1119 White Street, Key West - Impressive Commercial Building For Sale

Buyers looking for an impressive commercial building in a highly visible location need to look no further. The former Island Gym building located at 1119 White Street is available at the asking price of $1,100,000.  The building is architecturally impressive and may be adaptable to a variety of commercial and/or professional office type situations.. The building is located two blocks from the new Key West City Hall, two blocks from prominent Monroe County Administrative offices,  and near other  retail, food service, and tourist related businesses on the White Street corridor.

 The Listing Realtor describes the property this way:

"This ideally located parcel in the White St. Corridor consists of a double lot in the heart of Key West's Old Town totals 8,150 SF on the Corner of White and Catherine St. The building is a beautifully maintained 1,895 SF concrete 1938 art deco structure, with rights to expand to the curb and/or add a second level."

I dug into my old shoebox and found a photo of 1119 White Street taken in 1965 that shows the gas station property that previously existed.  I recall a larger gas station at the site when I moved to the area in 1995.  I vaguely recall that building as having been renovated as opposed to a new building been built from ground up.  The Property Appraiser website shows building permits for numerous improvements before it became the Island Gym. It was then update again to add the locker rooms and attendant facilities. 

My shoebox also contained the 9160 black and white photo (below) looking across White Street at a mixed-use property.. That photo looks so ancient now. It reflects a much sleepier time in Key West. I took a the lower color which shows the same building as it now appears. A real estate office is located on the opposite corner. The National Weather Service is located two blocks south. Almost every building on this section of White Street has been renovated or replaced to keep up with the new Key West economy.

The original Key West High School is also located two blocks south of 1119 White Street. The old high school was disassembled and rebuilt over the past two years and is not the Key West town hall. The National Weather Service is located opposite city hall. The great Atlantic Ocean is five blocks to the south. Duval Street is a five or so walk to the west. Key West is an island and 1191 White Street is centrally located to all that Key West offers. 

White Street is one of four streets that run from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean. It is two blocks south of Truman Avenue which runs that length of the island as US1. The ease of access to this location is obvious. I was saddened to see the Island Gym close. But its closing opens the opportunity for some new business to set up shop so to speak in a dynamic location.
 which is city and county government as well as tourist and retail businesses. I think 1119 White Street could easily be converted into medical offices. There is abundant on site parking plus on street parking.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to schedule an appointment to see the beautiful building and explore how it may meet your business needs. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

Key West, Not Your Usual Fish Story

I was going through my old shoebox looking at photos the other day when I found this picture taken way back in the day. It has absolutely nothing to do with real estate other than dealing with the consequences of being located in the wrong place at the wrong time. We all know that location, location, and location are paramount to successful real estate deals. Bad locations often lead to bad consequences.  But this true story has only a tangential reference to real estate location which I will get to later in today's blog.

I was a legal staff assistant to a county judge in Jefferson County Colorado in the late 1960s. In 1964 the voters of Colorado got to elect county judges for the first time ever. I was a junior in high school and president of the Jeffco Teen Dems. Our group of teens walked door to door on weekends canvasing for three attorneys who were candidates for three judgeships. Two of the three were elected, and in 1969 I got a full time job working for one of them, Francis W. Jamison. (I had just started law school.) After he left the bench, he went on to become a full time professor at the University of Denver College of Law. I attended his memorial service a few years ago. It was the largest such memorial I ever went to. The place was filled with a lot of gray haired old men and women (I recognized the faces of the older men as being judges or lawyers) and as many or more younger men and women - mostly attorneys who had studied under him.  I don't know how many of my dear readers have gone to a professor's funeral. I never did until then. But when I stepped inside that room I knew exactly why the old lawyers, judges, and young lawyers were there: respect for the man who taught the law and in earlier days practiced it and later presided as a judge.

