1711 Atlantic Blvd. Key West - New Lower Price - New Higher Height

1711 Atlantic Boulevard in Key West was originally offered at $680,000 just before Christmas in 2013. The price was reduced to $630,000 in April 2014. The asking price on this mid-century modern home was just reduced to $590,000. 

The listing Realtor, not me, describes 1711 Atlantic Boulevard this way:

"40,000 PRICE REDUCTION! Motivated seller! This solidly built concrete home is unique on Atlantic Blvd. as it was built on top of 5 feet of fill making this the most elevated lot on Atlantic Drive. A nature preserve is the only thing separating this home from the Atlantic Ocean and ensures privacy from the front.This home is large and currently has 3 bedrooms, 2 baths and was built in the mid-century modern style of architecture. The home is surrounded by a concrete wall with iron access gates at the front. There is a two car garage and as an added bonus, there is a very large shed/workshop in the rear yard that could be converted into a guest bedroom or artist studio. Even with the shed, there is room for a nice sized pool."

The house sits on a large lot  8050 square feet (70' X 111') across from the City of Key West Nature Preserve which is located between the Key West Beach Club Condominiums to the west and 1800 Atlantic Condominiums to the east. Nothing will ever be built on the nature preserve - no houses, no condos, no nothing.

It is all the land, all 8050 square feet of it, that makes this property so intriguing either as a renovation project or as a tear-down and build new site. While most of the houses in the Old Town and Meadows Area  cannot be torn down to create a new building, there is no such prohibition in this area of the city.  Key West voters passed a referendum that now allows property owners to build houses up to forty feet height limit which would give a new house on this location an unparallelled view of the ocean. I was not in favor of the law, but now that it is the law, developers are sure to exploit lots like this so build dazzling homes with water views. And with the nature conservancy located across the street, there is never going to be something built to interfere with the water view.   CLICK HERE to view more photos I took of the house and grounds. The entire house is a total redo in my opinion. The photos will help you see what you have to work with. The house is very solid. Don't let the dated interiors deter you from taking a look.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet on this property. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule a showing of this property.  I am a full time Realtor and a buyers agent at Preferred Properties Key West.

Click GOOGLE MAP for a view of this home.

1711 Atlantic Boulevard - Key West - Renovate this Mid-Century House or Tear It Down and Build New?

1711 Atlantic Boulevard in Key West offers an interesting opportunity to renovators, flippers, and builders looking for a new project. This architecturally pleasing mid-century home was built in 1958 is different than most Key West mid-century homes built 50s and 60s which are concrete block with stucco finish on slab foundations a tad bit elevated over street grade. There are two additional factors that distinguish this house from others that make this property particularly appealing.

First, the house sits on a large 8050 (70' X 111') square foot lot across from the City of Key West Nature Preserve situated between Beach Club Condominiums to the west and 1800 Atlantic Condominiums to the east. Nothing will ever be built on this stretch of ground - no houses, no condos, no nothing.

Second, the family that built this brought in fill dirt and elevated the site about five feet above Atlantic Avenue as well as neighbors to the west, east, and rear. Rain water drains off this lot and not into it. That's important in the current day when elevations are used in pricing flood insurance. Beyond the cost savings of flood insurance is the opportunity to possibly add a second story above the current house or alternatively build a new house which might get water views of the ocean located on the other side of the mangroves - maybe 300 feet to the south. Click GOOGLE MAP for a view of this home.

The existing house has been added onto over the years. A small building at the rear was expanded as well. That structure abuts property lines and is grandfathered. You could not build that building today, but you would not be required to take it down. According to the Monroe County Property Appraiser this house has 1802 sq ft of living space. However, it looks like a doorway between the main house and the Florida room was removed which expanded the real living area by an additional 288 sq ft. There is another room with 121 sq ft of space to the rear of the garage that provides interior storage. So the actual square footage of usable square feet is much larger than one would see by viewing the public record. (The rear building is not shown on the Property Appraiser site and the square footage of that building is not included in any property valuation.)

If you are like me you have probably watched countless HGTV shows where 1950s homes have been updated and sold or renovated to meet the way we live today. 1711 Atlantic Avenue embodies the spaces, usage, materials, and style different era. Key West has a 50% limitation on spending for renovation of homes. The limitation is related to value of the improvements and not value of land and the structure.  And that is the conundrum - whether to spend money to renovate and bring this fairly large house into the 21st Century, or whether to tear it down and build new. Renovation costs in Key West are very high.  Every penny would count on a renovation of a house like this.

