817 Eaton Street #5, Key West - Life on the Slow Lane

If you are seeking a small Key West hideaway located on one of the slow lanes of Key West that so many wannabes find irrepressibly enchanting, you may want to take a look at 817 Eaton Street #5. It is a stand alone two story cottage that is part of a five unit condominium located where Eaton Street and Gecko Lane meet. The cottage is located about seventy-five feet north of Eaton Street on a dead end gravel lane with only a couple of other cottages.   The listing Realtor describes this property this way:

"Located in the Historic Seaport area. Own your own piece of paradise. Walk down the private secluded Gecko Lane to a detached, 2 story, standalone cottage. Very open and bright with a full kitchen (granite counters) living room area, full bathroom downstairs, bedroom with 1/2 bathroom and laundry upstairs. A quarterly condo fee covers insurance and maintenance outside. Off street parking available."

The house is only 422 sq ft divided between main floor with a two story vaulted living area and second floor bedroom and half bath.  This home would be the perfect candidate for an episode of HGTV's Tiny House Hunters. It is small but it has all the necessities plus an idyllic location in Old Town Key West near the Historic Seaport and Duval Street which is only four short blocks away.

There is a built-in dining table located under the stairway. The table folds up under the stairway to create sitting or storage space or maybe a space to place a chest or artwork. The listing Realtor told me she does not think the oven has ever been used. The current owner is the only owner since the main building and this cottage were renovated an made into condominiums in late 2003 or early 2004. The space is rarely used. There is a first floor guest bath to the rear of the kitchen where there is also a set of French doors which open out to a bricked private side yard. This space is in addition to the gated front entry garden which is graveled.

 

The birds nest bedroom includes an adjacent half bath. The current owner is installing a new air conditioning system. The window unit AC will soon be history. The stairway walls are the perfect place to display an art collection of your favorite Key West artists.

The historic seaport is located a little over one block away. There are lots of small eateries all over the seaport area including Harpoon Harry's. The Old Town bakery is a couple of blocks east at the corner of Grinnell and Eaton. And there are great donuts next door to the Tropic Cinema on the far side of Duval Street. You'll never go hungry for food or something fun to do in this location.

 817 Eaton Street #5 is offered at $499,000. CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and listing photos.  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.

Key West Open House Event - Sunday November 27th

Preferred Properties Key West 
 Open House Event

Sunday, November 27th

1:00 to 3:00 PM

1708 United Street - $989,000

Hosted by Dan Skahen

CLICK HERE to view MLS

1400 White Street - $649,000

Hosted by Gary Thomas

CLICK HERE to view MLS 

1223 Margaret Street - $1,395,000

Hosted by Cory Held /Jeffrey Groskey

CLICK HERE to view MLS 

618 Whitehead Street - $2,200,000

Hosted by Mabry Binnicker

CLICK HERE to view MLS

1209 Grinnell Street #G, Key West - Grinnell Gardens

Grinnell Gardens is a compound of three duplexes and three stand alone homes located in southern part of Old Town Key West. The listing Realtor describes 1209 Grinnell Street #G this way:

"Don't miss out on the opportunity to own a well-located town house in a delightful gated compound with shared pool and lovely gardens. Downstairs is a renovated kitchen, half bath and large, open living/dining area with access to a semi-private front porch. Upstairs are the master bedroom suite with loft and access to upstairs porch. Also upstairs is the guest bedroom, second full bath and laundry. Other features include central air, high ceilings, private gated-entrance and your own parking place. The neighborhood is located between Old Town and the Casa Marina. With hurricane-rated shutters and the X-Flood zone, insurance costs are low. Don't let this great deal slip by. Act now."

I have written about Grinnell Gardens before. The homes were built to replicate the historic architecture of Old Town with new construction techniques and building materials. The homes are now 23 years old so maybe the newness has worn off but the modern functionality endures. The main floor open living concept includes a guest bath off the living area. French doors at the rear of the kitchen open out to the rear garden where a gate provides a quick exit to the parking space.