During the time I worked for him we had many discussions about all kinds of things - about his time in Korea; working his way through law school by attending law school at night like I was doing; politics; living in the world; teaching by example on how to be a man.  The courthouse was located ten miles west of Denver. Like Key West, it's not a place you happen to stop by. You go there for a reason. But while there, many practicing lawyers would drop in to pay their respects to Frank. The DU Law School had a practice program approved by the Colorado Supreme Court which permitted law students to provide legal assistance to indigent people. Many students would often stop by to visit the judge even though their cases were in other courtrooms.

The color photo above shows the Jefferson County Hall of Justice on the right. It was built new to house the judges elected to the bench in 1964. That was more than fifty years ago. Jefferson County is located west of Denver.  As Denver grew much of the population moved westward and into the mountains. The 1964 Hall of Justice no longer exists. A new and larger building is now located a few miles to the south. The county courthouse shown on the left jn the photo is also gone. Google maps shows this space is now a parking lot at the Colorado School of Mines.

Three judges were elected to the bench in 1964 - two Democrats and one Republican. Each had a different personality. Judge C.F. Johnson was the sole Republican elected in 1964. He was at least a decade older than either Democrat. He reminded me as being a sly old fox. I think he was smarter than all get out, and comfortable with himself not to call attention to himself. Judge Shannon was the other Democrat who was later elected as District Judge and then became Presiding District Court Judge of the First Judicial District.

In the 1960s and 1970s the county bench had limited jurisdiction over specific civil and criminal matters including wildlife violations. One day Judge Jamison heard a case involving an over-zealous wildlife officer who cited someone for something. I don't remember anything about the trial, but I remember what happened later. The officer's name was Hatfield or something like that. He was nice enough, I guess. But I could tell he had an authoritarian personality. I guess a lot of people have those. One might think judges have them. After I became practicing lawyer I ran into a lot of judges and quickly realized many judges have authoritarian personalities. Judge Jamison told me he did not judge other people. He said he didn't have the power to do that. He listened to the evidence and decided if the defendant had broken the law or if a plaintiff had proved his or her case. 

The State did not prove the case that Officer Hatfield had lodged against a wayward fisherman or whatever it was. The wildlife officer dropped into the Judge's chamber after the trial to pay his respects before he went on his way. The officer did not challenge the finding. Later the Judge told me the story which took place soon after the election. He and his two county judicial running mates had been stopped by the same wildlife cop up in the mountains outside of Golden, Colorado. They had gone fishing and allegedly did something wrong, enough so that Officer Hatfield cited them for it. They were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Judge Jamison said they held a summary trial on the spot - just like the top photo. I think the non-elected attorney was appointed a special prosecutor who lost the case. The three fishermen were set free. Now that may read like a kangaroo court proceeding. I know it reads and sounds fishy.  Maybe it was. Maybe it was a lesson not to be so aggressive with the public. Just because a person wears a badge does not mean that every infraction must lead to some kind of legal peril. 

I wrote about Judge Jamison a couple of times earlier in my blog. He was the biggest influence on my career and in my life, even more so than my father and mother. The only time I saw him get angry was after the trial of a two truck driver who beat a small boy with a belt. The boy's grandmother discovered belt marks on the boy's back and buttocks while she was bathing him a couple of days after boy was beaten. She called the police who arrested the boy's mother's tow truck driver boyfriend. A jury convicted the man after an all day trial. The Judge started to speak as if he was going to impose sentence. He recited the awful things proven during the trial which the Defendant had done to the small boy. Then the Judge said something like "The Court is so angry at what the Defendant has done, that I cannot impose sentence today" or words to that effect. He ordered a per-sentence evaluation. The sentencing hearing was held a month or so later. The Judge imposed jail time and stopped talking for a prolonged silence. (He did that on a few occasions to get the attention of other defendants who never before appreciated the fact they could be spending time in jail or prison for their behavior.)  When he resumed speaking he ordered the Defendant to undergo anger management therapy and put him on probation.

