701 Elizabeth Street #1 , Key West - An Apartment to Rent

It's end of season in Key West. Some folks have left town to find fame and fortune in northern towns and territories. Others folks are heading down to Key West to do the same thing. Some people succeed, others do not. That is life. I was in Miami a couple of weeks ago. I cannot imagine why any sane person would want to live there, but I cannot imagine living in any big city after having lived in Key West for the past 23 years.

701 Elizabeth Street #1 is located at the top of Solaris Hill in Old Town Key West. This three story one bedroom apartment has stunning views looking south, west, and north. You'll see the glorious Key West sunsets every night. And in the morning you can drink your coffee and eat your breakfast on the private front porch with birds chirping. 

 

A three story tall spiral staircase greets guests when they arrive at the front entry. The living room, dining area, and kitchen are located on this level. The unit is offered furnished as shown and the furniture cannot be removed.

The second floor is where all the business is done. This floor includes the bathroom, laundry room, and closet.  These are all vital functions and are easily accessible from living room and bedroom.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet on 701 Elizabeth Street #1 offered at $2,600.00 per month on an annual lease. Tenant pays all electric, water, propane, television/internet. No cats permitted. A small dog may be considered. First, last, and security deposit required at time of lease signing. 

1501 Pine Street, Key West - Price Reduction

The asking price on 1501 Pine Street, Key West, was just reduced to $1,149,000 making this Meadows of Key West homes one of the very best values in town. This stunning home is part of The Meadows condo association. Newly built in 2007 with top of the line materials and craftsmanship, this home features soaring 11' ceilings in the living area. The kitchen is top of the line with stainless steel appliances, beautiful granite and solid wood cabinets, plus a wet bar in the living room. The bedrooms are en suite with impressive architectural details including crown molding, high ceilings, porches and solid wood doors. A private, gated drive leads to the carport and a separate entry to the pool area. Completely fenced and beautifully landscaped, this home is located on a corner lot.

 This home has 1609 sq feet of interior living space plus two covered porches on the front. Speaking of porches, these are great places to watch the world go by. Notice the Hardiboard siding, pediments above the windows, and the solid wood doors that are hurricane impact rated as are all the windows and doors in this home. These features will reduce homeowners and wind insurance rates for years into the future.

This home has a formal entry which leads into the living area. Travertine marble is used throughout the main floor where there is a guest bath off the wet bar. Note the media cove in the living room. Dual sliding doors open out to the private heated pool with water feature. Don't miss the spa as well. The corner location means this pool will eternal sunshine most of the year as there are no plantings on the property and the rear is the private alley to all owner carports.

The kitchen has top of the line stainless steel appliances, beautiful granite and solid wood cabinets. A two story turret is an adjunct to the kitchen and is configured as a home office. There are lots of windows in the kitchen so your cooking will not be a chore but a dream.

The second floor is divided into two separate sections. The master suite takes up the foot print of the entire house. The guest suite is located over the carport at the rear. On this level you will find rich wood floors and custom tiles in the bedrooms and custom tiles in the baths. The master bedroom has a vaulted ceiling and sitting alcove located in the turret area. Big men who have difficulty with finding room for king size beds will love this space. They won't have to duck for cover anywhere.  The bath is extra large and is the rival of what expects in any fine home. There is a spa tub, shower, dual sinks and lots of mirrors and glass. The WC is located adjacent to two rows of lighted closets. The front door opens out to the second level covered porch equally outfitted to the main level.

The guest bedroom and bath are equally grand in spatial layout and amenities provided. The coffered and vaulted ceiling is a delight in design and spatial feeling. The bath, though not as large as the master, is appointed with the same quality cabinetry, tiles, fixtures and lighting.

The home at 1501 Pine Street is part of The Meadows Condominium Association which is comprised of eight homes. Each home is located on a fee simple lot. The association exists to provide access to rear carport parking via gated driveway and management of storm water runoff. Each homeowner pays his or her individual property insurance and maintenance expenses.
 This home is located in the Meadows area of Key West. Bayview Park (two blocks to the south) has an old fashioned bandstand, public tennis courts, basketball courts, and lots of green space for community events. The White Street arts district is a five minute walk to the west. The Garrison Bight Marina is located one block away to the east. Duval Street and the Historic Seaport are each a five minute bike ride. The three large shopping centers (large by Key West standards) are five minutes by car. The Key West International Airport is five to seven minutes depending on traffic.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet. If you are interested in seeing 1501 Pine Street in person or want more information, please contact me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 or by email at kw1101v@aol.com. I am a buyer's agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties (listing brokerage) for this property.

In the Key West Closet

I check the Key West MLS hotsheet constantly throughout each day. It is important to know about each new listing and also be aware of price reductions and houses that go under contract. Just as important are new solds as they indicate what has sold, at what price, and identify the agents who listed and sold the property.

