About Key West's Old Town

You will either love 915 Angela Street or you will hate it. Oh, you'll love the house. There's nothing not to like about the house. It's the neighbors.

This is how the listing Realtor describes 915 Angela Street:

"Pristine Old Town cottage with a little bit of everything including 3bd/2ba + delightful outdoor bath, 2 off street parking spaces, heated pool with waterfall & private spa. An outstanding use of space brings the outdoors in with the family room nestled between spacious covered decks & lush landscape. Enjoy the historical character with exposed Dade County pine walls and ceilings, renovated kitchen with new stainless appliances, remodeled baths, cathedral ceilings and lots of glass doors, windows and skylights. Beautifully styled and impeccably cared for both inside and out with optional designer furniture package negotiable for a truly turnkey Key West residence."

Let me tell you about the neighbors. the house next door to the west sits at the corner of Margaret and Angela Streets. CLICK HERE to view this incredible Key West property. The neighbors to the rear are a couple of very large homes accessed off Canfield Lane. The neighbor to the east is a nice house at the corner of William and Angela. Angela Street is a one way street that runs from Margaret eastward to White Street. It is just one lane wide. The neighbors across Angela Street is the Key West Cemetery. CLICK HERE to see the view from 915 Angela looking directly south.

The cemetery bothers the hell out of a lot of potential buyers.Some people refuse to even look at houses anywhere near the cemetery. I guess I understand. But not really.

This is why I really like 915 Angela Street. First, the place is really nicely laid out for Key West second home living. It is large enough for a couple that has a small family or friends that may drop in for an occasional visit. There are three bedrooms and two baths. The living room opens on the east to a beautiful pool. The living room also opens to the left onto a secluded deck with a hot tub. The master bedroom and bath also open onto that same deck. There is an incredibly sexy outdoor shower tucked away to the side. A second bedroom is located at the right front of the the house. The kitchen and dining area complete the main floor. There is a decent sized third bedroom or office on the second floor. There is enough separation between the rooms to provide the kind of privacy you don't see in many Key West houses. There are two separate off street parking spaces each of which is bricked. The house is just as cute as it can be. This 1350 sq ft home is offered at $1,195,000. The view from the front porch or the master bedroom looking south across the cemetery changes with each passing cloud. The view is the exact opposite of what you would expect. CLICK HERE to see more detailed information on this listing and view lots of interior and exterior photos.

This house is an easy walk to Duval Street or the Historic Key West Seaport. Both are about 5 minutes away. There is no commercial activity anyplace within sight. The Conch Trains and Trolley Cars can't go down Angela Street because it is too narrow. What a rotten shame! Boo Hoo! Locals don't use it as thoroughfare because there are speed bumps. Tourists tend to walk fast or run because, well, it is the cemetery after all.

The view from the master bedroom is just beautiful. This place is super quiet. I can't think of anything a new owner would need to do. If you are looking for a quiet little place and don't mind the neighborhood, please contact me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 or e-mail me at kw1101v@aol.com.

415 Julia Street is located a hop, skip, and a jump off of Duval Street near Truman Avenue. The reason the location is important is that the location is important. You see this property qualifies for a transient rental license. That means the owner could legally rent this property on a daily basis. Having a good property in a good location could mean good income. (415 Julia Street does not have a transient license at this time.)

This property sits just west of the Duval Gardens Bed & Breakfast and a bit south of the recently updated Orchid Inn. There is a big redevelopment project CLICK HERE right at the corner of Duval and Julia. I like it when other people spend a lot of money near a property that is for sale. It reinforces the belief that the location does have value.

415 Julia Street is about a five block walk to South Beach where you can lay on the beach all day long. It is steps from Duval Street where you can do the Duval crawl. The world famous La Te Da and other fun spots are all located within a two or three minute walk.

