23096 Tarpon Lane, Cudjoe Key, Florida

Just Listed, 23096 Tarpon Lane, Cudjoe Key, Florida. CLICK GOOGLE MAP for an aerial perspective of this home and the area.  Use the toggle switch to expand or contract the viewing area. You will see the house is located on open water and has instant access to the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. And it is only takes about thirty minutes to drive to Key West.

All of the living space in this home is located on the second floor which may be accessed via stairs or the private elevator. The Monroe County Property Appraiser shows this home has 1788 sq ft of interior living space located over the covered parking below. The lot measures about 151'  X 83'  or 12,578 sq ft. The house sits at waters' edge at the end of Tarpon Lane. The lot is fenced in front and on the sides. A rolling gate provides privacy.

This home first and foremost is all about living a comfortable life and doing those things that amuse the owner. Each of the public living areas have water views and access to the covered rear balcony. Once you open the front door you see the water beyond the sliding doors that open out to screen enclosed upper balcony. Just to the left of the living area you will see the breakfast bar which creates a neat transition from the kitchen to the dining area. The kitchen is quite large and has Stainless Steel Appliances including the gas range. The laundry room is located behind the door next to the wall mounted microwave oven.

The master bedroom with en-suite bath also opens out to the rear balcony. The balcony expands the bedroom space but not out of necessity for the space is already quite large. The bedroom includes ample closets and a vanity. The bathroom with separate shower and tub is located behind a closed door.

There are two generous sized guest bedrooms The south bedroom has a private en-suite bath. The north bedroom has a direct entry to its bath. A door off the hallway allows guests to use this bath as well.

As soon as I walked inside the ground level of this home I immediately thought of Tim the Toolman Taylor, the fictional character played by Tim Allen in his 1990s comedy hit "Home Improvement". There are two, not one, extra large under-building garages plus additional storage space. This is a man's playground if there ever was one! Let the following photos pique your interest.

The boys toys don't stop inside. There is a huge davit and boat lift aside the water.  The size of the davit is dwarfed by the immensity of the back area. There is a Tiki Hut located just beside the pool at the water's edge. CLICK HERE to view more photos I took of this waterfront home.

23096 Tarpon Lane is offered for sale at $1,450,000 by Preferred Properties Key West. 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 lovely waterfront home. Imagine how you might decorate this open living space and put your personal mark on the landscaping. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

237 Golf Club Drive, Key West - Just Listed

Just Listed by yours truly 237 Golf Club Drive which is located in the The Sanctuary at the Key West Golf Club Community. This 1720 square foot Grand House is located at the end of cul de sac. This home has recently updated throughout including the addition of solid Gunstock Red Oak Stairway and Floors on the upper level. 

 If you have seen other Grand Houses before you need to see this one now because it isn't like the others. The French doors off the dining room open out to the east terrace where the swimming pool is located. Large trees and tropical foliage and palms frame this area.

The home has all the look of a Grand Conch House in Old Town, but we know it's not because it was built new in 2001 at the Key West Golf Club. Still the old style design tricks the eye just enough to give us the sense that this is a big old style home. Once you enter the foyer your eyes are drawn through the home to French doors at the rear. Those doors open out to a covered rear porch which has been screened, just like Grandmother's house.  Inside the living area of this home you will find a half-bath adjacent to the foyer, the kitchen on the left which has a large breakfast bar for casual dining, a large dining room area, and a spacious living area. The current owner has outfitted the first floor bonus room as a study. There's a convertible sofa that can be made into a bed when the occasions arises. However, the space could easily become a fourth bedroom. The laundry is secreted away under the stairs.

This home has first and second floor porches at the front and rear plus the terrace side porch. The porch off the living room is screened. You'll note the golf course views off to the left. Most of the rear yard is bricked. Huge trees and tropical foliage frame this garden space as well. The owner added a sturdy storage shed behind the covered off street parking. CLICK HERE to view more interior and exterior photos.

The current owner installed solid Gunstock Red Oak stairway treads and floors on the entire floor except the bathrooms, This includes closets and under the built-in cabinetry in the master bedroom. All the interior walls are painted a soothing beige while doors, baseboards, trim, and crown molding are painted a crisp white. The look is harmonious throughout the house. Any buyer with any kind of design aesthetic could move right in to this home. The master bedroom is located at the rear where another set of French doors open out to a covered (but not screened) rear porch.

