House Building

 

Opening Montage - 1895 brick Victorian situated by a lake in upstate New York.

Interior - owner speaks:

I love my house.

Everybody does.

It was built in 1895 and still has most of the original roof.

The wallpaper in the dining room is original too.

So's a lot of the original woodwork.

You'd have to be a fool to change it.

I hope you appreciate detail.

The marble fireplace is hand carved.

The main stairs have a very gentle rise.

Everyone comments how easy it is to climb them.

I like to fill it with my friends.

Over the years we've become more like a family.

It makes me happy to have us all together in our home,

Mine and Bobby's.

They don't build house like this anymore.

The Golden Age of American House-building.

Not architecture mind you House-building.

This house was meant to stand.

Make yourself at home.

Love!, Valour!, Compassion! by Terrance McNally author, seasonal resident and home owner in Key West.

I watched the 1997 movie version of Love! Valour! Compassion! last night and played and replayed the opening monologue too many times. The words rang so true to me especially "They don't build houses like this anymore." That is the attraction of Key West its houses. They don't build houses like this anymore. The fact they were built in Paradise makes extra special.

 

630 Caroline Street, Key West - Not For Sale

I was taking photos for my blog a couple of days ago and passed by 630 Caroline Street, Key West. It was listed for sale a couple of years ago but did not sell and it is not for sale now. I think it is an interesting property and will sell when it is once again offered. The property records show this house as being a 2/2 with 1,176 square feet of living space (including second floor) situated on a 1,774 square foot lot (32.5 X 55') at the corner of Caroline and Elizabeth Street.

I dug down into my old shoebox and found the 1965 photo of the house with a tree in front. The City of Key West recently completed the multi-year restoration of the seaport which now wraps the waterfront to the west to the Truman Annex Park. The rebuilding of the seaport infrastructure not only revitalized businesses in that area, but also spurred the restoration of many of the original homes in the area. The house at 630 Caroline Street is one of the few remaining historic homes that have not been restored or renovated.

I searched the Historic Sanborn Fire Maps and found 630 Caroline Street existed as early as 1889 when it was identified as a "dwelling" at 336 Caroline. The 1889 map shows the house then had a covered front porch and an addition at the rear. The stone veneer is fake and was probably added in the 1950s and certainly before the 1965 photo was taken. Jalousie windows were probably added at the same time. They are definitely not original to this house. The front and rear dormers were likely not original either. The rear addition is much smaller than the addition shown on the Sanborn maps

As I walked back to my car I noticed the fake brick (manufactured in Key West and known here as Indian Stone) was falling off the exterior wall. The close up shot shows the original exterior featured Novelty siding. That type of siding is still visible on the rear shed addition. I look forward to the day when the fake stone, jalousie windows, and air conditioners are removed and this little house is restored. It will happen. Not sure when. But it will.

The Tower of Terror - Not the one at Disney World

As I look back on the eight decades of my life I have memories of some events that never go away. There are some I cannot forgive, some I wish I could relive, and a few that changed the way we all live - forever. On August 1, 1966 I attended a Viet Nam teach-in at the University of Colorado at Boulder . That same afternoon one of those life altering events occurred 900 miles away in Austin Texas at the University of Texas. Later that evening the nation sat transfixed watching newsreel footage of the random cold blooded murder of 14 students by a lone sniper. Nothing like that ever happened in America like that. 

TOWER (2016 directed and produced by Keith Maitland) on Amazon Prime) is a documentary about the unidentified gunman who climbed to the top of the University of Texas tower where he shot 45 people and became the largest mass murderer in American history as of that time. The documentary used newsreel footage supplemented with interviews of survivors and heroes of that day to retell the story. The method of the retelling was novel to me. Animated re-enactments were interspersed with newsreel footage to show the stories of the people in real time - what they did and what they thought at that time. Age appropriate voice actors spoke words of the survivors as youthful participants during the day of terror. Near the end of the documentary the real life survivors appeared and completed the retelling of that awful day.

