1215 Truman Avenue, Key West

1215 Truman Avenue is new to the Key West MLS. Locals refer to this style of house as a Conch House. It is large impressive house with the strong architectural lines identified elsewhere as a Classical Revival.  In his book The Houses of Key West Alex Cammerer described Conch Houses as "...a simple rectangular block of more than one story. It has a low-pitched roof; the main entrance is on the gabled end. The attic story extends beyond the vertical plane of the vertical stories, forming a portico. Formal columns ...are an integral part of the portico structure."

 I searched for historic photos of the house and found the old black and white postcard below dated 1929. I added an arrow to identify what I believe to be 1215 Division Street (which is now known as 1215 Truman Avenue).  The house is located opposite Bayview Park to the left. The perpendicular street still exists today. The large two story house located across Division Street at the corner of Georgia Street and the adjacent cottage no longer exist.  Other homes that may have existed in that area were replaced by what became the Division St Grammar School which later became the Monroe County Office Building.  Locals and returning tourists will quickly notice that Division Street (or Truman Avenue) abruptly ended at the Garrison Bight. In later years US 1 was built around the barren ground to the east and tied into Division Street. As years became decades many of these once grand old houses became apartments, guest houses, while others were converted into commercial uses. A few stately single family homes remain.

 The listing Realtor describes 1215 Truman Avenue as an...

"Historic Conch house on great corner in the Meadows. Classic lines and built prior to to 1912, it has lots of Dade County pine throughout & is perfect for a home & home office with close proximity to White St, the “Local’s Duval St”. Relaxing pool area with a wonderfully spacious lanai surround it. Large front and side porches enhance the charm of the home. 3 or 4 bedrooms, second floor balcony, tall ceilings, huge attic space and a rare carport & off street parking off Georgia Street make this a very special one. Its ready and ripe for renovation to create your dream home."

I found the above black and white photo of this same house taken in 1965.  Notice that the three bays and porch railing appear a bit different in 2017.  The MLS datasheet shows the property as being 2120 square feet with air conditioned living space. Today the main level has approximately 1246 square feet of living space and 874 square feet on the second floor. Both floors have access to the front porches which each measure 6' X 23'.

1215 Truman Avenue is shown as a contributing structure on the Key West Historic Survey. In more recent years a part of this home was used converted to some commercial use.  The Monroe County Property Appraiser notes in its property identification card that "1215 TRUMAN AVE NO LONGER USED AS REAL ESTATE OFFICE"  The same property records show a pool was added to the property in 1997. There is a nice partially covered deck area on the west side of the house. Part of the house has been used as a residence and part was used for business purposes. I think what was a window in middle bay of the first floor was converted into an entry door. I believe the entry is on the left because opened into the stairway to the second.. The front and side yards are now fenced. Additionally, there is covered off street parking at the rear. This house is perfectly livable as it sits, but it could be a grand renovation project for the buyer who wants a big historic home. The front of  the house is minimally landscaped. There is ample room for more plantings.

 CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and listing photos. 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. 

EXPERT REALTOR and Other April Fools

  "The Internet is populated with self-professed experts."

                                                                    Doc Martin

A few years I was watching a reality show of some sort where the participants would be recognized for their knowledge or achievement of some sort. I remember a particular girl who was in her early twenties responded to the question as to why she deserved the recognition. She said something like "I earned it". She had lived; therefore she deserved to be deemed superior to all others. How arrogant, I thought!

One of my favorite Internet sites is Instagram. I use it to post new listings, open houses, and solds. I follow a lot Realtors and have learned a lot about how they promote their business using Instagram post. I have noticed that some agents have very healthy opinions about themselves and refer to themselves as being an EXPERT REALTOR. I am dumbfounded as to what an EXPERT REALTOR is. Is expertise achieved by extensive real estate education and certification or years and years of practical experience?  Is it reflection of active and sold listings? Or is it just punk arrogance as a real estate marketing ploy go to solicit new business?

Can one just proclaim oneself to be an EXPERT and get away with it? Think about it. Is a Realtor who markets himself as an EXPERT more liable than a non-expert if something goes afoul in a real estate transaction?  I do not have an answer for this, but my gut tells me that anyone who holds himself out to be an expert in any profession has a higher duty of care and performance than a normal practitioner.

