707 Washington Street - Key West - Short Sale - 01/31/09 12:42 PM
Big Short Sale, Price Just Reduceded: 707 Washington Street, Key West, Florida. This large property consists of a large main house and a substantial two story guest house. The property records show it as a legal duplex so the uses are many. This property was designed by local noted architect Tom Pope and was constructed in 2004. I live a couple of blocks away and remember riding my bike past the property during the lengthy construction. I was excited to see the interiors once the houses were completed. Each property is distinct, but they share a common design theme. The rooms … (3 comments)

614 Frances Street - Key West - Short Sale - 01/30/09 01:56 PM
This is how the listing Realtor at Preferred Properties describes 614 Frances Street: "Three units on a wonderful block in Historic Key West. All units have private outdoor space. Rented on a month to month basis. Studio, a one bedroom loft, and a one bedroom with loft. Storage shed on back of property. Room for a pool. Live in one unit and allow the rents from the other two units to assist you in living in Key West! Hurry priced right." CLICK HERE for more detailed information and photos. Let me add that this really cute sawtooth house at 614 Frances … (0 comments)

The Grand Dame - 1307 Truman Avenue Key West - 01/29/09 04:54 AM
This is how the listing Realtor describes The Grand Dame at 1307 Truman Avenue: "This beautifully renovated Victorian home was built by a Cigar factory owner from Cuba in the early 1900's. The home was expertly renovated in 2002 to restore the original elegance while adding all the modern amenities. Spanning two lots from Truman Ave. to Albury St, where the pool is surrounded by a lush indigenous tropical garden . There is over 4000 sqft of living space plus 1500 sf of porches. Bedrooms are spacious with 12 ft ceilings. In addition separate guest quarters on second level with a … (0 comments)

628 William Street - Old Town - Key West Elegance - 01/28/09 10:01 AM
Located on one of the Most Beautiful Blocks In The Historic District you will find this quintessential two story Key West house at 628 William Street. There are two bedrooms en-suite baths plus an office. There is a recent Award Winning Artist Studio/Den addition. There is a 30 Foot Pool and an excellent outside dining/living area. Lush landscaping creates a very private atmosphere. Off-street Parking. The color tones are just perfect. The living area is formal without being stuffy. The floors in the living area are just plain beautiful. A few steps off the living room is the artist studio / … (0 comments)

Cigar Maker Cottages Galore - Key West - 01/27/09 01:59 PM
I've told this story before: I tried to buy a guest house in Key West for several years and was never able to get the deal I wanted. I always tried to lawyer the deal to protect myself and also to get the very best possible deal. I failed time and again because sellers in Key West will not make warranties about old houses and the improvements they may have made (legally or illegally) over the years. In good times sellers want more and more money. In bad times sellers want as much money as they can possibly get. So I … (2 comments)

The Road to Recovery - 01/26/09 04:24 PM
I've mentioned many times that I grew up in one of Denver's suburbs in the 1950's. Life was much slower way back then. I don't have any access to old family photos of driving through the Colorado Rockies in the 1950's. The photo of the antique car isn't back in the 1950's. But it is illustrative of what our lives would be like if Interstate 70 had not been built. During the summers of my youth my parents and I would drive up to the mountains to go fishing. We would either go over Berthoud Pass toward Grand Lake, Loveland Pass … (0 comments)

Beep! Beep! Beep! - The Sound of Key West Foreclosures... - 01/24/09 03:54 PM
So you are walking down one of the picturesque Key West streets or lanes and see a "For Sale" sign. (There are a lot of those signs all around Key West these days.) As you near the house you hear "Beep! Beep! Beep!..." emanating from inside the shuttered house. You instantly know the house is bank owned or soon to be bank owned. Instead of hearing the sound of silence, you hear the chirp of a smoke detector that transformed itself from a life saving appliance into a miniaturized public address system that continually announces to the world "forerclosure!","forereclosure!","foreclosure!"... That beep … (0 comments)

1400 1st Street - MidTown - Key West - 01/23/09 08:14 AM
Preferred Properties, Christies Great Estates, has a new listing at 1400 1st Street in the Mid Town area of Key West that may appeal to the buyer that wants a very large and gracious home away from the hoopla of Duval Street. The listing Realtor describes this property thus: "Unparalleled quality and craftsmanship in a new home in Key West. This property is superb in every way from the solid Brazilian cherry floors, the granite counters, the stainless appliances including a six burner Viking gas range, the custom tile in every bath, hand-built wainscoting and custom hand-built crown molding. Every detail … (0 comments)

