Craigslist Real Estate Scam - 731 Waddell Avenue - Key West

This is a Special Blog to warn potential renters about an Active Craigslist Real Estate Scam on 731 Waddell Avenue in Key West.  I received a phone call early Monday evening from a woman who found a too good to be true nightly rental of $400 advertised as "This home provides the privacy you desire during your vacation. The kitchen is well equipped to cook your meals,the 4 bedrooms are great with flat screen TVs, and a lush garden is also available within the environ." Photos were submitted to the prospective renter are displayed below.

 A prospective renter exchanged a series of emails with a person identified as "Gary".  I have copied one of Gary's emails below:

"This home is available for your dates Nov 1-7, a night rate is $400, 6 nights will total $2,400, other rental fees include a cleaning fee of $150 and a property damage fee of $600 totaling $3,150.

If you are satisfied with the rental rates do write back so additional pictures of the home and other necessary home details can be made available for you. Also do provide your email so the home details can be sent to you.

Regards,

Gary. "

None of the three above photos was taken at 731 Waddell Avenue. I know this because I have photographed the interior and exterior on at least two occasions. The real kitchen is shown below.

Private homes, condominiums, and town homes located in Key West may only be rented on a nightly basis if they have a transient rental license.  Very few properties in Key West have a transient rental license. Also be aware that the scam artists are using other sites to dupe potential renters.

My suggestion to guests who are planning a vacation trip to Key West, call a licensed real estate professional.  Most of the large real estate companies in Key West have property management divisions. And whatever you do, do not wire money or use your credit card of Paypal account to transfer money to someone other than a licensed and verifiable property manager. 

1319 Catherine Street - Key West

Just Listed by Preferred Properties Key West (that's where I work but this is not my listing) 1319 Catherine Street, Key West. This new listing may appeal to a buyer who wants a property that they can successfully rent throughout the year as a monthly vacation rental.  This two bedroom/two bath home has a lot of features packed into its 743 square feet.  I have a bit of history that dates back to early 1997 when I sold the prior owners an adjacent duplex on Florida Street. They understood the value of owning and controlling abutting property especially during a rising real estate market.  When I saw their residence at 1319 Catherine I was immediately taken by how much they had crammed into the space. A new owner may want to freshen the place up a bit, but the design elements still work.

The feature that stood out most in my mind was the step-through bathroom. I had never seen a bath like this before, but I have seen this feature imitated in other homes since then. Marble tiles lined the floor and three walls in the shower area - either side and the rear wall. A set of French doors took up most of the rear wall with marble tiles making up the balance. The shower basin was a short step down from the bathroom floor and provided a natural spot for the drain. The affect of having and inside - outside shower was just mind boggling to me back then. Those owners did other creative treatments to the house which still exist such as the TV set built into the wall.  

I looked back in the old shoebox and found a photo of 1319 Catherine Street that was taken nearly 50 years ago (see below).  Just below that photo was a listing photo of the same property taken around 2005.  I share these two photos because the show a bit of the architectural evolution of this house which is not evident today. The older photo shows the original vernacular style front portion of the house with a sawtooth addition followed by a shed addition. The front porch had an awning extension and screened in porch area. The awning extension and screens were removed by 2000. Today the front facade is only partially visible. There is a lot of foliage that hides the sweet architecture of this small house.  If I owned this house I might try to emulate the facade and fenced yard of the Tennessee Williams house just a couple of blocks away (see fourth photo below). I know the houses are not identical but the look could be really attractive.

1319 Catherine Street - 1965

1319 Catherine Street - 2005

1319 Catherine Street - 2014

 If you look back up at the black and white photo you can better understand the layout of the 1319 Catherine Street as it currently exists. The front door leads into the living room. One bedroom is on the front right. The second bedroom is in the sawtooth addition, also on the right.  The kitchen is in the shed addition at the rear left. The step through shower is on the right side of the shed addition.

A subsequent owner added a small pool and outdoor bathroom with toilet and shower.  If you have never had a chance to take an outdoor shower in Key West, you have missed one of the daily joys us Key Westers enjoy. There is nothing like taking a shower and looking up to the blue sky and palm trees - especially when you think of the suckers up north in America who are freezing to death.  If you rented this home as a vacation rental, your guests will relish the intimate surroundings.  

 The photos above shows a canvas covered, screened porch that is annexed off the living room. The "ceiling" inside the covered space is actually wood. This space is not counted in the legal square footage of the house because the space is not permanent and is not capable of being air conditioned. Nevertheless, it adds to the living space of the main house to some degree. Notice also the herringbone bricked off street parking.

Not every buyer needs a big home that is a monument to how successful he or she has been in life. A lot of people prefer smaller homes such as this that are less costly to maintain (an insure) year over year.  1319 Catherine Street is offered at just $609,000.  CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet and listing photos of this property. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to set up an appointment to view this home. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. Don't wait on this one. It will go under contract right away. If you snooze you will lose.

1423 Catherine Street - Key West

The listing Realtor describes 1423 Catherine Street as "Wonderful home in Old Town, close to Bayview Park. This home has been recently painted, has newer shutters, great front porch, and more. There are wood floors throughout, and wide plank flooring in the bathroom. There is a private fenced back yard with a deck,and there appears to be a cistern under the decking that could possibly be converted to a small plunge pool. There is parking for 2 cars tandem, and a large attic for storage."