Later in chambers I expressed my displeasure with the sentence. Imagine little old me, a pipsqueak law student, telling a judge he had made a mistake in sentencing. What balls I must have had. He said he didn't like the tow truck driver's conduct any more than I did. Then he said the guy must have a lot of problems in life to take out that much aggression on a little boy. He said putting that guy in jail would not have done anything other than make him angrier. He said he hoped escaping punishment and entering into a supervised probation program would help this man to figure how to behave.

(The above photo is of Judge Joseph P. Lewis, Betty Astle, Velma Bates, and me.  Judge Lewis was appointed to fill Judge Jamison's position on the county court after Jamison retired to become a law professor. Judge Lewis was a real gentleman. I admired him deeply.)

I hope you like my tale about roadside justice. It wasn't your usual fish story.

Just Listed: 413 Frances Street Key West Florida

Just Listed, but not by me, 413 Frances Street, Key West, Florida.  The listing Realtor describes this way:

"Beautifully renovated historic home located on highly desirable Frances Street in the heart of Old Town Key West. Meticulous restoration with high ceilings and Dade County Pine walls and floors. Gourmet kitchen with stainless steel appliances and granite countertops. Two bedrooms and bathrooms upstairs, plus a downstairs bedroom that is currently used as a den. Pool, back deck, and front porch for enjoyable outdoor living. Two off street parking spaces and a fabulous location near the Historic Seaport make this a Key West tropical oasis for the island lifestyle."

 When you enter the front doorway of 413 Frances Street your eyes are drawn to the rich Dade County Pine walls that expand from the entry foyer to the living room and dining room on the right and to the main hallway and staircase to the left. This house is the embodiment of what would-be home buyers dream of in a Key West house. The almost rustic appearance is intentional. The previous owner did a  meticulous renovation just a couple of years ago. This home has what discerning second home buyers want: lots of charm, off street parking (for two cars), a pool, and nothing that needs fixed. That's almost Paradise in itself.

The main floor has the entry hall with living room and dining room on the right side of the house. A full bath is on this level as is the kitchen with center island. The current owner uses the room located just to the rear of the kitchen as a den or family room. Prior owners had glass doors to provide privacy when this space was used as a third guest bedroom. French doors open out onto the pool area on one side and out to a large terrace on the other.

 

Upstairs there are two very good sized bedrooms and full bathrooms. The main floor family room can do double duty as a third sleeping area with a sofa bed. That space could be easily converted into a full time bedroom should climbing the stairs become a problem for a homeowner. (Remember there is a full bathroom on the main floor.) There is bricked off street parking that can accommodate two cars.

413 Frances Street would make a great vacation rental. In fact prior owners successfully rented this home as a monthly vacation rental for several years. The Historic Key West Seaport is a couple of blocks to the north. Duval Street is a five to seven minute walk to the west. The Old Town Bakery and Cole's Peace Bakery are one block away in either direction. Blossoms Market is a block away down Elgin Lane to the east. I had a very tasty and reasonably priced lunch at nearby Azur a few weeks ago.  Monthly renters can walk to one of several nearby gyms or yoga studios. This house could be a cash cow to a buyer who wants a place to stay, a place to rent, and a place to make money for several years to come.

CLICK HERE  to view the Key West MLS datasheet and listing photos. This beautiful home is offered at $1,299.000. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, if you would like to see this house or any other home in Key West.  I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

711 Olivia Street, Key West

Buyers who missed getting that special little Key West house at an affordable price should take note of the new listing at 711 Olivia Street in Key West. I had an opportunity to show this sweet, but untouched in decades, Old Town home a short time ago. I think it has a lot of potential for that special someone with an urge to renovate. I dug down into my old shoebox and found the black and white photo below taken back in 1965. Note the two story house located next door to the east. I could not find a photo of that place. That two story house has since been razed and a new one story garage sits in its place. The lot measures 67' X 50' (3340 sq ft).

