1213 Grinnell Street, Key West - Just Listed

Just Listed by yours truly, 1213 Grinnell Street, Key West.  This three bedroom, three bath home was built new in 1992 and sits on its own and very private 2940 sq ft lot tucked away in the back corner of the Grinnell Gardens Compound.  There three single family homes in compound plus four townhomes which share a common pool. This home has its own private pool as well. Lets' take a look.

The home has been freshly updated with new Italian porcelain floors throughout, a crisp new kitchen with stainless steel appliances and quartz counter-tops.

French doors in the first floor master bedroom open out to the private pool. More on that later. The en-suite master bath has two windows the let the filter sun sparkle through.

The first floor guest bedroom is too nice for guests. They will never go back up north. It has an adjacent full bath.

The laundry room sits to the rear of the study located just off the kitchen. The door on the right leads to a separate outdoor dining alcove overlooking the pool. The door on the left leads to a separate stand alone cottage with water and electricity that the current owner uses for storage. That square footage is not included in the house measurement.

An exterior staircase leads to the second floor bedroom with full bath. This 500 sq ft of space is a good location for the teenage boy or girl you trust or the mother-in-law you cherish.

CLICK HERE to view more photos of the home. In the short time I have writing this blog, six more people have looked at the album photos. This house is so cute it may sell before the scheduled Open House this Sunday between 12 to 2.

Grinnell Gardens has a much larger pool and water feature. This home has one assigned off street parking space. The HOA mothly fees of $250 covers common area maintenance and cable TV. Grinnell Gardens is located four blocks east of Duval Street and a short stroll or bike ride to Higgs Beach or South Beach.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet which includes a survey and building sketch in the DOCUMENTS section which you may open. Please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to schedule a showing before it is too late!!! I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

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1209 Grinnell Street #G, Key West - Grinnell Gardens

Grinnell Gardens is a compound of three duplexes and three stand alone homes located in southern part of Old Town Key West. The listing Realtor describes 1209 Grinnell Street #G this way:

"Don't miss out on the opportunity to own a well-located town house in a delightful gated compound with shared pool and lovely gardens. Downstairs is a renovated kitchen, half bath and large, open living/dining area with access to a semi-private front porch. Upstairs are the master bedroom suite with loft and access to upstairs porch. Also upstairs is the guest bedroom, second full bath and laundry. Other features include central air, high ceilings, private gated-entrance and your own parking place. The neighborhood is located between Old Town and the Casa Marina. With hurricane-rated shutters and the X-Flood zone, insurance costs are low. Don't let this great deal slip by. Act now."

I have written about Grinnell Gardens before. The homes were built to replicate the historic architecture of Old Town with new construction techniques and building materials. The homes are now 23 years old so maybe the newness has worn off but the modern functionality endures. The main floor open living concept includes a guest bath off the living area. French doors at the rear of the kitchen open out to the rear garden where a gate provides a quick exit to the parking space.

This Grinnell Garden town home has 1360 sq ft of living space divided between two floors. The home sits on a 1210 sq ft lot which is owned in fee simple - just like your home up north in America. The homes were built new in 1993. Each home evokes the style of Conch houses familiar to returning visitors to Key West and each is unique into itself. This home is located just inside the gated entry. There is a gate at the rear so that the owner can bring in groceries (or secret midnight guests). The master bedroom has a private covered front porch that looks out to courtyard and pool. The firewall between this unit and the one next door was super-insulated to provide superior sound insulation between the units.

Two of the free standing homes have private pools, but most like this home share the community pool pictured above. The compound provides lush gardens and off street parking area where each unit has its own dedicated parking spot. I know a lot of potential buyers want a place of their own and have never thought of living in a compound. I "get" the resistance argument. But there is also a separate universe of potential buyers appreciate having full time who will keep on the place when the owners are not in town. I recently sold a neighboring unit. My buyers really like the location and convenience. Association fees are only $200 per month and include pool and grounds maintenance.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet and more listing photos of 1209 Grinnell Street #G which is offered at $798,000 or just $586 per sq ft.  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. This could by your home buy Christmas.

1211 Grinnell Street, Key West - Key West Short Sale

If you've been sitting around patiently looking for a buying opportunity in Key West now is the time to pounce on 1211 Grinnell Street. The listing Realtor describes this two story  1360 sq ft home this way:

"Beautiful fee simple home in wonderful Grinnell Gardens compound, a unique compound consisting of 7 units with a large shared pool. Built in 1994 & in great shape, this attached home has two spacious bedrooms & two and one-half baths. Enjoy an open & lovely great room, a kitchen with granite counters & stainless steel appliances & wood floors throughout. The master suite has cathedral ceilings, Jacuzzi bath tub, a loft and a large balcony overlooking the pool. Venetian painted walls, private back porch and a yard complete the picture. Close to the beaches and Duval Street. This is a potential short sale transaction subject to lender approval. Buyer to pay 1.5% short sale negotiator fee. Bring Offers!"

 It's been a while since we've had a short sale in Old Town. Most of the bargain short sale deals got gobbled up a few years back. This property is being offered for sale at a price which is less than the owner owes to creditors. This property was previously under contract and a recent appraisal was obtained. In my opinion the property is appropriately priced and ought to sell at the asking price. Let me take you through the property.

 1211 Grinnell Street is located near the pool. I have shown several of the Grinnell Garden homes over the years and learned that three of the homes actually have private pools. All home owners share in the costs of maintaining the common areas and the pool, but common sense suggests that only four of the owners actually use the pool. The pool view is pretty enticing no matter from which home it is viewed.

You will notice that the homes in the Grinnell Gardens compound copy the revival style architecture found in many Old Town homes. All of the homes are two story residences with first and second floor porches except the one story building located behind the community pool. Each unit has a rear deck or patio.  While each home looks similar to the others, the homes have been modified by their respective owners since the properties were built in 1994.  This owner used a painting technique called Venetian Plaster to paint the interior walls and ceilings.  The owner purchased this home per-construction and added additional insulation between the party wall and floors to provide more sound insulation. There is a half-bath plus storage tucked under the staircase. French doors at the rear lead to the private rear deck and yard.

Home next door treats the loft space a little differently

Both second floor bedrooms are pretty good size. There is a third level "loft" in the master bedroom which is accessed with a ladder. I found a photo of the loft space in the house next door where the space is treated differently.  That owner also replaced the original kitchen cabinets and counter tops. If I bought 1211 Grinnell I would probably paint the interiors a more neutral tone and stain the wood floors a dark color to play against the lighter painted walls and crispy white trim. I would remove the glass blocks from the loft area. These inexpensive fixes would give this home a much more traditional look.

Each unit has its own dedicated off street parking spot. The common area is fenced and is accessed via a gated entry.

Click GOOGLE MAP to see where 1211 Grinnell Street is located. This property is located in the South of Truman area  of Old Town. The beaches are located about six blocks to the south. Upper Duval Street is a five minute walk to the west. The shops and restaurants in the arts district around White Street are a five minute walk to the east. While most of the units are owner occupied, it is legally permissible to rent this unit as a monthly vacation rental.


CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule a showing. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. It's time to bring Tabby inside from the heat and settle down in a new house.