carefully restored with stainless steel and granite in the kitchen and three and half modern but charming bathrooms. The double front porches are 38 feet long, there is a sparkling swimming pool in back and off street parking. This a great price per square foot for a renovated home."

CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls data sheet and to view listing photos. And CLICK HERE to look at photos I took. 912 Truman Avenue is offered at just $795,000 or $227 per sq ft for this gracious 3494 sq ft historic home.

If you are a buyer who wants a real "old house" and not an imitation of one, please contact me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule a showing of this property.  I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. This home offers a lot of value at the asking price. I am confident it will go under contract quickly. Don't wait.