811 Washington St #102, Key West - Casa Marina Beauty!

I wrote about 811 Washington Street #102, Key West, Florida soon after it was listed a few months ago. It has not sold yet and I think it is time for a second look at the beautiful Casa Marina Area home.  The listing agent, not me, describes this home this way:

"Luxurious Casa Marina Estates townhouse with cathedral ceilings, high end tiles and hardwood floors throughout. Beautiful open living room with French doors opening to the pool and tranquil outdoor space. The gourmet kitchen features stainless steel Viking appliances and granite counter tops. Each bedroom is spacious and bright with en-suite bathrooms. French doors in the Master bedroom open up to a private balcony overlooking the pool and mature landscaping. X-500 flood zone means no flood insurance required. Perfectly located within walking distance of the world renowned Casa Marina Resort and close to beaches, shops, restaurants, and Duval Street."

As soon as you open the front door of this home your eyes are drawn through the interior toward the pool at the rear. But then you notice all of the sophisticated living space between the entry and the pool. Then you realize this is no ordinary living space. The fixtures and finishes are all high end and meant to appeal to the discerning buyer. Notice the over-sized travertine marble floor tiles, crown molding, high baseboards, and decorative trim all set off by the pleasing color pallet on the walls and ceiling. The Viking kitchen was a standard feature when this home was built because "standard" was superior to this developer builder.

This home has a formal entry way with a beautiful staircase to the left. The first floor powder room is tucked away under the staircase.  Two sets of French doors open out from the living area to the rear garden with private swimming pool with waterfall. High fences and tropical foliage and palms provide privacy from the other homes. 

The gate at the rear is where the pool boy or other service people can enter the property from a rear alley.  The property on the far side of the alley is South Park Condominiums. Each of those condos are one bedrooms. They share a really sweet pool and a very lovely garden. They won't be disturbing your life.

The master bedroom is located at the second floor rear. It has a large en-suite bath and two closets. French doors open out to the covered rear balcony that overlooks the pool below. This is a good spot to catch the famous Key West sunset without leaving the comforts of home. And it is a good place to watch your children or grand children play in the pool but not get wet.

The second floor front bedroom has a private bath plus its own covered balcony.  That balcony give s the occupant his or her own private space to read a book or to contemplate the complexities of the upcoming election or whatever chaos is occurring in the world beyond Key West. There is always chaos someplace else. Here, the big deal of the day is deciding where to go to dinner. The third floor bedroom (shown above) has a vaulted ceiling and lots of living space plus its own private bath.The third floor bedroom runs the length of the house. Besides the private bath, this room has extra space for the kids or hobbyist. One of my owners has built-in twin beds at the far side of this same room plus a queen bed similar to the one shown above. If you have got grand kids, they will love this space.

I have sold four homes in this development. My buyers love the quality workmanship that went into these homes and the convenient Casa Marina location. They can walk a couple of blocks over to the Casa Marina Club where two families have purchased annual memberships which includes use of the gym, private beach, and discounts of food and beverages. They can walk to Louie's Backyard or Salute on the Beach in a few minutes.  They can walk to upper Duval Street in about seven to ten minutes and take a cab back home at night.  For these buyers its almost like living in a resort. One of my buyers has retired to their home. The two other current families come to town as often as possible. They do not rent their homes, but it is permissible to do so. This unit has been rented as a monthly vacation rental.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet on 811 Washington Street No. 102. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to set up a private showing. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.  I live in the Casa Marina Area and I love it!

1503 South Street, Key West - Beautiful Home in a Park Like Setting

I wrote about 1503 South Street just after it was listed in April. The house has not sold, and I think it is worth buyers taking a second look. This is a listing of my office, but it is not my listing.

Who'd-a-thunk you could buy a genuine Old Town house in Mid Town Key West with a virgin-like yard and home.  I searched through photos of the Monroe County Library and found a photo of the original house which was moved from the 600 block of Simonton Street to its current location at 1503 South Street several decades ago. The purpose of the move was to permit construction of the a city offices, police head quarters and fire house at the corner of Simonton and Angela Streets. (That building itself was razed four years ago to permit the construction of a new fire house.)

The updated roof line extends out from the original house. A new front porch provides a shady place to sit and watch pretty much of nothing happen. This is a very quiet area of Key West. There are no tourist locations or any commercial in the immediate area. The yard is the perfect place for a child or grandchild to run around and enjoy life in Key West.

The listing Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West describes this property this way:

"Go play outside until I call you for dinner! Remember hearing that? With this property,they will have someplace to play! Kickball, baseball or just horsing around. This charming home sits on a 9400 sf lot offering the opportunity to build a second home or accessory unit. Never before offered for sale and one of a kind in this neighborhood. The house is considered a historic structure, having been moved to this location from Simonton Street in the late 1940's and features the sawtooth roofline found in many Old Town cottages. The house was completely renovated from the structure up in 2011 and features vaulted ceilings, an open kitchen/living area, a beautiful kitchen with white Kraft Maid cabinetry and granite countertops, porcelain tile floors throughout and all new windows."

