The One that Got Away - Not the Fish!

Key West is famous for its fishing, drinking, and real estate tinkering. Today's blog is about the real estate deal that got away.  All readers are aware of the real estate maxim location, location, location. Some properties have excellent locations and others are not so blessed. Some have have horrible locations. Sometimes good locations have bad juju.

I never forgot a "buyer" I worked with about twenty years ago. He wanted to look at the former Logun's Lobster House end of Simonton Street. It was the location and size of the lot more than the building that made this property so appealing.  The 17,000 square foot lot sat at the south end of Simonton Street overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The lot included off street parking. The building was certainly usable or worthy of remodeling, but the location begged to be re-purposed and made into something more important. 

The former La Brisa (pictured below) was located on the opposite side what became Logun's Lobster House at 1420 Simonton Street also at water's edge. La Brisa was severely damaged in a hurricane and was later moved to South Street where it is now a house. The La Brisa site later became the Sand's Beach Club which itself was razed. That site is now the Reach Resort.

I found a couple of photos in the Monroe County Public Library files which hows South Beach as photographed 1940 from the end of Duval Street looking east toward the Casa Marina Hotel. The lower photo was taken in 1950 and shows a motel which I believe later became a part of the Atlantic Shores Resort.

The aerial photo below shows the location as photographed in the late 1990s - thirty years ago my friends. Only two of the buildings that existed then still exist today - the Reach Resort and a portion of the South Beach Motel which is now the Southernmost Resort complex. The lower photo was taken in 2018 and shows the Southernmost Beach Resort and Reach Resort plus the Santa Maria Condominiums on South Street.

My buyer looked at Logun's Lobster House twice on the same day - once mid-morning and a second time around 2:00 PM when we looked inside with the listing Realtor. Later my buyer and I stood in the middle of Simonton Street admiring the location when he absolutely seized up.

Logun's was located next door to the Atlantic Shores pool which was an institution back in its day. Guests and locals hung out by the pool from 10:00 AM until closing drinking cocktails, eating, sunning, and dancing at Sunday Tea By the Sea.  Nudity was not only allowed, it was encouraged. The music was normally respectful of other businesses in the area but was always loud during tea dance and when certain bartenders rocked the house during their shifts. On the day I showed the Logun's, the bartender from Hell was rocking out of control. My buyer decided that property was not suitable. He could only hear the music blare.

Logun's Lobster House was listed at $3 million. It sold at $2.3 million and was torn down. I happened to drive by the location in 2007 as Logun's and the Atlantic Shores were razed to make way for the new Southernmost resort.

I urge buyers to focus on the goal of buying the property they want and not worry about little things. That can be a difficult and costly lesson for buyers anywhere. There is no real estate lesson worse than remembering the one that got away.

Price Drop in Paradise - 923 Angela Street Key West - Open House Today

If you saw this lovely home before, 

you must look again.

Price Reduced to $995,000 offered fully furnished.

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 $995,000

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and listing photos. Listed by Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

923 Angela Street, Key West - Sunday Open House

923 Angela Street, Key West Florida

OPEN HOUSE

SUNDAY

December 14th

11:00 AM to 1:00 PM

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS on 923 Angela Street, Key West.  Offered for sale by Gary Thomas, Realtor, Preferred Properties Key West.

1109 Olivia Street, Key West ~ Updated Mid-Century Modern on an Old Town Road

Just Listed by Preferred Properties Key West is this Mid-Century Modern Home located on an Old Town Road.  The 1,124 square foot home was originally built in 1963 and has been recently updated in preparation for sale.

I search the Historic Sanborn Fire Maps to figure out how such a modern home could have been built in this location. Surely there must have been another house located on that site prior to 1963 as the entire area was replete with cigar maker cottages. The 1912 Map shows two houses at 1113 and 1115 Olivia Street were razed to extend Ashe Street through to Olivia Street. I noted two additional houses that may have been razed to create the building lot where 1109 Olivia Street now exists. 1111 Olivia Street was also razed. I assume 1111 Olivia and a portion of 1113 Olivia were renumbered to create 1109 Olivia. The cottages on the opposite side of Olivia Street were a part of Pohalski Village for the workers at the Pohalski Cigar Factory which was located at the corner of White Street and Truman Avenue which is now a Chevron gas station. 

The owner, an interior designer, rearranged the interiors to meet modern day needs.  Everything works.

The open concept living space includes a media niche off the sitting area.The chef's kitchen includes new cabinets, caesar stone counter-tops,and  stainless steel appliance. Other features include travertine marble floors and plantation shutters.

The master bedroom has sliding glass doors which open out to the pool. Each bedroom has a private bath.

While you can't do laps in the pool, you can park two automobiles in the front driveway which includes a carport. If you a a fitness enthusiast there are nearby gyms and yoga studios. The Historic Seaport is a five to seven minute walk to the north. Duval Street is a five to seven minute walk to the west. This a perfect little neighborhood close to everything.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet on 1109 Olivia Street, Key West offered for sale at $999,000. 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. Let me help you find your home on an Old Town Road.