On this April Fools Day I thought it would be fun to share some true and funny real estate stories.

Several years ago the Key West Association of Realtors  held its annual installation of officers dinner  at the Westin Hotel. After the gala was over and folks were making their exits there was a brew-ha-ha. (I know it's not spelled that way, but methinks it was the brews that precipitated what happened.) Two well known male Key West Realtors got involved in a bloody fist fight and wrestling match over a woman - not the wife of either man. Clothes got torn, there was at least one bloodied nose, and hotel property got destroyed. So much for professionalism.

A few years ago I was showing a recently built house which was leased to several young adults in Key West. The listing agent took me and my buyers into one bedroom where a young lady was sleeping. We quickly got out of there and moved into another bedroom where we stood several minutes discussing the house. I stress the word several because we were all shocked when a tall muscular young man wearing a black bikini emerged from the bathroom.

I met with a man to discuss listing his house a few years ago. We were standing in the master bathroom when I looked down into the sink and saw a dildo. If you have ever had a nightmare where you could not speak, you'll understand my inability to discuss listing the house.

Nearly twenty years ago I remember showing what used to be a gay male guest house located in the Meadows Area of Key West. A fellow agent from my office lived across the street from this guest house had warned me what to expect but I really did not expect to see what we encountered. I rang the doorbell, the front door opened, and the manger appeared totally naked and invited us inside. My potential buyers were a nice and normal straight couple from the midwest. We walked through the place not knowing what we might see next.

A couple of years later I showed an "All Welcome" guest house located near Duval Street. When we arrived at the pool we got to see a lot of old people wearing birthday suits. I stress the word old.

A few ago I went to a house in Mid Town to take photos for a potential buyer. I showed up the next day about ten minutes early.  The listing agent, who I will call Betty Lou, was standing in the street talking to four or five people about the house.  I presumed they were other potential buyers because one person had a camera who was taking photos of the area. I got out my camera and started snapping photos of the house from various angles. I moved to the front porch and took photos of the porch and the view from the porch looking across the street.  I framed the palm trees for best effect.

The other buyers were walking on the east side of the house toward the back. I walked toward Betty Lou who said "Hi, Gary. Go on inside and take your photos. The house is open." "It's open?", I asked. "Yes, go on inside" Betty Lou responded. So I walked back to the front door and walked inside. Betty Lou walked down the side of the house toward the rear. The house was very nicely furnished, but it had a horrible odor from years of cigarette smoke. I immediately liked the house despite the odor knowing that it go away after being cleaned and painted.

I walked over to turn on the lamp next to the sofa. Then I walked toward the dining room to turn on the overhead light fixture when a female voice said "I live here!"  Betty Lou had told me the owners were in town in our phone discussion the day before. She said the owners were supposed to leave by the time I arrived to take photos. I assumed Betty Lou got the timing incorrect and then wondered why she sent me inside when the owner was still there.

I touched the dining room light switch and turned on the light anyway. "I live here!" the female voice said again.  I responded "I'm sorry. Betty Lou is outside. She said to go inside to take photos."  The voice now had a body, the body of a smallish older woman who had emerged from the bedroom as she walked into the living area where she repeated "I live here!".  I repeated myself saying that Betty Lou had sent me inside to take photos. I said "She is showing other buyers the back of the house". The lady said "Betty Lou is selling the house next door!"  My complexion must have turned beet red. I felt like such a dummy. I reached over to turn off the dining room light and then the light by the sofa.  The lady stood her ground. She was not angry. "Miffed" would best describe her countenance.

I headed to the front door to make my exit. I said "Thank God you did not have a gun!"  The lady emphatically stated "My husband does!" whereupon I felt it best to get out of the house - quickly. (You know in Florida we have that 'stand your ground' law that gives people the right to kill people in their homes if they feel threatened.)

I exited and went outside to find Betty Lou who I told my little story. I was perplexed as to why she would tell me to go inside having seen me taking photos of the house, especially as I had initially walked toward her from the front porch of the wrong house. At first Betty Lou had a shocked expression on her face. She brought her right hand to cover her mouth and then she let out a chuckle. I thought it was funny too, but not that funny because I could have got my ass shot off.

