812 Fleming Street #4 - Price Reduction - Key West

 
The asking price on 812 Fleming Street Unit #4 just got even better. The new price is just $349,000 for this really attractive one bedroom unit on the second floor front at Seafoam Condominiums located in the heart of Key West.  The listing broker describes the unit like this:

"Wonderful Old Town condominium in beautiful condition and ready to move in. 9ft ceilings, Dade County pine walls and floors throughout, central air and a fabulous 200sf balcony overlooking Fleming Street. This second floor, one bedroom, one bath unit has 610sf of living space is a true gem. In the back yard there is a pool and private grounds. Seafoam Condominiums consists of eight condominiums & two commercial units."

 Door opens out to the balcony overlooking Fleming Street

This one bedroom one bath unit has 610 sq ft of space under air conditioning. The bonus is the wonderful front balcony that adds 210 sq ft of covered out door living space that overlooks one of the most interesting blocks in all of Key West.

 If you are a fan of great architecture, you will just love the interior hallways at Seafoam. I think this building is just wonderful. Every time I enter the hall I marvel at the richness of this space.

The building's simple architecture is stunning!

 I don't think I have ever seen another person at the pool ...

 The rear stairway leads to the pool and a coin operated laundry room. Some of the units in the building have their own laundry. This unit does not. The good thing is you only have to walk the equivalent to walking downstairs to your basement to clean your clothes. You might get a chance to see someone cute by the pool and get lucky. That probably won't happen on your way to your basement.

The building has only eight residential condo units plus two commercial units on the ground floor. One is a doctor's office and the other is Timmy Tuxedo, where Key West's finest waiters shop. A note of interest is the fact that this building does have a secured entrance with buzzer system.

 
If you are seriously considering buying a getaway place in Key West and want to keep the costs under control, consider this property. Forget that it has one bedroom. There are lots of guest houses located on the same block. Think of all the money you can save on not buying an extra bedroom or feeding your family and friends.  Even if you have pay for the guest house visit, you are money ahead. CLICK HERE to see a bunch of photos I took of this sharp unit.

Monthly condo fees are $410 which includes cable tv, water, sewer, trash removal, common area and pool maintenance, and building insurance.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West Association of Realtors mls datasheet and to view some really nice photos of this unit.  Better yet, please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to schedule a showing of this property. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

Big Price Reduction - 1501 White Street - Casa Marina Area - Key Wet

Just listed by Preferred Properties (that's where I work but this is not my listing), 1501 White Street in the Casa Marina Area of Key West. 1501 White Street is located two blocks north of Higg's Beach and the great Atlantic Ocean.

The listing broker describes this property like this:

"This charming 2/2 home is completely walled and gated for privacy. Features include a formal living room w/vaulted ceiling, new kitchen w/granite countertops & new appliances, dining room w/French doors to the beautiful private pool and patio. Off street parking also."

The house is located at the corner of White Street and Flagler Avenue. This location will turn off some potential buyers just because of the location. So be it. There are two houses located at the same corner that recently sold over $2,000,000 each. Don't let the location dissuade you from looking. You might just fall in love with this private abode that is hidden behind the privacy wall and towering palms. Click GOOGLE MAP for an aerial view of the property and then use the toggle switch for a street view.

The updated main house with its lush garden and sunny pool sit behind a tall privacy wall surrounded by large palms and specimen trees. An electric gate opens to covered off street parking. A caretaker's cottage sits at the back of the property. The lot is quite large (60' x 120' or 7,369 sq ft).

The main house was built in 1958 and was updated around 1995 with additional improvements after that. The house has 1380 sq ft of living space consisting of the living room, kitchen, master bedroom and bath plus a second bedroom and bath. The living room is extra large in size and volume. The north wall has built-in cabinetry. Cuban tiles give this space (and the bedroom areas) a rich and sophisticated feel. (The caretaker's cottage is a separate building with 283 sq ft of living space. This space could make a great guest suite.)

Covered off street parking to left and caretaker's cottage at the rear

The master bedroom and bath are configured for adult living. The bedroom has French doors that open out to the large private garden terrace that includes an outdoor shower for two. Another door leads from the bedroom out to the canvas covered outdoor bathroom with a spa bathtub. The space is first class in all respects. The asking price was just reduced from $789,000 to $695,000 or $418 per sq ft.

Doors lead to the covered outdoor bath and spa

Two person outdoor shower with the outdoor bath and spa to the right

The kitchen has a bank of French doors that open out to the pool on one side and an adjacent wall of windows that allow filtered sun light in from the south. The kitchen has been updated with new cabinets, appliances, and light fixtures. When I looked at the space I thought to myself this home is really cool. What a great place for a party. The living room kitchen and dining area are large spaces with subtle architectural embellishments. The bedrooms are cozy and comfortable.CLICK HERE to view a slide show of photos of this property.

Parking and the caretaker's cottage are located beyond the fence to right

The pool area gets sunshine most of the day so you and your guests won't have to go to the beach for a tan. But the beach is only a short two block walk in case you feel the need to get sand in your toes. Locals meet up there every morning while walking their dogs.

White Street Pier is just two blocks south

So is the beach!

CLICK HERE to checkout the Key West mls datasheet and to view listing photos of 1501 White Street. If you would like to see this unique Key West property, please contact me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 or send me an email at kw1101v@aol.com. I am a buyer's agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West.

