Friday, September 30, 2011

The Conchquistador Deal of The Day 9.30.2011 - Was $795,000 Now Closed At $635,000!

Stillwright Point In Key Largo
8 Center Lane Key Largo
Stillwright Point (originally Stellrecht Point) is a great community that is on a natural peninsula positioned perfectly in Key Largo on picturesque Blackwater Sound. 45 Minutes to Miami...But an entire World away.  It is a premiere community made up of sumptuous waterfront estates with breathtaking open-water views.

8 Center Lane Key Largo
List Price: $729,000 / Sold Price: $635,000
3 Bedooms / 2 Bathrooms
Mile Marker 106
Description: BAYSIDE BEAUTY in desirable Stillwright Point. Immaculate canalfront; remodeled kitchen with granite counters, stainless steel appliances, solid maple cabinets, sit-up island & wine captain. 2 bedrooms on main level, bath with frameless shower & Jerusalem soapstone tile. Strand-woven bamboo floors, whitewashed tongue & groove pine ceilings & gas fireplace. Master w/spa tub, dual shower, dual sinks.

Kudos to our Broker, Joy Martin for working on both sides of the transaction!
  
View Detailed Brochure with Photos and Mapped Location

View Available Stillwright Point Properties

View Available Waterfront Key Largo Properties $500-$750K

Put the experience and expertise of The Conchquistador to work for you! For more information on the outstanding real estate opportunities that exist in the Keys, call me at 305.439.7730 or email me at DropAnchor@TheRealEstateConch.com.

Ready to create your own no-hassle shopping cart of available Properties in the Florida Keys, with multiple search capability? Click here: ConchMLS.com.

Thursday, September 29, 2011

New Road to Florida Keys Dedicated - The 18 Mile Stretch Is Finally Complete!!!

Part of the Original 18-Mile Strech.
Then, One of America's Deadliest Roads

From late 1950's to the mid 70's, my Grandfather delivered Keg Beer for Budweiser to all the restaurants and bars from Key Largo to the 7-Mile Bridge, and drove a large beer delivery truck.  I can still remember his stories about how often his side mirrors would "kiss" other truck mirrors on the impossibly thin, 2-laned, dreaded, "18-Mile Stretch", that desolate, albeit, beautiful stretch of US1between Florida City, the last mainland outpost, and Key Largo as you traverse Jewfish Creek and Lake Surprise.

The New Jew Fish Creek Bridge
Probably one of the deadliest roads in America, the "18 Mile Stretch" as it is called, was a very scary ride at times, with most of the traffic accidents resulting from terrifyingly tragic, head on collisions.  You had to know how to drive the stretch, when to pass and when NOT to, a fact lost on many tourists, and other impatient motorists.  I remember driving it the very first day I got my license...a kind of right of passage. Many people I knew would not come down to the Keys strictly because of the 18-Mile Stretch!! And Card Sound Road, the other only Keys access route was too long and you had to go through some scary fish camps with tough old fishermen and hard core Bikers that hung out at Alabama Jacks, the local watering hole, where blood flowed as heavily as the whiskey did. (All that area is much much tamer now, but back in the day...)

Cement Median and Side Shoulder Make
For a Much Safer Drive!
Now, the beast has, for the most, part been tamed!! The Stretch now has a undergone a MAJOR renovation that lasted several years and resulted in a much, much safer drive, and has now officially been dedicated.  Gone is the thin single, two lane road, now replaced by a wide road with areas to pull over for emergencies and a bright aqua-colored cement median that runs the span of the stretch.  No more deadly head on collisions!!!  Gone as well, is the old draw bridge over Jew Fish Creek, replaced with a sky high, fixed bridge offering spectacular views of Blackwater and Barnes Sounds.

All Photos by Andy Newman/Florida Keys News Bureau
Now, some old time Conchs are not too fond of the new road, as they liked the fact that the old road scared some away and the new one makes it too easy to get here and therefore bringing more people that can spoil our slice of paradise.  I can understand that, but as for me, anything that makes for a safer and more fun experience here in the Keys gets my vote, though i must say that I am not too crazy about the new fences that run the length, but can understand that they are meant to keep our wildlife safer.