I then searched the Historic Sanborn Fire Maps and quickly learned that this home appeared in the 1889 Sanborn Map and was then identified as 418 Olivia Street. The street number was changed to 711 Olivia Street on the 1892 map. The house sits at the corner of Galveston Lane. Last year I wrote about the house next door to the rear at 845 Galveston Lane (photo below). That eyebrow house underwent a thorough renovation and expansion and then sold for a whopping $2,300,000 in September 2016.  The one and a half story home to the west is currently under renovation.

The Monroe County Property Appraiser shows 711 Olivia Street as having 1124 sq ft under air with first floor having 624 sq ft and the second floor 520. (I took the floor area measurements from the Appraiser's website.) The difference between first and second floor area is the rear one story sawtooth addition to the main structure. Renovations of homes like this normally change the total interior configuration.  Back in the old days these houses had smaller one purpose rooms. Today I could envision a new owner rearranging the layout, vaulting the ceiling in the sawtooth addition, adding French doors on the east side to open out to the new pool. Just as the Galveston Lane eyebrow house was transformed into a thing of beauty, the charming facade of 711 Olivia and its interior will be updated to look and function with 21st century perfection.

Longtime blog readers may know that our Historic Architectural Renovation Commission will have to approve any renovation of this property including what might be done to the existing 359 sq ft garage.  I was surprised to learn that the garage includes a toilet. That suggests to me that a new owner might try to include that building as a part of the renovation of the entire property. It might become a guest cottage. Someone more ambitious might try to add a second story - a two story house used to exist there. First first thought was to raze garage to create a large pool and garden area.  The thought occurred of adding a small linear pool between the main house and the converted guest house. There still would be off street parking space available at the front of the lot.

711 Olivia Street is an easy stroll to Duval Street located two blocks to the west. Olivia Street is one of the longest streets in Old Town. It runs from the edge of Ft. Zachary Taylor State Park and Beach to Eisenhower Drive - about 1.5 miles. Olivia is a one-way street and is used more by locals than tourists as they have no idea where they are going most of the time. There is a little neighborhood store located about two hundred feet east of this home. I should also mention an agent in our office sold the large two story house visible in the above earlier this year for $2.2 million. I suspect 711 Olivia would fetch a pretty heft price if it were to flipped rather than lived in by a new owner.

The listing agent informed me that this property has been actively shown in the past couple of weeks and advised any potential buyer to act quickly. That is good advice. I am surprised it is still available. 711 Olivia Street is offered for sale at $650,000. CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS for more detailed information and then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

Key West - The Accidental Bodybuilder

 The Accidental Bodybuilder

Several years ago I worked at a Key West real estate office with a young lady whose boyfriend was a house painter and a semi-professional bodybuilder. I remember meeting him for the first time:  the guy was massive. He had shocking red hair and a surprisingly tanned body. I guess when you work outside most of the day with your shirt off, you can get pretty tanned. Nobody could could overlook his amazing body. All people might not admire his physique,  but nobody could miss seeing it.

One of my favorite true stories about life in Key West involves this bodybuilder boyfriend. One day he was standing on extension ladder at the corner of Simonton at Fleming Streets were he was painting the exterior of the Marquesa Hotel. That particular corner has s stop light. We all know that drivers are supposed to stop to allow traffic from the alternate street to pass through the controlled intersection.

On that particular day the boyfriend was wearing only a pair of fairly short shorts and shoes. His massive body loomed large seemingly suspended in air exposing his huge back, arms, and legs. The inevitable happened: some driver paid too much attention to the big muscular guy on the ladder and not enough attention to the stop light. Two vehicles collided. 

Key West After Irma - Dealing with Real Estate Looters

It happened last week, but I was prepared. I had seen this movie before. I would not fall for it again.

I got a phone call shortly before dinner. A man with what I thought was a New Jersey accent introduced himself and started on a very quick exposition about something. He talked so quickly that I thought he was one of those internet website salesmen who call me at least once a week to try to sell something. I interrupted him to ask "Are you trying to sell me something?"

