923 Angela Street, Key West - Sunday Open House

If you are out and about on Sunday, November 17th between 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM, think about dropping by 923 Angela Street to view the Open House hosted by yours truly. This adorable Conch Cottage is picture postcard perfect.  I don't know if they still make picture postcards. I'll rephrase to say it is Instagram worthy!

One of the first things you'll notice when you step onto the inviting front porch is a Historic Florida Keys Foundation Ceramic Star awarded in 2017 for historic preservation of this home. The house was totally restored from foundation to rooftop.

You will find Dade County Pine walls and ceiling throughout the house. A new wood floor was added during the restoration as were the new kitchen and two new bathrooms. There is also new air conditioning and on demand hot water.

The first floor bed and bath are located at the rear of the home where French doors open out to the lanai, heated pool, outdoor shower, and laundry area.  I previewed this house to a Realtor last week ahead of bringing his client. His eyes were drawn through the house to the pool. He was so captivated by the view that he missed seeing the bedroom. He had to come back into the house for a second look and confessed the pool just amazed him to the point he overlooked the bedroom.

The second floor was dramatically changed with the addition of a new bath and roof top deck. The bathroom is bright and cheerful. The deck is the perfect spot to get an all over Key West tan to make your friends and relatives jealous as hell. If you buy this home now, it could be your home by Christmas.

Open House

Sunday 

11:00 AM to 1:00 PM

923 Angela Street

Now offered at $1,100,000

1901 S Roosevelt Blvd 108E, Key West - Oceanfront La Brisa Condo

I got a welcomed surprised during a recent Key West Realtor Caravan when I walked into the first floor oceanfront La Brisa condominium. La Brisa Condominiums are located at 1901 South Roosevelt Boulevard opposite Smathers Beach. This unit is the the E building on the far east side of the development. The particular unit is on the far west end of the that building and has a incredible ocean front view.

I walked out to take in the view and immediately appreciated how much this unit has to offer. I pivoted around to then see what I missed by breezing through the interior so quickly. 

This building was built in 1984. This unit was recently updated with new flooring, a new kitchen, and two new bathrooms. I stepped into the kitchen and was surprised again by the kitchen window that looks outward to the interior park like setting of the interior court yard. I thought how charming the view must be while preparing meals. You can see grass and palm trees out the kitchen window and the ocean out the opposite direction.

I walked into the master bedroom which also has an ocean view. I stepped toward the headboard and turned around to see what view to expect when arising each morning. It's spectacular. You must see it for yourself. This bedroom has an ensuite bath plus large closet. Glass paneled doors open out to the covered deck.

This 1395 square foot unit has three bedrooms and two bathrooms. The current owner uses one of the bedrooms as a den. This bedroom has extra large closets. Buyers familiar with 1800 Atlantic Condominiums (also pictured at the top of today's blog) will appreciate that this La Brisa unit is similar in about 50 feet larger in size to almost every unit at 1800 Atlantic but that it has three bedrooms (as opposed to two at 1800) and more usable living area.

The La Brisa Condo Association fees are $782 and payable monthly.Fees cover all building, ground, and pool maintenance, all building insurance, sewer, basic cable, security, and exterminating. (Condo fees at 1800 Atlantic are $848 for smaller sized unit.)

People from all over the world come to Key West to enjoy the beaches and wonderful weather. If you lived in this unit you could walk across to Smathers Beach and take in the sunrise view and play all day in and near the Atlantic Ocean.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet on 1901 S Roosevelt Blvd 108E then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to schedule a private showing of this beautiful ocean front unit offered at $825,000.  I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

Key West Real Estate Horror Story No. 17

Many moons ago I emailed a new single family home listing located in Old Town to a buyer who had previously purchased several properties from me. The property was a dump but it had a large clean lot with no trees, and a great location. My buyer emailed back, asked a few questions. Then he texted me and later made a sight unseen offer for my. It was a good cash offer with no inspection issues - he knew the building was in horrible condition and that the project would be a total renovation from foundation to the roof. After some back-and-forth with the seller, a deal was agreed to and we closed - still sight unseen. I never actually spoke with the buyer in person or on the phone while making this deal. 

A few months later that I met with buyer's architect at the property. He had done some exploratory demolition to see what could be saved. He said "Gary you've got to see this!" whereupon we went into a shed that had slyly become a bedroom at the side of the house. This happened decades earlier. The filth and dust was decades old.

