1501 White Street - Key West - Casa Marina Area

1501 White Street in the Casa Marina Area of Key West is located two blocks north of Higg's Beach and the great Atlantic Ocean.

The listing broker at Preferred Properties (that's where I work but this is not my listing) describes this property like this:

"Major Price Reduction! This charming 2/1 home plus detached guest cottage is completely walled and gated for privacy. Features include a formal living room with vaulted ceiling and built-in cabinetry, new kitchen with granite countertops & new appliances, dining room with multiple French doors opening onto the beautiful private pool and patio. Off-street parking for two cars. This property has a compound like feel and offers enormous potential to become a real show piece."

The house is located at the corner of White Street and Flagler Avenue. This location will turn off some potential buyers just because of the location. So be it. There are two houses located at the same corner intersection that recently sold over $2,000,000 each. Don't let the location dissuade you from looking. You might just fall in love with this very private home that is hidden behind the privacy wall and towering palms. Click GOOGLE MAP for an aerial view of the property and then use the toggle switch for a street view.

The updated main house with its lush garden and sunny pool sit behind a tall privacy wall surrounded by large palms and specimen trees. An electric gate opens to covered off street parking. A caretaker's cottage sits at the back of the property. The lot is quite large by Key West standards (60' x 120' or 7,369 sq ft).

The main house was built in 1958 and was updated around 1995 with additional improvements after that. The house has 1380 sq ft of living space consisting of the living room, kitchen, master bedroom and bath plus a second bedroom and bath. The living room is extra large in size and volume. The north wall in the living room has built-in cabinetry. Cuban tiles give this space (and the bedroom areas) a rich and sophisticated feel. (The caretaker's cottage is a separate building with 283 sq ft of living space. This space could make a great guest suite.)

During a recent showing my prospective buyer opined that he might remove remove the current single panel door in the living room (above) and replace it with French doors that look out to the pool and garden.  I immediately appreciated the dramatic change that would bring to this already incredible property. Note the large Cuban tile floors as well.

Covered off street parking to left and caretaker's cottage at the rear

The master bedroom and bath are configured for adult living. The bedroom has French doors that open out to the large private garden terrace that includes an outdoor shower for two. Another door leads from the bedroom out to the canvas covered outdoor bathroom with a spa bathtub. The space is first class in all respects. The asking price was reduced from $789,000 to $695,000 or $418 per sq ft.

Doors lead to the covered outdoor bath and spa

Two person outdoor shower with the outdoor bath and spa to the right

The kitchen has a bank of French doors that open out to the pool on one side and an adjacent wall of windows that allow filtered sun light in from the south. The kitchen has been updated with new cabinets, appliances, and light fixtures. When I looked at the space I thought to myself this home is really cool. What a great place for a party. The living room kitchen and dining area are large spaces with subtle architectural embellishments. The bedrooms are cozy and comfortable. CLICK HERE to view a slide show of photos of this property.

Parking and the caretaker's cottage are located beyond the fence to right

The pool area gets sunshine most of the day so you. Your guests won't have to go to the beach for a tan. But the beach is only a short two block walk in case you feel the need to get sand in your toes. Locals meet up at the city park across from teh beach every morning while walking their dogs.

White Street Pier is just two blocks south

So is the beach!

CLICK HERE to checkout the Key West mls datasheet and to view listing photos of 1501 White Street. If you would like to see this unique Key West property, please contact me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 or send me an email at kw1101v@aol.com. I am a buyer's agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West.

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How Gay Was My Viila?

It's a free world (at least it is here in Key West) where people can be and do just about anything and everything. We all seem to get along. And except for some do-gooders that sit on some public commissions, we all try to stay out of each others "business".

Some places amaze me

One of the really great things about my job as a Realtors is that I get to see inside so many Key West homes. Some places amaze me. Sometimes after I have visited a really incredible home, I go back to my house and feel the need to clean, or paint, or redecorate. Other places sometimes make me feel pity for the sad souls that live in helpless hovels. I have been inside more than enough places that reek of urine but that are inhabited by human beings. I have had to move sideways through rooms filled with years of accumulated trash. And I wonder what in the world is wrong with the people that live there.

This is one of the better (cleaner) views

I have been in multi-million dollar properties that exude an ambiance most of us can only dream of. But more regularly I get to see some really nice homes that are comfortably decorated with Key West flair. You can't by flair in a store, but you know it when you see it. If you have enough money you can hire someone with flair to decorate your home for you. Many of the chicest of homes in Key West are gay owned have the look and style buyers want.

