I got my real estate license and started to sell houses in Key West in 1996. Most of the people I worked with were my contemporaries - they were foremost baby boomers and several came with a dash of hippie. The closet I ever got to being a hippie was a pair of bell bottom jeans, hair a bit over my ears, and a mustache. My customers grew up in the fifties and sixties. Some of my buyers did well for themselves. Some did exceptionally well. And it wasn't just my buyers, but the slew of people who came to Key West during the past quarter century to be apart of this place that is not like up north in America. In the beginning there still were Conch Cruisers, dilapidated houses, and bars where you could buy a Miller Lite for a buck. Those were the days my friend.  A strange thing happened thi... 04/14/2021

Just Listed by Preferred Properties Key West, that is where I work, but this is not my listing:                   1215 Grinnell Street. This stand alone home is located at the center rear of the Grinnell Gardens Compound created in 1990. This home was retained and lived in by the developer who created this unique community of three stand alone houses built on postage stamp lot and two side-side town homes that replicate Grand Conch Revival architecture found throughout Old Town. The compound has a secured front entrance and mailbox station. The focal point upon entering the compound is the shared community pool with large open sunning and seating area.The focal point is the pool of the compound is the sunny pool and tropical setting. 1215 Grinnell Street is tucked behind the pool for pr... 04/13/2021

Last week while photographing some ongoing construction for my blog I suddenly got a whiff of garlic. It wasn't totally am unpleasant smell but not the kind of smell I normally encounter in Old Town. A few days earlier I picked up my completed federal income tax returns from my accountant. His office is  located on North Roosevelt Blvd in one of our shopping netters. As soon as I opened the door I got a whiff of the Subway Sandwich shop located next door. The smell made me think of food. It was both pleasant ad distracting. I commented on it to my CPA. He said you get used to it. Why should anyone have to get used to the smell of somebody else's business?  A few years ago a woman who reads my blog called me to talk about looking for a new house. I knew where she lived. I blogged her hou... 04/12/2021

  Not the real house A very pretty but assuredly run down house was listed for sale several years ago. Unlike so many the houses located in the Historic District of Key West, this property actually had an historic past. I mention this because much of nothing ever happened in most of the homes real estate agents list as "historic". This property actually had a pedigree and story. And when it was listed also had a disengaged owner who only wanted money and lots of it for his prized but ill-treated property. I wrote about the property in my blog and showed it to several potential buyers. Three of them made cash offers on the property that were in line with what would have been a good pay day for the seller at that point in time. Each offer required the seller to deliver the property vacant... 04/10/2021

From October 4, 2017The Accidental Bodybuilder The Accidental BodybuilderSeveral years ago I worked at a Key West real estate office with a young lady whose boyfriend was a house painter and a semi-professional bodybuilder. I remember meeting him for the first time:  the guy was massive. He had shocking red hair and a surprisingly tanned body. I guess when you work outside most of the day with your shirt off, you can get pretty tanned. Nobody could could overlook his amazing body. All people might not admire his physique, but nobody could miss seeing it.One of my favorite true stories about life in Key West involves this bodybuilder boyfriend. One day he was standing on extension ladder at the corner of Simonton at Fleming Streets were he was painting the exterior of the Marquesa Hotel.... 04/08/2021

 If you watched any of the HALLOWEEN or SCREAM movies you know never to investigate strange noises in the woods; never to search for a missing friend by yourself; never to go upstairs or to the basement when the lights are not working; never to leave leave Jiffy Pop on the stove, and so on. In general you learn never to do dumb things. You learned valuable life lessons by witnessing what happens to people who do dumb things. Doing dumb things can have really bad consequences.My dad was born in 1908. He was the oldest of three boys. His little brothers learned about life from him. That is the way life works. He was born almost before movies were invented - seriously. Saturday afternoon movies had not been invented when he was a kid. There were no SCREAM-type movies movies to inculcate hi... 04/06/2021

