1019 Flagler Avenue - The Casa Marina Area - Key West

Just listed by Preferred Properties Key West, that is where I work but this is not my listing, 1019 Flagler Avenue in the tony Casa Marina Area of Key West.  This is a really big property (4055 sq ft of living space) that sits on a 9160 sq ft lot (90.25' frontage X 101.5' depth).  The listing Realtor describes the property as an

"Historic Indian block home just waiting for someone to bring it back to a grand family home on the most prominent part of Flagler Avenue, just steps from the Casa Marina Hotel. Zoned residential/commercial, perfect for a doctor, who needs 4 examining rooms, office space and reception and a place to live. On this incredible property there is also a large pool, a garage that can be converted to guest house or a pool house. Enough room for 3 cars uncovered and one covered. Renovation Project!!!"

I found the above black and white aerial photo of the Casa Marina Area that was taken in the 1930s. The arrow shows 1019 Flagler Avenue.  Two blocks the the west (left) is the historic Reynolds House. Both homes were built of Indian Block, a man-made material similar to modern concrete block except that Indian Block has a finished decorative appearance. Most of the undeveloped lots shown in the color photo immediately above were built upon in the 1950s and 1960s. Unlike many of the Old Town area homes which are built on small lots, the houses in the Casa Marina Area were quite often built on lots of 5,000 sq ft or larger.  As Key West became a destination for a second home and the supply of houses in Old Town proved too costly or too small, or both, buyers looked to the Casa Marina Area.  In the 1990s and later, many of the Casa Marina houses were razed or renovated to provide larger living spaces and to add pools and gardens.  The Casa Marina Area today is an attractive alternative to smaller and often pricier abodes in the Old Town area. The color photo immediately above was taken in 1999. An arrow shows 1019 Flagler Avenue surrounded by homes.

There is a 1960s era addition to the front of 1019 Flagler where it appears the original first and second floor porches were enclosed with concrete blocks covered by stucco.  Wrought iron fences and gates were added to both side yards.  A long driveway leads to covered parking located just off the kitchen. An old garage still sits at the rear of the driveway.  It is used as a home gym but could become a pool house, cabana, or maybe expanded into a guest cottage. 

A one story addition was added on the east side presumably in the 1960s or 1970s.  There is what I call a"disco" bedroom and bath located up front. The real star of the addition is the Florida room which is located at the rear. This room has a cathedral ceiling with impressive wood trusses.  Windows on three sides provide ample light and great views of the large back yard and pool. The Florida room is the only current ground level living space. The kitchen is located at the rear of the house on the main floor. It has two smallish windows with pool views. There is a large covered patio just outside the door. An interior stairway runs from the kitchen to the second floor.

The downstairs front portion of the house is now used as a doctor's office. I was not able to photography any of that space. The second floor space includes a sitting room, bedroom, large bath, nanny suite, and an office. Again, this space appears to have been created when the first and second floor porches were enclosed. The rooms have high ceilings and are a hodgepodge of sizes that beg for some creativity. When showing houses like this I tell my buyers that they should not focus on what exists now because what is will probably removed leaving four outer walls from which a new home will emerge.  This house appears very solid. I guess you could say it has "good bones".

This property is located less than two blocks from the Casa Marina Hotel and two blocks from Higg's Beach. Most of the larger homes in the Casa Marina Area are priced above $2,000,000. 1019 Flagler Avenue is offered for sale at $995,000. A buyer who wants a renovation project ought to hop on this property immediately.  I will bet this house sells in less than a week. CLICK HERE to view more photos that I took of the house and grounds. Remember that what you see now is not what you can create.  CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet.

Please call 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 Key West. Let me help you find your place in Paradise.  If you buy 1019 Flagler Avenue, you could have a Key West home by Christmas in 2014!

1019 Flagler Avenue - Casa Marina Area - Key West

1019 Flagler Avenue is now offered for sale at $650,000 or $130 per sq ft. You cannot build a house in Key West that cheap. I'll grant you that it is not the prettiest of houses but that is why God created gay designers and architects. They can turn ugly into sassy with the snap of their fingers.

This is how the listing Realtor describes 1019 Flagler:

"This large 3bd/3ba house is situated on 2 lots totaling 9100 sq. ft. The home has multiple entrances which allows this property a wide variety of uses. Corporate retreat, large family home or a very stately single family residence. Each bedroom has its own bath and the living room and kitchen open onto a very large covered lanai which overlooks the very private pool and back yard. There is off-street covered parking and a detached garage. There is also a commercial rental (Doctor's office)downstairs for additional income."

I'm not so sure I would call it "stately" at present. And a retreat it is not. But the place is really big and solidly built. CLICK HERE to view the mls listing sheet and photos.

