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.