703 Elizabeth Street - A Quintessential Key West Cottage

Just listed, but not by me, a quintessential cottage in the heart of Old Town Key West. The three bedroom home is located at 703 Elizabeth Street is located just steps away from the highest point on the island. So many potential buyers are fearful of being flooded. If water ever reaches this location, all humanity will be gone.  The listing Realtor lures potential buyers with his description of the property:

"Quintessential Key West cottage located at the top of Solares Hill. Open floor plan, high ceilings, bright rooms, Dade County Pine floors. Historic charm abounds. Two bedrooms downstairs and large master bedroom on second floor. Exterior siding has been meticulously maintained revealing the beautiful antique board and batten siding that graces this historic jewel. Spacious indoor/outdoor living room. Off-street parking and tropical yard with heated pool, lush landscaping and great privacy. Outdoor living room area merges with indoor space through folding doors that celebrate the Key West lifestyle. Centrally located near world famous Duval Street, yet on a quiet one-way street with little traffic. A Gorgeous Solares Hill Beauty."

I got to take photos of the property late Tuesday afternoon. I must tell you that I am surprised it is not under contract even though it has only been in the mls three days as of today (Wednesday).  This place has the location, features, and charm would-be second home buyers want these days. CLICK HERE to view the photos I took.

You enter the house via gated entrance located at the end of the driveway.  French doors open into the large open living area that just bounds with charm. Another set of French doors on the right wall open out to the rear yard and pool area. The kitchen is located to the left rear and just beyond that is a stairway to the second floor. The two downstairs bedrooms are located at the front of the house on the main floor.

 The two main floor bedrooms are of average size for an Old Town house.  There is adequate room for a queen size bed in each room plus dresser and some decorative items to make the rooms scream "Key West!".  The third floor bedroom runs the entire breadth of the main part of the house. The listing agent offered that a new owner might try to obtain permission from HARC to add one or two dormers t to the rear side of the roof where one might create a second bathroom. I have seen this done on other properties.  I think it could work.

The side yards on either side of the house have brick pavers on the walkways. The photo above is on the south side where the landscaping is illuminated at night.

I think this property would make a wonderful vacation rental for an owner who wants to do an occasional rental to help reduce some of the costs of home ownership in Key West.

703 Elizabeth Street has 1404 sq ft of living space and sits on a 2650 sq ft lot in a great Old Town location.  CLICK HERE to view the Key West Association of Realtors mls datasheet and to view listing photos.  But better than that, please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule a showing of this house. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. Hurry, though,  I really think this place will go under contract very quickly!

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1109 Virginia Street - Old Town - Key West

Just listed by Preferred Properties, but not by me, 1109 Virginia Street in the Old Town area of Key West. This two bedroom/one bath home has vaulted ceiling in the combined living room and kitchen areas. French doors open out to the rear deck and pool. The place is cozy and comfy and is priced to sell at just $435,000. CLICK HERE to view the Key West Association of Realtors mls datasheet.

The listing Realtor describes the property this way:

"Charming conch home located in great neighborhood. One block from White Street, shopping and restaurants. Two bedroom / one bath home with nice front porch. Deep lot. Small pool."

The house is laid out different than the photo above would suggest. The main entry is located on the west side of the house mid-way between the main bedroom which is at the front of the house. The living area is at the rear. This layout is typical of many older homes that have had room re-assignments that place sleeping areas up front and save the money views of a pools and gardens for the living areas that are often relocated to the rear of homes.

The house has 720 sq ft of living space that sits on a 28' x 103' lot with mature trees at the rear. The main bedroom is quite large while the second bedroom is not so large. There is a second level loft which is not included in the square footage. The living space is quit comfortable as it now exists. The listing agent suggested that a new owner might be able to add a guest cottage at the very rear of the property. The foundation of an old out building remain in place just in a case a new owner might want to obtain permission to build a new structure.

Foundation of former out building

 One of the nice features of this house is the large sunny deck and inviting pool. I think the house looks and functions great the way it currently sits. A new owner could always do some tweaking to make the place extra special, but the house really does not need any major work done to it.

If you are  a fitness freak or yoga fan, this is the area  for you.  There are several gyms and yoga studios within a couple of blocks walk.  The Atlantic Ocean is a few blocks to the south.  All of the hoopla of Duval Street is within a 7 to 10 minute walk.

CLICK HERE to view the other photos I took of this property.  If you would like to see 1109 Virginia Street or any other property in Key West, please contact me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule a showing.  I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. Let me help you find your place is Paradise.

1015 Angela Street - Old Town - Key West

1015 Angela Street - Old Town- Key West

This is another one of those just listed but not by me blog posts. The listing Realtor describes his new listing at 1015 Angela Street this way:

"Quaint one bedroom cottage located in the heart of Old Town Key West within walking distance to shops and restaurants. The cottage includes offstreet parking, pool and rocking chair front porch. The home is perfectly comfortable now or would make a great renovation project."

1015 Angela Street, Key West, Florida as it appeared in 1965

1015 Angela Street in September 2011

The Monroe County Property Appraiser's website shows this house was built in 1923. It has 673 sq ft of living space on one level. The house sits on a corner lot where Catholic Lane meets Angela Street. The lot is 47' wide by 50' or 2350 sq ft. You can view a slide show of exterior and neighborhood photos if you CLICK HERE.

I found the old black and white photo (above) that shows how the house looked nearly half a century ago. My how time flies. I like this photo because it shows the simplicity of design this house offers. Look at the two photos just below. They show the house as viewed from the Catholic Lane side. The shed addition is still in place. A carport extension was added to the very rear years ago and it appears to be rusting away.