The first victims were Claire Wilson James (pictured immediately above and depicted in the top animation cell), her unborn child, and boyfriend Tom Eckman. They were walking to feed a parking meter when they were both hit by a snipers bullet from the 27th floor of the Tower. Eckman and the baby died immediately. Claire laid on the sizzling pavement for about 96 minutes while others watched in horror as the sniper continued to shoot 43 more people. She laid there dying. Nobody helped her. Nobody. All cowered in fear. After what seemed forever another college girl emerged and walked to comfort Claire. They did not know each other. She laid on the hot pavement with Claire as gunshots continued to pelt everywhere. 

The police were slow to respond and were ill equipped and not trained for such an event. One cop brought tear gas. No one brought rifle capable of shooting the sniper 27 stories above. Eventually two policeman and a citizen made it to the top and killed the lone sniper. 

After the shooting stopped bystanders emerged out of nowhere and gathered in the plaza where Claire and the others had laid. Claire was whisked away by ambulance. A bystander carried Tom's lifeless body to another ambulance. The girl walked away. I watched the crowd and remembered that was how we dressed at my college.That was the way we looked like. This was not some movies directors version of college kids and vintage cars. This was real life. And death. The students were looking at an walking upon globs of blood. Staring at the remains. Shock on their faces. Nothing like this had ever happened before in America. Everything was so innocent then.  

This documentary is well worth your time. You can see for yourself without my help how much our lives were change on that fateful day.

. 

1315 Grinnell Street, Key West - Casa Marina Fixer with Huge Upside Potential

I have been waiting for years for this pretty little house in Casa Marina to be listed for sale. 1315 Grinnell Street, Key West is now offered for sale at $749,000. The is a modest 1,191 Sq Ft home located on a large 4,715 Sq Ft Lot (51.25' X 93'). The simplicity of design, the size and location of the lot, and the opportunity to renovate into some marvelous little house that makes this particular property so appealing.

I added a check mark indicating the location of what I believe to be 1315 Grinnell Street in the above aerial photograph of the area taken in 1920. If I am correct the date would conflict with the Property Appraiser who says the house was built in 1943 during World War II. I searched the 1912 Historic Sanborn Fire Maps and discovered that the large vacant land mass across the street was the M.P. CURRY'S DAIRY. That site later became Key West High School which was subsequently renovated and is now Key West City Hall.

 

This house is located at the corner of Seminary and Grinnell Streets. Most of the streets in the area do not have curbs and gutters so the area has somewhat retained it's country feel. Perhaps as many as 50% of the homes in this area sit behind large six foot privacy fences with tricked-out entry gates and ornamental shrubs that make each property unique. 1315 Grinnell Street is open to the street on two sides. I guess one could say that it has "No curb appeal" and get away with that being a genuine compliment. I disagree. The house next door to the south at 1317 Grinnell Street was the cover feature article in Architectural Digest a few years back. CLICK HERE to read. That owner recently replanted palms in the front right of way. I suspect it may be going on the market soon and I would anticipate an asking price around $4 million. That's a guess on all aspects. The value of the location is not a guess. It is superb. This house will not last the weekend. 

The interiors feature Dade County Pine and "updated" acoustic tile ceiling which I believe was dropped from a higher original height. A new home owner can move the interior walls and create a totally different living area.

1315 Grinnell Street is a two minute bike ride south to Higgs Beach, the Casa Marina Resort, and Louie's Backyard. Old Town Gym is a two minute bike ride to the east where you can get fit and trim. Fausto's Grocery is located nearby on White Street as are a bunch of neighborhood coffee shops, restaurants, and the Dairy Queen. I can usually drive to the airport in about seven minutes from my house. Old Town is a quick bike ride and maybe a 10-15 minute walk depending on where you want to go.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and listing photos that show the interior of 1315 Grinnell Street, Key West offered at $749,000. The please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. I have lived in this area for over 25 years. This fixer has a huge upside potential.  Don't miss it.

 

Key West Real Estate Throwback Thursday - No. 30

from August 17, 2017

My Life as a Clown

That's not me in the pic.  I looked as cute, but nobody took a photo of me back in summer of 1962 when I spent many-a-day as a clown.

