909 Eaton Street, Key West

The listing Realtor describes 909 Eaton Street in Key West this way:

"Isola Bella is where the Mediterranean meets the Caribbean. Gated and private, this historic Key West home is reminiscent of a Sicilian Villa. The spacious front yard and patio dining area are relaxing spaces adorned by Italian Cypress trees and statues fit for a Roman piazza. Ionic columns frame the welcoming front porch, leading to an interior masterpiece of original Cuban tile floors and custom built cabinetry. The open living area flows into a colorful breakfast nook, where French doors open to the inviting pool and patio. 2 BD/2BA main house with 1 BD/1BA guest quarters, off-street parking and walking distance to the Historic Seaport, White Street, and Duval Street. Featured on the 2009 OIRF Historic Homes tour, this unique property is your chance to experience Old Town Key West with a twist of Sicilian flair. Priced below recent appraised value!"

This is an Old Town home unlike any you have seen before in this blog or in person, of that I am sure. It is definitely worth a look if you are a buyer seeking a really nice home in a good location with a pool and off street parking which is offered at a reasonably affordable price. The house itself was built new in 1958 and later renovated to its current state. It is a CBS house with stucco finish with 1312 sq ft of air conditioned living space situated on a 50' X 106' lot (5326 sq ft) - that is equivalent to a standard lot in Casa Marina or twice the size of a standard Old Town lot.

Although the house has been updated, some original features such as the Cuban tile floors remain to add character to this home. In fact the first thing I noticed when I entered this home was the floors which are in impeccable condition. The living room alcove is to the left of the front entry. The bedrooms are located to the right. As you pass through the dining area French doors come into view and after that the covered patio and pool emerge.

The kitchen provides all the necessities in a colorful and compact environment. The pool area has both covered and sunny spaces. As much as you will want a sunny pool, you will quickly realize you need shade as well.  CLICK HERE to view more photos of this ingenious property.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet. 909 Eaton Street is offered at $1,170,000. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule a showing of this home. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

Back on the Market: Two Unique Key West Houses that Ought to Pique Your Interest

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about a newly listed Bank Owned house located at 1441 Thompson Street in Key West. I receive a bunch of phone calls and emails from prospective buyers interested in more information. I showed the place to a couple of prospect, and then I left town to go to Las Vegas for a couple of days. The calls kept coming no matter where I was. Suddenly, the listing status of 1441 Thompson Street changed from 'active' to 'pending'.  I learned but cannot tell readers what happened. Then on May 19th the status changed again - this time back to active.  CLICK HERE to read my earlier blog on this property.  This house will be sold only through an online auction. I think this is an incredible deal and want potential buyers to know the place is still for sale.  UPDATE - 3:32 PM, MAY 29TH.  This property status was changed again at 3:05 PM today. This house sold today at $380,100. The earlier status change may have been an error made by listing agent or someone in our mls who can change status on listings. 

Then there is the little two bedroom house located at the end of a private lane entered in the mid 700 block of Simonton Street. There's a big clearing at the end of the lane. Several houses share the wide gravel parking lot bounded by towering palms and privacy fences. The location is just one block off Duval Street which makes the location a perfect place to own a vacation home - near everything but insulated from the traffic and tourists that seem to take over much of Old Town during waking hours. That's why I like this little place - it's hidden away from the tourists. It's private, simple, and not that expensive. CLICK HERE to read my earlier blog on this simple house at 720 Simonton Street Rear that is still for sale for only $519,000.

622 Grinnell Street Key West - Back on the Market

I have written about 622 Grinnell Street in Old Town Key West in four prior blogs. It went under contract at the end of March and just came back on the market. This house is in about as original condition as one can get in Old Town.  The extra wide Dade County Pine walls on the first floor tell this is a very old house. The planks are much wider than seen in houses built in the late 1800s or early 1900s. As old growth lumber was used up, builders started using newer woods with planks not as large. After all the Dade County Pine was used up, builders had to import woods from other areas.

The house has been used as three separate living units since it was purchased by the current owners' family in the 1930s. There is no interior staircase - in fact I am not sure there ever was an interior staircase.  The property consists of the main house and a separate cottage that fronts onto Canfield Lane. The main house is divided into two units. The ground floor is a chopped up two bedroom. It has use of the front porch and a side porch that looks out to Canfield Lane.   

 The second and third floors are rented as one living unit although both floors have small kitchens and baths. The second floor is laid out just like the first floor but it shows much better. The second floor has exclusive access to the second floor balcony that has a commanding view of Grinnell Street. This is one of the best balconies I have ever stood upon. For some reason this house stands so much taller than other homes. The third floor is accessed via spiral staircase on the south side exterior staircase. The the third floor landing provides an almost 360 degree view of the area. You can see the towers of St. Mary's Basilica and the roofs of smaller Conch Houses all over Old Town.

The house has an almost imposing presence on the street. It stands so tall compared to other houses on the block.  I think this is one of the best properties for sale in our market at this time. If you are a buyer looking for a project house, this may be the one.

Consider the listing agent's description:

"Wonderful, original conch home with three legal units. Great location and superb street presence. Access to the rear cottage is from a lane.Possible conversion back to single family and would be a really spectacular property as such. Opportunity to work with a property that has been maintained while leaving a Key West flavor."

The rooftop deck on the main house has an incredible view of the area. You can even see the spires at St Mary's Basilica. Most of the lot is covered with tropical foliage and red brick pavers. The house itself has been maintained. It would, however, benefit from a total renovation.  Inside the rooms have the character that people who love our dear old homes seek. The house is filled with Dade County Pine and old glass with ripples. There are little cubby holes and scuttles and treasures galore throughout this old house.

The second floor is shown below when I photographed it when the owner lived in the property.  It was about as quintessential Key West as you can get.

The listing agent states that the property as a whole has 2740 sq ft of living space and sits on a 57' x 83' (4683 sq ft) lot. I think the highest and best use of this house is to convert the property into a single family home and use the Canfield Lane cottage as a guest cottage.  CLICK HERE to view a slideshow of photos of this property.

This block of Grinnell Street is one of the quietest blocks in Old Town because it ends at Angela Street which is the northern border of the Key West cemetery. That means the Conch trains and trolleys will not be passing this house because they cannot torn onto Angela Street. Your life will be quieter because of this. Instead, you will see the occasional tourist on bike or many a neighbor walking a dog to the Grinnell Street Pocket Park up on the corner.

Five Brothers is located down the block at the corner of Southard Street. The Key West Historic Seaport is located three blocks further north and Duval Street is located five blocks to the west. Most of the gyms and yoga studios are located within a five to ten minute walk.

622 Grinnell Street is offered at $1,200,000. CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls data sheet on this property. Or better than that, please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642.  I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. Let me help you find your place in Paradise.

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