730 Fleming Street - Old Town - Key West

A few weeks ago I teased my readers just a bit when I wrote about the Projects of Key West. I mentioned the house at 730 Fleming Street as having been recently renovated. I actually knew it would be listed in March. It went on the market late Wednesday at the asking price of $1,784,000. The listing Realtor describes the freshly renovated property this way:

"Steeped in history, 730 Fleming Street along with the William Street cottage is a home that has everything. Main home has 3 bedrooms and 2 and a half baths with comfortable living area. Elegant formal dining room reminds you of the historic nature of this home. Renovated and filled with Key West charm this home has beautiful Dade County Pine throughout. Charming porches,large covered lanai opening to a pool and 5096 sq ft lot, and 2 coveted off-street parking spaces. The serene one bedroom, one bath cottage that adjoins is a real surprise with combination living area and custom gourmet kitchen with center island. Stainless steel appliances, granite countertops and distinctive lighting influenced by the industrial 1900's."

The house at 730 Fleming Street was actually built in 1886. I found an old black and white photo of the house taken years ago shown below. Notice the two story home located adjacent to the west. Beneath that photo is another photos that shows the former Knights of Pythias Building which was located next door at 728 Fleming Street until it was razed in 1970. The two off street parking spaces and pool at 730 Fleming Street now occupy the once hallowed ground where the Pythias building stood.

Built circa 1886

As it appears in 2012

728 Fleming Street soon after the Civil War ended and razed circa 1970

As it appears in 2012

Today a Perfect Perch for People Watching

This is the perfect Key West home for the buyer who wants the very best in design, style, location, and which has all of the creature comforts discerning buyers require. Two original buildings were substantially renovated on the inside and thoughtfully restored on the outside. The result is an elegant facade that is breathtaking in its simplicity and very usable interior spaces. This home would be perfect for an new owner has either a large family or who expects to have a lot of company. The house and cottage have a total of four bedrooms plus three and one-half baths. The newly created outdoor living area includes covered and open air entertaining areas, a pool, gardens, a private outdoor shower, and off street parking for two cars.

Living room is located at the front of the home

Master bedroom is just cozy as can be

Dining area opens out to the covered lanai

Covered lanai provides access to the pool and gardens

The living room is located on the main floor and features Dade County Pine walls that are set off by crown molding and bright white trim and rich wood floors. There is enough of the "old" house retained but not so much that one feels like the property is just old. You know how some houses feel and look old, creepy, and neglected. This is the exact opposite. Everything is just perfect.

The master bedroom with en-suite bath is also located on the main floor. This is a great feature, especially to aging boomers who have a growing apprehension about second floor master bedrooms. The kitchen is at the very rear. It is set off from the dining area which opens via French doors out onto the covered and semi-enclosed lanai. Upstairs there are two more bedrooms and a shared bath.


The guest cottage can be accessed via the gate at 502 William Street or from the guest parking on Fleming Street. The cottage is a single story home with tall vaulted ceiling in the living and bedroom areas. The rooms seem so spacious and yet both have evoke a sense of coziness.

Guest cottage at 502 William and main house to the right

Guest cottage living area

Vaulted ceiling in guest cottage bedroom

730 Fleming Street is located a couple of blocks south of the Historic Key West Seaport and only a few minute walk away from Duval Street. There are great restaurants like Michael's, Azur, and the A&B within a five to ten minute walk. Cheap joints like Harpoon Harry's (my favorite) and the Old Town Bakery are equally close. That's the thing about living in the heart of Old Town. You can walk to anyplace that is important within a few minutes of leaving your front door. And if you should decide to rent this home as a vacation rental, rest assured it would be a smash hit. It has exactly all of the features that would command high monthly rental rates.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet and to view the excellent listing photos. Or CLICK HERE to view a slideshow of photos I took last week. If you take the time to view each you are sure to see the thought and attention that went into this truly beautiful Key West home. It is picture perfect from top to bottom and from front to back.