CLICK HERE to view the current mls listing information sheet provided by the current listing Realtor. There are no photos. The property is described as "Great Old Town location. No kitchen, was once a guest house, zoned for transients. THis is a potential short sale." 415 Julia Street is offered at $450,000 for this 2324 sq ft property that has 4 bedrooms and 4 1/2 baths. CLICK HERE, CLICK HERE, and CLICK HERE for other photos of the property. THIS is the little house next door.

I have not been inside this place recently. Our office listed and sold this place in October 2006 for the price of $795,000. CLICK HERE to see some good photos of what the property looked like then. The property most likely will not look the same today. So please do not assume that it does. But the photos may give you an idea as to what you might be able to recreate.

Please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 or e-mail me at kw1101v@aol.com if you are interested in this or any other property in Key West. I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty Inc. in beautiful Key West, Florida. You could be here or Peoria. Which would you prefer?

JUST LISTED, but not by me, 811 Carey Lane, which is located on one of the best little slow lanes of Key West. This is how the listing Realtor describes this charmer:

"Located in an area of million dollar properties, this charming home has an exceptional location on one of Key West's most desirable lanes. You'll find peaceful tranquility and the Key West ambiance you're looking for in this home. Open living and renovated kitchen, dining room, good storage, outdoor shower, covered porch for lounging and lovely gardens complete with inground hot tub. Excellent condition with 3 ductless air units, and house opens beautifully to the well-kept gardens and outdoor areas. Fall in love with this fun and artistic quintessial Key West cottage."

CLICK HERE o see the mls data sheet and more photos of this cutie pie cottage. The cottage is almost 1100 square feet and has two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a new kitchen, and it just oozes charm. The ceiling in the main living area is vaulted and exposed wood. It is very dramatic. There is room for a good sized pool.(The rear of this property abuts Carsten Lane. So all one need do is take down the fence, bring in the backhoe, dig out the dirt and install a new pool.)

Carey Lane is a one block lane that runs perpendicular between Margaret Street and Elizabeth Street and just south of Southard Street. It is within walking distance of everything Old Town has to offer, yet you almost need a map to find it. The five homes on Carsten Lane abut Carey Lane to the rear. Each of the houses on Carey Lane and Carsten Lane run through to the other side. Some front on Carsten Lane and the rest have that super valuable Carey Lane address.

In February 2007 I wrote a blog entry about Life on the Slow Lane. CLICK HERE if you would like to see why owning a home or cottage is so danged wonderful. Here are a couple of other houses on Carey Lane and Carsten Lane CLICK HERE and CLICK HERE.

811 Carey Lane is offered at $699,000 or $651 per sq.ft. for a charming two bedroom two bath home in move-in condition. It has parking and room for a pool.

The real estate market is heating up as the summer heat is starting to subside. I may be wrong, but I think this house is priced right and will sell fairly quickly. If this is the kind of place you have been dreaming of owning, please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 or e-mail me at kw1101v@aol.com. I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty Inc. Don't wait. Time is of the essence. Seriously!

I hosted an open house yesterday 1502 Petronia Street in The Meadows CLICK HERE. The property is currently priced at $975,000. It was originally priced at $1,795,000. It is now bank owned and priced to sell. There was a good turnout of "lookers" and there were some actual buyers out and about finding what they could get for their money.

One particular man looked around the property 1502 Petronia Street and said something to the affect "So this is what you get for a million dollars!) as if "not much" or "too highly priced". I had a sheet of similarly priced homes that I gave him so that compare 1502 Petronia Street to the competition.

Later in the afternoon I was driving some customers back from a showing. As we drove through Old Town the gentleman said he did not want to go through another renovation. He said he and his wife had gone through two and that was enough for a lifetime. He said he would rather spend more money and get exactly what he wanted.

I think there are a few properties located in Old Town that if purchased at the right price could become million dollar properties not too far into the future. Old Town followed by Casa Marina and then the Meadows are the most desirable areas for second home buyers in all price ranges.

