817 White Street - Key West

Here's a Sleeper-really. This Key West legal duplex located at 817 White Street is a quiet little money maker. It is offered for sale at $595,000. You may have missed it in your searches of Key West real estate because most potential buyers only search for single family houses.

817 White Street - The Meadows Area - Key West

The listing Realtor describes the property thus:

"Well-maintained, comfortable duplex in the Meadows. 817-B is rented long term for $1,250 per month. Tenants are on month to month lease. 817-A is rented as a monthly vacation rental for $2,000-5,000 per mo., and has sole pool privileges. Offstreet parking for 2 cars. Both units share washer/dryer. The floor plan is a mirror floor plan."

817-A White Street is the vacation rental unit which has sole use of the pool

Both units have private off street parking

CLICK HERE to read the Key West mls listing info. Better yet, call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule a showing of this very clean legal duplex. This might be the perfect vehicle for a couple looking for a money maker they can use to help pay mortgage costs and also have some personal space to use on occasion. I am a buyer's agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West. Wouldn't it be great to make money while you sleep-in Key West.

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Sitting Pretty - 526 William Street Unit # 4 - Old Town - Key West

526 William Street - Old Town - Key West

Just listed by Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc., (that's where I work) 526 William Street Unit No. 4, a second floor condominium in the beautifully restored and centrally located Delancey Hall building in Old Town Key West. Each unit in this five unit building is unique. Unit #4 is a smart one bedroom located on the second floor front. It shares the front balcony that has a commanding view overlooking William Street. The listing Realtor describes this property this way:

"In the heart of Old Town Key West is this beautiful Historic Home, that has been converted into 5 units, this particular corner unit is bright and airy, with balcony access on William Street. It has one bedroom and one bathroom with a great kitchen/living area. Kitchen has beautiful wood cabinets and granite countertops. The floors are all Brazilian Purple Heart hardwood flooring, Dade County walls, custom ceramic tile shower,crown molding and high ceilings. You would be 3 blocks from Duval and 3 blocks from the historic waterfront."

Unit #4 is second floor left side

Delancey Hall is one of the very best renovations I have seen in Key West. The quality of the workmanship and the superior interior finishes look as good today as they did ten years ago when the original renovation was completed. Buyers that work with me know that I am quick to point out shoddy construction and poor workmanship. Nobody should pay good money for unprofessional construction. Each Delancey Hall unit was built to high quality standards.

Unit #4 is located on the second floor front or William Street side of the property. The one bedroom unit has 550 square feet of interior living space (almost the same size as some two bedrooms at Shipyard). It occupies the south side of the building so you will have good light and not a lot of neighbors. The second floor front porch is your outdoor space. CLICK HERE to see the Key West mls database and to view more photos of this unit.

Offered at just $299,000 unit #4 would make a getaway place for quick trips to Key West or as a permanent home for a single person. The property has the necessary amenities (pool included) and a great Old Town location to make it worth your while to view. No need for a car because everything you want is within walking distance.

Mangia Mangia located at Southard & Margaret

You can get your daily gossip and cafe con leche at Five Brother's

Locals and frequent visitors know the value of a good location, and 526 William Street is located in the very heart of the Historic District. The Key West Seaport is three blocks to the north. There are lots of great restaurants and water based activities there. Duval Street is just a five minute walk to the west. Mangia Mangia is a block to the east at the corner of Margaret and Southard. Five Brothers is located one block further to the east where you can get your morning gossip and cafe con leche at the same time. Fausto's Food Palace is three blocks west on Fleming. Fausto's has a great wine selection plus one of the best real butcher markets in Key West. And Fausto's always has fresh sushi. One-half block off the corner of Duval and Eaton you will find the Tropic Cinema, a hangout for the elite of Key West. The point is you can eat and greet and meet just about anywhere in Old Town within a few minutes walk of bike ride.

Tropic Cinema is on Eaton Street between Duval and Whitehead

If you are looking for a very nice and affordably priced condo in Old Town, you owe it to yourself to take a look at 526 William Street unit #4. Please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to arrange a showing. I am a buyer's agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West. If you buy 526 William Street #4 you will be sitting pretty in Old Town Key West.