And there have been a few occasions I have shown houses that are just a gay as gay can get. The most memorable gay house was located in the Meadows area. I showed that house several times a few years back. It had the obligatory statue of David near the pool. There were statuettes, oil paintings, charcoal prints,and etchings of nude and semi-nude males throughout the house and garden. Every square foot had some form of art that paid homage to the naked male figure. After months of not being able to sell the house, the listing Realtor finally persuaded the owner to store some of the artwork off property. A few years later when that same house was for sale again, I actually noticed what terrible shape the house was in. The naughty artwork from before had distracted my attention from the condition of the property itself. But it did the same thing to my potential buyers because nobody was ever interested in seeing that place a second time.

One gay man asked me to look at his house to discuss listing it. That was in 2006 when Key West was in the height of the real estate boom. I might have got the listing had I not told him to take down the huge and virtually nude portrait of himself that hung above French doors leading to the back yard.

There was also that time I was in a really nice home located at the dead end of a Key West lane to discuss listing the house. The owner and I were standing in one of two master baths discussing the features of the house when I spotted it. The DILDO! I lost my voice and the ability to put words together to make a sentence. Decorating with dildos is a no-no.!

I have seen enough mannequins dressed in drag or adorned in leather posed in the corner of a room or next to a window that I don't even take a second look anymore. But my buyers do.

Mannequins are one thing. Slings are another. A couple of years ago I wrote a blog about "The War of the Roses" house. I showed it several times. The name I gave the property was derived from the ordeal the two gay owners were going through in the split of their personal lives and their real estate investments. I had to laugh at the "guest" bedroom that was set up as a dungeon complete with sling. Most of my buyers did find that room very interesting.

A couple of years ago I wrote about a home owned by some gay friends who left town and had placed their house for sale. The place had a long term tenant who himself had several roommates. The renter had turned the place into his own comfortable gay love nest. I say that kindly. The tenant was as sweet as he could be. The place was always immaculate. Let's just say the walls of the master bedroom and master bath were decorated primarily with photos of naked gay porn stars. I think it would be very difficult for a normal straight couple to imagine living in this house because of the huge collection of gay porn photos and other gay decorations throughout the house and near the pool. God, I must sound like some prude!

Call me old fashioned. I grew up in the 1950s when gay decorating was -- different. But what the heck. This is Key West. It is okay to be gay here, and it is okay to decorate your home, condo, or villa anyway you want.

If you are thinking of buying a place in Key West and are looking for a gay Realtor, call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 or contact my by e-mail at kw1101v@aol.com. I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. Living life in Key West is just great. I could care less how you decorate your villa as long as you are happy. However, sometimes it might be a little easier to sell your home if you hide your porn and stow away the dildos.

618 Petronia Street - Old Town Key West

 618 Petronia Street - Old Town - Key West

The house at 618 Petronia Street is worth looking at if you are a budget shopper looking for a perfectly livable house that can be moved into the day you close but that could be upgraded and improved upon as well. That house has been on the market for quite some time. I have told buyers that found it that I thought the property was 'over-priced' and we never looked. The owner changed agents and the asking price was recently reduced to a more realistic price of $459,900. I recently showed the property.  I have changed my mind about the house being over-priced, and I now think this place is worthy of consideration.

The house sits on Solares Hill and is near the highest point on the Island of Key West. The other houses in the immediate area were built around the same time.  It looked to me as though the original house was a typical wood frame construction that can be seen in many old Key West homes. I think the original house was expanded by the addition of a concrete block addition at front which includes the front porch and what is now used as the third bedroom. I believe a second addition was added at the rear where the kitchen is located. The kitchen sits at a lower elevation and has a different floor surface. Finally, another 'room' is at the rear. This 'room' appears to have been a porch that was enclosed thereby creating a family room.  The original house is still intact and consists of the living room, two bedrooms and two bathrooms. Besides the various floor levels and surfaces, the house seems dated. The house does not have the charm second home buyers seek. But charm can be created.

 Front porch

The kitchen

Family room

It looked to me as though much of the original house got a stucco exterior when the front addition was added many years ago. The house next door is almost identical and it has "novelty siding" which is a commonly used wood siding seen in many older Key West homes. You can still buy it at our local lumber yard, Manley deBoer Lumber. I think the houses are virtually the same.  I believe 618 Petronia would have had the same siding were it not for the stucco. I'm a believer in wood and I think this house would benefit immensely from the removal of the CBS front addition and maybe removal of the kitchen and porch enclosure. I would replace the front with a period correct front porch. I'd restore the wood siding all over the the house. I would remove the clam shell awnings and replace with shutters that are more in keeping with the way Key West cottages look today. Finally, I would replace the kitchen and add a new rear porch.  I think you could come up with a mighty charming home. Many of the small homes and cottages in this immediate area are rented as monthly vacation rentals. I think this home would make a wonderful vacation rental if it were remodeled and a pool added.