If you would like to see 730 Fleming Street please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West, Florida. Let me help you find your place in Paradise.

Price Reduction on Artist's Retreat - 809 Virginia Street - Old Town Key West

The cool pool at 809 Virginia Street

Preferred Properties (that's where I work, but this is not my listing) just reduced the asking price on 809 Virginia Street in Old Town Key West to $650,000. The listing broker describes this artist's home as:

" Completely renovated by an artist/designer, this classic Key West cigar maker's cottage has wonderful style. The living area opens to a very private pool surrounded by lush tropical foliage. French doors and windows fill the house with light from the front porch to the back of the house. Light wood floors, high ceilings, an open staircase to the loft and the two bedrooms all have the charm factor. Great old town location."

Master bedroom

Artists, designers, and architects often create unique living spaces for themselves. Such is the case of the Old Town home at 809 Virginia Street. While the formal entry to the home is located at the rear, the front room is currently used as a bedroom and art showcase. This type of usage is preferred in many Old Town homes because it permits the important living activities to occur at the rear, near the pool and outdoor living areas, and saves the front of the homes for the more mundane day to day functions like sleeping.

A hallway leads you to the second room, a smaller bedroom, which precedes the bathroom. Then you suddenly emerge into the large rear end of the house. A big bright kitchen is to your right and a small staircase takes you to a landing where the living room soars up to the rafters. This area is bright and alive and the space is filled with the art and sculpture. If you look out the French doors you will see a secluded pool and deck and of course you want to go outside. But it you turn around to look down into the kitchen your eyes are drawn upward to the loft that runs a good portion of the length of the house. Now how did I miss that? Do you go out or do you stay inside? What a delicate dilemma.


The pool is lovely. It's plenty big for Key West. There is room for sunning and reading under the shade. There are bricked side yards on either side of the house. The west side of the house has an an outdoor shower which you will come to love if you buy a house in Key West. Really!


Back inside you see the stairway to the loft spaces. Yes, plural. The sleeping area is located toward the front. Two skylights let daytime sunlight fill this space.


It is the rear of the loft that is the big draw for this space. Look at the photo just below because it will help you understand the simplicity of design that makes this space so damned appealing both as a design element and as functional living space.


Viewed from below the vertical slats in the loft are something akin to back of a sofa or perhaps a headboard.

When we look at the same area from the other side we see a "built-in" bed or whatever-you-want-to-call-it. I sat on these fluffy pillows and came up with all kinds of fun things one could do here.

The view from the loft looking down to the kitchen and living area is so inviting.

The house has lots of niches for storing stuff or showing off possessions. No space was wasted. CLICK HERE to view a slide show of this wonderful property. You will be amazed.

And CLICK HERE to view the Key West Association of Realtors mls datasheet and to view listing photos of this Old Town home. The asking price on this property has been reduced to $650,000. If you would like to see 809 Virginia Street or any other home in Key West, please consider contacting me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642. I am a buyer's agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West. Hey, don't worry about this place being too far out. It's close to everything.

809 Fleming Street - Prime Old Town Location - Short Sale

809 Fleming Street - Key West

The Short Sale listing (this is not my listing) at 809 Fleming Street will surely get a lot of attention because of the prime Old Town Key West location. It has a lot of Rah! Rah! Rah! factor. The house was built in 1906 as a single family residence. The property is currently a legal two story duplex. Upstairs is a 3 bedroom, 1 bathroom - 699 sq ft unit with a balcony overlooking the 800 block of Fleming Street that rents for $2,000 per month. Downstairs is 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom - 1074 sq ft with a terrace that also overlooks Fleming Street. this apartment rents for $2400 per month. The property has off street parking. The asking price is $799,000 or $422 per sq ft.

