621 Olivia Street,Key West - Elegant Eyebrow Home

Just Listed, but not by me, 621 Olivia Street, Key West. I got to preview this elegant eyebrow house during a broker open house a couple of weeks ago. If you watch Million Dollar Listing New York you are accustomed to seeing sharp dressing brokers who look more like models. While we have a few pretty sharp looking agents, most of our agents have gray hair and dress Key West casual. That was the case on the date we saw this house. We were all awed by the place.

I dug around in my old shoebox and found the above picture of 621 Olivia Street taken back in 1965. A note on the back says it was built circa 1889. The photo contrasts with the current photo above in many ways but it also shows us the basic structure remains intact. The front part is the actual eyebrow house. Note the roof line extends out over the front and rests on four columns. Three sets of windows are located on a higher plane over the first floor door and louver shutters. The second floor windows were designed to allow fresh air to flow into the house even during a rainstorm. A second part of the house can be seen at the rear. The connecting point the two sections is referred to as a sawtooth addition.

Even though there are more than fifty eyebrow homes in Key West, each one is different. Most of the eyebrows, like this one, have been renovated. This home has been thoroughly renovated, expanded, and now includes a separate guest cottage. Today the main house and guest cottage have 1794 square feet of living space under air conditioning plus additional covered porch and lounge areas. The home has four bedrooms and three baths. The front door opens into a central hallway which leads to the new great room at the rear. The first impression is this a very old and lovely home. The Dade County Pine walls suggest this is a very old house, but when we pass to the rear we see large contemporary great room with vaulted ceiling and lots of windows and doors with views of the incredible pool and rear grounds. 

The first floor wood floors are pickled which works well with the contemporary feel of this updated home. The main floor bedrooms have the historic character so many buyers desire. The second floor master suite is contemporary and includes a large en-suite bath. I saw this home around 5:00 PM just as our late summer sun started that long dance into twilight. Windows at the gable ends of the great room offer so many light possibilities throughout the day.  A skylight in the master bedroom brings additional light into that space apart from the eyebrow windows at floor level and the side windows in the bedroom and bath. The natural light in this home is especially keen.

When the first floor French doors are opened the lanai becomes a part of the indoor-outdoor living area. Imagine entertaining in this incredible environment.  The pool area includes a waterfall feature at the rear and a spa at the front.  I took a video of the pool which you may enjoy.

The stand alone guest cottage has a small kitchen and private bath. It has a vaulted ceiling and  multiple sets of French doors that make this space seem much larger than it is. This space would make a great writer's cottage. Are you a great writer?

The attention to detail evidenced in the main house continues into the guest cottage. Everything is perfect. The backyard and pool area are among the best I've seen in Key West. The other agents' eyes were agog when they looked at the pool. This is impressive!

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and more photos of 621 Olivia Street, Key West, offered at $2,475,000. 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.

1325 Whitehead Street, Key West

Millions of tourists come to the Southernmost Point in the USA to take photos of themselves to remember their brief visit to Key West. Many of them stand at that point and dream that little dream of someday moving to Key West where they could leave the rat race back home and live in Paradise. A few years ago I wrote a blog about The Residences at Southernmost Point, the new development being built near the point. Now the project is nearing completion. I intentionally mention the multitudes that come to the Southernmost Point because the volume of tourists might lead buyers to assume the tourists hangout there all the time. Not true. The tourists start to disappear before 5:00 PM when the trolley cars and conch trains go back to the barns as they head to their hotels to prepare for sunset and cocktails.

 Only one unit remains: 1325 Whitehead Street which is located at the left rear of the compound of seven newly built single family homes. It has just one abutting neighbor and the neighbor to the rear is the Butterfly Conservancy. Like the other houses, this one has a stunning rooftop view of the Atlantic Ocean. The photos below are of a similar unit.

These homes were built subject Florida's tough construction code and include Hardiboard siding and impact windows and doors. This home has four bedrooms, three baths, cathedral ceilings on second floor, walk-in closets, private pool, and third level rooftop deck. Offered at $1,399,000.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to set up a showing of this home. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. 

Quit Your Job & Move to Key West - at SONIC Speed!

The new Sonic Drive-In at 2312 North Roosevelt Boulevard in Key West is scheduled to open in early September and is now hiring.  I am not involved in this, but report about this employment opportunity especially for readers who have considered moving to Key West to test the waters before buying.

Key West the and Lower Florida Keys lost a lot of skilled and unskilled workers last year after Hurricane Irma damaged a lot of low cost housing. With no place to live, the workers left and many have not returned.   Normalcy has pretty much returned to Key West as far as rentals is concerned. Prices are high, but they have been high for several years. The good thing is that wages are equally high, especially for skilled laborers.

