522 Simonton Street, Key West - SOLD

Just Sold - 522 Simonton Street located in Old Town Key West. I represented the buyer who plan  a major revation of the proerty which will take three years to accomplish.  

I wrote about this house several months ago. I had the priviledge of showing this property a couple of times to qualified buyers who love old houses. They were intrigued by the idea of restoring this old house but decided the project and the price was more than they were willing to take on.

But the day I showed this house to the new buyer I could see a sparkle in his eyes. He took his time moving from room to room by flashlight. The house had not been inhabited for several years. The electric power was turned off.  So the only way to see what was "for sale" was by flashlight. What he found was an untouched beauty that had never had air conditioning or heating.  He later told me that it was the craftsmanship and  attention to detail by the original builder that caught his eye.

The newer section of the house was probably added before the end of the 19th Century. The first floor front room was likely the bedroom of the former full time resident who departed the house years ago. Rumor has it the former owner was confined to living on the main level where there are two closets in the front and rear rooms on the south side of the house where some of her clothing still hangs. Two dresses are still hanging in the front closet. They reminded me of college prep English where I read David Copperfield. I envisioned the front room as being the bedroom of Miss Havisham.

A different closet door caught my attention. There was a gaping hole in one of the wood panels that make up the door. I turned on my Iphone flashlight to see if my eyes were deceiving me. They weren't. Termites had eaten their way through much of the wood panel. Good Grief!

This buyer will be taking this house apart and putting it back together board by board.  I invite readers of my blog to check back here over the next three years to watch the progress as the new owners of 522 Simonton Street restore this old house.

I represent people like me who decided that life up north isn't all it is cracked-up to be. Two days ago I received a phone call from a former buyer who told me he and his family moved here as a full time residents. He had been a lawyer up north in a big city. He gave that life up there and found a new life in Key West doing something totally different. He said he didn't regret it one bit. If you are looking to find a new life in Key West or maybe just a condo you can call your second home, please consider working with me, Gary Thomas, Realtor to the Dreamers.