1309 Catherine Street - Key West

Just listed by Preferred Properties, that's where I work, but this is not my listing, 1309 Catherine Street in Key West.  Some very lucky person is going to snap up this one-of-a-kind property that is offered at just $1,195,000.

If you were to walk your dog, ride your bike, or jog past the imposing concrete wall that hides the interior from public view you might wonder what lies beyond the wall. But then again, you might just mind your own business and go on with your life. But if you got a chance to go through the gate to the interior you would be amazed at the totally hidden and unexpectedly enchanting secluded gardens.

The house itself is a simple but elegant 1200 sq ft ranch that sits at the rear of the 7340 sq ft lot.  The house has two bedrooms. The guest bed and bath are located to the west of the living room which is in the center of the house. The kitchen is located just off the living room to the east and the master suite is at the east end of the home. You will find the terazzo floors located at poolside continue to the kitchen and living areas for a seamless transition between outdoor and indoor living areas. The ceilings in all rooms are extra tall and open so you never feel cramped inside a tiny space. Instead, the views from all interior rooms are those of the pool and gardens.

Both the master suite and the guest bedroom have sitting areas off the bedrooms where you and your guests can read a book, sip coffee or a cocktail, and enjoy the fruits of your good fortune.

CLICK HERE to take a photo tour of 1309 Catherine Street. Better yet, please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule a personal tour. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

307 Elizabeth Street - Old Town - Key West

 
Just listed, but not by me, 307 Elizabeth Street which was built circa 1885 according to a property appraiser record I found. The mls shows the property as having been built in 1928, however.  If I am correct, and I am pretty sure that it the case, 307 Elizabeth Street would be one of the older houses of Key West. It is located in the Historic Key West Seaport area on a street with other substantial homes that survived the great fire many years ago. The house has been made into three legal apartments plus appendages.  I think a new owner may want to restore this property to its former glory and take it back to being a single family home complete with a guest house and off street parking.

307 Elizabeth as seen in 1965

307 Elizabeth in 2012

The property has 2302 sq ft of living space that is divided between the main house, a second floor apartment with exterior side entrance, and a cottage that sits to the rear of the driveway. There is an existing pool as well.  The lot is 50' x 93' or 4650 sq ft.  307 Elizabeth Street if offered at $879,000. CLICK HERE to view the mls datasheet.

CLICK HERE to view a slideshow of photos I took of this property.  Better than that, please contact me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 or send me an email at kw1101v@aol.com. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West. Let's take a look at this old girl and figure out how you could restore her old glory.

Key West: The Opposite of Ohio

It was at the Key West Literary Seminar that poet Mark Doty said that, although “he was never actually here,” Hart Crane “loved Key West.” He loved Key West because it was, by all reports, the opposite of Ohio.*

 I watched HGTV's Urban Oasis giveaway on Friday night. I have to admit I got sucked in for a few minutes by the sleek lines of the Paramount Bay high rise condo.  I mused about winning the $900,000 condo and then thought to myself "Self, if you win, you will have to pay income tax on that thing. Do you really want to own a condo in Miami-a town where people are shot and killed daily for no reason? A place where most people don't speak English and have a culture that is alien to you? Do you really want to live up in the sky?" I admit that I filled out the online registration. I figured if I won I could sell the condo and make a few bucks because I really, truly would never want to live in Miami just as much as I would not want to live in Ohio.  

If you live in Ohio, please don't be offended. A lot of nice people live there. I sold houses to two different Ohio couples in the past couple of years.  They area really nice people who really didn't like living in Ohio in the winter when it was so cold and miserable. And they didn't like Ohio much more in the summer when it is so muggy. No, they dreamed of owning a little house in Key West where they could live a much easier environment in so many ways. One young couple bought a house I wrote about in my blog. They are raising their two little girls in a charming house in a quiet Key West neighborhood. I saw the mom and the two girls in their stroller on Sunday morning as I was taking photos for my blog. I asked how things are going, and she responded "I'll never leave Key West!" The other couple is older and don't have children. They bought a house maybe four blocks away from the first couple. A couple of months ago I saw them driving their Key West convertible with the top down.  They were in the turn lane at White and Truman. I asked how they were doing and they said something like "loving life". 

A couple from the northeast decided to buy a big lot in the Casa Marina area and build their dream home from scratch.  They hired a noted Key West architect, an accomplished landscape architect, and  very competent builder to turn their vision into reality.  The photos below show the view from their master bedroom and the new pool and gardens which are a dramatic alternative the HGTV Urban Oasis.  
 

My buyers could have bought a place in Miami and got a view similar to the one that some viewer will win in the HGTV Urban Oasis giveaway.  They chose the opposite of highrise living in a big city. I'll bet Hart Crane would agree with their decision.

If you have been dreaming of buying a place in Key West, please consider working with me, Gary Thomas. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West. Let me help you find your place in Paradise.

*  ABOUT THE BEATS   Read this most interesting account of Hart Crane by Mark Howell of Key West.

617 Fleming Street #2 - Key West

617 Fleming Street

The Campbell Courtyard Condominiums  are located at 617 Fleming Street just a little over one block east of Duval Street. The location is close enough to Duval Street and the Historic Key West Seaport that you can be in either place in about five minutes or less. But they are far enough away from the hooting and hollering that happens from time to time. Many of the neighboring properties are among the finest examples of the grand architecture for which Key West is known. And there are still some untouched houses that make our Old Town area so appealing. The area is chic but not too chic. CLICK HERE to view a Google aerial view of the location.

The Campbell Courtyard Condos were "developed" or assembled from a group of unrelated buildings into a cluster which share an incredibly inviting pool and garden. The nine units quickly sold, and there has been a slow turnover of ownership since then. The main building shown above was built in the 1920s and the eyebrow cottage (just below) was built in the 1890s. All buildings were thoroughly renovated during the condo conversion.

Unit #2 was just listed, but not by me, at the asking price of $449,000. This two bedroom, two bath unit has 840 sq ft of living space under air plus a private semi-enclosed patio located adjacent to the inviting pool.  The unit has an assigned off street parking spot and is also offered furnished.

 I think this unit would make a wonderfull Key West getaway place or a full time residence for the person or couple who has dreamed of owning a cute little place in the Old Town area. Remember I said this place is furnished - from the furniture to the pots and pans. You need only bring  your toothbrush(s)!  The covered patio is probably where you will spend much of your time. It is located just off the living room. It has a curved lattice privacy wall that permits you to see out to the pool and garden but offers privacy as well.

The unit has two full bedrooms and two full baths. The master bedroom has a wrap around windows of a sort that permits diffused light from the east into the bedroom. The kitchen has windows that look out to the pool. What a pleasant view that is. CLICK HERE to view a slideshow of photos of this unit and the compound.

 
Notable Neighbors include:  Cafe Marquesa at 600 Fleming Street, Sarabeth's at 530 Simonton Street, Eaton Street Seafood Company at 801 Eaton Street, and Monroe County Library at 700 Fleming Street.

600 Fleming Street

530 Simonton Street

801 Eaton Street

Monroe County Library on Fleming Street

If you would like to see Campbell Courtyard Unit #2 or any other property in Key West please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 or send me an email at kw1101v@aol.com. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc.