From August 16, 2016The Game of Frowns A couple of days ago a fellow Realtor told me the story of a recent sale where the agent represented both the seller and the buyer in a real estate transaction. The house sold for a whole lotta money.  The seller's attorney had approved all contract documents including an addendum that itemized personal property the seller was leaving in the property including four TVs mounted to the walls. There should have been no surprises at or after closing. But there was. It seems the seller's moving company removed the four television sets and took them far, far away.  When the agent discovered that the TVs were gone, calls to the seller to return the TVs fell on deaf ears. So the agent bought for new TVs to make the buyer happy. The Seller was happy. The Bu... 05/20/2021

Veteran’s Home Loans for Key West FloridaIf you are reading this, you or a family member have likely served in our military.  First off, we would like to say a sincere “Thank You” for your service!  We recognize that not only do our Veterans sacrifice by serving, but their families do as well-, and we owe you all a debt of gratitude!One of the best benefits Veterans and their families receive due to their service to our great country is the VA home loan benefits.  We are going to outline just a few of these significant benefits in this article for you. Here are some of the major benefits you may receive by using your VA home loan benefits:*100% financing available- one of the very few loans available with no down payment!*Lower rates available than most loan programs- which saves you mo... 05/18/2021

Somebody obviously made a mistake. And, no they did not buy too large a roll of toilet paper. I was recently invited to see a newly renovated house in the Historic District of Key West. I was ready to be impressed. I went inside and was greeted by a wall of sliding glass doors that open out to the new pool with waterfall. And then my heart sank. I looked out the living room window and saw the pool on my right and the pool equipment directly to my left. A four foot concrete wall with decorative glass block tiles wrapped the pool with a waterfall. The view of the pool equipment killed the pool for me. I spoke to one of the workers who told me he tried to get the architect to move the pool equipment to a different location. The architect said it was too late.  I went thru the rest of the h... 05/18/2021

The house at 1003 Seminary Street looks a bit different this week than it did a few months ago. The owner planned to renovate the house and to add a pool. The house sat about thirty feet from the public right of way - further back than most other houses in the area. He got permission from the Historic Architectural Review Commission and the Key West Building Department to move the house forward on the lot which gave him space to do the other renovations he sought. The front porch was removed but the roof of the porch remained. The porch will be rebuilt later during the renovation. Forms were built the forward part of the lot where the house would be relocated. piers. This past Monday morning house movers from Miami arrived. They jacked up the house and built new beams which they attache... 05/15/2021

I was in Miami a couple of days ago helping a customer buy flooring for a house he is building in Key West. I was driving through miles and miles of traffic with cars and trucks speeding by at horrifying speeds. Siri was directing me to drive to our next destination, all the while I had my right hand on my horn prepared to honk to avoid a possible collision. I remarked about how I feel abused in Key West when I have to wait for a traffic light to cycle twice before I cross a street or when it takes me longer than five minutes to get to the grocery store. Driving twenty minutes to go from one store to another at sixty miles an hour was insane. When we got out to the car I said "At least we didn't get shot!" That happens a lot up there - random shootings. I asked my customer who I have kn... 05/14/2021

From March 31, 2018Key West - Is that all you got? I think a lot of people think selling real estate is easy. A Realtor simply sticks a sign in the ground, puts pictures in the MLS, and buyers show up to buy a house.  A Realtor then sends the contract to the title company and a big fat check is wired to the agent. That would be great. But that is not what happens.I remember the time I had a particularly bad day. (Wait, as I write this I had a flash - when is that not the case? I have so many bad days.)  I got a call from my clients. They had decided to follow my advice and asked me to go to their house to sign the contract I had presented to them much earlier. Many things had happened during the intervening time period, none of which were good, and many which were predictable. I decided... 05/13/2021

From March 19, 2018The Key West House I Did Not SellI made my first trip to Key West as a visitor thirty-four years ago this month. I have written in my blog about that life changing trip several times over the years and won't bore readers to tell that tale again.  I fell deeply in love with Key West and decided to make this my home. It took a few years, but I made it happen. During the time of the first trip and my move to Key West, I stayed at several different guest houses. Those experiences taught me how difficult it must be for a home owner to lived next to or even near to a guest house. (The business card above is from years ago and is not the guest house or the location I am writing about today. Besides, most places in Key West now have hot and cold running water.) I found a part... 05/06/2021