Have you ever been tempted to buy a house from an owner? I think the theory owners use is that they know their property and can sell it as well as some real estate agent, save the commission thereby increasing the cash in the seller's pocket. That sounds reasonable.  Last week a customer who is looking for a new place in the Key West area sent me a link to a house she found on Trulia. Truila is a real estate search engine acquired by Zillow. They share the same information but put it out in the universe just a bit differently. Both acquire listings located in the Florida Keys from the three Florida Key associations of Realtors as well as other MLS sites which post listings for properties located in the Keys. This is legal. I called the listing agent located far away from the Florida Key... 04/05/2021

Key West is filled to the brim this weekend. There are thousands of people here - everywhere. I have not seen so many people in town since Christmas two years ago. It may or may not be a good day for an Open House. We have had a couple of cooler than normal days with a bit of wind. The skies have been sunny with an occasional cloud. EASTER SUNDAY724 Windsor Lane11:00 AM to 1:00 PMLet's see if he appears. Regardless,     04/04/2021

I often write about the charm of living on one of the slow lanes in Key West where there are cute little cottages, little to no traffic, and peaceful surroundings as contrasted to the hullabaloo associated with Duval Street. There are a few streets which provide the same type of serene environment including the one shown above. It's not just the lanes and streets that makes life in Key West so appealing, it is the way we live. A lot of us came here from somewhere else to find a better life. To be accepted. To be less judgmental of others. Key West is sort of a nesting in place kind of town. It is cozy, inviting, and private all at the same time. This is the true story of two neighbors who share a fence. A fellow Realtor and her mother share an Old Town home with the Realtors mother - Mo... 04/03/2021

This is a real photo taken in Key West way back when - when there were not as many tourists as there are today. Speaking of today, the Island of Key West has been invaded by thousands of people seeking a few days away from the reality of the pandemic. Singles, couples, families, and herds of spring breakers are here. Some are wearing masks and others are oblivious to anyone but themselves. The Key West International Airport has planes jammed up with no place to park.  Go to BOOKINGS.COM to see what one night in Key West will cost you today. You will be shocked.                 04/01/2021

 This is a true story about real people and real estate in Key West. Several years ago I worked in a large real estate office with headquarters in Key West and several offices throughout the Florida Keys. The Key West office had a lot of agents including several "top producers". One of the top producers was a woman I will call Mary - Mary Contrary. Mary was big on the social scene. She was at a dinner or function all the time. She was easily recognizable in any crowd. She had  many listings and many buyers. She was a whirlwind of activity. She had a female assistant (who I will call Karen) to help manage her thriving business. Karen worked for Mary for several years and did the chores assistants do. One year Karen got her Christmas bonus. She never came back to work. She gave no notice.... 03/31/2021

  Woulda-Coulda-Shoulda - The Key West Real Estate LamentKey Wester Shel Silvertein left us with many  memories including Woulda-Coulda-Shoula to which I add  the Key West Lament All the Woulda-Coulda-ShouldasLayin' in the sun,Talkin' bout the thingsThey woulda-coulda-shoulda done...But those Woulda-Coulda-ShouldasAll ran away and hidFrom one little did.Yesterday afternoon a new listing popped up on my Key West MLS. The first image was so startling I had to study it for a few seconds and then I realized what house it was - 1200 Whitehead Street. I had written about the property when it popped two years ago when it was listed for just $912,000. Let's look at the 2019 image and compare to 2021 so you can share my glee in the transformation. 2019  2021I took the grayish photo in 2019 and a... 03/29/2021

This is the deal. 724 Windsor Lane is bigger than the little house on the prairie - a lot bigger. It is a  460 square foot one bedroom, one bath house with large eat-in kitchen with vaulted ceiling. The bathroom has an old fashioned claw foot tub with shower surround. It has a great front porch for people watching and a sunny rear deck for sunning (no neighboring views). Plus it has off street parking. A lot of million dollar-plus houses in Old Town would love to have parking. They don't. This does.   People have lived in this house since before 1889. That's 140 years of living in this small space. It does work. It has Dade County Pine walls and ceiling and the all important metal roof. Most important is its location - on Solaris Hill - the highest point in Key West. There are bakeries,... 03/28/2021

