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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1510 Patricia Street - Key West Mid-Century Home

 

 

 If you were a youngster in 1954, you may recall that Disneyland (the TV show), Lassie, Rin Tin Tin, and The Tonight Show debuted.  Movies released that year include White Christmas, Rear Window, On the Waterfront, and Dial M for Murder. Lord of the Flies, Horton Hears a Who, and The Lord of the Rings were published in 1954. Life back then was much simpler than it is today.  Most families had one TV set, a family car, a telephone with a rotary dial, and house with a single bathroom shared by all family members.

The home at 1510 Patricia Street in Key West was built in 1954. It is a 1278 sq ft ranch style home located on a 5547 sq ft lot with three bedrooms, one bath, an updated kitchen, and a combined living room and dining area with doors that open out to a Florida room with jalousie windows. There's even covered parking. All of the floors are original Cuban tiles and all are in great condition. The house has been well maintained for generations. The yard has lots of green grass and a couple of palms in front.  The view from the front looking across the street is great. The back yard has more grass, some  palms, and a large cottage.  There is more than enough room for a good sized pool.

I wish my dad had created those turquoise tiles. They can be found in bathrooms across North America.

I think the cottage would make a wonderful pool house, artist's studio, or writer's cottage.  The back yard has lots of potential. CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet on this home which is offered at $479,900. This is an Estate Owned Property.

CLICK HERE to view more photos I took of this home. But better than looking at photos, please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule a private showing of this listing. I am a buyer's agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

909 Pohalski Lane - Key West - Price Reduction

One of the sweetest 'buys' in Key West just got a lot sweeter with the price reduction on 909 Pohalski Lane in Old Town Key West to $595,000. The this two bedroom / two and one-half bath home is virtually new from the ground up.   The original front room is all that remains of the cottage which stood here until only a few months ago. In its place is an entirely new building designed by Tom Pope, one of Key West's premier historic architects.  Care was given to blend the historic facade with new and expanded living space in the new rear addition.

This home was featured in the Olde Island Restoration Foundation Christmas Home Tour in December 2012. The cottages in the immediate area were know as Pohalski Village in the old days. "In 1886, an entire village for cigar makers was developed in one corner of Old Town.  This remnant of that era has just been totally rehabilitated and expanded . . . although thoroughly modern, this cottage honors its historic origins in choice of materials and style."

Today Pohalski Lane is a one-way street accessed off Truman Avenue that runs exactly one block long where it ends at Olivia Street. Locals and frequent dance and yoga enthusiasts know that Coffee Mill Dance and Yoga is located across the lane and up a bit. The lane is narrow which prevents Conch trains and trolley cars from making the Pohalski Village into a tourist attraction: hooray for small lanes! Some of the houses on the lane, like this one, do have off street parking. Click the Video below for a 60 second tour of the property. 

The original cigar makers cottage was  built circa 1889. The renovation was completed in early December 2012 and the original cottage was expanded to 1268 sq ft. The historic exterior wall and facade were preserved in front. Otherwise, the house is entirely brand-new construction including all new foundation,  Hardiboard siding, V-crimp metal roof, vaulted ceilings, Dade County Pine feature wall, Castilian Oak hardwood floor system, and custom made hurricane rated impact French doors and windows.

The new house has two bedrooms and two and one-half baths. The property was designed and built with the flexibility to be used either as a single family home or as a legal duplex.   The new living area at the rear consists of the large living room with generous garden views.  There is a half bath nestled under the stairway to the second floor bedroom. Adjacent to the bath is the laundry area tucked away under the stairs.  The kitchen also has a vaulted ceiling which many will find not only dramatic in design but also captivating in its execution.  The kitchen features Martha Steward Luxury cabinetry, Bosch and Samsung stainless steel appliances (including a professional stainless steel gas range, a rarity in Key West), granite counter tops, subway tiles, and Grohe and Kohler fixtures.   The house also has energy-efficient Mitsubishi “split” A/C systems and ceiling fans in every room. CLICK HERE to view more photos.

I was able watch the construction progress on this property from the beginning. Once the second floor bedroom was framed and the window openings were cut, I remarked the place was like a tree house. And what a luxurious tree house it is. You will find vaulted ceilings here as well.  Windows open out to the east and south where you will see roof tops of quaint little Pohalski Village cottages and palm trees. There is even a bitter orange tree with fruit growing within arm's length (if you have arms the length of and NBA player that is). You won't find rooms with this much space and this much 'altitude' in many Key West homes. Just off the bedroom is an en-suite bath. You just gotta see this bathroom. It will make you want to at least shower here and maybe entice you to buy this place.

Palm trees of various types and some fruit trees, like the bitter orange above, are located nearby and give the master bedroom the feeling of being in a tree house.

The interiors were designed by Ben Teague who with his partner, Jeff Leap, have appeared on HGTV's House Hunters episode filmed in Key West. The interiors are subtle and sophisticated.

 The second bedroom is shown below. It is located at the front of the original cottage which has been substantially rebuilt from foundation to the new roof. A Dade County Pine feature wall was added. The bathroom is located to the right in the photo below.

The front bedroom was designed to be used as a studio apartment at the option of a new owner. Electric service, water supply, and waste lines were added adjacent to the closet whereby a new owner could easily install a drop-in mini kitchen with a cook top, refrigerator, and sink. See photo below. The cost of the unit is about $1,300 which is available at AJ Madison.

Prior to construction the owner/developer asked my opinion about what might appeal to a wide audience of buyers. I told him an often stated wish of so many would-be buyers: a place which could legally rented for income to help pay some of the costs of ownership and personally use on occasion.  909 Pohalski Lane is licensed by the City of Key West for use as a duplex if a new owner decides to use it as such. The back unit is a stunning single family home by itself. There is a lockout door between the rear and front unit which, if opened, allows the front bedroom and bathroom to become a second bedroom for the whole house. Alternatively, the front unit can be rented as a studio apartment which would likely rent at $1200 per month. I estimate the back unit could rent for $2000 per month. Both front and rear units have separate electric and other utility hookups.  

Go to  909Pohalski.com for photos, site plan, floor plan, and general information.  Note there is city approved off street parking large enough to accommodate a small car. Additionally, the developer added electric and water supplies at the rear for a new owner to add a hot tub or spa. Please CLICK HERE to view the Key West Association of Realtors mls datasheet for additional information. This property is offered at $595,000.

Better yet, please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule a showing of this great new home. I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.  This really could be your home by Christmas this year if you act quickly enough.