That's when the creative part kicks in. The rear yard is immense. (The Monroe County Property Appraiser's map shows the lot as being 32 feet wide by 189.33 feet in depth.) There is room for a huge pool and an accessory unit (a mother-in-law cottage).  This space is just incredible. Below are some photos I took on Saturday which was a gray day. 

I spotted huge an avocado tree, a lime tree, a key lime tree, and a sour orange tree in the rear yard. The space is inviting.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West Association of Realtors mls datasheet on this property. A new owner doesn't have to do any of the remodeling I suggested. The place works just fine the way it is. But it could be so much better. And at the asking price of $459,900 ($360 per sq ft) it is worth looking at.

If you would like to look at this property or any other house in Key West please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. Let me help you find your place in Paradise.

616 Eaton Street - A Key West Landmark - SOLD

 

Just about every first time tourist and surely every Key West "Wannabe" has walked or rode by 616 Eaton Street and admired the old house. Some may have stopped and taken a photo or two. Others may have mused about buying the old place and imagined what they could do to transform it - maybe to transform and then flip it. I am here to report that 616 Eaton Street sold earlier this week for the price of $1,700,000. Frank Kerwin of Preferred Properties represented the buyer. Congratulations, Frank!

Some passersby would view the old house as needing paint and probably a new roof as the old metal roof looked rusty and decrepit. I personally found the roof to be one of the better features of the house. The place sometimes had the look of being eerie and other times just in need of some paint and a lot of TLC.  The first time I showed the house I was surprised to see how plain the inside of the house actually was.  I had imagined the house would have had large, grand rooms, tall ceilings, ornate crown moldings and ornate fixtures. Instead, the home is pretty Plane Jane. There is no interior stairway. Nor is there much of anything one would classify as ornate. But that did not bother me. I took it as a blessing, of sorts. Because it presented a great opportunity for a new owner to create a new addition to the rear where all of the the modern living conveniences could be added to a new area behind the existing front.

 The rusty roof viewed from 618 Eaton Street

Rear of 616 Eaton Street - not much to see

Same 'view' about 60 feet further to the south

The Monroe County Property Appraiser shows the house as having 2427 sq ft of living space, a great deal of which is in a rear additon not visible from the street. The Appraiser shows the lot as having 21,581 sq ft which by Key West standards is immense.The lot runs about 258 feet from Eaton Street south towards Fleming Street. The Ambrosia Guesthouse on Fleming abuts the rear of the 616 Eaton Street parcel.

It will be interesting to watch and see what now happens to this historic house. The photo immediately below shows 616 Eaton Street as it appeared nearly half a century ago. CLICK HERE to view more photos of this one of a kind property.

Today it looks like this...

I am sure it will be beautifully restored and will take its place with the other grand old dames that make Key West a special place in the hearts and minds of most people who come here for a visit and those who are lucky enough to live here.

If you are thinking of buying a place in Key West please consider working with me, Gary Thomas. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. Let me help you fulfill your dream of finding a place in Paradise.

819 Terry Lane - Short Sale - Key West - Back on the Market

819 Terry Lane - Key West

I wrote about  819 Terry Lane in the Bahama Village section of Key West right after it was listed on March 27th as a short sale.  I showed the house several times and got several phone calls and emails from interested buyers. I knew the house would go under contract very quickly as the price was low and the house had so much to offer potential buyers.  The property did go under contract. But the property went back on the market late Tuesday. Now you dilly-dallers have a second chance. The listing agent describes this charming cottage home this way:

"Classic conch style house on a lane in Old Town Key West, new roof, new tankless water heater and a Viking stove. It is a 2 bed/1 bath with room for a pool. Short walk to dinning, shopping and Fort Zachary Taylor beach."

View from front porch

The 700 sq ft cottage was updated in 2005 including the installation of a new metal roof. The house sits on a decent sized lot for this area (21' x 96' or 1907 sq ft). The rear portion of the lot has a lot of unused space which means a new owner could install a pool. There is a small cottage already in existence. That cottage might make a nice poolside bar.

Garden needs tended but that is part of the fun of buying a new place.

The property does have HARC approved plans for adding a second floor at the rear . As currently configured, the house has a living room at front followed by two bedrooms, a bath, and the kitchen at the rear. The house needs a deep cleaning, a fresh coat of paint, some new window treatments, and an owner with a green thumb to restore the garden. The asking price has been increased $290,000 on this Short Sale property. CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet. And you can CLICK HERE to see some additional pics I took in March.

Across the lane

Nearby Terry Lane cottages

Food, beverages, and nightlife are located a block away

Ft. Zach Beach is about a ten minute walk

If you would like to see this house or any other property for sale in Key West, please contact 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 Coastal Realty, Inc. This cute cottage will sell quickly. Don't wait - this Key West Short Sale will be under contract again within a couple of days.

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