923 Southard Street Key West

The very cute Conch Cottage located at 923 Southard Street was built circa 1889. I found an old photo that shows how the house looked nearly fifty years ago (see the black and white photo below). If you look carefully you can see traditional clapboard siding at the front but board and batten siding (vertical siding) on the side.  You also will see a "sawtooth" addition at the rear. I suspect that was the kitchen at that time. A later owner expanded that space to include a second floor addition.  The house today has 1476 sq ft of living space on a large lot 2675 sq ft (approximately 27' x 100') located in the heart to Old Town.  The listing Realtor describes this pretty as can be property as:

"Freshly painted entire exterior, new window sills, new deck and new fascia boards! The entrance under an arch of bougainvillea into this winsome two-story shotgun cottage has been the subject of many photographers and artists. Colorful and light-filled, with Dade County pine walls and floors, this home is the perfect retreat in the heart of Old Town. Both bedrooms are upstairs, separated by a hallway with skylights, closets and a nook; step out of the bright master suite onto the deck overlooking your tropical paradise, landscaped and fenced for ultimate privacy, with a bougainvillea-roofed lanai, outdoor shower, heated plunge pool and bodega. This home is a real treat."

Today the cigar maker's cottage rests behind a picturesque white picket fence and trellis that frames the house.  The front porch provides the perfect perch for people walking.  Inside, you are greeted by a traditional hallway that leads to the rear with various rooms located opposite.

The front room is used by the current owner as an office. The second room is probably best described as the living room but a new owner could easily convert this space to a ground level bedroom because there is a full bath immediately adjacent. 

The cheerful kitchen and dining area at the rear. French doors open out to a covered rear deck that looks out to the dip pool. It is, however, the expansive backyard with flowering trees and orchids that beckons "Look at me!". I have shown this home several times and each time I fall in love with the space again. I could hear birds singing from every direction. I could not get enough of this glorious space.

Two bedrooms and another bath are located on the second floor. Sometimes in our older houses bedroom spaces are super cramped. I don't think that is the case here. I found both bedrooms to be quite adequate.  As the listing Realtor points out, the bedrooms are separated by a spacious hallway that separates the two bedrooms. Rustic beams accent this space.  The rear bedroom has a deck that overlooks the tropical garden and pool below. The deck is totally private. It would be the perfect place to get that all-over Key West tan.

A table for two is located on the rear deck. It provides another perfect perch for viewing the garden.  I sat there as my buyers and the listing agent discussed the house. My eyes darted from tree to tree and flowering tropical plant to orchids hanging in trees. The peace and quiet of this delightful garden was disturbed only by the warbling of song birds and the whirl of the pool. CLICK HERE to view more photos I took of this pretty property in paradise.

Frequent visitors to Key West will recognize the value of this location which is across the street and down a few houses from Five Brothers Deli. Mangia Mangia and Michael's are located less than a block to the west. Duval Street is just four blocks west and the Historic Key West Seaport is four blocks to the north.  You can walk to just about anyplace important in Key West in about ten minutes or less.  I think this property would make a great vacation rental. You could not ask for a more picturesque setting in which to spend a few weeks to recuperate from living in urban madness or suburban sprawl. 

There is nothing so pleasing as to be able to walk out your front door with your dog, your mate, or your best friends and being able to take a brief walk to places others dream about all year long. When you live in Key West you are living the dream.  Many people work in tedious jobs and get a couple of weeks vacation each year. Some spend hundreds or thousands of dollars to come travel to Key West for a few days (or weeks) of rest and relaxation. Most of us who live here absolutely love it.
 

923 Southard Street is offered at $795,000. CLICK HERE to view the Key West Association of Realtors mls datasheet and to view listing photos. Better yet, please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to arrange a private showing for you. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc.  This house is exactly what so many potential second home buyers seek in a Key West home. 

1020 Grinnell Street - An Affordable and Adorable Conch Cottage - Key West

Just listed by Preferred Properties Key West, that's where I work but this is not my listing, 1020 Grinnell Street in the Old Town North of Truman Area of  Key West.  Bargain hunters and serious buyers better act quickly to snag this terrific cottage home, offered at $499,000, because it will sell quickly. (The last time this house was on the market was 2003 when  it sold in just three days.)  CLICK HERE to view the Key West Association of Realtors mls datasheet and listing photos.  

The listing Realtor describes this home this way:

"This ADORABLE Conch Cottage with two bedrooms and a bath includes high cathedral ceilings and personifies the vision of owning a cottage in Key West. The home boasts a lovely front porch where you can cozy up with a cup of coffee in the morning and end your day in the fenced in privacy of your quaint backyard, relaxing in the dipping pool to unwind. Other highlights include hardwood floors throughout, corian counters, plenty of kitchen cabinets and two loft spaces. The back yard features low maintenance decking, a dipping pool, and storage shed. Come to 1020 Grinnell Street and find your little piece of paradise in Key West."

I searched the Sanborn Fire Maps and found this house was first shown on the 1899 map.  That means the house was built that year or some time prior to then.  The Monroe County Property Appraiser shows construction date as 1938. We know that date is not correct because Key west was in the midst of the Great Depression. The public records were destroyed in the great fire of 1896 and were reconstructed by workers from the WPA during the Great Depression. The WPA created dates that did not necessarily have any relation to reality.  Irregardless, it is interesting to have a closer approximation as to when any Key West property was actually constructed.  I found a black and white photo of this home taken in 1965. Compare the way it looked nearly half a century ago with the way it looks in 2013.  In my opinion, it looks better now than before. Note also the front door has been relocated from the right to the left side of the house. That is just the beginning of changes made to this old house.

I did some further searching and found the really old photo below that shows the historic Key West Fire House that is located two doors to the south.  If you look carefully you will see 1020 Grinnell Street at the far right of the photo.

circa 1914

If you have been a reader of my blog you may recall that the old firehouse at 1026 Grinnell Street is now a museum.  If you buy 1020 Grinnell Street you won't need to fear being awakened by fire bells and sirens. You should be comforted to know that this location is valued by generations of Conchs - locals who grew up in this neighborhood and whose family members served in the fire department. The last photo above shows folk art created by local artist Ronny Bailey to commemorate the old fire station.

While 1020 Grinnell Street looks like a typical cigar maker cottages on the outside, it is not typical on the inside. The relocated front door opens into an expansive living area that runs almost the length of the house. The living room has a vaulted ceiling. Crisp white interior walls and ceiling are juxtaposed against the rich dark real wood floor that give this space real character. Separate ladders lead to little lofts located at either end of the living space. The rear loft (shown below) is the guest sleeping area.  The sense of height and volume in this space is quite dramatic without being pretentious.

A galley kitchen provides lots of storage space with the contemporary cabinets that rise to the ceiling.  It is amazing how much storage and work space this kitchen has to offer.  The door at the rear leads to the rear deck and pool. There is a subtle blend of old and contemporary architectural features throughout this house.

This house has two bedrooms but three sleeping areas.  Remember I mentioned the front entry door was relocated to the left. The original entry hall that ran from the front door to the rear of the house has been re-purposed. The front portion is now a small bedroom with space suitable for a single bed. Or maybe the space could be used as an office. Or maybe both. The loft space at the rear will accommodate a full or queen size mattress. The rear wall is a series of glass panels that permit daytime light to partially illuminate the loft space. The loft will work for a younger crowd and friends and relatives who don't plan to stay too long.

The master bedroom is located at the rear on the main level.  The bedroom is quite spacious.  It has immediate access to the adjacent bath which has a second door for entry off the living room. A set of French doors open out to the rear deck and pool. The walls are Dade County Pine that have been painted a soft pastel green. The crown molding, baseboard, and trim are all painted white. The rich dark floors add punch to make this room so satisfying to the eye.

Old sheds at the rear of the property were given new life. One  shed that now houses the pool equipment looks like a tiny cottage. Another serves as the laundry room.  The deck is quite spacious and should provide good sunning opportunities throughout the year. The pool isn't big, but this house is not made for someone with a huge ego.

CLICK HERE to view all of the photos I took of this really interesting home.  The house is located just a couple of doors north of the old Key West fire department that is now a museum.  Most of the Old Town area gyms and yoga studios are within a brief walk from this location. Fausto's Food Palace is located three blocks to the east. Bayview Park is one block further to the east. Duval Street is about a five minute walk to the west.  I think this charming cottage would make a great second home or even a primary residence for an owner seeking a small home with space for an occasional guest.

If you would like to see 1020 Grinnell Street before someone snaps it up, please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642.  I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. 

112 Hutchinson Lane - Key West

112 Hutchinson Lane in the Bahama Village area of Key West first appeared in my blog soon after it was listed in late July. It is time for a second visit.. As is my habit, I checked the old Sanborn Fire Maps of Key West to see if I could determine the approximate date this old house was built.  Frequent readers know that our county property records were destroyed in the great fire of 1886. Workers from the WPA during the Depression reconstructed property records and unfortunately erroneous "construction" dates..  In the case of 112 Hutchinson Lane I found what I think is the house in the 1892 Sanborn Map.  The problem is the houses are clearly marked in the correct area on the map but the map makes no reference to the then unnamed "lane".  No matter, we can tell by looking at the black and white photo below which was taken in 1965 that the house was ancient then. Compare the way it looked then to the way it looks today. I wish people aged as gracefully.  Really, I do.

According to the property records the house is 720 sq ft and sits on a 43.5' x 66' (2872 sq ft) lot midway down one of the slowest lanes in Key West. Mind you, this lane is only one block long and dead-ends at the end where a small compound of four homes share a pool.  More than half of the homes on this little lane have been updated.

This house has one of the wider lots which would probably allow for the reduction of the current two car off street parking spots into just one. That would then allow for the addition of a new swimming pool running from the  mid side yard rear toward the rear fence. There is a backyard, but the set backs would only permit a dip pool if the pool were built at the rear.

The house itself is a typical cigar maker cottage with the door on the left. A hallway runs from front to rear along the south wall.  The front room is the living room which is followed by two  bedrooms. The kitchen and bath are at the rear.  The kitchen is quite small. Entry to the bath is off the kitchen. The bath was updated in 2012 and 2013. The roof was replaced in 1996 but looks new.  The exterior siding is board and batten and looks good condition.  I was surprised by how nicely maintained this house looks.

A cottage across the lane appears to have been the victim of a fire. It is in the early stages of a redo. I will be the fire damage house ends up looking wonderful after it is redone.  None of the houses on this block are rundown. 

 Hutchinson Lane is located three blocks west of Duval Street. Truman Avenue is a one way street heading west toward the new Truman Waterfront development.  Olivia Street is a one way street heading east from the waterfront passed Duval and through Old Town. The neighborhood is mostly residential with the exception of several restaurants near the corner of Petronia and Thomas Street. Blue Heaven is probably the most famous restaurant there.  The Ft Zach Taylor State Park and Beach are within walking distance. When the new Truman waterfront is opened access to the water will be maybe five minutes at most. 

 CLICK HERE  to viewt he Key West mls datasheet on 112 Hutchinson Lane which is offered at $415,000 or $591 per sq ft. I took more exterior photos of the house and the block which you can see if  you CLICK HERE. Better than looking at photos, please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule a showing of this little cigar maker cottage. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.