Home Buy Christmas -1411 Olivia Street - Key West

Just listed by Preferred Properties, that's where I work but this is not my listing, 1411 Olivia Street which is located in the Meadows Area of Key West.  White Street is the dividing line between Old Town and the Meadows Area. Many of the houses in both areas are the same style and were built around the same time periods.  For the most part the only difference between the two areas is a higher price per square foot if you buy on the Old Town side of White Street. Read on if you want to save a buck (or many thousands of them).

The listing broker describes 1411 Olivia Street this way:

"This charming Key West home is located in the Meadows area of old town. A vintage iron gate and a wide, sunny front porch offers a welcome entry to the house. Inside are beautiful wood floors, high ceilings and bright rooms. In addition to the two bedrooms and two baths, there are two loft bedrooms not included in the square footage. The Florida room opens through a wall of glass doors to the bricked patio and garden which includes an outdoor shower. The patio area is fenced and gated and very private. This is a must see for those wanting historic charm in a lovely setting."

I found this old photo of 1411 Olivia Street with a notation that it was built circa 1926 which differs from what the Monroe County Property Appraiser's records show which is the source for our mls database. (In this instance I think I'd go along with the photo notation. Not much of anything was being built in Key West in 1933 because we were in a big ole Depression.) Then compare the way the house looked back in the olden days with the way it looks today.

The house has 1334 sq ft of living space on one floor. As the listing broker notes the house has even more living space not shown in the public record as it is loft bedroom space which is not counted in actual living area.  There are two real bedrooms and two bath plus the spaces aforementioned which don't count unless you have roommates, children, or brothers-in-law.  CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls database and listing photos.

This home is located just a couple of blocks north of Bayview Park, the main city park in Key West.  I dropped by early this morning to snap some pics of the tiny little Conch Cottages that are all dolled up for Christmas. Santa's sleigh and a very tall Christmas Tree beckon little ones and grown-ups to drop by and suspend disbelief at the magic of Christmas.  If you are in Key West right now you can sense Christmas is coming. Moods are elevated, houses are decorated, cash registers are humming, and Realtors have visions of commissions dancing in their heads.

 Look at the black and white photo just above. It shows kids swimming in the water across street from Bayview Park in the 1940s.  See the park pavilion at the right.  Today that same view would be impossible as Truman Avenue and Eisenhower Driver (the intersection) now have commercial buildings and a four story condo.  It's old pics like this that almost make me sick to see what greed has done to our little town. 

Bayview Park is the historic city park for Key West. Every year it is the place where locals come together to celebrate the rituals of each season. I came from a big city and never experienced anything like life in a small town like Key West. I have grown to love living here more than I could have ever imagined.

1411 Olivia Street is offered at $629,000.  If you would like to see this charming home on a very charming block please give me, Gary Thomas a phone call at 305-766-2642. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.