1106 Petronia Street, Key West - Just Listed

 

Just Listed 1106 Petronia Street, Key West. How cute is this place and what a great Old Town location on a one-way street that is only two blocks long. I dug down into my old shoebox and found a photo of the property back in 1965. It hasn't changed much. What do you think? Actually it aged better than most people do.

Let's look at more photos of the exterior where most people who live here spend most of their time. And this house has a terrific outside.

The house was built in 1893. It has been in the same family ownership for decades. It has been lovingly cared for. The above photo was taken on the front porch looking northwest toward the Key West cemetery located on the far side of Frances Street - about 200 feet to the west. The house sits toward the front of the 3,668 square foot lot which is densely landscaped front to back.

The listing Realtor describes the property this way:

"Located in the heart of Old Town this sweet cottage is nestled among mango trees, avocado trees, fig trees and more. The home includes three bedrooms and one bath with a bedroom on the first floor and two bedrooms on the second floor. The side yard features the makings of an outdoor kitchen area and covered gazebo along with a spacious backyard with room for a private pool among the topical landscaping. When it's time for entertaining, you'll experience a rear porch off of the kitchen that is perfect for outdoor dining and visits with friends. This home is located in a quiet desirable neighborhood and awaits your new ideas with endless possibilities."

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The house has been updated a bit but not by too much. There is room to improve but the place is livable as is until you decide exactly what you want to do. In the meantime rest on easy street, I mean Petronia Street, and enjoy the location.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and listing photos of 1106 Petronia Street, Key West offered for sale at $1,300,000. Then 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.

Scenes from an Open House in Key West

There are many ways the pandemic has changed our lives in Key West including the elimination of in person Realtor Caravan. Boo Hoo! you say. It is a real loss for me as it gave me and other agents the opportunity to see new listings and houses that had been on the market longer than six months to get a fresh look. I have resorted to going to open houses to check out new listings as an alternative. 

The photo above is not from one of the open houses so don't think what I am about to write has anything to do with this house. But I did select this photo because it is typical of what I am seeing in many renovated and some newly built homes in Key West - blah.

One particular open house was a brand new renovation. It had new windows, doors, floors, lighting, air conditioning, on demand hot water, fans, pool, wood deck, landscaping, outdoor lights, irrigation system, and nine yards of mulch. It looked a lot like the photo above. In fact it looked like about every other recent renovation in Key West. The appliances, decking, cabinetry were cheaper than featured in many similarly priced homes. That was surprise. I wanted to be impressed but left distressed. The price was so high that I expected more but I got nothing I had not seen before and better done at lower asking price. 

There is more. The thing that makes Key West architecture so interesting is that is was interesting. Earlier renovations improved on what had been built by craftsmen in the 19th Century. Most of the stuff I am seeing comes out of Home Depot which imports its products from Asia. The landscaping at the particular open house was as cheap as the owner could find and sparsely plated. 

You can buy the same blah bedroom and Home Depot kitchen and baths in other locations for a lot less money. Why come to Key West to add a couple zeros to the purchase price to get the same thing?

There are still great properties in Key West. You need to work with a seasoned Realtor to find them. I am available to help you avoid buying the wrong property.

 

Seem's Like Old Times in Key West

 

Readers are aware that I have not posted very many actual real estate posts lately. That's because the market has dried up. Many well priced new listings with go under contract right away while many others are so outrageously price I won't give the agents the time of day. 

There are a lot of new agents in town. Be careful who you are dealing with. Ask a lot of questions. Feel the agents out. Ask them their background - what they did and where. How did they get here, how long have they been here, and how did they become the real estate expert the claim to be. 

So what does the lady on the horse have to do with the return to old times in Key West? For decades both seasonal workers and long time residents would take a break from Key West and head north for cooler climates from August thru October. Local restaurants and some tourist related businesses would offer discounts to locals. After Hurricanes Wilma and Irma discounts were offered to just about anyone until a week before Christmas. This week I started to notice Locals Only Discounts of 50% Off from Monday thru Thursday at many eateries. 