800 Block of Fleming Street

Everybody knows the value of location. This place has location, location, and location. As an investment property, this duplex has the appeal of being well located with enough bedrooms and living spaces plus the front balconies to attract long term renters with ease. A lot of local singles live in roommate situations where rent is divided based on the number of bedrooms or space shared. This location is great for locals who do not have a car because most of Old Town is within an easy walking or biking distance to most jobs and most of the nightlife. Duval Street is three blocks west, the Historic Key West Seaport is two blocks north, and just about any place important is within a five to ten minute walk. Keeping this property rented will never be a problem.

809 Fleming Street as it appeared half a century ago

809 Fleming Street as it appears in 2012

A prospective buyer might decide to upgrade the property and perhaps add a pool where the two off street parking spaces presently exists. It has Dade County Pine on the inside and classic Key West charm on the outside. The location might make this property an excellent renovation project for the buyer who wants to create a small island oasis that he or she could rent as a vacation rental to help defray the cost of ownership. Or a new owner could simply continue to collect the rent on one unit and live in the other. CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet on this property.

Main floor kitchen

Parking for now, perhaps a pool in the future...

Upstairs apartment has lots of Dade County Pine

This property is located on guest house row. Several of the larger gay guest houses in Key West are located on this particular block including Oasis, Coconut Grove, Equator, and Coral Tree Inn. Curry House is an all welcome guest house that is located across the street. A couple of small commercial businesses including an art gallery are located on this block as well. There are a couple of single family homes on the block, and the remaining properties are apartments or condos.

CLICK HERE to view a slide show of photos I took of this property. Better yet, please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to arrange a showing of this property. I am a buyer's agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West.

The Lady in Waiting - 410 Simonton Street - Old Town Key West

I wrote about one of the most photographed houses in all of Key West last fall when it was listed by Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc., that's where I work but this is not my listing. I would like to reacquaint my Dear Readers with about this property and perhaps encourage someone to come on down and get her before someone buys her and gets to have all the fun.

410 Simonton Street - Old Town - Key West

410 Simonton Street is truly a Lady in Waiting - waiting that is for that special someone to come in and restore the house and grounds to the trophy property it should be once again. It's not that the property as it now exists is bad. It isn't. It just is not as good as it could be. In fact, it could be grand.

The listing agent provides this bare bones description of 410 Simonton Street:

"One of Key West's most beautiful houses. True history resounds in this one of a kind home. Paintings from the 1880's are featured in the front parlor on the ceiling and walls. Currently in use as a 5 unit rental property with rental income of $8,100/month. This house is a great candidate to remodel as a single family home."

This property is offered at $895,000 or $287 per sq ft for the 3123 sq ft house plus attached living units. The lot is 60' x 106' (6036 sq ft). A newer addition was added to the property in 1997. The main part of the original house has been made into decent sized one bedroom apartments, each of which has a living area, kitchen, bath and bedroom in some form The second floor is one large one bedroom apartment that could be just grand. That unit is accessed via an exterior staircase and second floor balcony that is just perfect for people watching. Inside the angular ceiling provides a wonderful living space. Another special feature is the Romeo & Juliet balcony that overlooks the bricked grounds and century old iron fence that distinguishes the house. A majestic mahogany tree frames the visage.

Mahogany tree frames the Romeo & Juliet balcony

I envision two scenarios that could work equally well for a new owner. An investor might gut the existing units and move one of the living units to the newer building to the north. That would permit increasing the size of the other units inside the main house. The five units could become high-end rental units.

Or a new owner could convert the use to single family. The adjacent building would make a wonderful guest cottage and provide separate facilities for guests so that friends and family would not bother the owner on those late night returns from Duval Street or other nearby haunts. The second floor could become the master suite. The main floor units could be restored to a semblance of the usage of decades before when this was one of the most beautiful single family homes in all Key West.

The main house has high ceilings, grand windows and doors, substantial crown moldings and trim throughout. The house could become a showplace. The building has been very well maintained in my opinion. The piers and structural elements seem solid and well maintained. I think most of what a new owner would do would be considered refinement rather than rebuilding. That is my opinion. I am not a contractor. Rely on what a contractor tells you.

