421 Catherine Street - Key West

Just listed, but not by me, 421 Catherine Street in Key West, Florida.  This house has been totally rebuilt from the ground up. It is in tip top condition.  The listing Realtor describes the property as:

"Charming and meticulously renovated 2 bedroom 2.5 bath home in Old Town Key West. The home has a breezy front porch for relaxing and watching the interesting neighborhood stroll past. The interior is impeccable with cherry floors, and vaulted ceilings. There is a bedroom and bath on the first floor, top of the line kitchen, half bath,surround sound system, and living room which opens through French doors to the private back yard. There is a master bedroom and bath with walk-in closet and a balcony on the second floor. New roof and hurricane shutters."

The house did not always look as good as it does today. I dug into my old shoebox and found a photo taken nearly 50 years ago. The notation on the back of the photo says the house was built around 1889.

This property is a cigar maker cottage that has been enlarged from the original building with a two story addition at the rear. The addition provided more interior living space. Some original walls were removed. This permitted the builder to create living spaces that better suit the way we live our lives today. The historic entry was retained.  The classic 'shot gun' style entry hallway was retained. The hallway is now vaulted.   Wainscoting and wall sconces were added to the hallway.  Pocket doors were added to provide privacy to the first floor bedroom. The adjacent bath doubles as guest bath as well.

The kitchen is located midway in the house. This space is very welcoming and radiates warmth. Rich wood trim was added throughout the house during the renovation. The main floor ceilings are now enhanced by wood slats that give the house a sense of immense strength - at least in my mind.  Custom kitchen cabinets and the mini-bar at the rear add style to substance in these areas.

The stairway leads to the second floor master suite which includes an unique bath and large walk-in closet.  The second floor balcony that overlooks the back yard where there is room for a pool.

If you are a buyer that wants to occasionally rent a property to offset some of the costs of ownership,  I think 421 Catherine Street would make a great vacation rental.  The property is located about 1/2 block off Duval Street.  South Beach is a five minute walk to the south. LaTeDa and lots of nearby restaurants, bars, galleries, shops, and more are minutes away in either direction on Duval Street.  Vacationers will love the convenient location and the beautiful spaces, large bedrooms, and private baths.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West Association of Realtors mls datasheet and listing photos.  If you would like to see this lovely little home in person, please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

421 Catherine Street in Old Town Key West was built circa 1899. The above black and white photo shows how the house looked back in 1965. Now take a look at the old girl as she appears in November 2012 in the color photo below.  She's gotten bigger and probably looks even better than her former self. Too bad that doesn't work for humans.

 I got a chance to show this home a few days ago. I must tell you that I was impressed by three very important and very apparent factors that were readily evident when I entered the front door: quality construction, style, and attention to detail. You don't always see all three in renovations.

This property is a cigar maker cottage that has been enlarged from the original building with a two story addition at the rear. The addition provide me interior living space and allowed the builder to remover old interior walls to create larger living spaces in the historic house. The historic entry was retained and the classic 'shot gun' style entry hallway is still present. The hallway, however, is now vaulted.  Additionally, the hallway was enhanced by the addition of wainscoting and decorative wall sconces.  Pocket doors were added to provide privacy when needed to the first floor bedroom. That space is quite large compared to many of the bedrooms in similar cigar maker cottages. An adjacent bath doubles as guest bath as well.

Note the 'pocket doors' to the main level bedroom

Main floor bedroom

The kitchen is located midway in the house. This space is very welcoming and radiates warmth. Rich wood trim was added throughout the house during the renovation. The main floor ceilings are now enhanced by wood slats that give the house a sense of immense strength - at least in my mind.  Custom kitchen cabinets and the mini-bar at the rear add style to substance in these areas.

The stairway leads to master suite that takes up the entire second floor whereupon you enter through a property doorway into the bedroom chamber.  The master bath and adjacent huge closet are extraordinary in comparison to other cigar maker renovations I have seen.  There is a rear second floor balcony that overlooks the back yard.

The owner obtained permission to build a pool but never did so. A new owner may decide this would complete the house.  Whatever the case, the space is available.

This is where the pool would be located

I think 421 Catherine Street would make a great vacation rental.  The property is located about 1/2 block off Duval Street.  South Beach is a five minute walk to the south. LaTeDa and lots of nearby restaurants, bars, galleries, shops, and more are minutes away in either direction on Duval Street.  Vacationers will love the convenient location and the beautiful spaces, large bedrooms, and private baths.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West Association of Realtors mls datasheet and listing photos.  If you would like to see this lovely little home in person, please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.