622 United Street - Old Town - Key West

Just Listed, but not by me, 622 United Street in Key West.This house dates back to World War II when it was used as an Army barracks and then located at Fort Zachary Taylor in Key West. At the end of the war the Army sold off these barracks at $100 each. Each buyer had to relocate the barracks to a different location. The photo below shows the approximate location where Army barracks similar to the one that was relocated to 622 United Street once sat. The wide open street on the right side of the photo below is United Street. Moving the house would have been pretty easy back then because there were fewer trees and no historic body that regulated who could build what. I am not saying it was better. It was different. And it worked.

The black and white two photo above was taken nearly fifty years ago. The color photo was taken in November 2014. The exterior of the house looks pretty much the same today as it did then. A small shed addition was added to the right (west) side of the house which is where the laundry room is photo located. A larger shed addition was added to the left (east) side of  the house which was previously a semi-enclosed porch with numerous louvered windows which had views of the rear, east side, and front yards. If you do a quick comparison you will see that the trees have certainly grown and wall unit air conditioner was added. The original asbestos siding is still intact.

I recently showed this property to a prospective buyer. It looks to me as though the original interior walls were removed and new studs installed to create a new layout. Some insulation has been placed between stud walls. I'm not sure about the direction the current owner has taken on renovation.  I'm not saying it is wrong, but instead suggesting a new owner might go another direction.  I don't think scrapping the existing layout or "improvements" would be wasteful because so much finish work needs to be done. It makes more sense to get the layout and finishes done which would result in a superior property. A new owner might completely redo this simple 904 sq ft house.  If I owned this house I would remove the asbestos siding and replace with traditional clapboard siding.  I would take out the old "picture window" and all other windows and replace with new wood windows. If I could afford impact windows, I'd do that in a New York minute. That would save on windstorm insurance year after year and it would eliminate the need for ugly metal panels.  The roof is looking a bit worn. It should probably be replaced as well.  This house is located on United Street which is the second highest elevation in town. The original piers looked to me to be in very good condition. A home inspector would need to verify my assumption. But if I am correct, the piers do not need to be redone and that would result in costs savings to a new owner seeking a project property.

The current owner started to enclose the east side porch shown below. I would remove all drywall and rethink how I could use this space. The drywall that was installed blocked the only access from the house to the back yard. That should be undone pronto because you have to have easy access to your outdoor space. There is not enough room for a pool, but there is room for a spa and patio. The room is not large enough to be used as a bedroom, but it might be large enough to be used as a kitchen if some of  window area was enclosed to provide upper cabinets. There would not be any space for dining, however. That's why the used needs to be thought out before building continues.

This property is located on a well traveled street during the daytime. Traffic on this street really diminishes after 6:00 PM. The house is located next to a motel and across the street from single family homes to the east and low impact offices to the west. South Beach is located one block to the south and west. Duval Street is two blocks west. I view 622 United Street as being an excellent location for a vacation rental which is what I think this property ought to become.

622 United Street sits on a quite irregularly shaped lot of 3103 sq ft.  While the front and side lot lines are easily understood, the back property line is a hodgepodge. The asking price on this fixer is $390,000. CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet. Please contact me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to show you this Key West house. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. This house has a great location and a lot of upside for the right buyer.

Key West Cha Cha Cha

On the back of this old snapshot I found the following: “The trailer camper’s pleasure islands. The Florida Keys, where you can park without charge on a sandy beach, and fish or loaf (sic) to your heart’s content.” From the Stetson Kennedy collection, photographer unknown. C 1940. I am sorry to report that there is little of anything in the Florida Keys that is free anymore. And that is especially true in Key West where parking is scarce and very expensive.

I took the above photo on Sunday morning. It shows the house at 904 Flagler Avenue in the Casa Marina Area of Key West. This home  is being renovated from a 1950s blah house into a 2014 Bauhaus or something like it. I intentionally drove to the house to check on the progress of this house which I previously lamented was just a box. Now I'm not so sure. The place is getting decidedly interesting.There are no windows nor anything particularly inviting about the place except the two palms that are dancing the Cha Cha Cha in front. 

It was the Airstream trailer parked in front that made me get out of my car to start taking pictures. The lines of this trailer are so different and unexpected that I had to walk around the thing. As I snapped away it dawned on me that the trailer must belong to the people who are building this new home. I mean a traditionalist would by an old school Airstream - right?  In my view a forward thinking type of person would buy a trailer so different. And that type of person would probably be the kind of owner to create a home so different different from all others. The house at 904 Flagler Avenue is certainly becoming that.

Old Town Key West is known the world over for its great old houses and their timeless architecture. The Casa Marina Area is a vibrant alternative where several new houses are being built and some older homes are being renovated. Keep reading my blog. You never know what might pop up for sale in Key West.

