1018 James Street - Key West Renovation Property

I wrote about 1018 James Street (pictured immediately below) in January 2011. It did not sell then, but I'm pretty confident the soon to be completed renovation of the house next door at 1016 James Street will help persuade wannabe fixer-uppers that 1018 James Street is a project worthy of serious consideration.  The Monroe County Property Appraiser says that 1018 James Street was built in 1900.

1018 James Street - 1965

I dug into the old shoebox and found the photo below which says it was taken by the WPA in the 1930s. It shows homes in the 1000 block of James Street (dirt road is a better description).

Look at how sharp and clean the house next door at 1016 James Street now looks. Compare today's visage with how run down and forlorn the house looked in August 2010 when the renovations began at that location.

October 2012

August 2010

Now let's look at the front and rear of 1018 James Street.  Let your mind's eye envision how you could transform this similarly sad street scene into something especially satisfying.


 

 Look at the back of the house and the large back yard. Imagine how you could reconfigure the house, maybe enlarge it and add a rear deck, a pool, perhaps convert the ugly little building to the side into a pool cabana. The lot is 41' x 80'.

1018 James Street offers a bonus to potential buyers that out of towners may not appreciate until you start getting estimates from builders. That bonus is that the rear of the property is located on Thompson Lane. This is make demolition of existing building parts and removal of debris very easy. Likewise, having the extra space available during construction should reduce your construction costs and save money on not having to carry materials back and forth on the side lot or through the house. (Labor makes up a big portion of any project. Keep labor costs down by buying smart renovation projects.)

Rear building might become a pool cabana

 I took some additional photos which you can view if you CLICK HERE. And please CLICK HERE to view the Key West Association of Realtors mls datasheet and listing photos of this property.  1018 James Street is a 1510 sq ft house that sits on a 3304 sq ft lot (or 41' x 80').  It is offered for sale at $425,000.  (The house next door at 1016 James Street was originally a 984 sq ft house that sits on a 40' x 80' lot.)

The Key West Historic Architectural Review Commission will have some impact on what you can do to the outside of the property, but you as a new homeowner can decide how you want to re-create the inside of the house.  You and your architect and builder will tear down existing walls and eliminate decades of old school design. You can create you perfect Key West getaway place.

1018 James Street is located about two blocks south of the Historic Key West Seaport and the shops and restaurants in that area. The shops, galleries, and nightlife on Duval Street is an easy walk from here, just six blocks or about ten minutes.

If you would like to see 1018 James Street or any other home in Key West please contact me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 or send me an email at kw1101v@aol.com. I am a buyers agent and  a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. Let me help you find your place in Paradise.

1018 James Street - Old Town - Key West

Just listed, but not by me, 1018 James Street in Old Town Key West. I wrote about this house in January 2011. It did not sell then, but I'm pretty confident the recent renovation of the house next door at 1016 James Street will help wannabe fixer-uppers that 1018 James Street is a project worthy property.  The Monroe County Property Appraiser says that 1018 James Street was built in 1900, see photo below which was taken in 1965.

I dug into the old shoebox and found the photo below which says it was taken by the WPA in the 1930s. It shows homes in the 1000 block of James Street (dirt road is a better description).

I spoke with the listing Realtor about the property on Monday. We agreed that the current renovation of the house next door at 1016 James Street (see the eyebrow house on the right in the black and white photo above and the color photo below) will help potential buyers understand what can be done with this property.

1016 James Street

1016 James Street looks pretty appealing in its present state. Compare the current look to the way the same property looked in August 2010 when I took photos for my blog.

Compare the before pics to how the same house appears today. It's not finished but it sure looks a lot better.

It is the same place, only it's better than ever. The house was elevated and new piers were installed. The house was updated and brought to current building codes.  A new addition was added to the rear, and a small out building was incorporated into the new rear living area complete with a new pool and decking.

The back yard "before" renovation

The back yard "during" renovation

Now that we can see what can be done to an old house in the same location, let's consider the new listing at 1018 James Street which the listing Realtor describes as:

" Classic Old Town diamond in the rough! This property has the charm of a cute Conch cottage backing up to Thompson Lane. In it's present state, this 3 bedroom /1 bath has Dade county pine throughout, large bedrooms, great front porch, large cistern, off street parking in the rear, and a new roof. Motivated sellers that are willing to entertain all reasonable offers. Great renovation project with a great location within a block to the waterfront."