  Spring Break is upon us in Key West. The streets are filled with tourists - everywhere. The weather forecast for today is 83 Degrees with Sunny Skies. Life is sorta coming back to normal. People are buying houses like there is no tomorrow. There is till today.  Yesterday I did what I never do  - I walked over Duval Street to run an errand. I stopped by the Duval Street Psychic to discuss the future. The swami said good fortune will come to those who avoid the beach in Key West this weekend. I told him that's good because I am hosting an Open House in Old Town this weekend on Saturday and Sunday. He told me I would be safe.  OPEN HOUSE724 Windsor Lane | Key West11:00 AM to 1:00 PMSaturday & Sunday Cute Conch Cottage with Off Street Parking  I've heard this guys knows his stuff. My advi... 03/27/2021

I have the good fortune to sell houses to people with fortunes - at least some of my buyers have fortunes. A few have many houses in several cities. A couple have houses on multiple continents. People who have made money in real estate like to buy more real estate. And that's where I come in. One special customer found me off my blog. We talked a couple of times on the phone and then started email correspondence. She would send short one line questions about a specific property. We did this for weeks and maybe months. I educated her in the ways and whys of Key West real estate. I looked at houses offered for sale in out MLS. I sent her photos with my comments. Eventually she bought a place and renovated it. Now she is looking for a second second home in Key West. The lady is like so man... 03/26/2021

From September 30, 2016Knowing the Value of Money I was in New York City a few weeks ago during a truly unbearable hot spell. I had no idea how hot the city gets in the summer. I know now and won't repeat my mistake. I made my way to China Town for Dim Sum then walked around in Little Italy wishing I had gone there instead. Later I found my way over near the Flatirons Building when I passed the ancient ATM machine pictured above.  It looked like a cousin of R2D2 or some patron of the STAR WARS bar. And that reminded me of a dinner in I had in Key West a year earlier.  In February 2015 I  had dinner with a couple of New Yorkers who were friends of a friend before the four of us went to see NEXT FALL at the Waterfront Theater. I had not met this gay couple before that night, but after lis... 03/25/2021

Over the years I have posted photos of various locals and tourists who get arrested and held in the Monroe County Jail. I am not doing that today but will soon. I am, however, reporting on one guy who got busted on 18 Felony and 45 Misdemeanor charges for reportedly not paying sales and transient rental taxes on three homes he owns in Key West.   A couple of days ago I was going through the mugshots and saw the photo of the guy who looked normal (as opposed to some of the zoned-out or beat-up people I have previously posted). Then I looked at his profile. Accountant - but not in Key West - in another city. But with a local address in Key West - in Truman Annex - at a house I showed a couple of weeks ago that is for sale for a whole lot of money. HMMM. The Key West Police Department arre... 03/24/2021

Just Listed 526 Grinnell Street, which the listing broker describes the property this way:"Located in one of the most desirable blocks in Old Town Key West...Grinnell Street between Southard and Fleming Streets, this beautifully appointed Conch cottage is perfect in every way. The welcoming front porch, ideal for watching the world go by, opens to the living room with gorgeous wood floors, white shiplap walls and vaulted ceiling with cove lighting. Adjoining the living room is a beautiful high-end kitchen with stainless steel appliances, quartzite countertops, designer tile backsplash and a custom-made walnut topped bar. The chic bathroom is adjacent to the downstairs bedroom. The bedroom opens through French doors to a small private porch. The upstairs has French Oak flooring with an a... 03/22/2021

Heading to the beach or brunch after church?  Open House 724 Windsor Lane 11:00  to  1:00 Cute One Bedroom Cottage with Off Street Parking $679,900 You'll never have to ride your scooter to work again!!!   03/21/2021

Whoa! I really had to dig deep into my shoe box and dust off some of the images. It has been so long since I wrote a blog about a Bank Owned property in Key West. 739 Olivia Street, Key West has been the subject of foreclosure since 2007. That is not a typo. (I'll bet the guys in the foreclosure department did a jig or three when this was finally completed)    Let's look at the black and white photo of the house taken in 1965 and the Historic Sanborn Fire Map from 1892 to see what we see. The Monroe County Property Appraiser records say the house was built in 1943. The Map shows a grocery store and a rectangular building at 741 Olivia St which is 739 Olivia Street now. The taller structure on the side abutting Windsor Lane no longer stands.  Let's start with the map. The 1889 Sanborn Ma... 03/20/2021