I did a Google search and learned Nissan Design America "in collaboration with specialist trailer manufacturer Airstream and called the BaseCamp. The Airstream BaseCamp is a micro-light tent-trailer hybrid that blends the convenience of RV travel with the versatility of car camping. The BaseCamp is the first of its kind offering a whole new level of versatility, durability and comfort for the adventurer." CLICK HERE to read more.

1309 Eliza Street - Key West

Just Listed, but not by me, 1309 Eliza Street which is located in the Arts District of Key West, Florida. The owner of this pretty little house invited me over to take some photos of the house which I am pleased to share with you today. CLICK HERE to view all the photos I took which show the house, rooms, and yard from varying views.

 I found a "before" photo taken of the property back in 1965. If you compare it to the color photo above you will see the only significant difference is that the galvanized chain link fence has been replaced by a wood picket fence and that the yard is enriched by beautiful trees and foliage. There's a good reason for that: the prior owner of this home is noted local landscape architect Craig Reynolds. In fact, there are little identification tags placed next to specimen plantings around the yard. I looked in the Sanborn Fire Maps and learned that this house did not appear in the 1912 map although the two houses located immediately to the east were on that map

 The listing Realtor describes 1309 Eliza Street this way:
"Tropical Key West property with many original details located at 1309 Eliza Street. This spectacular keys residence features two spacious bedrooms & one bath, roomy front porch and a large back patio would be perfect for entertaining guests. This property has Dade County Pine floors and walls, central a/c, a premium gas range, washer, dryer, a large great room, outdoor storage area, metal awning shutters."
This vernacular style home is laid out similar to many cigar maker cottages or "shotgun" style houses as trey are called in the south in that the front door open on to a long hallway that leads straight to the rear with various rooms located to the side. In this instance the front two rooms are used as bedrooms.

The hallway disappears midway through the house as the space enlarges in to more public space. The retro bathroom which has been updated is located on the east side of this space. The laundry room is located in an adjacent closet.

The great room is at the back of the home. This space is quite large and inviting. If you have not notice, Dade County Pine walls and floors shine. The richness of the wood is muted just a bit with the introduction of color in this communal living space. French doors at the rear open out to the rear covered deck and yard.

At first the kitchen may appear a bit compact, but if you look closer you will see a gas cook top, wall ovens, dishwasher, refrigerator, abundant drawers and lots of cabinet storage. As I write this I am reminded that all of the architectural lines in this house are similarly plain and understated. If you like gobbledegook's and curly cues, this place won't appeal to you. But if you like a clean aesthetic look, this may just be the place you have been waiting to find.

The Monroe County Property Appraiser shows this house as being 912 sq ft and sitting on at 2534 sq ft lot (31' X 82').  If you want a pool, you're not gonna get one here. But what you will get is a home that is really good condition and that is ready to move into. I am no home inspector, but I looked under the house and noted what looked to be new piers.

Please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 yo schedule a personal showing.  I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.  I think this home will sell right away. Our market is on fire right now.

1317-A Catherine Street, Key West

I was looking through the old shoebox and found this photo of 1317-A Catherine Street in Key West that was taken in 1965. I offer this picture to you so that you can get a sense of how this home has evolved into the property that is currently listed for sale at $639,000 which the listing Realtor describes as

"Great little 2/2 Conch cottage with a private pool, comfortable deck area and very lush privacy planting. Nice location for walking to the beach and the White Street restaurants and markets. Parking is on street but generally no problem. It was currently being used as a non-transient vacation rental and has a good history of rentals. Very private with almost no street visibility."
Today a six foot privacy fence hides the house from street view and the open space to the right shown in the black and white photo is where you will find a swimming pool and deck.

The seemingly vacant lot of yore is now filled with the pool, deck, palm trees, and tropical foliage. Though I wasn't in the house fifty years ago, it's safe to say the inside is totally different today than it was then. This house has been recently been used as a vacation rental. Let's take a look at the inside.

The old screened porch is now the dining area which has French doors that open out to the porch where you can sit and watch the kids frolic in the pool. The modern kitchen has a comfortable breakfast bar.  Notice there is room for more than one chef in this kitchen. The two bedrooms are located on the far side of the living room.  CLICK HERE to view more photos I took of this home.

The 843 sq ft house sits on a 2483 sq ft lot in the Arts District just a couple of blocks east of the White Street corridor.  CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet and listing photos. After you've done that, please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule a private showing of this two bedroom, two bath home with a private pool and an outdoor shower. I am a buyers agent and a full time realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. This home has a good vacation rental history that may appeal to a buyer who wants someone else to help pay part of the costs of purchasing a home in Key West.