No Brainer Loans - 01/22/09 09:03 AM
A few years back when buyers were buying properties in Key West as second homes or investment properties, some of the local banks helped create part of the financial predicament we are experiencing today. They made what I like to call "No Brainer Loans". I first heard the term "No Brainer Loan" about 4 or 5 years ago. It was used by a local banker I'll call "Big-wig". I had called him to discuss a property my buyer had found that needed renovation. I needed to find out what kind of financing my buyer could obtain. Big-wig told me the bank … (0 comments)

825 Ashe Street - Old Town - Key West - 01/21/09 11:21 AM
A couple of years ago I purchased the right to use the image of the quintessential Key West Cottage from Kimberlee Clark, the artist who created it. CLICK HERE to see more of Kimberlee's art. She has a lot of great Key West images. When I decided to write about 825 Ashe Street in Old Town Key West I thought, that's the house Kimberlee used as the model for my logo. Maybe it was; maybe it wasn't. You decide. This is how the listing Realtor describes 825 Ashe Street: "This historical Conch charmer in the heart of Old Town Key West … (0 comments)

Class Warfare - Key West - 01/18/09 08:39 AM
Class. As an adjective it means "of high quality, integrity, status, or style". I assume we all know class when we see it. I know that I usually prefer to spend more money to get a higher quality product rather than buying a cheaper product that may be of inferior quality,construction, or design. Objectivity gets skewed in favor of higher price. But then I try to find the highest quality product at the cheapest price and so that I can feel like I made money on the transaction. I have written before about the great difficulty in comparing real estate in … (0 comments)

Key West Short Sales to Dream About - 01/16/09 09:37 AM
There are 85 condos and townhomes in Key West currently listed as "Short Sales" but there probably more because the listing agent may not have clicked the right button when adding the listing to the mls database or the owner does not want everyone to know his financial plight. Both of those happen. I went through the 85 and selected 13 (don't know if that's a good number or not!) for you to consider. Each unit is in a good location. Some units have transient licenses are are available for legal transient rentals on a daily basis all year long (except … (0 comments)

HGTV Florida Keys Dream Home - Part Deux - 01/15/09 06:40 AM
Last year I wrote about HGTV's Dream Home giveaway in the Florida Keys. The dream house is located on Plantation Key near Islamorada, Florida. CLICK HERE to read what I wrote then if interested. The Monroe County public records show the purchase price attributed to the property was $2,000,000 when title transferred in June 2008. I have been wondering whatever happened to the property but I was too busy to care enough to look. Until yesterday. I got an email asking about the house. In my blog last year I said "Enter to win. Be careful, you may win and get … (0 comments)

Duval Square Townhome - Key West - Short Sale - 01/14/09 08:47 AM
Key West Townhome Short Sale. That's not news, you say. But take a look to see what might be a good investment opportunity. The recently listed 1325 sq ft two story, 2 1/2 bath townhome located in the Duval Square Condominiums (1075 Duval Street in Key West, Florida) is offered as at the short sale price of $479,000 or $362 per sq ft. This is how the Listing Realtor describes this property: "Transient License - Turn-Key Income Condo on Duval St! This Mediterranean Style condo has Mexican Tile downstairs and oak floors upstairs. Downstairs features the kitchen, a half bath, laundry … (0 comments)

Bank Owned Properties - Key West - 01/13/09 01:27 PM
It's that time again to list the current single family houses and multi-units that are bank owned and offered for sale. CLICK HERE to checkout the current inventory. If you have been following my little blog for some time,you will note that some of the properties are no longer available. Some actually get sold. Some sales take forever to occur, and others can occur very quickly. You may see that several of the properties have had the asking prices reduced. Some buyers mistakenly think banks are so over-whelmed with the inventory of foreclosed homes that the banks are aching for offers … (0 comments)

Just Listed 1212 Olivia Street - Key West - 01/12/09 09:52 AM
Just Listed -- well, last week it was. This unusual property was the carriage house that was part of a much larger home adjacent to the east. This property was listed in 2008 at $1,375,000. CLICK HERE to see what it looked like then. It did not sell. The bank foreclosed and now this property is Bank Owned. The new asking price is $599,900 or $358 per sq ft. The property is located at 1212 Olivia Street in The Meadows Area. It is just a step away from White Street to help out of town buyers place it. The house has … (0 comments)