Just Listed but not be me 519 Frances Street, Key West. I had the opportunity to see this historic home on Sunday afternoon. Locals and tourists were poking around trying to decide if this once lovely home with wrap-around porch could be their perfect little place in paradise.  I found a photo of the house taken in 1965. I walked around the house yesterday checking the place out. It does not look much different from the 1965 photo The wood siding and windows were in good shape. The columns and trim on the porch have been really well cared for. The wood ceiling of the porch did not show signs of leaking or damage. All but one of the original piers looked to be in very good condition. I noted also the house seemed to elevated a bit higher than I am accustomed to seeing. The house is in th... 05/03/2021

There is no time like spring time in the Keys. The islands come alive with flora and fauna and the waters surrounding our islands are teeming with great fishing opportunities.  May is always an attractive month for anglers to come try their skills fighting the 'silver king' - - the tarpon. My move to Key West in August 1996 was mainly to go fishing. I moved here from southern Connecticut and my first trip to the Keys was in the early 90s. I had never seen clear water before and fell in love with the charm of the island and friendly people. My first job was at the Key West Citizen, the only daily newspaper in the Keys. I am a graphic artist by trade so I got a job, rented my place in Connecticut and moved down to Key West. I never looked back. There is plenty to be thankful for here in p... 05/01/2021

The above photo is from the internet and was not taken in Key West - you can tell that by the trees in the background. Nor is the broken fence typical of a white picket fence one would see in Key West.  Late yesterday afternoon I received a telephone call from a customer of mine. We discussed the Key West real estate market in general and the state of affairs on his street in particular. He mentioned a new neighbor bought a nearby house who has been making an upgrading an already beautiful home into an even better one. That goes on all the time here. Some people buy perfectly fine homes, take them a part, and remake them in their own image.  And then he mentioned his neighbor Lacy. He said Lacy has a driving problem - she keeps driving her car in to his fence. He opined Lacy's driving p... 04/30/2021

The first time I encountered a Nanny cam was ten years ago. I remember seeing various cameras throughout the house. I "knew" the owners socially.  They bought the house when it was a bank owned property and the renovated it. They furnished the place and rented it as a monthly vacation rental. As I looked around the house I thought it very odd that there were Nanny cams located everywhere. I immediately determined that I would feel violated if I rented a house like this and knew that someone could be watching and or listening to what I did and said. I did not sell that house so my personal suspicions ended that day. Except I remembered them ten years later. In fact I recall them ever so often as I see new versions of hidden cams on television photographing home invasions, thefts, child a... 04/29/2021

One of the many things that makes Key West so much different than many towns across America is the fact that we have so many of our original houses still in place. On my first trip to Key West in 1985 I did what most tourists do, I looked around at the old houses and noticed many were in a deplorable state of disrepair. I remember the houseboy at the guest house telling me that old houses were protected and could not be torn down - they could only be rebuilt. I thought that was a waste of money. I thought new could be made to look old, but function like new. I know I am still right on that part. But over the years I have come to appreciate the old house more than I ever imagined.     The little house at 719 Petronia Street (also known as719 Petronia Lane and also 719 Poorhouse Lane) is/... 04/27/2021

Several weeks ago I was sitting on the far chair of this front porch on Elizabeth Street waiting to start a Facetime video with potential buyers. We had to delay the start because we can't always do what we want when we want. I sat there looking across the street. At this location Elizabeth is a quite narrow one-way street with parking on the west side. The highest point in Key West is located across the street and to the north - maybe 150 feet. The area was called Buzzards Roost on the old Sanborn Fire Map. That day I could hear birds just singing their hearts out. What a sweet serenade. I sat there thinking how fortunate I am to live in this place.  The photo above is symbolic of many suburban American communities. I've read people who live there sometimes have to drive around with ga... 04/26/2021

 Hey Pardner, follow us down Truman Avenue to Windsor Lane. Head North and go about Two Blocks. Turn Left and Walk Up Solrais Hill. That's the highest location on the Island of Key West.   724 Windsor Lane will be OPEN HOUSE SUNDAY 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM$649,000 PARKINGPATIOPORCHPalace for two small people and Bullseye too  CLICK HERE for more information. Better yet, show up.  04/25/2021

