923 Southard Street, Key West - Pretty as a Picture

Just listed, but not by me, 923 Southard Street in Old Town Key West. The original cigar maker's style cottage was built circa 1889. I found an old photo that shows pretty much the original structure as it appeared 50 some years ago (see the black and white photo below). If you look carefully you can see traditional clapboard siding at the front but board and batten siding (vertical siding) on the side.  You also will see a "sawtooth" addition at the rear. I suspect that was the kitchen at the time the photo was taken. A later owner expanded that space to include a second floor addition.  The resultant house today has 1476 sq ft of living space under air. The house sits on a large 2700 sq ft lot (approximately 27' x 100') lot located in the heart to Old Town.

Circa 1965

The listing Realtor describes this pretty as can be property as:

"This late 19th Century cottage is the perfect oasis in the heart of Old Town. Landscaped and fenced in the rear for total privacy, with an outdoor shower, arbor, heated plunge pool and a bodega for storage. The living area and hallway are bright with eastern light falling on the natural Dade County pine walls. The bright white kitchen gives onto the outdoors, and attached laundry room. Bedrooms are at opposite ends upstairs, separated by a hallway with skylights, closets and a nook. Step out of the master suite onto the deck overlooking the inviting scene below. The harbor and Duval Street are a short walk away. New roof in 2015, and 4 new split a/c units in 2016. Offered furnished."

Today this storybook cottage rests behind a picturesque white picket. The front porch provides the perfect perch for people watching.  Inside, you are greeted by a traditional long hallway on the right which leads to the kitchen and dining at the rear. The current owner removed a previously existing wall that separated a small front office from the adjacent living room. The newly expanded living room is a delight. The floors were refinished and look like new. Windows from the hallway on the east which filter into the living area.  Windows at the front and west side light the living room during the daytime. The Dade County Pine Walls are punctuated by the baseboards, trim, and crown molding all painted a crisp white.  

There is a full bathroom plus closets closets located at the rear of the living room. This space will come in handy as the second bathroom on the second floor is en-suite to the master bedroom.

The kitchen is a compact place to cook when the owner is dining at home versus going out to one of the nearby restaurants including Mangia Mangia, Michael's, Azul, or Cafe Sole. The owner created a nicely outdoor dining area under the trellis opposite the pool. The laundry room is located adjacent to the kitchen.

The turf is not real, but the sunshine, the trees, the singing birds are very real, and they are very much a part of the appeal of this magical back yard located in the heart of Old Town.

The front bedroom tells us a lot about the history of this house. There is an original scuttle located in the ceiling over the chair in the above photo. In the old days before air conditioning, scuttles were opened to allow warm air to rise through the space to the outdoors. Today the old scuttles  remind us of the miracles of electricity and interior refrigeration. The common hallway separates the two bedrooms.

The roof top balcony is the perfect spot to take an all-over Key West tan. It's also a great place to sit in the morning drinking your coffee or late at night as the warm breezes move across the island. The last couple of nights have been incredible as the full moon migrated across the sky with slow winds moving lots of clouds about. It was quite the show. When the conch trains, delivery vans, scooters, and cars stop the real noises of the island begin: the dog scratching off fleas, the occasional cat screeching, the gecko on the wall chirping, the fountain in the garden gurgling, the palms swishing. These are the sounds of Key West us locals love to hear.

923 Southard Street is offered at $1,024,900.  CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to schedule a private showing of this treasure. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. Let me help you find your place in Paradise.

6800 Maloney Ave #56, Key West - Price Reduced

The asking price on 6800 Maloney Avenue #56 in Key West has been reduced to $375,000. I wrote about the property when it was first listed. I liked it so much I thought about buying it myself. Seriously!  That same day a different brokerage listed two boat slips located in the nearby Oceanside Marina. Boat slip measures 40' X 14' and is offered at $262,000. The second boat slip measures 80' X 25' and is offered at $325,000. When I saw that I knew what I originally wrote about the value of 6800 Maloney was absolutely on point. Today's blog is an update on price.  A few days ago a different realtor listed a 60' X 25' boat slip at Safe Harbour Marina is offered at $360,000. They are offering water. This listing is offering a home and a water view of the same body of water.

A lot of people dream about buying a little place in the Florida Keys where they can get away from it all. Most of these dreamers don't mind if the place isn't "perfect". In fact, many prefer that it is not. That way they can fix what needs to be fixed and create their version of the perfect getaway cottage. Many of these dreamers really want a place on the water with a nice view - a place they can catch a few fish or play around on jet skis or take the boat out on open water. And the impossible dreamers hope to find such a place in or near Key West which can be purchased for not a lot of money. 