Your Second Chance to Become Hemingway's Neigbor

Ernest Hemingway's House shown as it appeared in the 1930s

Arrow points to 405 Olivia Street

405 Olivia Street - Bank Owned - Key West

You don't get many second chances in life. So when one pops up, consider it and then act if you regret a previous procrastination that cost you something you truly wanted. If you are among the several potential buyers who called me about the house across the street from the Ernest Hemingway House in Key West, you just got a second chance to become Hemingway's neighbor. I am here to report that the Bank Owned house at 405 Olivia Street is back on the market and available for purchase. The asking price is $450,000.

The two story house was built around 1890. The county records show the house has 1380 sq ft of living area, however, I looked at the building map and it appears the house actually has 1740 sq ft of living area. (A proper measurement is recommend!) The lot is almost a rectangle of 89' (length) X 55' (wide) with a small cutout at the left rear. 405 Olivia Street has a big lot with room for a good sized pool, more gardens on the west, north, and east side. In my opinion the existing carport is an eyesore. The space could easily be redone and made attractive and useful.

405 Olivia Street as it appeared in 1965 - notice the porch columns

405 Olivia Street in 2011

This photo demonstrates the width of the side yard which is 89' deep

The lot is 55' wide

Whitehead Street and Olivia Streets (Duval Street is one block to east)

I was very disappointed with the inside space. It has been "updated" but poorly so in my opinion. There are saltillo tile floors down (totally WRONG!) and acoustic tile ceilings (WRONG again). There is just one bath located downstairs at the rear of the kitchen. The three bedrooms upstairs are oddly configured. The saving grace in the house is its size. Key West houses are easily (if not cheaply) renovated. There is lots of room to be creative. And the second story front porch has a view of Papa's former home. CLICK HERE to view more photos that I took.

Stuff like this makes you wonder what possessed the person that "added" this tile

Could you create a better space?

Second story front porch

Hemingway's backyard

If you buy this property your neighbors will include the Ernest Hemingway House (museum) which has thousands of visitors all year long. The entrance to the museum is on Whitehead so most of the visitors won't be passing your doorway. A parking lot is located immediately adjacent to the west and a simple Key West cottage is the neighbor to the east. The Six Towed Cat cafe is located at the rear. The Lighthouse Court guesthouse is located on the far side of Whitehead Street and a small public housing structure is on the opposite corner. See the photo below taken from the nearby Key West Lighthouse. It gives a decent perspective of the area.

Corner of Whitehead & Olivia as viewed from atop KW Lighthouse

Ft Zach Beach

The tourists normally head north to Mallory Square in the late afternoon so they can view sunset. They don't return to the area until mid morning. The area turns into a regular neighborhood to the extent possible during that time. Yes, tourists bring people walking down the sidewalks with cameras and cellphones. And lots of money, too.

Ft. Zach Taylor is just a few blocks walk. So are the restaurants, bars, shops galleries, and other hangouts on Duval Street. I can see why someone paid over a million dollars for this house and this location. Today you can buy it for less than half the recent sales price.

You don't get many second chances in real estate. If you missed this before, don't miss it now. If you are interested in this bank owned property or any other house in Key West, please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642. I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West.

405 William Street - Old Town - Key West

405 William Street as it appeared in 1965

405 William Street - March 2011

The two story house located at 405 William Street is located on one of the very best blocks in Old Town Key West. Some of the most historic and architecturally significant homes are located on this block. And this home is one for the books. The listing Realtor (that's me!) says this about this home:

"Classic Key West bungalow with sawtooth additions in one of Old Town's best blocks. Original portion built before 1889. Currently configured as a renovated two-family with two 2-bedroom legal apartments, has HARC approved plans for conversion back to a single-family showplace. Well-maintained with off-street parking and a large lot -- plenty of room for a pool. Great opportunity in the heart of Old Town."

405 William Street is a two-story renovated duplex. That will cause half the readers to stop reading. But wait! There is more. Before it was made into a duplex it was an awesome single family home with truly unique and grand features that would lend itself to being taken back to single family. Or, the home would make a great second home with legal year round guaranteed rental income from the nicely appointed second floor two bedroom apartment.