Below are some comments from  the Florida Keys and Key West Web Site:
"New Road to Florida Keys Dedicated
Officials marked the completion of a $330 million Florida Department of Transportation road project Wednesday that rebuilt an 18-mile section of U.S. 1 connecting the South Florida mainland with the Florida Keys. A dedication ceremony heralded benefits of a new and safer "18-mile Stretch.""

All in all, it was progress that was needed.  I wonder what my Grandfather would have thought??

Work with an Agent who has seen the Keys' Past and can help YOU be a part of their Future! Put the experience and expertise of The Conchquistador to work for you! For more information on the outstanding real estate opportunities that exist in the Keys, call me at 305.439.7730 or email me at DropAnchor@TheRealEstateConch.com.

Ready to create your own no-hassle shopping cart of available Properties in the Florida Keys, with multiple search capability? Click here: ConchMLS.com.

Friday, September 23, 2011

Testimonials...Humbling and Gratifying! Some Very Kind Words From A Recent Client!

Testimonials...THE ABSOLUTE Best form of advertising in my Opinion.  Of course as Real Estate Agents, we all enjoy our commission checks, but sometimes ... the written appreciation from a satisfied client is often, even more gratifying.  Here are some incredibly kind words from some recent clients:

"Hey Mykael,
Just wanted to write a quick note of thanks for your efforts in helping us transition from NJ. Moving a family of five 1,300 miles in less than 30 days seemed impossible.  However your assistance in providing keen insight into neighborhoods, schools, and youth sports on top of your market prowess really put us at ease.
The home we chose is exceeding our expectations and we are very happy.  Who knew you could spend just six hours searching for a home and come away with the perfect dwelling for your family.  I guess you just need the right Realtor.....
I can't say thank you enough for all of the extras you provided above the significant savings in the price negotiation.  By being our representative in Florida while we packed up NJ, we were able to get our children into school for the first day without a hitch.  You really knew what was most important to us.
We will definitely be calling you again whenever we or our friends need a Realtor....(or some fishing tips!)
Thanks,
The Urbans"
Jonathan and Adrienne Urban, Treasurer of World Fuel Services, a Fortune 500 Company
New Florida Residents and New Friends!
Wow! Am I humbled!!

"Having been a licensed Realtor in Texas for almost 10 years, as well as following the real estate market in the Keys for at least half of that, I felt very confident that I could navigate the path to purchasing our first Florida Keys home. Well, it didn’t take long for me to learn that I didn’t know nearly as much regarding Florida Keys real estate as I thought I did.


So, humbled (and at the direction of my wife) we decided to search for a quality Realtor to assist us in completing our home search. Were we ever so fortunate to find Mykael! We found Mykael to be very knowledgeable on the market. He’s a great listener who is very patient and who takes the time to understand your needs. He was never too busy to take a call or answer one of our zillion emails when we had a question regarding the process. He went above and beyond for us. Even after we closed on our home and all was said and done, he was still more than happy to go and check-in on the cleaning service we had hired so when we arrived a few days later from Texas we would have a nice clean home to walk in to.       

 
We love our new island home and are so excited to be Keys residents! Mykael is definitely top-notch in our eyes and we wouldn’t hesitate in recommending Mykael "The Real Estate Conch" Marinelli to any of our friends and family."


Terry & Tanya Hundley
Tavernier, FL.

Wonderful folks from Dallas who found me via Realtor.com and purchased their lovely home at 136 Coconut Row, Tavernier sight unseen! Happy to have them as satisfied Clients and New Friends!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Put the experience and expertise of The Conchquistador to work for you!
For more information on the outstanding real estate opportunities that exist in the Keys, call me at 305.439.7730 or email me at DropAnchor@TheRealEstateConch.com.