I have also noticed most of the hotels are not as full as they were. While there are still a lot of tourists in town, they do not look like, dress like, nor spend money like the folks we have been used to seeing for so many years.

3732 Flagler Avenue - Key West Single Family Home on the Riviera Canal

Just Listed by Preferred Properties Key West

3732 Flagler Avenue, Key West 

Long time readers of my blog know there are only a few homes or condos with water views on the island of Key West and those that do exist tend to sell soon after they get listed for sale. I expect the new single family home listed today by Preferred Properties Key West will go under contract within a matter of days if not hours. 3732 Flagler Avenue is located about one block from where the Rivera Canal merges into Cow Key Channel which is the gateway to the Atlantic Ocean. You could be in the water and headed for cocktails within a matter of minutes after you arrive at home - if you still work. The Key West golf club is about a five minute drive. Old Town will take about ten minutes if the traffic is good. If you live in the northeast and commute on a train you will laugh at our rush hour traffic.

The existing house is a 3/2 mid-century ranch sitting on a 9,458 square foot lot. The house could be renovated but will more likely be razed and a new home built on the lot. Two nearby homes sold over $4 million in the past year - one renovated and the other new construction. The location is the draw. Bring your imagination and checkbook

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and more listing photos of this home offered at $1,450,000. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to schedule a private showing of 3732 Flagler Avenue, Key West, Florida. I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

Pete's Meats Off the Streets of Key West

Pete's Meats on Duval Street in Key West

Pete's Meats now located at an undisclosed 

location far from Duval.

What happened?

3930 South Roosevelt Blvd Unit E 211 Key West - Just Listed

Just Listed by Preferred Properties Key West, that's where I work, but this is not my listing: 3930 South Roosevelt Blvd Unit E 211 in the Las Salinas Condominiums. This 807 square foot second floor units has been freshly renovated and is price to sell in today's crazy real estate market.

I don't know if the brand new kitchen with quartz counter tops and new stainless steel appliances will catch your attention first or if it will be the view of the Salt Ponds. Las salinas translates as the salt flats. The Key West salt ponds are a naturally occurring feature on just a short distance from the Atlantic Ocean. It is an expansive area with bright views to the south, west, and north but still only a four mile ride to Old Town.

Both the master bedroom with en-suite bath and the living room open out to the deck. The windows and doors have been replaced with impact glass which has made the condo fees much more affordable - just $377 per moth. Fees include building insurances, building and common area maintenance, and cable television. 

The unit has new flooring throughout and two new bathrooms. The unit also has washer and dryer located in the kitchen. There is also coin operated laundry on each floor. The building has an elevator and multiple stairways. There is exterior and inner courtyard of each building feature palm trees and tropical foliage. 

The community pool is a long time feature of this complex but the gym was recently added. South Roosevelt Boulevard curves around the east and south sides of the island as it makes its way to the Key West International Airport and Smathers Beach. Take a left when you leave the complex, head north and you will soon arrive at the three shopping centers, Home Depot, or head west toward Old Town. 

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and listing photos of 3930 South Roosevelt Blvd Unit E 211 offered at $459,000 by Preferred Properties Key West. Then call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to schedule a private showing. I am a buyers agent and full time Realtor at Preferred Properties. This unit is priced to sell. Don't wait. It will probably go under contract within the first week. Look at the photos above and below. People from all over the world come to Key West to see the beaches and enjoy the life in the Keys. You could live here all year long.

Key West Real Estate Throwback Thursday No 34 with a Twist

from October 15, 2010

901 Packer St - Old Town - Key West  

The Twist Part follows the original post.

The Key West Cemetery as viewed from 901 Packer Street

 

901 Packer Street in Old Town Key West is located directly across the street from the Key West Cemetery and is in desperate need of The Re-Animator. The listing Realtor describes this property thus:

"Great Old Town Key West location within walking distance to Duval Street and all of the Key West attractions. Perfect renovation project on a corner lot with off street parking. Located in an X500 flood zone, this is one of the highest elevations on the island."