On the other hand, if a new owner would tear down this house and build new, the only limitations would be budget, complying with city building height and density issues, and imagination. I urge potential buyers to CLICK HERE to view more photos of the lot and house and then ponder how you would handle this property. Key West has few opportunities as good as this. This won't be a cheap deal, but it could end up being a fantastic property.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet of 1711 Atlantic Boulevard. Better than looking at pictures on the internet, please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to set up a private showing of this property. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. Let me help you find your place in Paradise.

1711 Atlantic Boulevard Key West, Florida - A Conundrum

The Mid Century Modern home at 1711 Atlantic Boulevard in Key West, Florida presents a bit of conundrum to a potential new buyer.  The house was built in 1958.  It is a bit different from most Key West homes of that era in that it is actually built with real bricks whereas most Key West houses were built with concrete blocks (or poured concrete) with stucco finish. Click GOOGLE MAP for a view of this home. The house is within walking distance to the beaches.

The house sits behind an impressive yard marked CBS wall with iron entry and driveway gates. The yard rises five feet above the street grade. The grade carries to the back of the property where it gently slopes to the rear.  The yard itself sits higher than any of its neighbors.

If you are old enough to have grown up in the 1950s or 1960s you will recall that our economy and social outlook were pretty buoyant. In the 50s young men had returned from serving in the military after World War II. America was building new homes at a feverish pace.  The houses were noted for their simplicity in design and construction. These new houses were contrary to the often more intricate Victorian style homes and the less ornate bungalows years earlier.  In the 1960s the more simple boxes opened up a bit more when walls of glass replaced brick walls. Spaces and uses evolved. One purpose rooms were still pretty much the norm, but at least the doors were removed between kitchen, dining, and living areas.

1711 Atlantic Boulevard is noted for its rectangular look in both the house, windows, and public rooms. There are no square windows or rooms. There is but one one arch in the kitchen. 
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According to the Monroe County Property Appraiser this house has 1802 sq ft of living space. However, it looks like a doorway between the main house and the Florida room was removed which  expanded the real living area by an additional 288 sq ft. There is another room with 121 sq ft of space on the side that provides interior storage. So the actual square footage of usable square feet is much larger than one would see by viewing the public record.

The existing house embodies the a spaces, usage, materials, and style are of another era.  And that is the conundrum - whether to spend money to renovate and bring this fairly good sized house into the 21st Century, or to do a retro restoration, or whether to tear down this house and build new.

The house sits on a large 8050 (70' X 111') square foot lot across from the City of Key West Nature Preserve. The great Atlantic Ocean is on the far side of the Nature Preserve. The views from the front porch (or perhaps a new second floor balcony or bedroom) will never be replaced by condos or any other development.  Several of the neighboring properties have expanded into two story homes.

Since this location is outside the historic district, the city will be less intrusive as to what a new owner could do with the property.  That suggest renovation costs should be less expensive if either a renovation or restoration project was chosen. New construction would allow the owner to create whatever he or she wants as long as it meets building code requirements. I could envision a new two story house on this prime lot.  I think the second floor would have at least a partial ocean view.

No matter whether the house is updated or if a new house would be built, the tiled backyard (as lovely as it is) probably needs to go away. There is an existing gazebo type structure on the east side with which has a non functioning spa.  A quite large storage building sits at the back of the lot. I would estimate the building is 15' X 15'.  The building is grandfathered in place. It could not be rebuilt because set backs nor could it be converted into a full time living space with kitchen.   A new owner might want to convert this building into a poolside cabana or pool house.  Once the tile and unnecessary trees and foliage are removed, there is plenty of room for a good sized pool and new landscaping.

I think 1711 Atlantic Boulevard offers three intriguing possibilities for a potential new owner. The good thing is a new owner could introduce wind impact resistant windows and doors in any of the three scenarios. If a new house was built the owner could do something very creative with the look of the house that might start a trend to redevelop properties with more flare. That is the kind thing that spurs prices upwards in my view. Creativity and novelty in design and construction often pay off in big dollar returns for the builder/developer.

CLICK HERE to view the Key Wst mls datasheet on this intriguing property that is listed by Preferred Properties Key West, that is where I work but this is not my listing. Please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule an appointment to see this property. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.  Let me help you find your place in Paradise.