A few days ago I was drawn to the sale of little home a few miles outside of Key West. I seldom drive that far to show a house as most of my buyers want to be in Key West, and, more particularly, in Old Town. But for some reason I had to look at that listing.The main photo was a violation of our MLS ruls in that it showed the water. Rules dictate that the main photos should be of the house. The agent broke a little rule but that is why I looked at that listing. I hit the photo button and started to view the photos of the modest two bedroom home located at water's edge. I thought what a pretty view this owner had. The interior wasn't that much to look at but that was just the snob in me being judgmental.

I paused when I saw a photo of the living room where I noticed both a weight bench, an abs machine, and a treadmill. The owner or a tenant was perhaps a man who was into fitness.  Best not be too judgmental after that earlier remark I made.  I looked through the rest of the photos and saw a niche off the living room where various items were displayed including a ONE HUMAN FAMILY sticker which is seen on cars and in homes all over the Key West area.  Key West is a very welcoming community to all people.

Then I spotted the closet. No big deal; it's a closet. But then I looked at contents. What a snoop I was, and a snitch I am. Now I am telling and showing others far and wide about the contents of that closet. Look close at the shelves where you will see two pairs of stiletto high heels. The only girls in this town that wear heels this high are drag queens. How do I know this or why do I know this, you may ask. It's because Key West is so laid back that there are not that many places for women to wear high heels. Except...

Key West Real Estate Horror Story No. 10

Today's blog is another in my series telling tales involving real estate gone bad. Previous blogs dealt with death and destruction. Today's tale is but a report of a deal gone terribly wrong where I imagine the participants shrieked to the heavens when they discovered a ghoul had got their goat. I am a reporter of this event and not a participant.

Several years ago the principal broker of a large real estate company in Key West decided to list his personal home for sale. I will call him "Phil".

The principal broker of an equally large real estate company, who I will call "Charles", was the buyer's agent for a buyer I will call "Frederick of Hollywood" which fits his persona to a "T". Read on.

Frederick offered to pay more than two million dollars cash for the Phil's home. That amount was very high at that point in our local real estate market. Charles wrote an all cash offer on behalf of Frederick to purchase Phil's home. Details were agreed to by all parties and the deal moved into escrow.

Weeks passed and the closing date drew near.  Guys from the moving company showed up at Phil's home and removed all the family furnishings from the house. Closing day arrived. Phil (the broker/owner) showed up that the closing with his wife. Charles, the buyer's agent, showed up at the closing - he was about to get a big commission. The only person missing was the buyer.  Telephone calls were made. Buyer could not be reached.  Phil declared that the buyer breached the contract and opted to retain the escrow deposit as liquidated damages. That's one of the prime reasons for having an escrow - to ensure performance by the buyer.

The problem is the Frederick of Hollywood, the buyer, never paid the escrow. Neither the listing broker/owner (Phil) nor the buyer's agent (Charles) bothered to verify receipt of escrow deposit. The closing agent wrongly assumed Phil or Charles had collected the escrow.

This really happened.

620 Thomas Street #283, Key West - Transient Licensed Shipyard Condominium

620 Thomas Street #283 is a second floor two bedroom Shipyard Condominium located about fifty feet from the community pool, one block from the new Truman Waterfront Park, and three blocks to Duval Street. It has a valuable special Truman Annex Transient Rental License. What more could you want?

Truman Annex Community is located three blocks from world famous Duval Street in Key West. The Shipyard Condos have been weekly rentals for perhaps hundred of thousands over the past two decades. Although the units were built around the same time, each is a bit different in current condition. Some places have been updated with new kitchens, baths, and decor. Some are located on Sourthard Street which is the access in to Fort Zachary Taylor park and others are tucked away in this, the largest of  the six Truman Annex communities.

This 677 square foot unit is offered furnished as shown. You can start making money the day after you close. The special transient license allows 25 weekly rentals and multiple monthly vacation rentals of your choice throughout the year. Enjoy the unit yourself on the weeks you are not renting. The unit has an owner's closet in the kitchen to stash your favorite adult beverages and bathing suits. The pool is located just steps away down the path behind the unit. The assigned owner's parking is located directly across from the unit's front door. Both you and your paying guests will appreciate the convenience of being close to the pool but not right upon it. And you will immensely appreciate not having to walk through the complex carrying groceries or luggage - whether it is 80 degrees outside o raining. CLICK HERE to view more photos of the unit, the Shipyard condos area, and the new Truman Annex Waterfront Park.