It is easy to get a job in Key West if you have a skill and show up for work every day and on time. That sounds so simple. Living on a tropical island as pretty as Key West isn't as easy as you might think. There are lots of bars, pretty girls and other distractions to tempt you from staying home at night. Those who stay home and go to work when required can make a good living here.

1219 Royal Street, Key West

Just Listed: 1219 Royal Street, Key West, Florida. The listing broker at Preferred Properties describes the property this way:

This beautiful home is located just blocks from Duval Street yet it seems worlds away. Completely remodeled, this move in ready home features a two bedroom, two bath main home plus a separate poolside guest cottage with one bedroom, one bath and a sitting room. The main home has dramatically high ceilings throughout and a large gourmet kitchen. Each bedroom offers ample closet space and privacy. The master bedroom en suite opens through french doors to the newly resurfaced heated pool which is surrounded by landscaping and decking making it a perfect spot to relax & dine al fresco. An added bonus is gated off street parking. Located in the x500 zone, this home is move in ready and comes completely furnished and equipped. It was just freshly painted so all you need is your suitcase!

You can tell from the architectural design that this is not the typical Key West house normally featured in my blog. According to the Monroe County Property Appraiser this home was built in 1965. While searching my shoebox for a photo of the house in 1965 (shown immediately below) I found another picture of the Beatles who spent the night at the Key Wester Resort out by the Key West International Airport in 1964. While searching,  I remembered an aerial photo of this area taken around 1960. I found it and added an arrow directing your attention to the vacant lot. The other lots had houses on them. One may have previously existed, but I couldn't find it. The aerial photo demonstrates the location as being three blocks to Duval Street and that means this home has an excellent location as a vacation rental.

The main house and guest cottage provide 1620 square feet of living space under air conditioning plus an additional 297 square feet of covered deck and porches. There is gated off street parking for two vehicles - now that is a treat!

The house has been thoroughly updated by licensed contractors in the past several years which included electrical systems, new air conditioning, new roof, new kitchen and baths plus the addition of the pool and renovation of the guest cottage. Recently new AZEC decking was added around the pool. One of the features I find most appealing is the French doors which open out to the pool so that the owner may take a late night skinny dip.

This property has a multi-year history as a vacation rental. A new owner may continue to rent, stay with the current property management company, or change companies, or not rent at all. The location is three blocks to Duval Street and about seven blocks to Higg's Beach, pictured below. Salute on the Beach and Louie's Backyard are nearby eateries. Other nearby attractions include the Old Town Fitness on Truman, Seven Fish, several yoga studios, a couple of lawyers in case you or your guests get arrested for driving under the influence, and Fausto's food emporium. All of these places are within easy walking distance. Guests love to be able to walk places.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet on 1219 Royal Street offered at $1,475,000. 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.

1122 Whitehead Street, Key West

1122 Whitehead Street, Key West has an interesting history in usage. The building was built in 1880 when it was the Jos. Reves Cigar Factory and numbered 129 Whitehead Street on the 1889 Historic Sanborn Fire Map. The street number 1122 Whitehead Street appeared on the 1912 Map. It was the same property but it was then designated as a dwelling. For years and years the property was a legal duplex. The property has been renovated twice in the past ten years. When it sold in 2014 it had been awarded a certificate for excellence in historic preservation by the Historic Florida Keys Foundation when it was still a legal duplex. The current owners converted the two story classic revival building into a single family home with the intention of making this their permanent residence. Along came a child and now another is on the way. Now this beautiful three bedroom, two bath home awaits its next owner.

The new owners added the new interior staircase shown above. Previously, the second floor was only accessible via exterior staircase. That staircase still exists and will be discussed later. The first floor is laid out in quadrants with the living room on the left (south) front and bedroom left rear. The dining area is in the left (north) front and the kitchen in the rear.

The house is in move-in ready condition. And it is beautiful in every detail, of which there are many details. Architectural plans have been drawn for the construction of a pool where the exterior staircase now exists.

The master bedroom with loft office occupies the south front side of the house. That room also has access to the second floor front porch. A new internal staircase leads up to the loft office. A second bedroom is located on the north front but it does not have access to the porch. The laundry room is located at the north rear while the second floor bath is at the south rear. It is such a bright and beautiful room. Both bedrooms share the use of the second floor rear deck that offers lots of space for getting a key west tan with no neighbors having a view.

While I couldn't find an historic photo of the house itself, I did find the above aerial photo taken of the area in 1999. The Douglas Pool is located one block west. South Beach is located five minutes away except when the corner of South Street is clogged by people taking selfies. Ft Zach is ten minutes by bike. Thanks to the Saudis you must use the Southard Street entrance to go to Ft Zach. In 1999 you could ride your bike on the first straight road and be there in two or three minutes. A lot of things have changed since 1999.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet for 1122 Whitehead Street and then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to arrange a showing. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. This home has a lot of potential and is well worth looking at.