A few years ago I worked with a buyer who left Wall Street soon after the 2008 Crash and landed in the Florida Keys. He wanted to use his business acumen to purchase a business and live the good life in Key West. I will call my buyer "Wilbur. Wilbur told me he had an uncle in New Jersey who owned a bar. Wilbur initially wanted to buy a bar. That would be the perfect after Wall Street job. Few bars are actually listed for sale in our MLS. I nosed around and found one, got the sales package, and sent it to Wilbur who scrutinized. Then one day Wilbur asked me '"Who do I buy my napkins from?" I told Wilbur he could buy his napkins from whomever he wanted. He did not believe me. In New Jersey bar owners had to buy everything from specific "vendors". I immediately envisioned Tony's Napkin Sto... 04/24/2021

From: November 18, 2017The Case of the Gremlin Chasing Home Inspector Three weeks ago I wrote a blog where I recounted my experiences as a law clerk in the Jefferson County Colorado court system while I was attending law school in the early 1970s. Judge Joseph P. Lewis was one of the judges I worked for. One day shortly after a criminal trial had begun, the judge gestured to me to approach the bench. When I got up there, the judge put his hand over the microphone and instructed me to call the Colorado Supreme Court to verify that the young attorney representing the defendant in the criminal proceeding was actually a lawyer. I will call that lawyer "Odd Bob".I had never been asked to verify that any other lawyer was in fact licensed to practice law. This was a first! I made the call and ... 04/22/2021

Trues Story:  I wrote a blog about trying to sell a house listed by a Realtor who was also a retired lawyer. She had to lawyer-up the deal so much my buyer decided to forgo the house he loved and settle on another place just to get peace of mind. He was later shot to death inside that house. I blame the former lady lawyer-real estate agent as much as the guy that pulled the trigger. I have sold several homes to sitting judges, practicing attorneys, and retired lawyers. I don't recall any of them trying to lawyer-up an offer I wrote. They tend to be cautious and check the numbers, decimal points, spelling, and dates to make sure I get the important things right. (So do most people.)Every now and then a buyer has a family member or even a partner who is a retired lawyer from another state... 04/18/2021

I woke up earlier than usual today and was passing time on Twitter when I saw a couple of photos from a house for sale at 702 Fremont Avenue, South Pasadena, California. The poster commented about prices being out of control. People are saying the same thing about the price of houses in Key West. So I decided to GOOGLE the house.  A couple of photos of the house, to wit:  Doesn't look so bad to me.  Okay, it needs some roof and drywall work done.So it needs a lot of work. Offered for sale at $1,395,000. I searched the Key West MLS for active single family houses priced $1,390,000 to $1,400,000 and found only one house. It is located at 3122 Riviera Canal Drive, Key West. It is offered for sale at $1,395,000. Same cost, different coasts. You decide. The backyard and pool open out to the ... 04/17/2021

JUST LISTED by me, 733 Poorhouse Lane, Key West. A few boards from the original house remain, but in actuality this is a brand new house from pier to rooftop, from front porch to pool cottage at the rear. Everything in between and side to side is new and perfect.  The owner working with architect Matthew Stratton created a contemporary masterpiece replacing all but a few of the old bones of the original house. Everything is essentially brand new but the front is still "technically" a renovation. The entry hall two Dade County Pine drama walls to remind guests this is an old house which are counter-pointed by new white-washed wood and solid maple flooring.      I am mindful of the tragic losses caused by Covid 19. The supply chain of home appliances has made it impossible to install the ... 04/16/2021

from August 16, 2015Real Estate Photography for DUMMIES - A True Story This is a true story. The names have been changed to protect the innocent. I get most of my business from people who read my little blog about Key West real estate. Most of my customers are buyers, but I also get a few listings throughout the year. About a year ago a buyer called me to ask about a new listing she had seen in our online mls. The Key West Association of Realtors mls website is open for all to see. You don't need to send an email to an agent to get details on anything.  But this buyer asked my opinion on this particular new listing and the neighborhood. I knew the neighborhood but knew nothing of the house. So I called the listing agent and set up a time so that I could preview the house and take more p... 04/15/2021