A big cruise ship was pulling into port as I took photos of the new Truman Annex Waterfront Park which is also the home of the new Truman Annex Amphitheater.  Workers are still moving earth and doing whatever it is that has taken so long to get done. But it looks like they are almost done.  The small roadway between the Shipyard Condos and the park leads to Ft Zachary Taylor State Park and Beach. Guests in the condo will love being able to walk to the beach in about five to seven minutes.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet on 620 Thomas Street #283. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to schedule a private showing of this Shipyard unit. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

Don't Do Stupid Things!

Today's blog has nothing to do with real estate except, perhaps, to have a burglar alarm and a warning to homeowners not to do something stupid.  Stupid people often end up on America's Funniest Home Videos or dead.

On  a cold gray day in early December 1981 I returned to my Capitol Hill home in Denver about an hour or so before normal.  I normally rode the bus to work and left my Mercedes 450 SL in the garage. I owned the Denver four square house pictured above. I friend who had sold his house and was in the process of moving to New York shared a room for a couple of months. Otherwise, I lived alone.

I entered the front door and noticed things were displaced in the living room. The stereo was moved out from the front wall. Odd, I thought. I called out "Steve!".  No answer. I walked into the dining room, turned, and passed through the breakfast room where my Old English Sheepdog and Steve's tiny toy dog huddled under the breakfast table. I shouted "Steve!" as I moved toward the kitchen door when I saw glass all over the floor.

It took perhaps all of two or three seconds to walk past my dog and into the kitchen where I found a tall black kid standing against the far kitchen wall next to the refrigerator. He was startled as much as I was. He darted past me and through the glass door which he had smashed to gain entry into my house.

He through the back yard and leapt the six foot tall stockade gate. I chased after him and lost some time as I clumsily managed to unlock the gate. He was far ahead of me as I chased him down the alley where he hopped another fence. I still pursued him as he fled through a neighbor's yard and headed down the street. I stopped, exhausted. I couldn't catch him, and if I did, what would I do to a guy much taller and younger than I?

I returned home and looked at the glass on the floor. Winnie, my dog, and Manchi, Steve's dog, stood there looking at me wondering WTF was going on and what I was going to do about it. Then I thought someone else might still be in the house. I had a wall phone in the kitchen and called the police. I told the operator I had been burglarized and thought someone else might be in my house.  I went to the front porch to wait for the police who showed up within two or three minutes with shotguns in their hands.

I told then what happened. They asked if anyone else known to me was in the house. No, I said. They told me to stay back as they went into the house to search. A few minutes passed when they called me inside. We moved into the kitchen where I described what happened. I told them about the chase when they spotted my garage where we then went. My Mercedes was crammed with things from inside my house including the stereo. This was odd as the burglar couldn't take the car anywhere without a key - right?  We went back into my house and went to my bedroom where things were all over the floor. The burglar had opened my secretary desk where I kept various credit cards, a spare key to my car, and my gun. All were missing. 

This picture shows the side profile of my house with garage at the rear. 

The red 1959 Mercedes was mine for a short while but was sold before my house was burglarized.

They asked me to describe the intruder. He was tall, black, and young. That was it.  Oh, and a fast runner. One of the cops said there had been several recent burglaries in my area. He said the culprit would find houses that looked worthy of breaking into and then watch for times the owner would  be away.  I often tell my buyers that people are creatures of habit. I would normally have arrived home around 5:20  It was my returning home from work an hour early that prevented the theft of my car and maybe more.

I had several cocktails that night trying to calm down from what had happened. Over the following days I felt so invaded and so lucky at that the same time. It could have ended very badly. What a fool I had been chasing that kid. What a stupid fool.

Gary's Got a Secret Listing in Key West

I received a phone call a couple of days ago from a lady who said she wanted look at such and such address. I then asked her if she had read a blog I wrote about that house. She said yes. I asked the date. She said it did not have a date. I said all of the blogs are dated, but I did not want to debate that point. I had a potential buyer for a house - I found the blog which I wrote in early 2014. (The date was in the upper left hand corner of blog.) The price was low, less than $250,000 for a fixer. I told the lady that property sold years ago, was renovated, and resold in 2017 for just under one million dollars.

I then asked her what she was looking for. She said a fixer that she could renovate and flip. I then asked the area or areas she wanted to buy and how high she was willing to pay. At this point I was preparing to search the Key West MLS. She did not respond. I thought she had dropped the call. I said "Hello?  Are you still there?" She then said yes. I asked again the area of town and the highest price she would consider paying. She told me wanted to buy a house in Old Town. She said if she told me the price she might pay I would only search for high priced properties.

I explained that the prices available in 2014 are no longer available. By that point I had the MLS up and had searched for single family homes priced between $299,000 to $500,000. There were only four active single family homes and they were located in marginal areas. I told her the address and price of each. They were price too high for her. She then said "You have my name and number. Call me when you get something."

You bet!