I was fifteen years old and had a job at a furniture store in Denver where I made $1.00 an hour. Minimum wage was $1.15 back in 1962. I guess my employer thought that since I was young I didn't have the right to be paid as much as an adult. I didn't care. It was money and the work wasn't hard.

I worked at a furniture store on West Alameda Avenue in Denver. This was an area of town where nearby Morrison Road led to the home a couple of miles west where Jack Kerouac once lived. During the 1950s and 1960s this part of town was populated by lower middle to middle class families who would shop for furniture that fit their modest budgets. Back in the 1960s the furniture store sold three rooms of furniture for a few hundred dollars - total. I remember the furniture "suites" were offered in various styles including "Early American", "Danish Modern", "French Provincial", and "Italian Provincial".  The furniture was pretty cheap in retrospect, but it was what people of modest means could afford and it offered a bit of style plus utility.

There was a large parking lot adjacent to the store where the owner set up a huge green Army surplus tent to expand showroom space beyond the building walls. The tent was crammed with new and used furniture. Strings of bare light bulbs illuminated the space at night for shoppers. There was a night watchman that stayed in the tent to make sure nobody stole anything. Looking back I can't imagine anyone would want to steal anything there.

I would work from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM five or six days a week.  In the early morning I would dust the furniture, sweep the floors, and assemble new pieces for display in the store. Sometimes I would help deliver furniture when one of the truck drivers was not present. Just before noon I would go to the bathroom and put on my clown costume, make-up and red wig with a flip-top mop that would raise a front patch of the wig to startle people. I would then go out to the front sidewalk and wave at passing cars.  There were many occasions when cars would stop and I would walk up to the car to say "Hi" to kids in the car. One day a car filled with teens stopped. One guy grabbed my arm and tried to put out a cigarette on my hand. I pulled it away quick enough not to get burned. It never occurred to me that someone would try to hurt me.  I am not wired that way. But I never extended my hand that way again.

After being a clown for a couple of years while in high school,  I went to college and later law school. I became a lawyer and later went into banking. I worked for the federal government where I worked on selling complex assets owned by the Resolution Trust Corporation until 1993 when I moved to Key West to own and operate a guest house. For the past twenty years I have been selling houses in Key West. Unlike a lot of agents with real estate licenses, that is the only thing I do.  I like to make buying a home fun but I no longer act the clown.  If you are thinking about buying a place in Key West, please consider using me as your Realtor.

Be Careful

 

Imagine the revulsion the owner experienced when she learned her home in Martha's Vineyard was used to film more than 30 “gay porn” films over a 7-month period. She did not take it well. In fact she made a federal case over it.

The lady owner of the cottage rented her home for seven months beginning in October 2014 to one person.  The lease was “for use as a personal residence, excluding all other uses.” The lease also provided that the residence was to be “used and occupied only by the members of the Tenant’s family.” The tenant later lost his job and notified the owner he would be unable to complete the lease.He sublet the property to a gay pornographic film maker which filmed sexually explicit films. 

The lawsuit alleged ten counts including breach of contract, trespass, negligence, civil conspiracy, civil fraud, infliction of emotional distress, interference with advantageous business relations, copyright infringement, and civil RICO violations inn 2018. The suit later added ab allegation of  defamation. She sued everybody including the lessee, the sub-lessee, the production company, the director, and 25 gay porn stars. The lady owner had personally created several paintings that appeared on the walls of the cottage where pornographic films were made. The owner after the fact of the lease allegedly correctly registered the copyright on several of her pieces of art. That copyright is the sole surviving claim of the original complaint. It was set for jury trial in the UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT DISTRICT OF MASSACHUSETTS beginning August 5th.

Lawyers did what lawyers do - they litigated and ran up the billable hours and fees on both sides. Boy did they. All of the claims except the copyright infringement were dismissed. But the copyright case was set for a jury trial beginning August 5th. The federal case was dismissed on July 23, 2021 after the parties reached a settlement agreement, the terms of which were not disclosed. I am betting she got paid. A lot!