I have been a Realtor in Key West since 1996. I think I do a pretty good job of helping my principals get deals done. Prior to moving to Key West I was an attorney and a banker in Denver. Later I worked for the Resolution Trust Corporation handing very large assets held by failed subsidiary corporations of failed savings and loan associations. I have had more years of experience making deals happen than some self-proclaimed expert Realtors have lived. If you are looking for a competent agent, please consider calling me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642. I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. 

522 Simonton Street, Key West - Strategicallly Located Renovation Project

As March winds down to its end I am reminded of my first trip to Key West in 1984.  Back then more of the houses needed renovated than had been done.  I am an early riser and remember walking the streets of Old Town and looking at the old houses and thinking what I could do if I owned one of those old places. I fell in love with this little island town that would later become my home. I traveled back to Key West a few months later and started what would become a nine year vision quest before I finally purchased a place here. Over the following years more and more of the old houses have been purchased and renovated by all types of new owners with varying visions, skills, and budgets. Many of the formerly run down houses have won awards for excellence in renovation. Thirty-three years later there are fewer and fewer large un-renovated homes left.  522 Simonton Street is one of them.

The listing Realtor describes this property this way:

"This is one of the most historic and iconic homes in Key West. Built in the 1860's and the Key West home of Robert Watson, officer in the Confederate Army and later Confederate Navy, and his family. Watson later served briefly as mayor of Key West. There have only been two families to reside here since the home was built. The architecture is unique for Key West with a stepped facade and four separate porches on the front of the house. Perfectly sited with ample sized front and side yards and a large rear yard, there are many options including expansion, multiple off-street parking spaces, lush gardens and pool. The home requires a total renovation and is uninhabitable in its current condition. This is the perfect property for the buyer wanting to create their own architectural masterpiece."

I looked through my old shoebox and found the above black and white photo which was taken in 1965. That photo shows the clean lines of this once great house. I took the color photo immediately above from a similar angle earlier today. Trees and overgrowth obscure the old house that still exists.  While the photos may suggest this place is more grey gardens than great design, I think the original house can come back big time and that whoever buys this place will have an incredible property in the end.

When you look at the black and white photo you will notice the large two story addition to the right. First and second floor porches were added to the side addition after the 1965 photo was taken. Today those porches are in disrepair. The front porch on the original house is in equally bad disrepair. Issues like these are to be expected. The original house probably has not changed much over the past fifty years or longer. The home has not been occupied for many years. It is my understanding the former owner lived on the main floor for several years before her departure several years ago.  This will definitely be a project house.

I showed this property in early January. While much of the house hearkens back to the 18th Century, the renovated property will likely be updated to early 21st Century standards and uses. I envision this house will be converted into some quasi-commercial use. This house is situated one block from Duval Street, our primary tourist destination location. The highest and best use would be a renovation to a large single family home that could be rented monthly as a vacation rental. There is off street parking off the front for at least two cars. There is a very large back yard and good-sized side yards on the south and the north. There is plenty of room for a pool, parking, and lovely gardens. 

CLICK HERE view the Key West MLS datasheet which shows this property as being a 2652 square feet home situated on a 6610 square foot lot which measures 58.5' X 113'.  Simonton Street is one of the longest streets in Key West. It begins at the Gulf of Mexico on the north and ends at the Reef Resort on the Atlantic Ocean to the south - about one mile in length. I would describe most of Simonton Street as being a transitional street. Almost all of Old Town located to the east is residential use. There are only a few single family residences that remain on this street. Most of the properties have become commercial in some respect whether converted into apartments, condominiums, guest houses or boutique hotels, or monthly vacation rental houses. There are a few single family homes which have transient rental licenses. I think any sense of "community" has long disappeared from this street. That is why I think conversion to some form of commercial use makes the most sense with this property. 

Please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to set up a private showing of this historic old home with terrific Old Town location.  I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. 

1223 Margaret Street, Key West - New Lower Price

 I first wrote about 1223 Margaret Street in Key West last August when it was first offered for sale at $1,500,000. Today the house is now available at $1,395,000. The Key West selling season is winding down.  There are fewer and fewer new listings each day. I think now is the time for buyers who want a big impressive house like this to take advantage of the current market.

This three story home was built new (not remodeled) in 1999 by Lauramar Development. That developer built several "in-fill" properties in various Old Town neighborhoods around that same time period. Each of the projects quickly sold out because the houses had the desirable architectural look of "look" of historic Key West homes. The houses were built to rigid new building codes and used modern building materials. The resultant homes are easier to maintain on the outside and offer contemporary living on the inside.

