711 Olivia Street, Key West

Buyers who missed getting that special little Key West house at an affordable price should take note of the new listing at 711 Olivia Street in Key West. I had an opportunity to show this sweet, but untouched in decades, Old Town home a short time ago. I think it has a lot of potential for that special someone with an urge to renovate. I dug down into my old shoebox and found the black and white photo below taken back in 1965. Note the two story house located next door to the east. I could not find a photo of that place. That two story house has since been razed and a new one story garage sits in its place. The lot measures 67' X 50' (3340 sq ft).

I then searched the Historic Sanborn Fire Maps and quickly learned that this home appeared in the 1889 Sanborn Map and was then identified as 418 Olivia Street. The street number was changed to 711 Olivia Street on the 1892 map. The house sits at the corner of Galveston Lane. Last year I wrote about the house next door to the rear at 845 Galveston Lane (photo below). That eyebrow house underwent a thorough renovation and expansion and then sold for a whopping $2,300,000 in September 2016.  The one and a half story home to the west is currently under renovation.

The Monroe County Property Appraiser shows 711 Olivia Street as having 1124 sq ft under air with first floor having 624 sq ft and the second floor 520. (I took the floor area measurements from the Appraiser's website.) The difference between first and second floor area is the rear one story sawtooth addition to the main structure. Renovations of homes like this normally change the total interior configuration.  Back in the old days these houses had smaller one purpose rooms. Today I could envision a new owner rearranging the layout, vaulting the ceiling in the sawtooth addition, adding French doors on the east side to open out to the new pool. Just as the Galveston Lane eyebrow house was transformed into a thing of beauty, the charming facade of 711 Olivia and its interior will be updated to look and function with 21st century perfection.

Longtime blog readers may know that our Historic Architectural Renovation Commission will have to approve any renovation of this property including what might be done to the existing 359 sq ft garage.  I was surprised to learn that the garage includes a toilet. That suggests to me that a new owner might try to include that building as a part of the renovation of the entire property. It might become a guest cottage. Someone more ambitious might try to add a second story - a two story house used to exist there. First first thought was to raze garage to create a large pool and garden area.  The thought occurred of adding a small linear pool between the main house and the converted guest house. There still would be off street parking space available at the front of the lot.

711 Olivia Street is an easy stroll to Duval Street located two blocks to the west. Olivia Street is one of the longest streets in Old Town. It runs from the edge of Ft. Zachary Taylor State Park and Beach to Eisenhower Drive - about 1.5 miles. Olivia is a one-way street and is used more by locals than tourists as they have no idea where they are going most of the time. There is a little neighborhood store located about two hundred feet east of this home. I should also mention an agent in our office sold the large two story house visible in the above earlier this year for $2.2 million. I suspect 711 Olivia would fetch a pretty heft price if it were to flipped rather than lived in by a new owner.

The listing agent informed me that this property has been actively shown in the past couple of weeks and advised any potential buyer to act quickly. That is good advice. I am surprised it is still available. 711 Olivia Street is offered for sale at $650,000. CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS for more detailed information and then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

712 Ashe Street, Key West Florida - All New Home in a Charming Old Town Location

712 Ashe Street in 1965

I have written a couple of blogs about the former house that used to sit at 712 Ashe Street in Key West. The old house was a tragic mess from front to back and side to side. The floors and ceiling were literally falling down. The place was not a safe place to live, but it was occupied until the very end when the sellers moved away. You can't tell it from the photos, but the old house is completely gone. The house could not be salvaged except for some members of the original porch which itself had been bastardized by the addition of siding and windows to create more interior living space.  The new owner kept the porch and built the new house in place retaining the porch element which will be restored as a porch.  The architectural rendering at the top shows the facade after it is completed.

Metal shed at the back of the 93' deep lot was taken down and all the tropical rubbish removed

I was at the property last week and took some photos of the house and pool area as it exists.  Below are several photos which show the exterior as it exists today. The house had "Novelty Siding" which is a tongue and grove with a bevel to add a bit of drama to the clapboard. This siding appears on many of the homes in Old Town. That siding is still available today and will wrap the front and both sides of the master bedroom which is at the front of the new structure.  The new entry door will be located on the right side of the house about 20 ft from the front sidewalk. Hardiboard siding will wrap the remainder of the house. Hardiboard is a concrete based material that looks like traditional wood siding. It resists the sun, heat, humidity, and rain. It is said to be 99% fire resistant and it is termite resistant - what stupid termite would eat concrete?  New wind impact resistant windows and doors will be added throughout the house as well.

The new home will have 1325 square feet of living space. The master bedroom with ensuite bath is located at the front. That room has a vaulted wood ceiling which will add dimension and character to the space. Two guest bedrooms share a Jack-and-Jill bath. There is also a guest bath and laundry area. The balance of the home is located at the rear. That room will have a 14 foot vaulted ceiling which is fairly dramatic in itself, especially for Old Town. More dramatic is the new rear wall which will be all glass. Windows on either side of the living space will allow additional light.

The rear wall opens onto an Ipe deck and pool area which will be lushly landscaped for the new owner as part of the final property. This home is scheduled to be completed for move-in by November. The house is being painted white throughout. If it is purchase now, a new owner could have some choices in the final touches to be added to the property prior to completion.  CLICK HERE to view more photos of this property. Don't let the mess confuse you. This is a Class A project. it will look great when completed. The owner showed me this and I could see the pride in his eyes as he described how he planned this project and how it will function for the new homeowner.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet on 712 Ashe Street, Key West which is offered at $1,350,000. 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. 

903 Eaton Street, Key West - OPEN HOUSE

OPEN HOUSE - Today

11:00 AM to 2:00 PM

903 Eaton Street, Key West

Development Potential 50 foot X 106 foot deep lot - 5300 sq ft

Existing two bedroom one bath home is in move-in condition.

The existing house can be razed!  

Walk the Lot. Admire the neighboring homes. 

Imagine what you create.

Someone is going to buy this place and create something new.

Could that someone be you?

CLICK HERE to view the KEY WEST MLS datasheet on 903 Eaton Street offered at $795,000 by Gary Thomas at Preferred Properties Key West. Phone 305-766-2642 Email kw1101v@aol.com