Ready to create your own no-hassle shopping cart of available Properties in the Florida Keys, with multiple search capability? Click here: ConchMLS.com.

Christie’s International Real Estate Releases Its Inaugural “State of the International Luxury Real Estate Market” Report.

WOW ! This is REALLY Interesting!! Please follow the link for insightful information regarding the State of the International Luxury Real Estate Market!  Our firm American Caribbean Real Estate is the Exclusive Florida Keys Affiliate of Christie's International Real Estate.

Christie’s International Real Estate released its inaugural “State of the International Luxury Real Estate Market” report. The research paper compiles the results of a survey completed by affiliated brokerages in the network—all experts in the luxury market—enhanced with their supporting commentaries and insights.
“The resulting report is an intriguing snapshot of the current global prime real estate market as viewed by the world’s leading network of luxury real estate experts,” says Neil Palmer, Chief Executive Officer of Christie’s International Real Estate. 
The paper examines the prevailing mood of buyers and sellers, how market activity is trending worldwide, and how transactions in the upper levels of the market are completed. For instance, when it comes to buying, 87 percent of the network reported that cash is the preferred means of payment.  
The report further reveals that buyer optimism is slowly increasing while seller expectations in pricing are improving but remain somewhat unrealistic. More than 67 percent of the survey respondents reported an increase in buyer activity for the first eight months of 2011 when compared to the same period last year. The largest upticks were reported in metropolitan cities like London, Paris, Hong Kong, New York, and Beverly Hills.
Spanning more than 40 countries with a combined annual sales volume estimated at US$100 billion, the Christie’s International Real Estate network focuses exclusively on the world’s properties valued above US$1 million. Real estate brokers are invited to become Affiliates only after a rigorous approval process.
The report concludes with bulleted market reports from a selection of the geographies represented by the exclusive Affiliates of Christie’s International Real Estate.

Download the State of the International Luxury Market Report 

Put the experience and expertise of The Conchquistador to work for you! For more information on the outstanding real estate opportunities that exist in the Keys, call me at 305.439.7730 or email me at DropAnchor@TheRealEstateConch.com.

Ready to create your own no-hassle shopping cart of available Properties in the Florida Keys, with multiple search capability? Click here: ConchMLS.com.

Key Largo Fisheries Now Has A Take A Way Cafe!!! Super Cool, Super Views!!

I LOVE finding new places to eat in the Keys! I could easily host a Travel Channel show highlighting cool and funky places to eat in the Keys!!  The Mile High Key Lime Pie at Blue Heaven in Key West, Ziggy and Mad Dog's for Chops in Islamorada, The Friday night Fish Fry at Shipwrecks in Key Largo, The Charm and food at Porky's in Marathon, ANYTHING at Doc's in Key Largo.

Marina Side Casual Dining at Key Largo Fisheries
Now, there is a new great entry!  Key Largo Fisheries Backyard Take-A-Way Cafe!  Yes, yes I know Key Largo Fisheries is certainly not a new name, having provided some of the best and freshest seafood around for ages, but their recent renovations and inclusion of a waterfront picnic style Take A Way restaurant only make this place even cooler!!!

Fresh Lobster at The Fisheries
Long a Staple of Key Largo's seafood supply, Key Largo Fisheries is located right on Lake Largo, along with the Lobster and Charter Fleet.

Super Cool and Casual, with an awesome marina views, this place is sure to be one of my go to secret holes in the wall, when I am entertaining clients!


 For more info go to: http://www.keylargofisheries.com/

Open 10-6 PM Tuesday to Saturday.

Below is a copy of their menu.
Work with an Agent who KNOWS the Hot Spots!!Put the experience and expertise of The Conchquistador to work for you! For more information on the outstanding real estate opportunities that exist in the Keys, call me at 305.439.7730 or email me at DropAnchor@TheRealEstateConch.com.

Ready to create your own no-hassle shopping cart of available Properties in the Florida Keys, with multiple search capability? Click here: ConchMLS.com.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Pilot House Marina Has Major Upgrades!