The Monroe County Property Appraiser shows this house as having 3256 sq ft of living space (this is in conflict with the mls listing) and sits on a 9160 sq ft lot (90.25' frontage X 101.5' depth). Records show the house was built in 1938. The house was originally built of Indian Block, a man made material used in several of the larger Key West houses. There is a newer addition to the front where it appears the original first and second floor porches were enclosed with concrete blocks and 1960's or 1970's era windows and door were installed. There is also an addition on the east side with a "disco" bedroom and bath. The Florida room on the ground level has iron bars on the sliding glass doors that open on three sides. All of the windows are shuttered. The downstairs front portion of the house is now used as a doctor's office. The second floor space includes a sitting room, bedroom, large bath, nanny suite, and an office. The result is godawful ugly.

This property has a covered off street parking plus a vintage garage. The kidney shaped pool is very attractive but it looks a bit dated. The rear yard needs yanked into the 21st century just like the house. The pool are garden area could be so much more without a huge expenditure of money.

I think the price reduction is a signal that the seller is now ready to sell. The asking price of $650,000 makes this property very competitive. If you are looking for a project house in a good location, please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642. I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties in Key West, Florida.

1019 Flagler Avenue - The Big House - Key West

The listing Realtor describes 1019 Flagler Avenue this way:

"This large 3bd/3ba house is situated on 2 lots totaling 9100 sq. ft. The home has multiple entrances which allows this property a wide variety of uses. Corporate retreat, large family home or a very stately single family residence. Each bedroom has its own bath and the living room and kitchen open onto a very large covered lanai which overlooks the very private pool and back yard. There is off-street covered parking and a detached garage. There is also a commercial rental (Doctor's office)downstairs for additional income."

I have shown this property to several potential buyers. I think this property would make a wonderful renovation project for someone that wants a really large house on a very large lot in the Casa Marina area that has the potential of becoming an estate type of property. Here is my take on this house.

The Monroe County Property Appraiser shows this house as having 3256 sq ft of living space (this is in conflict with the mls listing) and sits on a 9160 sq ft lot (90.25' frontage X 101.5' depth). Records show the house was built in 1938. The house was originally built of Indian Block, a man made material used in several of the larger Key West houses. There is a newer addition to the front where it appears the original first and second floor porches were enclosed with concrete blocks and 1960's or 1970's era windows and door were installed. There is also an addition on the east side with a "disco" bedroom and bath. The Florida room on the ground level has iron bars on the sliding glass doors that open on three sides. All of the windows are shuttered. The downstairs front portion of the house is now used as a doctor's office. The second floor space includes a sitting room, bedroom, large bath, nanny suite, and an office.

This house is the kind of place where the buyer could rip out the interior and rebuild from the exterior walls inward. Designers and architects do this all the time in Old Town where cute but cramped cottages are converted into comfortable living spaces.

The Monroe County Library (Historical Department) does not have any historic photos of 1019 Flagler that show what the property looked like before the porches were encased in concrete. The Indian Blocks are no longer visible on the west side of the house, but it is visible on the east side. That makes me think a new owner might have wide latitude in developing a design plan for this property. One plan might be to re-interpret the house with Indian Block and retro fit front porches on the main and second floors giving the house a traditional look. Or perhaps one could use the existing CBS stuccoed facade CLICK HERE and create a contemporary structure that would also fit into this eclectic neighborhood. HARC will definitely have a say in whatever design gets approved, but I can't see how they could dictate one style over another given what has happened to this house already. That is just my opinion, however.

The listing Realtor only has a couple of photos of the pool area. CLICK HERE and CLICK HERE. The courtyard has brick pavers and mature landscaping. There is even a 1930's vintage garage CLICK HERE at the rear corner of the property. The pool and landscaping are beautiful, but dated. There is a flagstone barbeque for example. That's a relic of the fabulous fifties. CLICK HERE to see the details submitted by the listing Realtor as well as other photos of this property.

Our office recently sold the house across the street at 1028 Flagler Avenue. CLICK HERE. It is in the process of a getting a major face lift. The sales price before face lift was $1,637,500. I understand the face lift is going to take over a year to accomplish. A very well known Key West architect lives in the houses immediately to the west of 1019 Flagler Avenue. CLICK HERE. A famous writer lives across the street on the corner. CLICK HERE.

1019 Flagler Avenue is located just a couple of blocks from the Atlantic Ocean. There are neighborhood stores about six blocks away. The Casa Marina Resort is two blocks to the west. Old Town is an easy bike ride. The Key West International Airport (I just love that name) is five minutes away. The area is quite at night. And like all of Key West, it is clean and safe.

1019 Flagler Avenue is offered at $899,000. It has been listed for sale for 582 days. If you are looking for a renovation project and would like to see this property, please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642. I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty Inc. I live in this neighborhood and I love it.