Tag Archives: real estate

The Top 10 Features Key West Buyers Are Looking For In Their Dream Home

Countless people fantasize about owning a home in Key West. Each year, hundreds of lucky dreamers descend on our island looking for the perfect Victorian cottage, seaside condominium, or tropical estate. The best thing about our job, is helping our clients find the Key West home of their dreams.

With sixteen years of combined experience selling Key West real estate, we pretty much know what people desire in their dream home. We’ve compiled a list of the top ten home features that Key West buyers are looking for. What are your Top 10?

—Keith & Dean

The Top 10 Features Key West Buyers Are Looking For In Their Dream Home

10. Old Town Location
It is no wonder that the Key West neighborhood that tops the list of home buyers is our beautiful, historic Old Town. Amid picturesque Victorian era streets and a lifestyle lived visiting on front porches or strolling to dinner at favorite neighborhood eateries, Old Town is the authentic version of classic small town America that the New Urbanism movement has been recreating across the country for decades.

9. Palm Trees
Key West buyers simply can’t imagine purchasing a home without palm trees in the yard. With a subtropical climate offering an eternal growing season, and over 2,500 species of palms to choose from, palm trees abound in our island’s gardens.

8. Covered Outdoor Space
The sun in Key West is intense. Dreams of enjoying a cool tropical drink in the shade of a lazy veranda, live in many a heart and mind. Having covered outdoor space undoubtedly adds to sweetness of island living.

7. Off-Street Parking
Although they will likely find themselves walking and biking most of the time, buyers are looking for a home with a parking spot for their vehicle. In our historic neighborhoods that were densely built before the introduction of cars, off-street parking can be elusive.

6. High & Dry
With images of the flooding caused by 2005’s Hurricane Wilma lingering in the minds of many buyers, the desire for homes that did not take on water during the storm, is strong. A flood zone “X” certification eliminates most lenders’ requirement for flood insurance. Luckily, the majority of Old Town sits high and dry.

5. Move-In Ready
There will always be those looking for a cigar maker’s cottage to renovate, or a neglected Classical Revival mansion to restore, but most buyers are in search of their move-in ready corner of paradise. With many properties being sold turnkey, it is possible to find a home where you can move in with just your toothbrush.

4. Indoor/Outdoor Living
With an abundance of great weather to enjoy, our buyers want to be able to open their windows and doors and live a lifestyle that flows seamlessly from the indoors to the outdoors—especially if they have just endured a Chicago winter.

3. First Floor Master Suite
Let’s face it, Key West is not an inexpensive place to live. Most of our buyers have reached a stage in life where they can afford to buy their dream home in paradise. With the possibility of mobility issues looming down the road, a first floor master suite is an important feature for many baby boomers, retirees, and those with elderly parents.

2. Front Porch
What is more quintessentially Key West than kicking back on an old fashioned front porch and watching the world stroll by?

★1. Pool
A pool and Key West go together like rum and Ernest Hemingway. Is it any wonder that having a pool tops the list of the features our buyers are looking for in their dream home?

611 Grinnell Street #1, Key West, FL—OFF THE MARKET

It is no wonder that the most desirable area to live in Key West is its historic Old Town neighborhood. Amid picturesque Victorian era streets and a lifestyle lived visiting on front porches or strolling to dinner at favorite neighborhood eateries, Old Town is the authentic version of classic small town America that the New Urbanism movement has been recreating across the country for decades. There is simply no place as beguilingly beautiful as this veritable corner of paradise.

Just down the block from 5 Brothers Grocery & Sandwich Shop—arguably the best place in Key West to enjoy a famous Cuban mix and an authentic Cuban coffee—there is a beautifully renovated, 3 bedroom/2 bath, cottage that just might be the family vacation home of your dreams. The charming yellow cottage, with impeccable curb appeal, is part of an Old Town compound of seven single family residences that share a large, resort style pool. Combining the benefits of single family home ownership with the convenience of a homeowners association taking care of the pool and landscaping, 611 Grinnell Street #1 is the ideal choice for anyone looking for an easy breezy, authentic Key West retreat.

A quintessential white picket fence, verdant landscaping, and a refashioned façade welcomes you home. Contemporary open-plan living abounds in the newly renovated interior. The lovely entry leads to a spacious, bright and airy, great room. A perfect office, two bedrooms, and an updated bathroom round out the front of the home. The stylish dining area and cottage style kitchen continue the wonderful flow. For added privacy, the tranquil master suite is situated at the rear of the home. Creating the best of tropical indoor/outdoor living, four sets of French doors open the home to a sunny private courtyard. Just steps from a private gate, the spectacular shared pool is ready for your carefree enjoyment.

Live the dream! Make this charming island cottage your new vacation home in heart of historic Old Town Key West.

—Keith & Dean

Click here to enjoy a virtual tour of this delightful Old Town cottage.

Click here to visit 5 Brothers Grocery & Sandwich Shop’s website.

The Top 10 Things We Love About 1405 Olivia Street, Key West, FL—SOLD $1,315,000.

As Realtors©, we get to spend a good deal of time in the homes we have listed for sale. While promoting the strong selling points of a property to potential buyers during showings and open houses, we often find ourselves liking a home more and more—sometimes, we even fall in love. The beautiful, Classical Revival home at 1405 Olivia Street, in Key West’s historic Meadows neighborhood, is one such home. It has captured our hearts.