The main living level is totally unique to Key West and any other house I have ever seen. You enter through a formal entry hall that leads to either of the two bedrooms or two baths or to the living room, dining area and kitchen beyond. The master bedroom has larger than normal crown molding that set off the high ceilings and formality of the room. Two sets of French doors provide passage to the front porch to watch the denizens of Key West pass by. There is a large master closet and en-suite bath. The second bedroom is also large so you do not get that squeezed in feeling so typical in many older Old Town homes. Another set of French doors opens to the front porch as well. But it is the living room with its arched ceiling that will make you stop and look in awe. The petite French doors in the dining area lead to the exterior porch that overlooks the bricked courtyard and spa area. The recently updated kitchen is at the far end of the house in a saw tooth addition so familiar to Key Westers. The vaulted ceiling and designer touches yank the kitchen right into the 21st Century.

Master and second bedrooms open onto front porch for great people watching

If you are seriously considering buying a large home in Old Town, you really must look at this property. It is a large 1982 sq ft home on a very large 4642 sq ft lot. The existing rooms are good sized and efficiently laid out. If you were to convert the property back into a single family home, the renovation would eat up part of the existing space configuration, but the location of the house and the size of the house could justify such a renovation. There is room for a substantial swimming pool in the lightly landscaped rear and fenced yard. I like to tell prospective buyers that you cannot "grow" property. You normally have to try to buy land from a neighbor. That can be tricky and expensive. But 405 William Street has this huge unused space behind the kitchen waiting to have a pool added. And there is off street parking for two cars to boot. Finally, the roof is new and ready for several more decades of Key West sun. CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet and listing photos on this property. The asking price is the best part, just $995,000.

Off street parking for two cars

This is one of the sweetest homes in Key West. The location is about a two minute walk to the historic Key West Seaport and perhaps five minutes to Duval Street. Please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule an appointment to see this property. I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West.

1327 White Street - Bank Owned - Key West

The Bank Owned property at 1327 White Street just go a lot more affordable: the asking price has been reduced to $995,500. This is a very large house (2414 sq ft) on a pretty big lot (4678 sq ft) by Key West standards.


1327 White Street is a listing of Preferred Properties (that's where I work, but this is not my listing). The listing broker describes the property this way:

"This beautiful conch style home offers wonderful architectural features such as gracious front porch, polished hardwood floors, exposed wood walls and ceilings, multiple sets of tall doors and windows and custom crown moldings. This home has a den plus four bedrooms and four baths including a third story bedroom with it's own 350 sq. ft. terrace offering treetop views of the island. The kitchen has solid wood cabinetry and a separate laundry room. The grounds feature gated off street parking and a beautiful pool and spa surrounded by lush foliage and adjoining pool house. This charming home offers a lot of sq. footage."

The house is large when viewed from the street. When you open the front door the sense of "family" immediately enters your mind. This is a family home for sure. The interior rooms while large are not cavernous. The interiors have Dade County Pine walls and ceilings and the darkly finished real hardwood floors with bright white trim and crown moldings everywhere. A set of new French doors open onto the large rear deck complete with pool and spa. (A new owner might want to turn that space into a pool bar.) There are three large bedrooms on the second floor. The third floor is configured as a very open bedroom complete with private bath and doors that open to a very large roof top deck where you can scan much of the Casa Marina area. CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls database and more listing photos.

1327 White Street is located at the beginning of the Casa Marina area of Key West, that's where I live. The old Key West High School is a couple of blocks to the north. The new high school is out of Flagler Avenue, within walking distance if you have teens that actually walk. The house is about a five minute walk to Rest Beach and Higg's Beach. A couple of blocks to the north you will find Mo's Restaurant, Sandy's Cafe, and Fausto's Food Palace. Bayview Park is a couple of blocks to the east - that's where the city and various charities hold festivals throughout the year. When you live in a neighborhood like the Casa Marina area, you experience a real sense of community that you do not witness as a casual tourist. The longer you live here, the more you appreciate having taken the step to move here.

Salute on the Beach is located at Higg's Beach - great food, affordably priced and what a view!

A 'different' kind of restaurant

Walk or ride your bike - old fashioned butcher shop inside

If you have a large family and want lots of space for everyday life or space for lots of guests, you owe it to yourself to take a look at 1327 White Street. Please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule a showing. I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc.