Just Listed, but not by me,
622 United Street in
Key West.This
house dates back to World War II when it was used as an Army barracks
and then located at Fort Zachary Taylor in Key West. At the end of the
war the Army sold off these barracks at $100 each. Each buyer had to
relocate the barracks to a different location. The photo below shows the
approximate location where Army barracks similar to the one that was
relocated to 622 United Street once sat. The wide open street on the
right side of the photo below is United Street. Moving the house would
have been pretty easy back then because there were fewer trees and no historic body that regulated who could build what. I am not
saying it was better. It was different. And it worked.
The black and white two photo above
was taken nearly fifty years ago. The color photo was taken in November 2014. The exterior of the house looks pretty
much the same today as it did then. A small shed addition was added to
the right (west) side of the house which is where the laundry room is photo
located. A larger shed addition was added to the left (east) side of
the house which was previously a semi-enclosed porch with numerous
louvered windows which had views of the rear, east side, and front yards. If
you do a quick comparison you will see that the trees have certainly
grown and wall unit air conditioner was added. The original asbestos
siding is still intact.
I recently showed this property to a prospective buyer. It looks to me
as though the original interior walls were removed and new studs
installed to create a new layout. Some insulation has been placed
between stud walls. I'm not sure about the direction the current owner
has taken on renovation. I'm not saying it is wrong, but instead
suggesting a new owner might go another direction. I don't think
scrapping the existing layout or "improvements" would be wasteful
because so much finish work needs to be done. It makes more sense to get
the layout and finishes done which would result in a superior property.
A new owner might completely redo this simple 904 sq ft house. If I
owned this house I would remove the asbestos siding and replace with
traditional clapboard siding. I would take out the old "picture window"
and all other windows and replace with new wood windows. If I could
afford impact windows, I'd do that in a New York minute. That would save
on windstorm insurance year after year and it would eliminate the need
for ugly metal panels. The roof is looking a bit worn. It should
probably be replaced as well. This house is located on United Street
which is the second highest elevation in town. The original piers looked
to me to be in very good condition. A home inspector would need to
verify my assumption. But if I am correct, the piers do not need to be
redone and that would result in costs savings to a new owner seeking a project property.
The
current owner started to enclose the east side porch shown below. I
would remove all drywall and rethink how I could use this space. The
drywall that was installed blocked the only access from the house to the
back yard. That should be undone pronto because you have to have easy
access to your outdoor space. There is not enough room for a pool, but
there is room for a spa and patio. The room is not large enough to be
used as a bedroom, but it might be large enough to be used as a kitchen
if some of window area was enclosed to provide upper cabinets. There
would not be any space for dining, however. That's why the used needs to
be thought out before building continues.
This property is located on a well traveled street during the daytime. Traffic on this street really diminishes after 6:00 PM. The house is located next to a motel and across the street from single family homes to the east and low impact offices to the west. South Beach is located one block to the south and west. Duval Street is two blocks west. I view 622 United Street as being an excellent location for a vacation rental which is what I think this property ought to become.
622 United Street sits on a quite irregularly shaped lot of
3103 sq ft. While the front and side lot lines are easily understood, the back property line is a hodgepodge. The asking price on this fixer is
$390,000.
CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet. Please contact me,
Gary Thomas,
305-766-2642 to show you this Key West house. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at
Preferred Properties Key West. This house has a great location and a lot of upside for the right buyer.