He replied "No! I am a cash buyer.  I am looking for a Realtor to help me buy real estate in Key West. I can buy residential or commercial. It does not matter. I can close next week." Then he added "With all the destruction that happened after the hurricane, there will be a lot of sellers who just want to get out quick. I want to take advantage of that."

I paused for a mili-second.  I had seen this movie before. It did not end well. A few years ago another guy pulled the same maneuver after the FAKE British Petroleum Oil Spill hit Key West as reported by CNN and the Weather Channel. Oh, the BP oil spill was a real disaster and real oil did land on much of the coast of Florida, but it did not reach Key West. But the story got out that the Florida Keys also had been damaged by the oil sludge. The public bought into it. Our tourism business was deeply damaged. Our real estate business was severely impacted as well. We were still recovering from the 2008 real estate collapse. The fake sludge turned our recovering market upside down for a couple of years. There were some "deals" that did occur as a result. I tell buyers that sellers are always dying, getting divorced, moving out of town for some reason. Sellers who have to sell make the best deal they can at the time. Sellers who don't have to sell can wait it out. That's why smart money normally wins out over time.

I had one buyer who was so convinced that the oil spill would ruin Key West's tourist business that he talked about walking away from his pending contract to avoid a loss. He was going to buy a very large and quite special Shipyard condominium unit. His contract price was half of what the existing owner paid for the place a couple of years earlier. That seller who bought as an investment short saled the property thinking the Key West market was jinxed. I convinced my buyer to close the deal. (He sold the  unit a little over a year ago and almost doubled his investment.) Another agent told me about his customer who walked away from a $50,000 earnest money deposit to avoid a much larger perceived loss down the line.

The potential buyer I mentioned earlier did not want to buy a house. He wanted to get a really good deal. He had CASH and he thought his cash was the end-game. He could swagger in, flash the cash, and take some other person's prized property at a bargain price. I sent him various MLS listings and described why the various properties might play into his investment strategy. He ended up not buying anything.

So when the fast talking guy called me last week, I decided that I really did not want to waste my time dealing with someone whose goal was the same. I explained that Key West did not sustain the same kind of real property damage that happened in the Lower Keys. The physical damage shown on national television showed sections of island homes ripped apart to varying degrees. That did not happen jn Key West. Instead, Key West lost many canopy trees, palm trees, and tropical foliage. Some our largest banyans, mahoganies, and royal poincianas were toppled. This is a multi-generational loss.

I told him our housing stock is and has been very expensive for years. Our sellers know the value of their homes, the value of Key West as a destination location, and that almost every home on the island is a beneficiary of our consistent price appreciation that beats the national average year after year. I told him in the few days after Irma there only a few new listings and only a few price reductions. I hypothesized that prices will continue to rise as Americans vote to buy in  Key West rather than far away and more vulnerable locations.

I told the man I couldn't help him. (I could. But I knew he would not listen to what I had to say. He already had his mind made up as to potential bargains galore as Key Westers wallow in pity.  I would be wasting my time and his.)

I have been selling houses in Key West for 23 years - mostly to rich people because it's the rich who can afford to buy here. (Rich to me is anybody who can afford to buy a second or third home for $500,000 or more. Up north, in America, most people don't spend that much on their primary residence.) Most of my buyers are cash buyers, but unlike the guy I turned away, my buyers are looking to buy a home - a place to either live full time or part of the year. They have a dream about living in the Keys. They should all make money on their homes when they sell.  Prices go up, not down, in Key West. And during the in-between years, home owners can have one wonderful time living in Key West.

I had to stop at a stop light today on my way to my office. I noticed most of the mahogany trees on Simonton Street which were stripped bare by the storm have already got their leaves back. 

The clean-up of fallen trees is proceeding ahead. Within a few weeks Key West will look pretty much like it did before except for a lot of tree losses. I found a photo of the county court house taken in February 2017. I went over to th court house this morning to take a photo to show the same viewpoint and a second photo to show the remains of one huge uprooted trees. It is sad to lose so many lovely trees. Our buildings and our old houses survived just fine.