The Pilot House in Key Largo at Mile Marker 100 is a Keys Institution.  I have been going there since I was 10 years old!! Over the years, I have watched this local eatery on Lake Largo (not really a lake but rather, lagoon that connects to the ocean), set amongst lobster fishermen and the charter boat fleet, expand from a screened-in porch  take away restaurant to the Bar/Dining/Marina that it has now become.

The latest addition to the complex, is a fantastic floating dock with slips for transient and live aboard vessels.  These are slips that can handle the BIG Boys.  LARGE fishing boats, sail boats, cruisers, the works, with full electrical and water hook-ups.


So cruise on in by land or sea!

Put the experience and expertise of The Conchquistador to work for you! For more information on the outstanding real estate opportunities that exist in the Keys, call me at 305.439.7730 or email me at DropAnchor@TheRealEstateConch.com.

Ready to create your own no-hassle shopping cart of available Properties in the Florida Keys, with multiple search capability? Click here: ConchMLS.com.

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Sandy Beach in your Backyard!! Just Closed in Islamorada$1,100,000! The Conchquistador Deal of the Day 9.18


Port Antigua
The Port Antigua Area
A funny statistic:  In Miami-Dade County, you, know...that County wayyyyy up north, there are only about a dozen homes are directly on the water with a natural sandy beach.  Only a dozen!!  And you don't even want to know what those babies go for!
In the Keys, a much much different story... Take today's Deal for instance.  Pearched right on a gorgeous sandy beach in a great part of Islamorada, The Port Antigua Area.

Port Antigua, on Lower Matecumbe Key, is Islamorada's desirable Luxury community with waterfront homes that offer easy access to both the Atlantic Ocean and Florida Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. World-class fishing and diving are mere minutes away! Only minutes from Miami, yet a world away

 250 Gulfview Dr Lower Matecumbe, Islamorada
 List Price: $1,499,000  / Sold Price: $1,100,000
 3 Bedrooms / 2 bathrooms
 Mile Marker 74 Bayside

 Description: PERFECT KEYS BEACH HOUSE on the OPEN   BAY with WHITE SANDY BEACH & BOAT RAMP! Enjoy soaking in your bay view hot tub on your private beach while you watch the sunset. This concrete home is in a peaceful Islamorada setting in a nice neighborhood. Great water access, close to fine dining, 2/1 up & 1/1 guest qrtrs down.  Private and gated with mature landscaping & awesome views from every room.  Located in the White Marlin Beach neighborhood.

Your Own Hot Tub on the Beach!
View Detailed Brochure with Photos
View Mapped Location
View Available Port Antigua Properties
View Available Islamorada Waterfront Homes $1-2M

Put the experience and expertise of The Conchquistador to work for you! For more information on the outstanding real estate opportunities that exist in the Keys, call me at 305.439.7730 or email me at DropAnchor@TheRealEstateConch.com.

Ready to create your own no-hassle shopping cart of available Properties in the Florida Keys, with multiple search capability? Click here: ConchMLS.com.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Conchtoberfest is Almost Here!!! Duck Key Sept 30 thru Oct 2.

OK ...You KNOW I will be here!!! As the CONCHquistador, I MUST represent!!!!

DUCK KEY, Florida Keys — Florida Keys visitors can celebrate chowder power and fritter flavor during the second annual Conchtoberfest, set for Friday through Sunday, Sept. 30 through Oct. 2, at one of Marathon's premier locations at Duck Key.
A deliciously themed and decorated weekend event, Conchtoberfest includes food, specialty drinks, family activities and games, conch shell blowing contests and live local music entertainment at the Hawks Cay Resort marina, in front of Tom's Harbor House at 61 Hawks Cay Blvd.
The laid-back Florida Keys lifestyle and all things conch (pronounced conk) are to take center stage with the sights, sounds and smells of the islands' food favorite. "Conch" also is a term used to describe native-born islanders, and the Keys are nicknamed the Conch Republic.
Festival goers can indulge in cracked conch favorites!
Festival hours are 5-10 p.m. Friday, Sept. 30; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 2.
Weekend admission to enjoy food and artisan vendor booths, kids activities and live entertainment is $5 per person per day and includes parking.
Leading up to the main weekend event, the evenings of Saturday through Wednesday, Sept. 24-28, have been dubbed Conchtoberfest Nights. On those evenings, conch celebrants can expect conch-centric specials and themed activities at Marathon eateries.
Event information: www.conchtoberfest.com
Marathon visitor information: www.fla-keys.com/marathon or 1-800-262-7284

