Christmas will be coming for some smart buyer who grabs this magical Old Town property before the word gets out that it is now on the market. The listing Realtor describes
819 Elizabeth Street in
Key West this way:
"Magical. That’s the only word to describe the welcoming indoor-outdoor living of this 2011 Historic Preservation Award winner at 819 Elizabeth. French doors open from the living areas onto a private, luxuriously landscaped outdoor world with beautiful pool and water feature. Peeking around the corner on the expansive deck is an outdoor dining space, outdoor shower and delightful accessory structure that could easily become a jewel-like guest bedroom or bunks for the grandchildren. Located in the Solares Hill neighborhood, the two-bedroom cottage boasts an upstairs master retreat with half bath. The downstairs bedroom could easily become your favorite office space. From the large, people-watching front porch to the renovated, high-end kitchen with solid cherry cabinets, this home will make you believe in magic again."
Returning guests to Key West know that having a parking space in Old Town makes just about any property "golden". This home has a wide bricked off street parking space. Elizabeth Street is one-way from Truman Avenue heading north toward Southard Street. The house is easy to find for owner or guests. The house is located two blocks from Duval Street but far enough away as to be close to but not apart of all that happens there.
The layout of the house is self-evident. The Living, dining, and kitchen are located on the pool side of the home. Double sets of French doors open out to the pool thereby extending the living space outward for at least half the year. The rear door off the kitchen leads out to the rear deck and the outdoor shower.
The guest bedroom is located to the right of the front door. The current owner uses this space as a sitting room. The full bath is located opposite the kitchen at the rear. If you look at the bathroom mirror you will see the rear yard where the outdoor shower pops into existence next to the bathroom wall.
The master bedroom is located on the second level. Windows on the south and north allow good daytime light to brighten this space. There is storage built into the knee walls on either side of this space.
I looked into my old shoebox and found a photo of 819 Elizabeth Street taken back in 1965 looking north. It doesn't look the same. Does it? I then consulted the historic Sanborn Fire Maps and learnt that 819 Elizabeth Street existed as of the 1889 map. That makes the house at least 127 years old. But if you look at it today, the home has all the modern conveniences and a heck of a lot of magic that you just can't buy off the shelf and relocate to just any other property.
CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and listing photos including some night time photos that show the pure magic the listing Realtor described. 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.
4 comments:
Those are good pictures. Nice light
Magical yes but the price is quite a reach.
Master bedroom is hard to access, has low ceilings, and is lacking a bath.
Every price these days is hard to reach. Supply and demand.
Dear Anons, I have been out of the country, otherwise I would have responded.
This house nearly identical in size and general layout to several homes in the Old Town area. The second floor is totally usable and liveable in my opinion. A nearby home near the corner of 800 Elizabeth was remodeled with a full bath in the second floor. The stairway access is totally different in that home, however. That home looks amazing and was on one of the tours in the past couple of years. These are historic homes renovated for modern use. If a buyer wants a full second floor with tall ceilings and lots of closets with en-suite bath, those homes are available. I think a lot of buyers will decide to accept less ceiling height in favor of historic charm.
Prices are going up. Buyers who bought during the recession purchased value. Those days are gone. I think there are many areas of town where housing prices are very over-priced. Old Town still is in high demand. The season will tell us whether the prices are too high.
Gary
Post a Comment