This Grinnell Garden town home has 1360 sq ft of living space divided between two floors. The home sits on a 1210 sq ft lot which is owned in fee simple - just like your home up north in America. The homes were built new in 1993. Each home evokes the style of Conch houses familiar to returning visitors to Key West and each is unique into itself. This home is located just inside the gated entry. There is a gate at the rear so that the owner can bring in groceries (or secret midnight guests). The master bedroom has a private covered front porch that looks out to courtyard and pool. The firewall between this unit and the one next door was super-insulated to provide superior sound insulation between the units.

Two of the free standing homes have private pools, but most like this home share the community pool pictured above. The compound provides lush gardens and off street parking area where each unit has its own dedicated parking spot. I know a lot of potential buyers want a place of their own and have never thought of living in a compound. I "get" the resistance argument. But there is also a separate universe of potential buyers appreciate having full time who will keep on the place when the owners are not in town. I recently sold a neighboring unit. My buyers really like the location and convenience. Association fees are only $200 per month and include pool and grounds maintenance.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet and more listing photos of 1209 Grinnell Street #G which is offered at $798,000 or just $586 per sq ft.  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. This could by your home buy Christmas.

1320 South Street, Key West - New Price Reduction

Buyers are always looking for lower prices. 1320 South Street in Key West was listed at $1,799,000 in February 2016. The price was reduced today to $1,524,900.  The listing Broker describes this Bank Owned home this way:

"Beautiful, updated two story home centrally located in Midtown Key West. This 3 bedroom, 4 bath home offers high-end amenities to truly enjoy the Key West lifestyle. Tiger Wood flooring throughout the home as well as custom cabinetry and a wet bar. Amenities will not disappoint with this home. Includes a grand outdoor pool with water feature as well as a balcony on the second story. Open the French doors and enjoy cool breezes throughout the property. Home was built in 2008 using resilient Hardi plank siding. Includes impact windows/doors and includes 2 zone central air conditioning. Spacious and designed for easy use, this home will not disappoint in bringing Key West dreams into the household."

This home was built new in 2008 and replaced a much smaller home that previously occupied this lot. I dug into my old shoebox and found a photo of the original house that was typical of the neighborhood at the half a century ago. The new place looks nothing like it. The neighborhood as a whole has changed as well. Most, but not all, of the smaller mid-century houses that dot this area have been replaced with much larger homes on beautifully landscaped lots. The Thompson Estate is located across the street and to the west. Thompson was a buddy of Ernest Hemingway.  I remember showing the Thompson property many years ago and marveling at the huge animal trophies on the walls.

The 3220 sq ft home sits on a 4939 sq ft lot. The facade looks like two houses were joined together to make one large home. That's not the case but the architecture is quite striking. There are three bedrooms each with en-suite bath plus a fourth bath on main floor. The great room is extra large and has doors which open out to the pool and rear deck. The adjacent family room with wet bar also opens out to the pool. Rich Tiger Wood floors are located on both floors of the house. 

The custom kitchen has about every high-end kitchen appliance that Viking makes including a gigantic range, double door refrigerator, ice maker, dishwasher, and wine cooler. There is abundant storage everywhere. The back side of the kitchen island is extra high and provides a rich environment for casual dining.

The main floor bathroom is adjacent to the wet bar in the family room. The full bath also includes hook-ups for washer and dryer. There is a second washer and dryer on the second floor. The house is wired for stereo throughout and there is also a central vacuum system.

The house has Hardiboard siding, 2 zone central air conditioners, impact windows and doors, custom built pool and waterfall with grotto surrounded by IPE decking and built-in custom bench. The yard is fully fenced and accessed via large electronically operated gate.

Both guest bedrooms are very large. Each has a large walk-in closet located adjacent to the en-suite bath. In fact they are the size of a master bedroom in most other Key West homes. Potential buyers who have an active family will appreciate the size of these bedrooms. The hallway between the two bedrooms is lined with more closet space. The second floor laundry is tucked away behind one set of doors.

This house appears to be in really good condition. I did not notice any deferred maintenance or see anything that was broken. The house is painted white throughout. That's probably the one thing a new owner might want to change. It's easy. It's fun. And it's not very expensive. CLICK HERE to see more photos I took of this lovely home.

1320 South Street is now offered for sale at $1,524,900 or $474 per sq ft. CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet and listing photos. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule a private showing of this home. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.