811 White Street, Key West - Price Reduction

The asking price on the recently constructed home at 811 White Street in Key West was just reduced to $1,395,000. This impressive home stands in stark contrast to the little Cigar Maker Cottages and Grand Conch Houses that populate the streets of Key West. This house will grab your attention if you happen to be driving down the street in a car or riding your bike.  It says "Look at Me!".  It is much larger than the other nearby properties. It dominates the neighbors in size and boldness of design.  It looks nothing like the much smaller bungalow that sat on this lot for five decades or more. See the photos below starting with a photo from 1965 followed by mls listing photos from 2000 and 2005.

Three photos immediately above illustrate that the bungalow house that sat on this prominent lot was not historically significant which, I guess, is why the city allowed the original house to be razed. But the bungalow shown was not the first building built on that lot. I looked at the 1892  Sanborn Fire Map for Key West and learned that the original address for this corner lot was 801 White Street. 801 White was the largest of six houses in the 800 block of White.

I found the above photograph that shows the 800 block of White Street as photographed circa 1900.  I added graphics that show the large Army barracks at the corner of Newton at White. I also added an arrow to show 801 or 811 White (whichever numerical address the house may have had when the photo was taken). The 900 block of White Street still has cigar maker cottages.

811 White Street was constructed (finished) in 2014. The two story house has 2300 sq ft of living space and sits on a 4179 sq ft lot.  The house looks as if it borrowed some of the elements of design seen in many old Conch houses, but it is definitely of the 21st century design. The house is wood frame construction with Hardiboard siding.  All windows and doors are wind impact resistant.  Modern construction materials and techniques will significantly reduce wind and casualty insurance costs.

The two story front porch looks directly out to White Street. White Street is a feeder street in the  daytime. After 6:00 PM traffic really dies down.  When you are inside the house you do not hear any traffic because of the impact glass and insulated walls. If you sit on the porch, you will hear noise. This may deter some buyers but I think there will be buyers who would love to watch the human parade go by.  The views from the front and back porches are terrific.  

After you pass the formal entry and head toward the great room at the rear you see this huge open space there is supposed to be a wall.  But there is no wall. Doors have magically disappeared into the the side of the house. The combined living, dining, and kitchen areas all see to flow out to the rear deck and pool area.

The pool area is really attractive. Newly planted trees and shrubs will soon fill in and provide lots of privacy - don't you fret. The Trex deck will last for years. It is a man made material that will resist our harsh climate.  Notice the stepped deck down to the pool is repeated by steps into the pool itself.

There is one bedroom with en suite bath on the first floor, two guest bedrooms on the second floor, and the master bedroom with en suite as well. Each second floor bedroom has a vaulted ceiling. The master suite has dual French doors which open out to a private deck that overlooks the pool below. The view of the neighborhood is quite amazing.  Both guest bedrooms on the front share the second floor porch.  CLICK HERE to view more photos that I took of this property. 

I think 811 White Street would make a really great second home for someone that wants to rent it as a vacation rental. It has off street parking, a convenient location within walking distance to Duval and near the gyms and yoga studios in the White Street area. But it is the four large bedrooms, the large and inviting living area, and that incredible sunny pool that will make this place popular.  This place has room for people to actually live a little - to kick back and relax.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet on 811 White Street.  Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule a private showing.  I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. 

1320 Olivia Street, Key West ~ New Price

The asking price on 1320 Olivia Street in Key West just got a lot better. As a rule newly built houses in most parts of the United States pretty much go un-noticed but here in Key West new houses are the exception rather than the rule. 1320 Olivia Street is one of those exceptions - it is a two story 1242 sq ft home with two bedrooms, two and one-half baths, first and second floor porches that look out to the a little one-way street that traverses the quiet area of Key West known as The Meadows Area.

The great room plus the half-bath occupy the first floor of the house. The large open living spaces have a cozy feel given by the wood siding and ceilings that give this space a cozy-comfy feeling. The kitchen has an open and spacious feel. Notice the under cabinet placement of washer and dryer. There's a back door to the outside rear area. There is not room for a pool in this tiny backyard, however.

There are two good sized bedrooms on the second floor. Both have en-suite baths and closets. I mention closets because a lot of older homes in Old Town do not have closets. Both rooms have vaulted ceilings and paladin doors that open out to the second floor front porch. While the bedrooms are not large, they aren't small either. The ceiling height and access to the front porch really give these rooms a big house feel that you don't get to experience in most homes at this price point. CLICK HERE to view more photos I took.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet on 1320 Olivia Street in Key West. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule a private showing of this newly built house offered at $599,500.  I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. Let me help you find your home in Paradise.