---

205 Golf Club Drive - Bank Owned - Key West

205 Golf Club Drive - Key West

The Sanctuary at the Key West Golf Course is that special section reserved for primarily grand homes with great golf course views amid lush tropical foliage. Large iron gates separate The Sanctuary from the rest of the development. Once you pass the entrance you will see small lakes to the left and links to the right. Then the great houses come into view. Large homes line Golf Club Drive as it loops around to return to the gated entrance. Homes on the inside of the loop are referred to as spa homes. Those homes are a bit smaller in size, sit on smaller lots, and have a spa type pool. No matter the size of the house, you know you are in a very special place that is just so relaxed and inviting. The street and the houses are picture post card perfect. Even if you are not a golfer you will say to yourself "I could live here!".


The house at 205 Golf Club Drive is Bank Owned provides an affordable opportunity as it is priced to sell at $452,000. (This house was initially listed at $499,900 and it has been periodically reduced to the new price. The house was taken off the market and offered for sale in a national auction. The home did not sell and was returned to the market on June 6th) The house has 1600 sq ft of living space divided between two floors. Downstairs you will find a large open living area with a bank of French doors at the rear that open out to the terrace and pool below. And beyond that is the golf course view that is just "killer". The kitchen is located up front. It opens onto the living area so the cook can be a part of whatever is going on in the living area . A "bump out" addition with a pyramid ceiling is at the left rear. That space would make a great study, den, or guest room. (There is a guest bath on the main level as well.)

Off street parking for two cars and a picture perfect front entrance

Bump out den or extra bedroom above

Beautifully landscaped rear yard with pool overlooking the golf course

Upstairs you will find two bedrooms each of which has a door to the front second level porch. They share a bath. The master bedroom is at the rear and it has an en-suite bath. The master bedroom also has a vaulted ceiling and a set of French doors that open onto its own large second floor rear porch with views of the pool below and the golf course beyond. I can imagine sitting out there in the early morning drinking coffee and watching the birds wake up as the sun rises and the sky turns from gray to orange and eventually to blue.  CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet on this Bank Owned property.

Both bedrooms share this second floor front porch

Master bedroom suite is at the rear

Enclosed rear porch overlooks the pool and golf course beyond

The Key West golf club community has two pools, a fitness center, and lush landscaping. While the houses here are relatively new (205 Golf Club Drive was built in 2000), the densely landscaped streets and Conch style homes give this community the appearance as being of an earlier era.

Everybody wants a bargain these days. Some people think they can get a bargain by buying a bank owned property where they can work and spend money to fix it up and make it livable. Some bargain. Some fun! This home needs a new refrigerator and a washer and dryer. This house has so much to offer and the price is competitive with two bedroom one bath condos at the Shipyard in Truman Annex which the same developer built. Those condos are about 1000 sq ft less in size. This property is a bargain in my opinion. It is close to Key West but it is far enough away to appreciate the distinction.


If you would like to see this Bank Owned home or any other property in Key West, 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 Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West, Florida.

618 Petronia Street - Old Town - Key West

 618 Petronia Street - Old Town - Key West

The house at 618 Petronia Street is worth looking at if you are a budget shopper looking for a perfectly livable house that can be moved into the day you close but that could be upgraded and improved upon as well. That house has been on the market for quite some time. I have told buyers that found it that I thought the property was 'over-priced' and we never looked. A new Realtor recently listed the property at a new and much more realistic asking price of $474,900. I showed the property last Saturday.  I have changed my mind about the house being over-priced and I now think this place is worthy of consideration.

The house sits on Solares Hill and is near the highest point on the Island of Key West. The other houses in the immediate area were built around the same time.  It looked to me as though the original house was a typical wood frame construction that can be seen in many old Key West homes. It looks to me as though the original house was expanded by the addition of a CBS structure at front which includes the front porch and what is now used as the third bedroom. I believe a second addition was added at the rear where the kitchen is located. The kitchen has a different floor level and a different floor surface. Finally, another 'room' is at the rear. This 'room' appears to have been a porch that was enclosed creating a family room.  The original house is still intact and consists of the living room, two bedrooms and two bathrooms. Besides the various floor levels and surfaces, the house seems dated but not quite as quaint as most buyers expect when purchasing an older Key West home.

 Front porch

The kitchen

Family room

It looked to me as though much of the original house got a stucco exterior when the front addition was added many years ago. The house next door is almost identical and it has "novelty siding". I think the houses are the same and I expect 618 Petronia would have had the same siding were it not for the stucco. I'm a believer in wood and I think this house would benefit immensely from the removal of the CBS front addition and maybe removal of the kitchen and porch enclosure. I would replace the front with a period correct front porch. I'd restore the wood siding all over the the house. I would remove the clam shell awnings and replace with shutters that are more in keeping with the way Key West cottages look today. I would finally replace the kitchen and add a new rear porch.  I think you could come up with a might charming home to keep to yourself or that you could easily rent as a vacation rental. There are several homes in the immediate area that are used that way.

That's when the creative part kicks in. The rear yard is immense. (The Monroe County Property Appraiser's map shows the lot as being 32 feet wide by 189.33 feet in depth.) There is room for a huge pool and an accessory unit (a mother-in-law cottage).  This space is just incredible. Below are some photos I took on Saturday which was a gray day. 

I spotted huge an avocado tree, a lime tree, a key lime tree, and a sour orange tree in the rear yard. The space is inviting.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West Association of Realtors mls datasheet on this property. A new owner doesn't have to do any of the remodeling I suggested. The place works just fine the way it is. But it could be so much better. And at the asking price of $474,900 it is worth looking at.

If you would like to look at this property or any other house in Key West please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. Let me help you find your place in Paradise.