This house was built in 1948 or 1953 (there are two different dates in county records). The relative newness means the house is not a contributing structure and that means a new owner could tear down this property and build all new. A caveat to tearing down and building new is that the current building codes and set backs will control what can be built and the lot coverage area. "Re-animating" or renovating this house would permit the new owner to keep the existing lot coverage and setbacks in place. CLICK HERE to view the Key West Association of Realtors mls data sheet and listing photos. Let me share my thoughts about the house. Unlike The Aadams' Family mansion, this house is no museum. The house itself is ooky and the layout is kinda kooky. I don't know that I'd say its mysterious and spooky, but it surely ain't imperious.

"it surely ain't imperious"

This place will need lots of work. These are things I think it needs: new doors and windows, a new roof, new electric and plumbing, new interior layout which means all new interior framing and drywall, a new kitchen and one or two new bathrooms. The existing covered parking is nice but it looks like the roof may collapse. There is an old homemade addition to the Olivia Street side of the house that looks awful from the outside and it looks terrible from the inside. There is spauling across the north side of the kitchen. (Spauling is prevalent in many Key West houses of that vintage. It's repairable but the cost depends on the condition of the house and how much area has been compromised.) While the house is capable of re-animation (lol), it is a better candidate for demolition in my opinion. A good architect or contractor could help a potential new buyer determine what could be done on the 27' x 58' lot. 

I personally think a new owner could build a nice two story Conch style home on this lot. The 1566 sq ft lot may sound small compared to the big sized lots you readers who live up north in America have, but down here a lot this size in Old Town is quite common. What is less common is the view across the street. I recently took photos of the property. It was a gloomy day in Paradise, that day. CLICK HERE to view. A lot of potential buyers absolutely refuse to consider a property that overlooks the cemetery. Some would see that location as gloomy forever. I think not so. That refusal to consider the location is their loss in my opinion. Of course the area is quiet at night. No pun intended. It really is. And that is a great feature in any neighborhood. Having quiet neighbors that do not party all the time is a blessing compared to those that do. 

Olivia Street is a small one-way street that runs parallel to the south boundary of the cemetery. That street is primarily used by locals and is not normally used by commercial vehicles or Conch Trains. That keeps street noise to a minimum. More than the quietness of the location is all the sunshine one normally gets. If you love Old Town houses as much as I, you know that most houses are built so close to each other that there often is little space between properties. Since most houses are densely landscaped and typically have trees on all sides, natural light is often minimalized. The result is that many homes only have direct sunshine for a few hours a day. And most Old Town homes do not have clear open views of the beautiful Key West skies. The house at 901 Packer Street has a vast sweeping view looking north across the Key West Cemetery. Locals appreciate such views because so few in Old Town have them. 

The house at 901 Packer Street was originally priced at $249,000 and recently reduced to $219,000. I have my own opinion of what it will sell for, and that price is nowhere near the asking price. If you would like to see 901 Packer Street please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, or contact me by email at kw1101v@aol.com. I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West, Florida. I believe in Re-Animation, Renovation, and Innovation. But I am not a witch!

The above post is 11 years old. The house is NOT FOR SALE. Don't go bothering anybody about this. 

A couple of years ago I noticed some fixing-up going on and started to photograph the progress. Progress in Key West takes months if not years to complete whether it is a home handyman or a licensed contractor. Perfection takes time and a lot of money. This is how it looked midway through the project.

I drove by this house for months. Something was always going on but nothing substantial until just recently. Now it looks great! Congrats to the homeowner for a classy re-animation.

Key West Real Estate Trumps Fake

I found the photo below on an architecture site I follow. I am pretty sure it was staged to look like something a homeowner would create only to realize how impractical the design was.

I saved the photo because it reminded me of several condominiums with transient rental licenses in Bahama Village. Most of the condos rent nightly to budget minded tourists. The 144 square foot one bedroom units sold in the $285,000 range prior to the pandemic. I have no idea what someone might pay for such a place these days.

A couple of months ago I blogged about the lucky lady that married the guy who made her drag her luggage from the ferry to her guest house or hotel. Maybe she ended up here - or maybe on the beach. It is even cheaper. 

 Gary Thomas, Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West