1315 Whitehead Street - Key West, a New Home in Old Town

"Through the crystal-clear air Lori could hear the ringing of the agent's bell...that had begun when the package had first been sighted, carefully picking it's way past the outer reefs toward the lighthouse at Whitehead's Point."                                                                       Thelma Strabel, Reap the Wild Wind

1940's view

2014 view

October 2015 view

A new compound of seven single family homes is being built at what was once called Whitehead's Point. Today tourists flock to the same location which is now known as the Southernmost Point. During the daytime tourists will pose and take photos of themselves by the marker at the corner where South Street and Whitehead Street meet. As night approaches the tourists move down to Mallory Square to watch sunset. If you buy one of these new homes you can watch the sun set from your rooftop balcony and rest assured that nobody else in town has such a view.  Later in the evening you may even hear waves as they lap the coral rock which in earlier times one could hear the agent's bell. This is the yin and yang of this property.

The listing Realtor describes this new property this way:

"Premier Old Town Location With Ocean Views. Key West's newest residential gated community offers three and four bedroom homes with three and half baths and approximately 1700 square feet of living space. Enjoy all the advantages of a private home along with the professional management of an HOA. All homes include luxury finishes, private decks and pools with beautiful Key West architecture and lushly landscaped grounds as well as roof top decks with views of the ocean and an assigned parking space."

The home I viewed and featured in today's blog will have four bedrooms, three and one-half baths, a roof top balcony, first and second floor front porches, and a main level rear deck with private pool . The builder showed me around the property and spoke with such enthusiasm that I thought about buying here. Seriously!

The site plan above shows Whitehead Street on the left. The demolition debris shown in the above photos will be removed and a new private lane off Whitehead Street will provide access to the private parking. The home in today's blog is actually 1319 Whitehead Street. CLICK HERE to see the Key West mls datasheet on today's home.

 

The main floor will include a first floor bedroom with private bath, a guest bath, great room and kitchen each with 9.5 foot ceiling. Impact Glass rated doors at the rear open out to the IPE deck and private pool area. The existing utility poles will be removed and all utilities will be relocated underground. Fill dirt will be brought in to elevate the ground level such that the new six foot privacy fence and lush landscaping will make the abutting property to the rear to disappear. The homes are being stick built on site. Buyers who look now can see the framing and attention to detail in this approximate 1700 sq ft home. The exteriors are Hardiboard siding and with impact glass windows and doors.  Even the round porthole window on the stairway is impact glass. The metal roof will exceed Florida's stringent building code requirements. These features will greatly reduce fire, flood, and windstorm insurances. Hardiboard siding stands up to our tropical climate and needs painted less often than traditional wood siding and is pest resistant as well. Lower insurance rates and less maintenance mean less money being spent on an annual basis year after year. These are genuine long term savings benefits that serious buyers should consider.

Two guest bedrooms on the second floor will share a Jack and Jill bathroom. The master bedroom has a large en--suite bath and closet. The master bedroom ceiling will soar to about 14ft in height. The builder plans to introduce Dade County Pine into various parts of each house as artistic elements to give this super strong contemporary construction the feel of an historic Old Town home.

 

A doorway just off the master suite opens out to the roof top deck.  I managed to overcome my fear of heights and climbed a ladder to get up onto this space to take a couple of photos of the incredible views these homes will have. A stair and railing will be added later during construction. The view up there is incredible. You'll be able to see the sea in morning and night. And if you turn around you'll have a pretty incredible city view as well.

The builder is taking the time to add little touches to make these homes special. One example is the fish head rafters cut out by carpenters on the job site. If you look closely you'll see the eye and mouth of a fish on each rafter. You also notice that the underside of the eave is not yet painted. The builder told me it will be painted blue like our other old houses in Old Town. Unlike most of the houses in Old Town, this  house will have ocean views and will be less expensive to insure and maintain. The home owner association will provide weekly pool and yard maintenance for each homeowner. Since this home will have four bedrooms, it might just make a great monthly vacation rental for an owner that can't be here all year long.  The HOA can take care of  the exterior of your property when you are not in town. And the rental income can help pay for the home. CLICK HERE to view more photos of this property including historic photos of the site.

Please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to schedule a private showing of this really interesting new home in Old Town Key West. I think these homes will sell quickly now that potential buyers can see the quality of construction and attention to detail that is going into each home that is priced at just $1,425,000.  I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.