I can't tell you how much any renovation will cost because each property is different. Depending on the property, HARC (Historic Architectural Review Commission) could be restrictive as to what it would permit. The lot size or configuration might also limit what a new owner could permissibly do on a renovation without getting a variance. I suggest that buyers talk to a local architect and to go to the building department to discuss in general terms what might be possible on any given property. The point of both conversations is to provide a quick education as the process one goes through and to get an idea on potential costs. Then the buyer can decide between a project property or one ready to move into.

I created a quick shopping list CLICK HERE of homes in Old Town, The Meadows and Casa Marina priced around a million dollar. Interspersed in that list are a few houses in good locations that have the potential to become million dollar houses.

I wrote about 911 Watson Street before. It could be incredible! The house itself is pure "Old Key West". And the lot is lush with all kinds of trees and plants. But it's gonna take money to renovate. (529 Olivia was added by accident and I am too lazy on Labor Day to remove it.) I wrote about 1000 South Street (it is another house where Ernest Hemingway once lived) and,if purchased at the right price, this house could be another great property.

A few months ago I wrote about 825 Southard Street. This house is next door to Michael's Restaurant to the east rear of the house. That is a serious locational minus to some buyers. And there is a cottage at the rear that is price around $300,000 that is a burden to this property. 825 Southard Street would have sold in a heartbeat, maybe more than the current asking price, if it were not for that cottage. This could be a great renovation if a buyer has the money to purchase both. Then you get to add in the costs of renovation and the property is well over the million range.

1415 Pine Street is a big house with potential. The house next door at 1411 Pine Street CLICK HERE is spectacular. It is priced at $2,495,000. Other houses on the blocks are much less expensive, but the location is really good.

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about 919-921 Southard Street. It is currently a multi-unit property that needs total renovation. I would try to get permission to tear the whole thing down and build all new. Since that is highly improbable, the next best approach might be to leave the facade and build all new beyond it. The lot is very large. My thought is that one could build a $400,000 new house on the lot, put in a $35,000 pool and add $15,000 worth of landscaping. The location would justify the cost. If HARC permitted it.

800 Elizabeth Street is burdened by those small cottages at the rear. If only they could be demolished that lot and that house have great potential. But getting permission to demolish those cottages would not be easy.

In the end I suspect a buyer would end up paying around a million dollars for any of the houses on THIS LIST. Renovations are not cheap nor are they quick. But the homeowner will get what they want (or are willing to pay for) in the end. I know that buyers can probably get bigger houses on bigger lots elsewhere. But then you wouldn't be in Key West, would you? If you are looking for a place in Key West please consider contacting me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, or by e-mail at kw1101v@aol.com. I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty Inc. We are an affiliate of Christie's Great Estates.

Back on April 15th I suggested that some buyer ought to buy the little sandwhich shop at 811 Fleming Street. CLICK HERE to read what I wrote then. That deal is gone.

The former Paradise Cafe located at 1000 Eaton Street in Key West, Florida is now Bank Owned. It is offered for sale at $750,000. The purchase price includes the 1491 sq. ft. building that sits on the 4020 sq.ft. lot at the busy intersection at the corner of Grinnell and Eaton Streets. (The parking lot has ten parking spots.) Also included is the signage and the kitchen equipment in place. Bank Financing may be available to a qualified buyer.

This place was always packed with locals and tourists. A new owner ought to be able to recapture the market. I purchased a foreclosed guesthouse in December 1993. It had be shut down for two years. Boarded up even. I did some cleaning, put up a new sign, and opened the doors for business on Februrary 2, 1994. My rooms were sold out in a week. People go back to places they like. They are creatures of habit. Good locations attract new business, especially when people see that the place is busy.

I made a decision to run away to Paradise and I did it. I sold that business and made a real good profit. I have never regretted leaving life in America and coming to Key West. You can spend the rest of your life working your rear off to save enough to buy a place here-someday. Or you can learn to make a great sandwhich in Paradise and live the life you have dreamed of for a long time.

Please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 or e-mail me at kw1101v@aol.com. This property is not listed with any real estate company. It is not in the mls.