6800 Maloney Avenue #56 is located in the Harbor Shores Condominiums about 300 feet or so from the new Oceans Edge Key West Hotel and Marina. That hotel has become an instant "hit" because of its waterfront location, multiple pools, and proximity to Duval Street four miles down US1.  This is a manufactured home which sits on a fee simple lot (just like a stick built home up in Peoria or Pittsburgh). Here the property owner owns the house and the land but is also a member of a land based condominium association which owns the common streets and amenities including the boat docks.

The lot is an irregular shaped rectangle measuring 35 feet wide by about 100 feet long or 2753 square feet (which accounts for the irregular shape). There is a concrete seawall which extends about fifteen feet from the home. The water is pretty shallow in this location. An owner might be able to use a flat boat here and certainly could use personal watercraft.  Deep water access is available via the channel on the opposite side of this small bay.

Each of the homes in Harbor Shores is different. Some are trailers, some are modular homes, and there are several newly built stilt homes. This particular Palm Harbor home is a two bedroom two bath with 888 square feet of living space plus screened porch overlooking the water. There is an adjacent storage building also included.

The floors are primarily wall to wall carpet plus tile in the kitchen and baths. The kitchen cabinets are in good shape as are the bathrooms. The place is painted white and needs to be re-painted. A new owner might replace the windows and doors with impact glass which would reduce wind insurance and make it a snap for a seasonal owner to lock and leave. The listing agent told me she thinks a new owner could spend $20,000 and turn this place into something really charming.

CLICK HERE to view more photos of this home and the Harbor Shores development. This home has a parking space at front. Guest parking is located across the street. There is abundant boat dock age about fifty feet to the north. A fortunate few owners (like #56) are located directly on the water.  A couple of owners have replaced older homes with new stilt homes. I added a photo so that readers can see the kind of replacement property could be added to this site.

I found an aerial photo of the area as it appeared in 2012. The marina still exists but the old covered boat storage was taken down and new hotel and pools were built. Harbor Shores is located just above the once-standing Oceanside Marina boat barn. I think this photo demonstrates the lure of this location. In the past couple of years about half a billion dollars has been spent on several new developments on Stock Island. Locals and returning visitors know that Hog Fish restaurant and Roostica are located nearby. More restaurants are being added.

Duval Street is located four miles to the west. There is always something to do there. That's why I feel buyers who dream of having a little place in the Keys will find this place so appealing.CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet for 6800 Maloney Avenue #56 then call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to set up a private showing. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West (listing broker for this property). Remember to click the photo link above as well.

1509 Pine Street, Key West - The Meadows Price Reduction

 I've been selling homes in Key West since 1996. Experience has taught me that the home at 1509 Pine Street in the quiet Meadows Area offers so many of the features home buyers seek in a Key West property. I am certain when any potential buyer sits on the front porch they will immediately and deeply fall in love with this location and this home because it is the epitome of what a Key West house ought to be. 

The listing Realtor describes 1509 Pine Street, Key West, as

"This beautiful 3/3.5 home looks historic but was built in 2008 with important modern elements such as hurricane rated doors and windows. There are dramatic 11 foot ceilings and high end finishes plus a gourmet kitchen with granite counters & stainless appliances. A private heated pool and spa are accessed through 8 ft glass doors and surrounded by foliage.Covered private carport and storage. Each bedroom is en suite and the master has a vaulted ceiling plus a private balcony. There is two zone central air, hard wood and travertine floors, solid wood doors, high ceilings on both floors, crown molding and high end fixtures used throughout the home. This home is in pristine move in condition and will delight the most discerning buyer. Private parking is accessed through electric gates at both ends of the driveway. Great Meadows location near everything Key West has to offer. Easy to see!"

The Meadows of Key West was designed to be and is the epitome of design and high-end construction in Key West. The homes were built to with stand the challenges of our sub-tropical climate and sunny days. The Hardiboard siding and impact windows and doors will keep long term maintenance and insurance costs down as opposed to other stick built homes in our area. Each home has a private pool and carport which is accessed via private rear driveway which is managed by the home owner association whose sole function is to maintain the limited common areas. Just like in your home up north, you as homeowner of this home would be responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of your front and rear yards and pool.

Like many of the Grand Conch Houses of Old Town, this home has a covered front porch located off the master suite.  The ceiling in the master bedroom is vaulted which really adds dimension to this space that includes a good-sized walk in closet and en-suite bath. Readers should study the architectural detain in the second floor porch. You just won't find this kind of quality at this price in a similarly sized historic home in Old Town - at least not at this price. You might for a million dollars more. But not at this price. And if you find one, your maintenance costs and insurance costs will still be higher.