This recently remodeled home looks so bright and cheery on the outside and that same warmth continues when you open the door and step inside and view the vaulted ceiling and great room. The old walls were removed and the interior reconfigured for our modern lifestyle.The modern house has 1260 sq ft of living space which does not include any of the outer buildings. The lot measures 101' X 94' or 4663 sq ft located inside the fenced yard.There is plenty of room for a pool, cottage, and off street parking.

 A central hallway leads to the three bedrooms and two baths. A glass door at the rear leads to the covered patio and nearby workshop.  You rarely get to see a green yard in Key West. The yard here is exceptional. It has got to be greener and in better shape than the nearby Bayfront Park (photo immediately below). I am serious about that!

This home sits on two separate lots which theoretically could be sold separately. It is being offered as one parcel which includes the house and all of the land.  A new owner might want to build an accessory unit or may prefer to keep the yard the way it is. CLICK HERE  to view the Key West mls datasheet for 1503 South Street, Key West and to view more listing photos. The asking price is $1,395,000. This property is as clean as a whistle and awaits the creative touch a new owner may bring to this unexpected treasure. Please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to schedule a private showing. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

800 Fleming Street #A2, Key West - Newly Listed

The listing Realtor describes the newly listed second floor condominium at The William Fleming House in Key West, Florida this way:

"A splendid 2/2 corner condominium unit combines modern conveniences with Old World charm, just steps from downtown. This exceptional unit, with 14-ft. ceilings throughout, occupies the south-west corner of the second-floor of the majestic William Fleming House, an historic 1890s Old Town structure. The sunken/dining room area, greets guests with its gorgeous Dade County pine walls, floor, and ceiling. Built-in bookshelf/storage areas lend the space a So Ho loft feel. Below the sleeping loft/storage space, which overlooks the living area, is a stylish kitchen appointed with modern appliances, and a handsome pressed-quartz counter top. A brand-new Kenmore washer and dryer are tucked into one of the approaches to the kitchen. Both of the the airy bedrooms open onto a wraparound porch, with views of William and Fleming streets. The bathrooms, including the en-suite master bath, have been recently updated. A valuable off-street parking spot and pool/common area access complete this unique offering."

The William Fleming House is the closest thing we have to a "high-rise" in Key West. The facade looks much different today than it did during the previous century. I found two old photos showing the building as it looked when the building was known it was the known as being the location of Peacon Grocery and later as Long's Furniture. Mr. Peacon was the owner of the grand house at 712 Eaton Street which was briefly owned by designer Calvin Klein. I like the way the developer of the William Fleming House added balconies around the perimeter of the building. I doubt that a present day developer would be able to make such a bold change to a similar building. Our Historic Architectural Review Commission probably would not allow that to occur. They are dogmatic about so many things. That is unfortunate in my opinion because it stifles creativity. The balconies provide exterior space for the owners to enjoy their homes and to watch the world go by.

 

This unit can be accessed via the formal entrance on William Street or the exterior staircase on the rear adjacent to the off street parking for unit owners. The pool is located opposite the parking. The first time you enter the unit you'll be amazed at the ceiling height - 14 feet.  Then you'll see the

The SO-HO loft analogy is on point. This developer created an imaginative use of space not seen elsewhere in town. Oh, there are "lofts" located off living rooms, but they are normally accessed by means of a ladder. Spaces like that are awkward and practically useless on a daily basis. Here the loft becomes a design feature and not an after thought. It can function as a home office or spare sleeping space.

The kitchen opens out to the combined living and dining area. A breakfast bar provides informal dining space. The dining area is quite large and lends itself to grand entertaining for special occasions.

Each of the bedrooms has a door which opens out to the balcony. The balcony provides a pleasant perch to ponder to watch the comings and goings of the locals and tourists as they go about their business. At night even this beehive of activity comes to a halt. But during the daytime, people watching can be great fun.

The pool area provides both sunny and shady locations to enjoy the large pool. There is a nice bar-b-que and outdoor dining area plus restrooms. And unlike some well known tourists condos in Truman Annex, you won't be sharing the pool or facilities with dozens of strangers. You are more likely to be the only person or family using this pool. If you are a potential buyer who would like to do an occasional monthly vacation rental of this unit, you'll be happy to learn the association does permit monthly rentals. The location is perfect and you may rent the place so often you will have to choose between income over personal enjoyment. That's a predicament!

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and to view more photos of 800 Fleming Street A2 which is offered at $995,000. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule a private showing. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.