I went to my old shoebox and found a photo taken in 1965 which shows 1423 Catherine Street much differently than it appears today. Back then the front porch was semi-enclosed with screen. Neither the Royal Poinciana nor the giant Seagrape trees had been planted. Today the porch is open to the street but the house is mostly hidden by trees on either side of the house.   I checked the Historic Sanborn Map for 1912 and found what I believe to be 1423 Catherine Street which was then identified as "B" sitting on the lot adjacent to "A".  The lot back then included both A and B houses and a couple of out buildings. The lot adjacent to the east was vacant but an adjoining house on Pearl was in existence. That small lot was developed when the two story building was constructed. That building was built very close to the property line. The rear building do not exist today and the lot is nowhere near the size it was in 1912. My guess is the rear lot was sold to the property owner on Eliza Street which has a very large house and lot.

The house at 1423 Catherine Street is a  bungalow style home devoid of any evident Dade County Pine walls. Dade Pine might be under the existing interior walls, but you can't see it if it does exist. Instead when you enter the front door you see two living areas partially separated by what I would describe as an Arts and Crafts style room divider. There are two bedrooms on the right, kitchen at the rear, and the one and only bathroom at the far end of the living room. I have shown this home a few times over the years and each potential buyer has found the floor plan a bit challenging.  If you are a buyer who is looking for a bit of a project, this home might work just right for you because the house itself appears to be in very good shape.  Instead of making big repairs, a new homeowner will likely re purpose some existing spaces and relocate both the kitchen and bath. And a new homeowner may try to install a pool at the rear.

 The above photos show the layout as it currently exists. I think a new owner might remove the dated Arts and Crafts room divider and open the space to more contemporary use. The front bedroom is quite large, but it has no closet. There was a passage between the front and second bedroom that is now covered by a mirror. I'd remove the mirror and use the passage to enter the second bedroom which I would shrink in size and make into a shared bath between the two bedrooms. I would take the dining area from the kitchen and convert that space into the new master bedroom. Part of the existing second bedroom would be converted into closets for the front and rear bedrooms. Essentially, there would be a Jack and Jill bath between the two bedrooms.  Finally I would reconfigure the existing bath and some portion of the former kitchen and make those spaces into the new kitchen.  There is plenty of room on the driveway side to do a small bump out to enlarge either the living room or new kitchen.  I do not foresee any reason HARC would have any difficulty in allowing a new homeowner to make the changes I envision.

The backyard has a lot of tree growth that needs trimmed back.  I think there may be enough space for a small pool. The listing agent suggests using the cistern to create a plunge pool. I might try to get a variance which might conceivably allow a new owner to reduce the setbacks a bit.  The trees at the front have overtaken the lot. I would ask the Tree Commission for permission to remove both the Seagrape and Royal Poinciana trees. Otherwise, the front porch provides a great place for people watching. The existing driveway provides two off street parking spaces.  

Nothing actually needs to be done to this home. It is in move-in condition. My suggestions are just that - suggestions. CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet and listing photos. This house is offered at $475,000.

This property is located a short walk from Bayview Park, the main city park in Key West. The park has and old fashioned bandstand, public tennis courts, a ball field, and lots of space for civic events throughout the year.

 Please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule a private showing of this home.  I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

 

311 Elizabeth Street - Key West - Transient Licensed Grand Conch House

 311 Elizabeth Street, Key West is back on the market. This historic old Grand Conch home is located at the foot of the Historic Key West Seaport and just two blocks from Duval Street. It has a very valuable Transient Rental License, a great pool, and off street parking.  The listing Realtor describes this property as:

"This is a grand historic home with double porches on a great block of Elizabeth Street in the heart of old town. The property has a spacious owner's apartment plus two transient guest house units, one in a separate poolside cottage. The classic architecture features Dade County pine, high ceilings and expansive rooms. The large owner's apartment is in the main house. The pool is surrounded by lush tropical foliage and decking. The entire property is fenced for privacy. The property includes a coveted off street parking space. The A+ location is close to the Land's End area shopping & marinas and Duval Street. Some TLC will make this jewel shine!"

 

I dug down into the old shoebox and found the black and white photo two above that was taken nearly fifty years ago.   The photo immediately above is very recent. Shutters, flags, and tropical vegetation give the old girl a bit more flair compared to the spartan 1965 photo.  I checked the Sanborn Fire Maps and  found that 311 Elizabeth Street first noted on the 1899 map.  When I recently stepped inside the house to take photos, I could tell this was indeed an old house. Although most of the downstairs was updated in the past twenty years, the dark Dade County Pine walls in the main floor living room and ceilings were a dead giveaway that this was a very old house indeed.

The property has three living spaces that are recognized by the City of Key West. They include (1) the main floor owners' unit, (2) second floor apartment with associated guest house licensed room, and (3) a guest cottage also with a guest house licensed room. There is an attached guest suite extension from the main floor owners unit that includes a living room, Pullman kitchen, bath, and bedroom. (That is actually four living spaces if you do the math!)

The detached guest cottage is as large as many of the smaller homes and condos in the Old Town area.  The great room has a tall vaulted ceiling with skylight and a bright and cheery kitchen. A steep stairway leads to a large second level sleeping loft which is large enough to accommodate two queen size beds.

The guest suite attached to the rear of the owners' main level living area is quite large. It includes a Pullman kitchen (photo two above), a living room, bath, and good sized bedroom. The long rectangular pool is on the south side of the property and has good morning and afternoon sun. The deck envelops the pool and then wraps the ground level addition to the rear of the main house where there is a more intimate private area.

I think this property could make a great renovation property for a buyer who wants a large Key West home with good income ppotential.  This is a great location near the Seaport and Duval Street attractions.

CLICK HERE to view more photos I took of this property.

311 Elizabeth Street is offered at $1,695,000. It has a total of seven bedrooms, four baths, four kitchens that occupy 3124 square feet of space on the 5269 square foot lot.  CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet.  Please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule a private showing.  I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.