The listing Realtor provides a more colorful description of this property:

" This spacious Old Town tropical oasis is Key West living at its finest. Located in a small condominium compound, at the corner of United and Margaret streets, this colorful free-standing, 3-story Conch house features Mexican tile floors, large windows and porches, and a swimming pool and spa area. The roomy, open concept first floor living area has a well-appointed kitchen with breakfast bar, and plenty of space for dining or entertaining, as well as a half-bathroom. Two large bedrooms, both with updated ensuite bathrooms and breezy porches, dominate the second floor, while a larger bed and bath with an attached office or nursery room, completes the third level. This prime property also includes a small pool house with a full bathroom, and a valuable off-street parking spot. An alarm system will provide security and peace of mind, during those languid strolls to the many shops and restaurants of the nearby White Street corridor, or downtown Key West and Duval Street."

1223 Margaret Street has 2412 sq ft of living space on three floors and sits on a slightly irregular rectangular lot 34' X 98' (3292) sq ft located at the corner of Margaret and United Street. A white picket fence encloses the minimal maintenance front yard. There is a two story front porch with sitting spaces on both levels. There is a small entry hall which offers direct access to the great room to the right and the pool and guest house to the rear. Or you can ascend the first of two tiers of stairs leading to any of the three interior bedrooms. (There's a fourth bedroom in a rear guest cottage.) The living space is really inviting. The current owner has the space brightly painted in Caribbean colors. Plantation shutters filter sunlight for all of the windows. A half bath is tucked under the staircase. There is a two story rear porch which provides a nice shaded area on the ground level and an open sky view on the second level that is located just off the master bedroom.

Both the master bedroom at the rear and the guest bedroom at the front of the second floor have en-suite baths and access to the second floor porches on their respective sides. Unlike most historic Conch houses with small bedrooms, the bedrooms in this home are quite spacious. And you'll be able to sit on the rear or front to drink your morning coffee or sip that last glass of wine before bed.

The third floor is just magical with its angular ceiling, dormer, and its supreme coziness. What a perfect perch to read a book or to write one. The is a grand retreat from the world where most people live. Each of the homes in this compound are different. None of the other homes are arranged like this. So the house is as unique as the people who own it. Imagine how you might decorate this home to meet your lifestyle.

1223 Margaret Street has two off-street parking places. One is located on the north side at the front of the house and the second is located off the private lane at the rear. Four other homes in the compound have private parking behind their homes here as well. The yearly HOA Fee is just $375. Each owner is responsible for the maintenance and insurance of his or her respective home which is owned in fee simple.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS 1223 Margaret Street, Key West and 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 the listing brokerage for this lovely home.

32 Hilton Haven Road, Key West - New Lower Price

The asking price on 32 Hilton Haven Road #4, Key West was just reduced making this waterfront home an incredible buy in my opinion. The listing Realtor describes this property as being the largest waterfront condominium available in Key West. Two units were combined to make one 2258 square foot home with three bedrooms, four bathrooms, and a large open concept kitchen, dining, and living area with open water views from the fifty foot balcony.This unit has been completely renovated from bottom to top including new wood and tile floors, recessed lighting, wind impact doors and windows, kitchen cabinets, appliances, and so forth. The waterfront view remains forever inviting.

While standing in the kitchen I took the above photo and imagined living in this space. Everything blends together so nicely.  One of the complaints I have often heard about other condominium properties is how alike they are which is the same as saying how unimaginative they are. This place is the opposite. The living space is so large and open. There is plenty of room for a real family to live here and not be tripping all over each other.

The bedrooms are located on the four corners of this unit.  Each bedroom has an adjacent or en-suite bathroom.  Having this much separation ensures privacy for the people occupying these spaces. The current owner chose to use one bedroom as a den and enlarged the adjacent laundry to include a home office. The main entrance is located near ground level while all living space is located on the second floor. There are multiple entrances to the deck area as well.

32 Hilton Haven Road is offered for sale at $1,199,750. CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and listing photos. After you have imagined how wonderful this place would be to own, 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. The listing agent promised to get my buyers in at a moments notice. Let's take a look. You will not be disappointed.