Work with an Agent with a taste for all things Keys!!  Put the experience and expertise of The Conchquistador to work for you! For more information on the outstanding real estate opportunities that exist in the Keys, call me at 305.439.7730 or email me at DropAnchor@TheRealEstateConch.com.

Ready to create your own no-hassle shopping cart of available Properties in the Florida Keys, with multiple search capability? Click here: ConchMLS.com.

It's Time for The 13th Annual Florida Keys Birding and Wildlife Festival!

One of my greatest pleasures, and I get this from my Dad, is bird and wildlife watching.  There is nothing like cruising your boat at slow speed as you motor across a backwater bend and come upon a group the Majestic Beauty of snow white Egrets or Herons lounging in the mangroves. Add to that a pod of porpoises racing parallel to your boat, a sight I had this very weekend!

Well, for those of you who enjoy Nature in its fullest, as I do, there is the 13th Annual Florida Keys Birding and Wildlife Festival.  Always a fun and educational event with a host of activities, from ecotours, to snorkeling to bicycling amongst nature's finest!
Be sure to visit their website at Keysbirdingfest.org.

Deal with an Agent with an eye of the essence of the Keys!  Put the experience and expertise of The Conchquistador to work for you! For more information on the outstanding real estate opportunities that exist in the Keys, call me at 305.439.7730 or email me at DropAnchor@TheRealEstateConch.com.

Ready to create your own no-hassle shopping cart of available Properties in the Florida Keys, with multiple search capability? Click here: ConchMLS.com.

Monday, September 12, 2011

THE ABSOLUTE ESSENCE OF ELEGANT FLORIDA KEYS LIVING. Just Closed in Islamorada $3,100,000!

298 South Dr Plantation Key, Islamorada

THE ESSENCE OF ELEGANT FLORIDA KEYS LIVING.
(That period there, was for dramatic effect, as anyone who reads this blog knows that I have an overwhelming affinity fore punctuation marks.)

Seriously though, this sumptuous estate that was listed thru my colleagues Leslie Leopold and Cheri Tindall, is absolutely spectacular in every way.  Add it the fact that it rests on glorious Florida Keys water and positioned on Islamorada's "Millionaire's Row", and you have the absolute Ideal in Luxury Living...Keys Style!

Real Estate in the Keys lately has been quite dynamic with all sectors of the pricing spectrum seeing noteworthy activity. From Mobile Homes to Exceptional Estates such as this one, deals are here to be found! 

The Reality of Keys living has never been closer at Hand! (Exclamation mark)

298 South Dr Plantation Key, Islamorada
Price: $3,499,000 / Sold Price: $3,100,000

4 bedrooms / 3 Bedrooms

Mile Marker 87 Oceanside

Descriptrion: Timeless charm w/distinctive design.Gated oceanfront residence. Elevator, protected dockage & davits, pool, spa, beach, lush landscaping,mature palms, Chicago brick circle driveway, garage, custom front doors, chef’s kitchen, two master suites, two additional guest bedrooms. Huge open living room with forever ocean views. Masterfully designed, Ipe shutters and staircase, solid construction!

View Detailed Brochure with Photos

View Mapped Location

View Available Millionaires Row Homes

Available Islamorada Waterfront Homes Over $2M

Put the experience and expertise of The Conchquistador to work for you! For more information on the outstanding real estate opportunities that exist in the Keys, call me at 305.439.7730 or email me at DropAnchor@TheRealEstateConch.com.