I read portions of the complaint and several other online treatments of this matter. The language in the lease was clear as to who was entitled to use the property. It was unclear to me whether she used a Realtor, lawyer, or a legal form to create the lease. I don't care that the film crew filmed gay videos. I do care that any kind of activity like that took place there without the owner's prior knowledge and consent. Imagine how you would fee. Imagine how the jury would feel!

A lot of property owners rent their homes in Key West to perfect strangers.  Be careful.

 

 

Key West Real Estate Update

 

Frequent readers of my blog may have noticed fewer posts than normal. I have not been ill or away - there just is not much available for sale. As of July 25 there are only 69 single family homes for sale in Key West. Usually there are around 400. This is crazy.

I dug deeper. Only one house was priced below $500,000. It is a bank owned fixer in need of significant repair. Twenty five of the houses were priced below $1,000,000.  The median house is a 1,312 sq ft on a 4,750 sq ft lot priced at $849,000 or $608 per sq ft. Then I looked at the particular houses. One is located on a very nice street in Old Town. But this one house has a notorious past about which I will not write. Another house a block away sits at the back of a large yard filled with trees that the city probably will not allow to be taken down even though the State of Florida enacted legislation to prevent local tree commissions from letting property owners do just that. The remaining houses are scattered about the city. They probably don't look like million dollar homes in other parts of the country.

Buyers able to pay between one million to two million dollars have a better but not larger selection. The median house in this range would price at $1,545,000 or $962 per sq ft. That is $258 per sq ft higher than homes priced below $1,000,000. I have written about several of these houses over the years. Only a couple are priced way too high for this or any market. A couple of these are new to the market and will probably go under contract fairly quickly. a couple of the others have location issues that do not go away. Those houses will sell. It just takes time for a buyer willing to settle for these properties to sell.

The remaining twenty three homes are priced between $2,150,000 to $8,450,000 and are primarily located in Old Town, Truman Annex (five houses here), Sunset Key, and Casa Marina Areas. The median house in this selection is priced at $3,275,000 or $1,178 per sq ft. A couple of these are way over priced in my opinion. I sometimes wonder whether it is the owner or the agent who dreams up the pricing.

Housing prices in Key West have been high on a price per square foot basis for the past couple of decades. That is because of the limited supply of houses and the inability to build more. Now the demand has exceeded the supply to the extent that there is little left to choose from. Will that change? No. There won't be more houses built. Period. Will prices go down? No. Will they go up? Yes. When will more properties become available? Let's see what happens in October. That is my best guess for more new listings. In the meantime call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to show you one of the 69 homes available for purchase in Key West. I am a sort of full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. 

 

 

516 Catherine St. Key West - Licensed to Make Money

 The listing agent describes the new transient licensed home at 516 Catherine Street, Key West this way:

"TRANSIENT! TRANSIENT! TRANSIENT! TRANSIENT! LOCATION! LOCATION! LOCATION! LOCATION! In Old Town Key West. Key West has always been a great place to come and enjoy your vacation time, why not make this your next great investment. You can enjoy this amazing property while you are here and just rent it out when you are not. You can come and go as you please and make money while you are away. An extremely well taken care of property, with great attention to detail, makes this an easy property to just take over and reap the benefits. Two bedrooms (2), Two (2) Full Bathrooms, one (1) large office and great salt water pool with outdoor shower makes this historic one thousand two hundred one (1201) square foot home just perfect for you and your guest to sit back and enjoy. Also, don't forget you get to rent it out when you are not there. Very private for you and your guest, but just a short walk to all that Key West has to offer. This Key West investment strikes all your boxes. New roof has been done within the last couple of years, fresh paint inside and out. Old Key West Charmer is what this home really is. Beautifully landscaped for your tropical oasis. One (1) off street parking is very important with only being a half of a block from Duval Street. Location is just perfect, on the lower end of Duval area, so you can walk to everything. Just far enough away to have some peace and zen. Don't wait!! This is the one you have been looking for. Please contact for showing times, we are not showing while guests are appreciating their vacations."