The property has a pool, off street parking, and a street presence that can match any other property in Old Town. CLICK HERE to view a slide show of photos that show the property with all its warts and its potential.

I dug through the shoe box and found two old black and white photos that show the house in earlier times. The Monroe County Property Appraiser noted that the house was built in the 1870s but was not specific as to the exact date. The old gal still looks pretty good for being over 140 years old.



CLICK HERE to view the Key West Association of Realtors mls data sheet on this property. If you would like to see this property, please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642. I am a buyer's agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West. This is a great buying opportunity for someone who wants a truly beautiful home in Old Town Key West.

Key West Recent Sales Update

A Key West Dream House

We just passed the half-way point of the Key West seasonal real estate sales. At least that's the way I view it. Most real estate sales occur during the time period between Christmas and Easter because that is when there are more potential buyers in town looking to purchase property. When the weather up north turns nice the snowbirds go back home and spend their summers at their main homes or perhaps a summer place. For that reason most serious sellers try to list and get their Key West real estate sold when the largest number of potential buyers are in town.

I did a quick search of the Key West Association of Realtors mls database to determine the number of single family homes that have sold in the Key West area from January 1, 2012 to March 1, 2012. The sales results are shown in the graph below.


The sold prices on a per square foot basis followed the norm for Key West properties as well. The 5 low end units sold for the lowest price on a per square basis at an average of $211. The 22 mid range units sold at an average of $614 per square foot. And the 2 high end units sold at $588 per square foot. I must remind readers that housing prices in Key West vary greatly based on location, size, and amenities. We have a diverse housing stock with mansions that are located on blocks with houses that look like they have never seen a coat of paint. Internet real estate websites that project 'values' of dissimilar properties do a disservice to users because the computer database wrongly assumes nearby properties are of the same type or condition. We know that is not a truism in Key West.

Easter Sunday or soon thereafter the seasonal buyers will head back up north. Properties that go under contract through that time period will continue to close for a couple of months thereafter. We will likely see a slump in sales over the summertime as that is the norm for summer. Sales will probably hit a low point in September and October which are traditionally the worst times to sell in Key West. Hardcore buyers that want the very lowest priced property may want to wait it out to see what is available next fall. The problem with waiting like that is you can never really know what will be left.

Most Realtors that I talk to have a group of active buyers who are looking for that great little second home that the buyer can use during the winter and maybe occasionally rent the rest of the year. They want a place priced between $350,000 to $700,000 or so. They want a pool and off street parking and charm and location. If only we lived in a Disney community, we could all have places like that. Instead we live on a little island in the middle of the ocean that's a pain to get to and where houses are priced outside the reach of many. The bargain real estate market of a couple of years ago is becoming a memory. If you wait too long you may get priced out of the Key West market a second time.

CLICK HERE to search the Key West Association of Realtors mls database to find your place in Paradise. If you see a property that you like, please consider working with me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 or by email at kw1101v@aol.com. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West.

Key West on HGTV's HOUSE HUNTERS

House or Condo in Key West, Florida

I miss the old days when we all had three TV networks plus educational TV (where you could watch a guy paint!). Back then the choices were simple and the viewer had an easy and predictable viewing experience. Today cable and satellite TV offer so many diverse viewing options that a viewer needs a guide to help find what is available at any one moment or what will be available in the future. By chance last night (Friday, March 9th) I was searching for something to watch other than the 19th repeat of MONK when I noticed that HGTV had a "New" (really) program on its HOUSE HUNTERS program where a couple was searching for a getaway house in Key West. I decided to watch it. And so should you if you are in the market for a place in Key West. This morning I searched the HGTV website to see when episode HNT-5801H will air again. HGTV does not show a new air date, but we all know every episode gets shown repeatedly, forever, just like MONK.