1118 Olivia Street - Old Town - Key West Cottage - 01/11/09 09:18 AM
This is how the listing Realtor describes the Key West cottage located at 1118 Olivia Street: "Bank Owned. REO. Bank Foreclosure. Easy to see! One of a 7 unit condo compound on Olivia Street in Old Town Key West. It is a stand alone structure with vaulted ceilings, tiled floors, stained glass, and a covered rear deck. Brick walkways, large heated pool, landscaping, and a great entertainment area pool side add to the charm of this compound . It is located within biking distance to the beach and the downtown area. Located less than one block off White St where you … (1 comments)

The Elegance of Living Well... - 01/08/09 08:33 AM
La Casa Roja is the kind of home that you would expect to see featured in Architectural Digest or Coastal Living magazine. It is of that caliber. But you lucky readers get to see it here in my little blog instead, keywestproperties. CLICK HERE to see the before photo of this historic 992 square front home as it appeared five years ago with its white clapboard siding and chain link fence. If fit right into the neighborhood. But a very creative young architect and his partner bought the house and transformed it into a work of art. CLICK HERE to see … (0 comments)

623 Fleming Street - Old Town - Key West - 01/07/09 08:20 AM
It had to happen. The "For Sale By Owner" attempt did not work. The house located at 623 Fleming Street was offered for sale by the owner for the better part of last year. The house won the Debbie Award in 2004 for Rehabilitation (Tom Pope was the architect). I showed it several times during the year. I like the house and the location a lot. It does not have off street parking. It does not have a pool, but the owner told me he had HARC approved plans (which may have expired) that would permit a small pool. Nothing in … (0 comments)

Casa Palmera - Grand Casa Marina Estate - Key West - 01/06/09 11:01 AM
Preferred Properties Christies Great Estates is the listing office of this one of a kind Key West estate. This is how the listing Realtor describes this property: "Casa Palmera is truly one of Key West's Grand Estates, located in the heart of the Casa Marina just 2 blocks from the Ocean. The owner is a noted designer who has spent many years fine tuning this home into a residential masterpiece, with rich wood flooring and European details throughout. The exterior gardens and pool area, are what Key West Living is about. To the Southeast of the property is the Casita which … (0 comments)

Even Bert's Looking in Key West - 01/05/09 09:09 AM
Last week I reported the real estate sales data for 2008 and suggested that would-be buyers should not wait too long to find a property. There is and always has been a limited supply of single family homes in Old Town. Some of the larger old homes were converted into apartments or guest houses in past decades so that reduced the number of houses. And recently a few properties were converted into condominiums so that reduced the number as well. I just did a search of single family homes in Old Town (and The Meadows) from Truman Annex on the west, … (0 comments)

912 Fleming Street - Old Town - Key West - 01/03/09 01:23 PM
912 Fleming Street is a really big house with a beautiful pool on a big lot on a great street with really expensive neighbors. And it is priced to sell. Here's the skinny. The previous owner was a designer who renovated numerous properties in Key West for himself and clients for several years. He purchased and renovated 912 Fleming in the late 1990s. Later he purchased the house next door at 916 Fleming and was renovating it when he passed away in early 2006. His estate sold the project house at 916 Fleming for $1.5 million (the house was gutted and … (0 comments)

2008 - The Year in Real Estate in Key West, Florida - 01/01/09 07:54 AM
A couple of nights ago at the end of the CBS Evening News they ran a segment on people who passed away during 2008 like Paul Newman, Heath Ledger, Michael Crichton, Tim Russert, Jim McKay, George Carlin, Isaac Hayes, and so on. They were actors, authors, politicians, newsmen, and chess players extra-ordinaire. They were people who left a legacy of accomplishment through dedication to their art or profession. As I get older I have learned to really appreciate what others have done and what we all will miss because of their passing. For example, there are thousands of comedians, but only … (6 comments)

 
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Gary Thomas

Key West, FL

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Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc.

Address: 520 Southard Street, Key West, Fl, 33040

Office Phone: (305) 294-3040 x 118

Cell Phone: (305) 766-2642

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