I looked for but could not find any really historic photos of this house. I also searched the Historic Sanborn Fire Maps and learned that this house along with dozens of similar home were located on the blocks north, south, and to the east which built before 1889. Locals and returning guests may be more familiar the the nearby LaTeDa Hotel and Restaurant. But back at turn of the 19th Century the Gato Cigar Factory was located just half a block to the north. The Key West Electric Company operated the street car system that included a line beginning at the Atlantic Ocean ( three blocks to the south) and that ended at the Key West Seaport about one mile to the north. The cigar factory burned to the ground and the street car line was later ended. Cigar making shifted up to Tampa while Key West stagnated for several decades. The wooden houses were lived by locals during those years. But as Key West evolved into a tourist destination, those little houses became increasingly more desirable because of their proximity to Duval Street, the ocean, and all the attractions that Key West offers. 

I know for a fact that visitors like to sit on the front porch and imagine living life to its fullest  in Key West. I hear it all the time. Sitting there. Rocking. Contemplating. Not doing a thing except planning their next meal and beverage event and not in that order. This house the perfect front porch from which you enter a hall that leads to the main open living area at the rear. There is a bedroom up front, a second large bedroom with en-suite midway on the right with an adjacent guest area. Both the guest area and living room have French doors with views of the pool. 

 

I think the larger bedroom with guest area functions like a junior suite at one of the pricey hotels except this one opens out to a private pool where you can take a late night dip worrying about prying eyes of others. (If you like that sort of thing go the the Bull and Bush.)

The place is in really good condition. I checked it out and discovered a super cute outdoor shower with well placed mirror for shaving al fresco. The pool is sunny and like I said totally private. How cool is that?

There are dozens of reasons to stay at 516 Catherine Street Key West. CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and listing photos. Then call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to schedule a showing. I am a buyers agent and full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key  

UPDATE JULY 25, 2021.  The transient licensed property at 530 Catherine St sold for $2,525,0000 cash or $1,848 per sq ft. Sold in 11 days.

This is Key West ! - The Miracle on 34th Street Excuse

 

 I was maybe fifteen years ago or so that I retrieved what looked like a federal income tax refund check from my mailbox. The envelope had one of those glass-like openings that showed the name and delivery address. Except that the name and address on the envelope were not mine. I was quite concerned that I got what might be some other person's tax refund check - so much so that I took the check to the Key West Post Office. I waited in line for my turn to see the postal clerk. When I was called forward I asked to speak to the Postmaster.

The clerk left and a minute or so later a man appeared. I can't recall if the man was the actual postmaster or just a supervisor. I handed over the envelop with government check inside and expressed my concern that something so important was mishandled. He said "This is Key West!" as if that was an excuse for incompetence and not doing one's job properly. 

I was saddened at the government's lack of concern. I would have preferred the man at least say "Thank you. I will look into it." But he didn't. I have heard the same refrain "This is Key West!" from so many people over the years. It is like anything is excusable because it happened in Key West where rules of conduct don't really matter - it is a license not to do one's job properly. 

Remember the scene in Miracle on 34th Street when the postal carriers piled bags of letters addressed to Santa Claus on the judge's bench. The judge said "Since the United States government declares this man to be Santa Claus this court will not dispute it. Case dismissed." Cute side-stepping of his judicial responsibility, the judge blamed the government for setting the standard.

People who live and who own property in Key West have become desensitized by no shows, slow work, and incompetence now express gratitude when a worker actually shows up. Don't get me wrong. I love it here. I just settle for less.

 

 

Throne Room of Former Key West Royalty

I was searching thru my old shoebox for a specific photo when I came across the pic above. This is or was the bathroom of former Key West royalty - two older gay men who lived the lifestyle of the Wish-I-Were-Famous. The vintage metal louver window is a dead giveaway that this bathroom is located inside a Mid-town or New-town Key West home built in the late 50's or 60's. 

I actually remember meeting the owners about twenty-five years ago. They were old then and were preparing to move up north. My broker at the time was going to list the house. I got invited along to see it. They were very nice, nah gracious to me. Inviting. They were proud of their home. It showed. I am making fun of it now and not so much of them. Well, I am. But it is pretentious. A lot of people are very pretentious in the way they decorate - pretending they live the lifestyle of the Wish-I-Were-Famous.