As I entered the room the architect warned to watch my step. The entire wood floor had been removed. All that remained were some rotting joists. The architect said the wood floor had been laid over a wall to wall shag carpet. The carpet was laid over crumbling old floor system with a big hole in the middle. The carpet in essence was supporting the wood floor. The photo below demonstrates the hole, but is not from this house.While this is scary, it is not why I consider this house a Key West horror story. Read on.

As we left the house a neighbor approached and asked if we were the new owners. I explained who we were and what we were doing. The neighbor had questions about what would happen to the dump and invited us inside to see their house.  The neighbor's house was was totally restored and amazing.

We spoke for ten minutes or longer about the area and the new owner's intentions.  Then the neighbor asked if we were aware that four men had died in the recently purchased house. No. The neighbor said the house had been a drug den for years. The deaths were accidental - probably overdoses. Florida law does not require Realtors or owners to disclosure of death on the sale of any house. Such a disclosure would not have impacted my buyer's purchase. Still it would have been nice to know this.

I was actually shocked to learn about the deaths. On the other hand, I see crazy stuff all the time in this little town located on an island out in the middle of the ocean. I write this story today because of a phone conversation I recently had with a different client who has also bought a couple of properties from me. He told me the story of him visiting a man's home in located in Bahama Village. He described a tropical paradise surrounding the house which had no air conditioning.  Instead the windows were left open like in olden days. This house, he said, also had a big hole in the floor.

In Memory of Jerrie on Vertrans Day

Like TRUMP, I dodged the draft.

I had a history of anxiety that hospitalized me in junior high school for a short time and again in college. The Army doctor who interviewed me gave me a one year deferment. Then the draft lottery was introduced. My number was near the bottom. I admit I did not want to die Viet Nam. 

Jerrie was my best friend in junior high school where we played drums together. His dad owned a car dealership. He lived in a big expensive house but did not act grand or entitled. (We all know kids who come from rich families - as if they made the money they spend.) We made mischief together - and I am not the kind of guy that ever made mischief. I was a square and a nerd. Jerrie brought out a different kind of person in me. He was the best looking boy in my high school - not that looks matter - but they do. He was sexy as hell. And he reached out to me to be his friend.  Not the other way around. Truth be known, he was my first love although nothing ever happened. Not an inference.

I went on to college and later to law school. I worked at a big bank in Denver starting in the late 1970s when one day Jerrie's father's auto dealership came up. I mentioned I went to school with Jerrie in the 1960s. It was the lender who told me Jerrie went to Viet Nam where he lost both of his legs.  

On January 1, 2014 (my birthday) I was scrolling through the various sites visit each day when I hit the obituary page of my home town newspaper. I saw Jerrie's name. I was shocked. I read and re-read the obit several times. Tears welled up in my eyes and I cried for several minutes - more than I cried when my mother passed. He was such a sweet beautiful boy. His life was torn apart during that awful war. I cannot fathom all of the pain and suffering he went through for decades.

Those of us who failed to serve owe so much to those that did.

God Bless You, Jerrie.

811 Washington Street #102, Key West, Florida

The listing agent at Preferred Properties Key West describes 811 Washington Street #102, Key West, Florida this way:

"Beautiful townhouse located in the Casa Marina. Cathedral ceilings, top of the line kitchen, large living space are only a few of the amenities of this home. Three bedrooms / three bathrooms occupy the second and third floor. Front and back balconies on first and second level, with beautiful views. Pool and privacy. Perfectly located in walking distance to beaches, 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 stainless steel kitchen was a standard feature when this home was built because superior was "standard" 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 at the rear open out from the living area to the rear garden with private swimming pool with waterfall. High fences, 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.

You enter the master bedroom off a central hallway on the second floor. This room has a vaulted ceiling and two sets of French doors which open out to a covered rear balcony that overlooks the private 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 yourself.

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. I have sold four of these town homes over the years. 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.

Each town home has an assigned off street parking space. The parking areas are set apart from the street by sidewalk beautifully landscape on either side. The view from the front door and porches are of trees and blue skies.

My buyers love the quality workmanship that went into these homes and the convenient Casa Marina Area 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. 

CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet on 811 Washington Street No. 102  offered for sale at $1,175,000. 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!