HGTV's description of the Key West episode:

"Key West, Florida, has always been a special place for Matt and Amy. It's where they honeymooned, it's their favorite vacation spot, and it's about to be the site of their future vacation home. But for this couple, escaping the cold Ohio winters comes with a hitch. Matt wants the privacy of a single family home. Amy wants a carefree, low maintenance condo or high-rise. Who will win out?"

After the couple was introduced we got to meet their Realtor, Sandy Tuttle, an agent from Marathon, Florida. Sandy and I worked together on a bank owned unit she listed last year. She is a really great agent who works for another company further up the Keys. Sandy showed the couple three different properties in three different Key West locations. That follows the typical House Hunter format. Each property met some of the buyers' search criteria and each offered some challenges as well.

The first house the couple saw was located in the New Town area of Key West. The house was built in 1965 and sits on a nice block with similarly sized homes built during the same era. I showed this house last year to a local who wanted to buy a house he could renovate and flip. The house is still available as of today at the asking price of $335,000 or $243 per sq ft. The show did not disclose that the house is Bank Owned. The viewer could see for him or herself that the place is a real challenge. The floors are on different levels, the rooms sizes are odd, the kitchen is small, the carport canopy dominates the facade and makes it totally out of character with the neighborhood, but the pool is huge. My buyer determined the house needed too much work and too much money for him to achieve his goal of re-selling at a modest profit. The house hunter couple decided likewise.

Still Available! Photographed this morning

Similar vintage house across the street

The voice-over described the second property as being Key West beach side, but whoever wrote the script got that part wrong. There is no beach at Key Cove. I recently wrote a couple of blogs about units at Key Cove. Unit number 48 is a bank owned unit. This was taken off the market on January 20th. Unit number 25 was a short sale. It sold for $375,000. That unit was very similar in size and amenities that the home buyers looked at except the unit they saw had a view toward the east and #25 did not need any repairs.

The House Hunters bought one of these homes - photographed today

Community Pool

The third property the couple looked at was a second floor condo at 1800 Atlantic Condominiums. Matt stated a familiar lament I have heard so man other potential buyers state about the place seeming like a hotel. The unit they looked at was original, meaning it still had the original kitchen cabinets, plastic drop down ceiling in the kitchen, and master bath with the Roman tub. I don't think any hot water heater could ever fill one of those tubs. By the time the tub was full, the water would be running cold. Either that or the bather would be asleep. The couple was bothered by the location being on the second floor just above Bertha Street and worried they would hear the traffic go by. The potential ocean view from the balcony was obscured by trees. And the couple grimaced over the high monthly condo association fees. The couple did like the huge oceanfront pool and location, however.

1800 Atlantic Condominiums

Ultimately the couple chose the Key Cove unit. Matt and some of his buddies from Ohio did a quick renovation and redid the problematic bath and spiffed the place up really nicely. I searched the mls and learned that the unit the TV couple purchased sold for $350,000. The program did not disclose that the unit was bank owned. According to the mls datasheet a different Realtor at the same company (not Sandy Tuttle) actually sold the unit. I think the couple made a very good decision and got a very nice Key West getaway house. Congrats to them! I hope Sandy got part of the commission!

It's fun to watch a show like this because it exposes the viewers (people like you) who may be thinking of buying a second home in Key West to issues most buyers on a budget face: location, price, and features that are positives or negatives. The fixer house ain't gonna sell for a long time unless the bank drops the price to give away status in my opinion. Condos at 1800 Atlantic offer twice the space and in my opinion offer superior construction to similarly priced condos at Shipyard in the Truman Annex area of Key West. However, the street side units are sometimes more difficult to sell, and all units must pay the high monthly condo association fees. Key Cove has a mix of very high end units still available, but there are a few affordable housing units and mid range units that are also a part of this complex.

CLICK HERE to do your own personal Key West House Hunting SEARCH of the Key West Association of Realtors mls database. Select the property type, price range or other feature you want. If you find something that interests you, please contact me to help you find your place in Paradise. Call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 or send me an email at kw1101v@aol.com. I am buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West. Oh, I am a big fan of MONK as well.