1018 James Street - Key West

Rear building might become a pool cabana

 I took some additional photos which you can view if you CLICK HERE. And please CLICK HERE to view the Key West Association of Realtors mls datasheet and listing photos of this property.  1018 James Street is a 1510 sq ft house that sits on a 3304 sq ft lot (or 41' x 80').  It is offered for sale at $425,000.  (The house next door at 1016 James Street was originally a 984 sq ft house that sits on a 40' x 80' lot.)

The Key West Historic Architectural Review Commission will have some impact on what you can do to the outside of the property, but you as a new homeowner can decide how you want to re-create the inside of the house.  You and your architect and builder will tear down existing walls and eliminate decades of old school design. You can create you perfect Key West getaway place.

1018 James Street is located about two blocks south of the Historic Key West Seaport and the shops and restaurants in that area. The shops, galleries, and nightlife on Duval Street is an easy walk from here, just six blocks or about ten minutes.

If you would like to see 1018 James Street or any other home in Key West please contact me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 or send me an email at kw1101v@aol.com. I am a buyers agent and  a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. Let me help you find your place in Paradise.

Home, James

What do you think of when you hear the phrase "Home, James"? My mind conjured up a vision of a chauffeur driving someone very rich to some fancy house. I Googled that phrase and up popped a pic of King George V (see above) with a beggar chasing his carriage. And that is the roundabout explanation of today's blog except the home I offer for your consideration isn't fancy, but it is located on James Street.

Today's blog is about the hodge podge house located at 1018 James Street in Old Town Key West. The Monroe County Property Appraiser photograph below says the house was built in 1900.

1018 James Street as it appeared in 1965

1018 James Street - January 2011

I met a gentleman last weekend who told me the story of how he almost never saw Old Town. Many years ago friends told him about this wonderful place called Key West. He drove his car to see what the commotion was all about. When he reached 'new town' he was so disappointed he thought of turning around and going back to Miami. He couldn't imagine anything worthwhile beyond new town. Since he had already driven 120 miles, he decided to drive a couple more to see if Old Town was any better. Then he discovered why so many people return to Key West year after year after year.

James Street is a two block long street located between Frances Street to the east and Margaret Street to the west. The Key West Seaport is located one long block to the north. There are three notable landmarks at the corner of James and Grinnell Streets: Finnegan's Wake Restaurant and Bar, the Key's Energy building, and the Old Town Garage.

Finnegan's Wake

Keys Energy Building

Old Town Garage

1018 James Street is located four houses east of Grinnell Street, and it is not affected by the traffic. Thompson Lane is the rear boundary. Thompson Lane is a tiny lane with some houses that 'front' onto the lane whereas 1018 James has a large lot that extends from James Street to Thompson Lane. It is the size of this lot that makes 1018 James Street so appealing. The listing Realtor says the lot is 3508 sq ft.

The listing Realtor describes 1018 James Street this way:

"Classic Old Town diamond in the rough! This property has the charm of a cute Conch cottage backing up to Thompson Lane. In it's present state, this 3 bedroom/1 bath has Dade county pine throughout, large bedrooms,great front porch, large cistern,off street parking in the rear, and a new roof. Motivated sellers that are willing to entertain all reasonable offers. Great renovation project with a great location within a block to the waterfront."

Historic Key West Seaport as it appears in 2011

1018 James Street is offered at $425,000. The photo below shows the property from the rear. I numbered five (5) different roofs that show how this house was cobbled together. This place cries out for someone to do something creative.

Count the roofs - five in total

CLICK HERE to checkout the Key West mls datasheet on 1018 James Street.

The house next door at 1016 James Street CLICK HERE is also available. It is priced at $325,000.

1016 James Street (above) is also for sale

View east of 1018 James Street

Manley deBoer Lumber Yard is located northeast of 1018 James St.

I know the neighborhood with its mix of commercial and residential will not appeal to most buyers. The thought of such a big renovation will scare most other potential buyers. This property will take a special buyer who has been coming here for years who appreciates the value of the land and its proximity to the waterfront. That buyer may not end up with a place grand enough to have a chauffeur named James, but the buyer surely will end up with a nice place to call home.

If you are looking for a fixer property please contact me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642. I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West.