There are two additional bedrooms on the second floor both of which have private en-suite baths and ample closets. The rear bedroom (pictured above) is locate above the carport. I guess you could refer to it as a carriage house of sorts. Note that both guest bedrooms have tray ceilings, crown molding, recessed lights, and many more design feature.

 CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and to view more listing photos of 1509 Pine Street now offered at $1,269,000.  Then 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.

Key West Real Estate Sales Report - First Six Months of 2017

It's that time again - time to take a look at the houses sold during the first six months of 2017 and try to make sense of what those sales tell us about the current real estate market in Key West. I will compare the 2017 solds to the solds during the first six months of 2015.

As in the 2015 survey I used the Key West MLS database for the geographic areas of Key West and Stock Island but did not include any sales east of Stock Island. This is geographic area most potential buyers consider to be "Key West" even though our MLS database extends ten miles east of Mile Marker 0. 

707 South Street Key West pool and gardens

173 single family homes sold between January 1, 2017 and June 30, 2017. The least expensive house sold at $325,000. 707 South Street (famed for being a filming location for the James Bond movie License to Kill ) was the most expensive home sold in Old Town. The house sold for $5,000,000 plus an additional $395,000 for the furnishings.  The house and guest cottage had undergone an extensive renovation plus the addition of a garage entered off Villa Mill Alley with guest bedrooms on the second level. Landscape architect Craig Reynolds redesigned the pool and grounds into a tropical paradise.

920 Terry Lane Key West

1403 Catherine Street Key West

721 Chapman Lane Key West

The real estate market in Key West keeps getting more expensive each year.  As prices continue to rise the volume of sales has gone down a bit. There is still a huge demand for homes in Key West and sales were much more brisk than I thought earlier in the year.  116 single family homes sold between $325,000 to $987,000 or 67% of the entire sales during the first six months. There were 45 singles family homes that sold priced $1,000,000 to $1,950,000. The three homes shown above reflect the appreciating market in Key West. 920 Terry Lane sold in March 2013 for $750,000 and resold in June 2017 for $1,175,000 or 63% price appreciation in four years. 1403 Catherine Street sold for $750,000 in May 2012 and resold in June 2017 for $1,300,000 or 57% price appreciation. 721 Chapman Lane sold was a bank foreclosure that sold in March 2011 for $370,000. The owner did an incredible renovation to the home. It sold in April 2017 for $1,200,000. This sale is significant because of the location - Bahama Village. In the next year or so I think the price for homes in Bahama Village may explode as the new Truman Waterfront Park will open to the public. Homes located near the Historic Key West Seaport underwent a similar price spike a generation ago as the boardwalk and esplanade made the old seaport much more tourist friendly.

411 Grinnell Street Key West

 Six homes sold between $2 million to $3 million including 411 Grinnell Street pictured above. This 1541 square foot home sold at $1,817 per sq ft. The home was located on a 8,375 square foot lot which included a ROGO unit with plans to build a second home. I have no idea whether another home will be built. And six homes sold in excess of $3 million with two which sold at $5 million, 707 South St mentioned above and a manse on Sunset Key.

I looked back at my six month report from 2015 where we had a total of 207 single family home sales in Key West between January 1, 2015 and July 1. The highest priced sale was 620 Eaton Street (above) which sold at $4,495,000. The least expensive house sold at $225,500. During the first six months of 2015 34 homes sold between $1,000,000 to $2,000,000. During the first six months of 2015 7 single family homes were sold priced between $2,000,001 to $3,000,000.  Twelve houses sold in 2017 sold priced over $2,000,000. That's a huge increase in volume of sales plus price increase. I have written several blogs complaining that there are not enough buyers willing to pay for homes in the higher price ranges. The sales statistics prove that I was wrong about demand and willingness to pay more than $2,000,000 for a house. The 2015 MLS stats show 70 houses sold priced under $500,000. 32 single family homes were sold during 2017.  That part of our market is really diminishing. As a local I worry about affordable pricing for other full time residents. More and more locals have to find places to live on other nearby islands which are now experiencing similar price appreciation, just at a less expensive price than in Key West.

I hold open houses almost every weekend during prime selling season - late November thru Memorial Day. One of the most repeated observations is the seemingly high number of homes listed for sale in Key West.  These "buyers" are typically looking at homes in Old Town or Casa Marina which are located on about 25% of land mass of the Island of Key West. They perceive all the for sale signs as omens of woe. That's hardly the case. Many of the homes still have for sale signs without riders advising the public the houses are under contract. The three examples of recent home sales also illustrate the frequency of re-selling the same house within a limited time period. In most of America, homes are lived in for a generation or more. Houses in Old Town and Casa Marina are often second of third homes and are resold with frequency. If you happen to come to Key West and want to look for a house, look me up. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.