Just Listed, but not by me,
828 Elizabeth Street in
Key West, Florida. This two story house is shown on the 1889 Sanborn Fire Map so we know it is at least 125 years old. It is also located on Solares Hill - the highest point on the
Island of Key West. That means if you finance this property your lender will not require that you purchase flood insurance.
CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet.
The black and white photo above was taken half a century ago. That photo shows the house in a way that is impossible to see today. The house is still the same, but it is hidden behind the palms and canopy trees that now envelope this property which takes up nearly one city lot. That's a big space for Old Town. (Lot size is 50' X 95.73 or 4865 sq ft. The old photo shows that even back in 1965 there was an exterior stairway to the second floor and that the north side of the main floor front porch had been enclosed. The stairway and enclosed porch still exist today but both can be removed in my opinion.
The property is a corner lot located at the corner of Elizabeth Street which is a one-way street headed north from Truman Avenue and Olivia Street which is a one-way street headed east from Simonton Street. This is a residential neighborhood but there are a couple of businesses located within one block of the property. Those businesses include a flower shop and day spa on Simonton, a couple of guest houses at the corner of Truman and Elizabeth, and Seven Fish Restaurant across the street. Several of the nearby houses have been converted to small apartments but the majority of the houses in the area are single family. And I think the trend for the area is definitely moving toward more single family houses. That is why I am writing about this property today because
I think it is an excellent candidate for renovation into a single family home.
The Monroe County Property Appraiser shows the house as being
1871 sq ft. The front section of the house is two story. The rear one story appears on the Sanborn Fire Map so I am not so sure its an addition as much as it may have been attached to the original house. At least it was back in 1889. That space is the current kitchen and bathroom for the first floor two bedroom apartment. The house is set back from the front lot line by about 18 feet. The rear lot line is about 25 ft from the back of the house. The north side lot line is a little over 8ft. The south side lot line is a little over 6ft.
I mention the open spaces because the excess land means a new owner might be able to add onto the existing house if so desired. And it also means a new owner could add a pool. There is ample room for both a pool and parking. There is already parking provided. A new owner might want to re-arrange the parking as it takes up some otherwise really valuable space.
There front entry hall is being used as the "living room" of sorts. There are two doors on either side of the hall where you will find smallish bedrooms. The kitchen is at the rear. The laundry room is located off the back door in an enclosed area. The current usage makes no sense in a future renovation. Walls will need to come down and new space created. I assume there is Dade County Pine located in this house. The windows are old fashioned metal louvers. Both units have window unit air conditioners.
CLICK HERE to view more photos of
828 Elizabeth Street which is offered for sale at
$859,000. Please call me,
Gary Thomas,
305-766-2642 to schedule a showing of this property. I think this property is an excellent candidate for conversion to a single family residence. A new interior stair way will need to be added. Most of the existing room partitions will likely be removed and spaces re-purposed. But after all the work is done, this could end up being one very sweet house on a large and lovely lot in Old Town Key West. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.