We have compiled a list of our favorite things about this wonderful family home. Enjoy!

—Keith & Dean

The Top 10 Things We Love About 1405 Olivia Street, Key West, FL

10. The Breezy Upstairs Front Porch
We dream of stretching out on the hammock and reading a great book, enjoying a tall glass of iced tea, and catching the tropical breezes on the stately, second story porch.

9. The Classical Revival Architecture
As a shining example of traditional Key West architecture, 1405 Olivia Street is one of the 2,485 buildings that are protected in the Key West Historic District. We adore the clean lines of this 1909, three bay, Classical Revival gem.

8. The Bright and Airy Master Bedroom
With a vaulted ceiling and four casement windows, the spacious, treehouse-like, master bedroom is bright and airy. A second story addition to the house, the private master suite is separated from the other bedrooms by a sunny entry hall, large walk in closet, and an en suite bathroom.

7. The Dade County Pine Walls
The tremendously hard work that went into refinishing and restoring the home’s original Dade County Pine walls, is not lost on us. We love the beautiful pickled and stained finishes that so add to the brightness of the interior.

6. The Versatile Family Room
Currently used as a family room, the original parlor has also served a dining room. We love that the inviting space could easily be converted into a fourth bedroom with the addition of French doors.

5. The Open Plan Living
We love the home’s contemporary, open plan living design. Award winning renovations beautifully maintain the home’s historic character while offering the best of modern living.

4. The Updated Kitchen
With plenty of elbow room, the smartly designed kitchen impresses us with stainless steel appliances, granite counter tops, cherry cabinets, and a gas stove.

3. The Sparkling Pool
What is not to love about the pool?

2. The Friendly Front Porch
We would love to sit on the charming front porch and watch the world strolling by. The terrazzo floor covers what was once the home’s cistern. We are always enamored with the island’s blue painted porch ceilings.

★1. The Covered Outdoor Space
Covered outdoor space always seems to be near the top of our buyers’ lists of what they are looking for in their Key West dream home. 1405 Olivia Street’s commodious, covered outdoor space is perfectly fashioned for indoor/outdoor living and entertaining at its best. We love it!

Click here to enjoy a virtual tour of this Classical Revival gem.

Click here to read more about 1405 Olivia Street, Key West, FL 33040.

915 Cornish Lane, Key West, FL—SOLD $1,125,000.

Every once in a while, a home comes on the market that totally knocks our socks—or should we say underwear—off. Celebrity fashion designer Andrew Christian ‘s sleek and stylish, Key West vacation home is one such masterpiece. The stunning, 2 bedroom/1.5 bath, contemporary cottage has been lovingly and meticulously renovated. No detail was overlooked.

Fans of our blog, Our Key West, know that we are enamored with the tucked away cottages of Key West’s hidden lanes. Nestled at the end of a quaint and quiet lane off Grinnell Street (between Fleming and Southard Streets), 915 Cornish Lane offers privacy and seclusion in the heart of Old Town.

Entering the front gate, you are captured by the rich Ipe hardwood decking gracing the cloistered front porch. High ceilings, walnut floors, and views of the pool greet you as you move into the home. The bright and sunny living/dining room is beautifully appointed with designer furnishings and modern built-ins.

The light-filled kitchen is a chef’s dream. Along with Viking and Subzero appliances, Custom cabinets and Caesarstone counters grace the modern, streamlined kitchen. The convenient pass through window makes outdoor entertaining a breeze.

The in vogue master bedroom opens to the outdoor showers and the exquisitely designed master bath. Mirroring the kitchen, the bathroom’s wood cabinets and Caesarstone countertops are bathed in light from beautiful gable windows. The shining guestroom sports a custom designed closet to die for.

Perfect for intimate entertaining, the home’s tropical outdoor living space is a sea of tranquility. The sparkling pool is heated for your enjoyment. The garden living room is the perfect spot to relax and enjoy the best of island living—paradise in your own backyard.

We wish we were writing a check for this extraordinary Key West cottage.

—Dean & Keith

Click here to visit Andrew Christian’s website.

Click here to enjoy a virtual tour of this spectacular contemporary cottage.

1113 Curry Lane, Key West, FL—SOLD $790,000.

We have always dreamed of finding a charming Key West cottage, tucked away on one of Old Town’s hidden lanes. Something a little old Key West funky, that we could put our stamp on, would be perfect. If it had a private garden, pool, and guesthouse, all the better. The home at 1113 Curry Lane—a secluded lane that runs between White and Frances Streets—is the stuff that dreams are made of.

The two bedroom/two bath main house captured our hearts at first glance. We love the light-filled, eclectic living room with its Dade County pine accent wall with stained glass panels. The dining room opens to the beautifully updated kitchen with a vaulted, trompe-l’oeil ceiling, and French doors that open to the garden. A guest room and a full bath finish off the main level of the home. The Upstairs offers a spacious master bedroom with a dressing room and full bath. Three quiet and efficient, ductless air conditioning systems cool the structure.

We love the home’s private tropical courtyard. The sparkling, solar heated pool catches plenty of sun. Overlooking the pool and garden, the separate guest cottage has its own bath. Visitors will love it, or it can be legally rented for extra income.

With great bones, tons of charm, and just the right amount of Key West spice, 1113 Curry Lane is ready for you to make it your own. We wish we were buying this wonderful, secluded gem.

—Dean & Keith

Click here to enjoy a virtual tour of this charming Key West cottage.