Ready to create your own no-hassle shopping cart of available Properties in the Florida Keys, with multiple search capability? Click here: ConchMLS.com.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Groundbreaking Staged for New Keys History Museum in Islamorada

Two of my great passions are The Florida Keys and South Florida History,  now we will have the opportunity to combine the two with the eventual opening of the Irving R. Eyster Museum of Florida Keys History.

As a member of the Matecumbe Historical Trust, I am so proud to see that this will finally come to fruition.  With so much incredible history that has flowed through our island chain, a terra firma repository is so very much needed. Spanish Conquistadors, Seminole uprisings, shipwrecks, treasure, pirates, smugglers Zane Grey, Flagler, Truman, Hemingway...the list goes on and on , and on.

Below, is an article from the Florida Keys and Key West website.
  
"Groundbreaking Staged for New Keys History Museum in Islamorada

Irving Eyster, right, next to his wife Jeane, and other dignitaries
wield shovels during the groundbreaking ceremony for the
Irving R. Eyster Museum of Florida Keys History
Photo by Andy Newman/Florida Keys News Bureau

 ISLAMORADA, Florida Keys - Islamorada is closer to becoming a focal point for Florida Keys history as dignitaries broke ceremonial ground Monday on the much-anticipated Irving R. Eyster Museum of Florida Keys History.
Actual work on the structure, located at the Islander Resort (Mile Marker 82.1) is to begin this week with expected completion in spring 2012. The nearly 7,000 square feet museum exhibition space is to share the building's overall 15,300 square feet featuring a conference center for the resort.
The museum's namesake, archeologist and historian Irving Reade Eyster, is called "Mr. History" in Upper Keys circles, and at nearly 93 years of age, is busy chronicling his personal cache of thousands of artifacts and valuable materials slated to fill the museum.
"I felt like [Henry] Flagler did when he came into Key West. He was not well, he was almost blind, and his hearing had gone," said Eyster.

Artist rendering of the Irving R. Eyster Museum of
Florida Keys History at the Islander Resort in Islamorada, Fla.

"But he said it was one of the happiest days of his life, that finally he'd connected Key West with the mainland. And that's the way I feel about this," he said.
 Museum exhibits are to include various interactive displays depicting the Florida Keys' early explorers, pirates, settlers, native Indians, Spaniards, shipwreck and lighthouse memorabilia as well as the "Eye of the Storm" theater, an entertainment centerpiece for visitors to view historic documentaries and films.
"There's history on every island, and we're trying to save that," said Eyster.
Eyster settled on Lower Matecumbe Key with his wife Jeane nearly 60 years ago, as the eighth family to build there. In historical lectures, articles and books Eyster described the Keys then as being "in a wild state, jungles with birds and lots of critters, and only a few houses, separated by dense woods."

Several hundred Keys residents and officials listen to
remarks during the groundbreaking ceremony for the
Irving R. Eyster Museum of Florida Keys History
at the Islander Resort in Islamorada.
Photo by Andy Newman/Florida Keys News Bureau

Together with daughter Barbara Edgar, the Eyster's created The Matecumbe Historical Trust, Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to the education, history and preservation of the Florida Keys, and a driving force behind developing the Upper Keys museum.
"The museum will geologically go back tens of thousands of years ... and bring us to the current day," said Richard Russell, the Trust's vice president and great great grandson of Upper Matecumbe's founding family, Richard and Mary Ann Russell.
The Islamorada District Advisory Committee, a subcommittee of the Monroe County Tourist Development Council (TDC), has committed $375,000 of capital project monies to help fund the museum"

Work with an Agent who is in tough with the History of The Keys, Put the experience and expertise of The Conchquistador to work for you! For more information on the outstanding real estate opportunities that exist in the Keys, call me at 305.439.7730 or email me at DropAnchor@TheRealEstateConch.com.

Ready to create your own no-hassle shopping cart of available Properties in the Florida Keys, with multiple search capability? Click the icon.