A built-in window seat is framed by two storage cabinets on one side of the master bedroom. The master bath is located opposite. The bath includes dual sinks, bathtub, separate shower, and toilet. There is a huge walk-in closet outfitted with lots of built-ins for additional storage. Lack of storage is often a problem in many of our Old Town homes. That won't be the case here.

The second floor hall provides a nice space for displaying art. There are two equal sized guest bedrooms on this level both of which have vaulted ceilings which adds space and volume to the rooms. Each room has a door that opens out to the front second floor front porch. Both share a bath on this floor.

 While this home has a beautiful private pool, your guests may wish to take advantage of either of the two heated community pools the larger of which is amazing. There is also a nearby fitness center. The Key West Golf Club community has a secured gated entry. The streets are tree lined and provide a genuine home town feel throughout the year. It is always a joy to drive prospective buyers through the area. 

CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet on 237 Golf Club Drive which is offered for sale at $749,000 which makes it the lowest priced Grand House based on a per square foot basis. Please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to schedule a private showing.  I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

Key West - No Tea, No Sympathy, No Sale

A friend and I saw Mothers and Sons at the Waterfront Playhouse on Friday night. If you are in town between now and February 13th I urge you to see it.  Joy Hawkins is remarkable!

After we left the theater and headed up Duval Street. It was 9:30 PM and Duval Street was filled with people. Noise was blaring out from every bar. People carried go-cups on the sidewalks making their way to the next bar. As we approach Sloppy Joe's I told my friend about my walk up Duval Street last year after seeing another play at the Waterfront Playhouse. I was approached by a young lady hooker who asked me if I would like to party to which I replied "You've got the wrong guy" upon which I crossed Duval and headed east on Front Street to Simonton to avoid any more encounters. You see I'm gay and the thought of getting approached by a female prostitute cracked me up.

As we weaved our way up Duval Street I told my friend about an English couple I had worked with in the spring of 2004. They fell in love with a cute as can be two-story carriage house condominium located on Peacon Lane. The place was part of a larger project on Eaton Street where a grand old house was made into several first class condominiums. The project had just been completed. Everything looked great. They made a written cash offer on the unit that priced somewhere in the $700,000 range. I had hand delivered to the listing agent on a Thursday night. (This is in an age before Docu-sign existed and pdf's were not then in use.)  It's twelve years later and I remember this deal with clarity.

I followed my regular routine the next day. I went to the gym around 6:00 AM, worked out, and rode my bike back home. That's what people who live here do: they follow routines. That's what most people do no matter where they live.

When I got home I had several messages on my phone - all from the English man. I called him. He said his wife had been up all night crying. She was upset about the offer. He asked if I could come over to their guest house to discuss things. I dressed and drove over right away.

We met in a private space on the north side of the building. I asked what had happened. The lady said something to the affect "Gary, I can't walk up and down Duval Street all my life!" I asked again and she responded with a question "What do people who live here do?" as if people who live in Key West live alternative lives that only evolve around walking up and down Duval Street every day like characters in the Star Wars bar.

My friend works in the hospitality business. He said he gets asked the same question regularly.  He said I tell them I get up and go to work. On the weekends I do my laundry. I go to the grocery store and do other chores. Maybe I go out and do something fun.  He said it's like people think that our lives are different from theirs. They aren't.

I responded similarly to the English lady. I asked her what she does in England. I told her that we have three great local theaters - the Waterfront Playhouse, the Red Barn Theater, and the Tennessee Williams Fine Arts Center.  I told her about the opening night after parties where they could meet lots of new friends many of whom have rich personal histories from all over the world.  I know a lot of retired and semi-retired folks love going to the gym or doing yoga every day. I told her we have a great public golf course and said there are lots of boat slips if they are into boating. We have world class fishing. I told her whatever she does in England she could do here.

The gent told me he still wanted to buy the place but she had made up her mind and it was useless trying to change it. Key West was too foreign for her so we withdrew the offer. 


My office is located one-half block east of Duval Street. I rarely walk on that street. The noise and throngs of tourists drive me crazy. Most locals avoid that street as well. There are some locals that hang out in the bars, but they are the exception to the rule.

Duval Street provides a novel setting for tourists who need something to look at and someplace to go. Locals live their own lives in personal spaces. Some spaces are small and funky. Some places are grand. We have a wide mix of people from all over the world that make this little island their home. I sell houses.  If you are looking to buy a place here, please give me a call. I will show you there is life beyond Duval Street.