1616 Bertha Street, Key West - an Affordable First Home

I was invited to a broker open last week to preview the newly listed home at 1616 Bertha Street in Key West.  I was impressed.  This property has just completed a total interior renovation.  The listing photos in the MLS (copied herein) are what attracted me to go to the broker open. It was seeing the house that made me appreciate the design and materials that made this renovation so attractive. Let's take a look.

You enter into the home off a private side yard into the kitchen with the living room located just beyond. You immediately notice the extraordinary contemporary design and flair especially for a home in this modest price range - just $625,000.  The counter tops and table top are quartz. There is hidden storage in the table pedestal. The grey tile floors carry throughout the house.

You next pass into the living room and notice the volume ceiling with a wind impact resistant skylight and also sliding doors. The newly planted south-facing ))))))))) has Trex decking. These are features more often found in higher priced homes. 

 The two bedrooms share one bath entered off the side hallway off the living room. Each bedroom has two windows. All of the furnishings are included in the purchase price.

1616 Bertha Street is a two family home with a party wall agreement. This part of the house has a separate side entry located on the north. The other unit enters on the south side beyond the covered patio. Both parts of the house are totally private to each other. They share only the party wall.

Smathers Beach is located two blocks to the south. The beach is groomed each morning in anticipation of tourists and locals spending their day in the sun. The recently opened Body One Gym in located about a half mile east on Flagler Avenue. Our three shopping centers are about one mile away. Old Town is a five minute drive.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and more listing photos of 1616 Bertha Street, Key West offered for sale at $625,000. 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. This place is worth seeing.

1616 Bertha Street could be your home by Christmas if you act soon.

923 Angela St Key West - Storybook Open House

 1986 -  923 Angela Street, Key West, Florida 

If you are out and about on Sunday, November 24th 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 restored Storybook 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. The house first appeared in the 1892 Sanborn Fire Map as 721 Angela. The Street number was changed to 923 Angela on the 1899 map

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 recently 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

619 Virginia Street, Key West _ Open House Saturday Nov 23rd

OPEN HOUSE

Saturday

November 23, 2019

11:00 AM to 1:00 PM

619 Virginia Street

Key West 

Now Offered Furnished at $869,000

Southernmost Cabanas is a 21 unit town home development recently completed in Old Town Key West. This two story home is located at the end of Virginia Street next to the church school grounds of St Mary's Star of the Sea. This unit is one of only three that have adjacent off street parking and this unit has both the largest side yard and largest deck in the community.

The first floor open living concept includes kitchen with breakfast bar, white cabinets, stainless steel appliances, granite counter-tops, porcelain floors, crown molding, recessed lighting, and fire suppression system. The house features Hardiboard siding, wind impact resistant windows and doors, metal roof. Floor insurance is not required. This seller pays only $2017 per year for homeowner and wind policies combined. Compare that to what owners in Truman Annex must pay.

The second floor is the envy of those poor folks who bought dinky motel room like units in comparably priced Truman Annex. Both the master and guest bedroom are large multiple windows bringing sunshine into the home. The guest bedroom opens out to quaint Virginia Street with its historic cigar maker cottages across the street. Frenchie's Cafe, Duval Street, South Beach, and The Hemingway House are located a short stroll away. You and your guest will love being able to walk anywhere.

Or you may choose to stay home by the pool.  A few (and I mean few) of the owners rent their homes as monthly vacation rentals. Others are either full time or snow bird owners. Dogs up to 50 pounds are permitted. The HOA fees are only $250 per moth and cover pool and grounds maintenance.

While the gardens and common areas are gorgeous, having adjacent off street parking beats walking the sun or rain in my book. CLICK HERE to see more photos of 619 Virginia Street. Better yet visit the Open House today.

If you buy this property now, it could be your home by Christmas.

I Know Where You Live!

I watched Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch testify at the Impeachment Hearing last week and noted her response after being told about President Trump's TWEET about her. She responded "It's very intimidating."

Her response of feeling intimidated reminded me of an episode in my life about thirty-seven years ago. I worked in the commercial loan workout department of the biggest bank in Denver. Our customer was a Denver Police Detective and his wife. The couple borrowed money to purchase a business and later defaulted in payment. We seized and liquidated their business and later pressed to collect the balance of the loan. We had several meetings with the customer none of which produced any positive results. This time we were meeting with the borrowers and their attorney.

Just before we entered the conference room the detective approached me - he got inches away from me and said "I know where you live!". My phone number was unlisted. If he really knew where I lived, he would have had to do one of  those searches cops do using department equipment to find out something that had nothing to do with police business. Or he could have just made it up to get a rise of me. A few beats later he said something like "Gary, you look like you are about to have a heart attack." I remember exactly what I said:  "I don't get heart attacks. I give them!" I did not respond in a joking manner. This confrontation was real.

I was in my early 30s and stood 5'8" tall and weighed about 155 pounds. He was in his mid fifties, stood 6'2"  or so and probably weighed 250 pounds. This physically imposing man with a badge had attempted to intimidate me. It worked to some extent because I remember it and the words spoke so well. I assume he was accustomed to pushing people's buttons as a part of his job as a cop.

I did the same thing as he, except I was smaller in stature and intimidated everyone from the behind a desk in the biggest bank in town.

Size, power, position, and money can be very intimidating.