A potential buyer that wants to increase the size of this house might be able to add onto the space where the shed addition is located and thereby create a second story second bedroom and bath. A good local architect can explain the rules and feasibility of such an undertaking. I think it is possible, but I defer to land planners and architects to advise buyers as to what is likely to be permitted.

You may be more familiar with this location than you think. Click GOOGLE MAP for an aerial perspective of the location and then use the toggle switch for a street view. The Key West cemetery is located directly across the street. Catholic Lane, as the sign warns, is a dead end. That means that the area is pretty darned quiet most of the time, but especially at night after the tourists have headed to sunset celebration or their favorite watering hole.

The house next door on Catholic Lane

If this house were to be renovated and expanded in size to include a second bedroom, I think it could become an excellent vacation rental. It already has an excellent location with off street parking. And there is a pool. I have not seen the inside. The place is tenant occupied and I expect the place needs renovation to achieve the kind of look most second home buyers want. That being said, expect that the place needs some work to achieve the aesthetic look you may want. The asking price on this property is only $425,000. That is a bargain price for a house in this location. The house has a newer roof and the place looks well maintained. Any money you might spend will like go to improving the house versus fixing a problem. Otherwise, a fresh coat of paint and some new landscaping would improve the street appeal immensely. And neither of those is expensive.

If you buy this house your eternal view across Angela Street will be the big blue skies of Key West hovering over the Key West cemetery. Angela Street is a one lane and one way street that runs west from Frances Street to Windsor Lane at this location.

The View from 1015 Angela Street - Key West

One of Key West's "pocket parks" is located up the next block at the corner of Angela and Grinnell Street.


5 Brother's Grocery and Sandwich shop is located at the corner of Grinnell and Southard. The rest of Old Town Key West is just minutes away by foot.

If you would like to see 1015 Angela Street or any other house in Key West, please contact me, Gary Thomas, or by email at kw1101v@aol.com. I am a buyer's agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West, Florida. Let me help you find your new home or business in Paradise. Living in Paradise is not a slogan, it's a way of life.

Price Reduction - 820 Windsor Lane - Key West

820 Windsor Lane - Old Town - Key West

Today I am once again writing about the really cute little house at 820 Windsor Lane in Old Town Key West. This property is listed by Preferred Properties. That's where I work, but this is not my listing. The asking price was just reduced to $398,000 or $324 per sq ft. The listing Realtor describes the property this way:

"Location & Charm. Two-story conch home on a corner lot in a great old town neighborhood, this property offers original historic details with an attractive floor plan: guest bedroom and bath are downstairs while the master bedroom and half-bath occupy the entire upstairs. Features include high ceilings, Dade Co. Pine walls & floors, spacious rooms and an open kitchen with breakfast bar. Front porch, a private deck and a bricked patio provide outdoor living. House is owner-occupied and all systems function, but it's rough around the edges and is a good candidate for a major renovation."

In his book The Streets of Key West: a History through Street Names J. Willis Burke says Poorhouse Lane got its name because "a poorhouse was once tucked away there". I found another of those old photos that show how this property looked like in 1965. Poorhouse Lane is denoted by the unpainted vertical fence on the opposite side of the house. See the photo below. Now look at a similar photo I took in December 2010 looking in the same basic direction. With the overgrown trees and cars it is hard telling it is the same place. But it is.

820 Windsor Lane circa 1965 - Poorhouse Lane is denoted by the vertical unpainted fence

820 Windsor Lane as it appears in 2010 hidden behind the foliage

820 Windsor Lane is a two bedroom two bath home that sits on a good sized 40' x 50' lot just across the street from the Key West cemetery. Click GOOGLE MAP for an aerial perspective of the location. The street view is inaccurate as it shows only the fence on Poorhouse Lane. St. Mary's Catholic Church is located two blocks to the south at the corner of Windsor Lane and Truman Avenue (that's where James Bond parachuted to the church to be best man at his friend's wedding). Bill Butler Park is a short one block walk at the west end Poorhouse Lane. I must confess the City of Key West ought to spend more time and more money to maintain this potential gem.

Poorhouse Lane ends is one block long and ends at Bill Butler Park

Bill Butler Park

The Historic Key West Seaport is a five or six minute walk to the north. I mention that not because a lot of potential buyers have boats or plan to go on fishing trips or sunset cruises, but because there are many great restaurants there. I love Harpoon Harry's for breakfast and lunch (great "real" hamburgers). A lot of friends are wild about the Half Shell Raw Bar located on the water's edge.

You can walk to Duval Street in about five minutes. The fact is you can be just about any place in Key West within ten minutes by car. You can be most places in Old Town by foot or bike in about the same time. And it is that convenience that makes a location like 820 Windsor Lane so appealing.

Front room used as an office or second bedroom

Open living, dining and kitchen

Master bedroom and open bath

This home has a very Old Key West feel. All rooms are natural (unpainted) Dade County Pine walls, ceilings, and floors with all windows and doors painted white. The window panes are old and the glass has 'stretch marks' that show their age. There front room downstairs does double duty as an office/den and second bedroom. There is a full bath on main floor. The living room, dining area, and kitchen are one big open space with lots of windows. The master bedroom and an open bath occupy the entire second floor. There front porch has view of the Key West cemetery. The side and back yards are private and spacious. But there is not room for a pool.

CLICK HERE to checkout the current Key West mls datasheet on this property and to view more listing photos. Or you can CLICK HERE for a slide show of more photos I took of this property. Better yet please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule a showing of this cute Conch Cottage. I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West, Florida.