324 Whitehead Street, Key West - Historic Truman Annex Residence

The listing Realtor, not me, describes 324 Whitehead Street in Key West this way:

"Historic Truman Annex Naval Officers home, circa 1906, featuring 5 bedrooms each with its own ensuite bathroom. Classic front double porches grace the facade of this home, one of the most grandiose in Old Town Key West. Home has been extensively restored to feature a chef's kitchen, formal sitting room, spacious dining area, media room, and guest cottage with large indoor/ outdoor living room not included in living square footage. Master suite boasts a sun-filled sitting room that serves as its entrance. Spacious guest rooms and closets throughout. Over 1000 sq. ft. covered decks and porches. Property has off-street parking via the gated access of Truman annex, yet offers an entrance off Whitehead Street for easy walking access."

One of the things I love about my job is that I get to see the interiors of some pretty incredible homes. I love to see unique cigar Cigar Maker Cottages and Eyebrow Houses. Sometimes I find a Grand Conch or Bahama House that is just "done to a T".  I am always finding some extraordinary architecture or interior design in the Casa Marina Area. The home at 324 Whitehead Street is and exquisite renovation and expansion of what was historically a Naval officer's residence. Today it is a gracious private home offered for sale at $4,495,000.

I dug into the old shoebox and found three photos that date back to the first part of the twentieth century that show 324 Whitehead Street. The first (above) is an aerial photo of  324 Whitehead Street taken in the 1920s. The entire area shown in that photo was part of the US Naval Station until the 1980s. Today much of that area is now part of the Truman Annex. Some of the buildings shown in the top of the photo have been razed and replaced by the Marriott Hotel and condominiums. The middle photo shows 324 Whitehead Street in the 1930s. The bottom photo shows the main gate to the former Naval Station which is about 100 feet north of 324 Whitehead Street. The grandeur of the gates and the facades of the houses let's us know that the military officers lived in style. Wait till you see the inside.

An iron fence and broad lawn punctuated by tall palms separates the house from Whitehead Street. The front porch sits high off the ground and gives a commanding view of the street.  The front porch is extra wide and runs the length of this huge house. Multiple sets of French doors provide alternate points of entry to the home.

Unlike modern architecture which has rooms with open spaces and sometimes undefined purposes, this grand old house has specific rooms for specific purposes. The front parlor with fireplace is separated from the formal dining room by an interior sets of petite French doors. An informal living area is located on the opposite side of the main floor front. The extra large chef's kitchen is at the right rear. 

The attached guest cottage, pictured above, was added to the north side of the home. The bedroom with en-suite bath sits just inside the covered veranda which evokes a sense of grandeur from long ago. The veranda overlooks the pool below. 

When I arrived at the second floor landing I looked directly into the sitting room off the master bedroom. I was taken aback. Wow! We just don't have spaces as grand as this in Key West. The adjacent master suite includes a fireplace and double sets of French doors that open out to the second level front porch. What a view you have from that place. Then I went back inside and entered the master bath. It is enormous. There are dual pedestal sinks on opposing walls on one side. The entire opposite wall is a custom made closet with mirrored doors that looks like it is a hundred years old. But it isn't. A center island with similar antiquing provides additional storage plus a coffee bar. There are two more bedrooms on the second floor plus a third floor bed and bath that take up the entire third floor.

Back door to the parking

324 Whitehead Street is offered for sale at $4,495,000. CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet and listing photos. If you are in the market for a truly grand home, please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to see this one. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

 

812 Johnon Ln Key West - Open House

If you are out and about today please drop by my new listing at 812 Johnson Lane between 12 to 3.  If you saw this house before, you must see it now because it is not the same place.  It is in move-in condition and it is as cute as a button.

If you're a poet and ya'know it, there is a writer's cottage in the back that can be used as a guest bedroom. There's an all new bath addition plus laundry room that did not exist before. The outdoor shower now has a shower curtain. The main house now has brand new central air conditioning, a new kitchen, new bath, two new bedrooms, new entry hall - just about everything here is new.

Open the Front Door and walk down the entry hall as you experience the first sight of your potential
little dream home with guest cottage in Old Town Key West. This place is now really cute and
is offered for sale at $849,000.  Instead of buying a fixer in a dubious location, but this cutie that is located on a quiet lane within a three block walk to all the Duval Street offers. Remember most of the gyms and yoga studios are located with three to five block walk as well.  This property would work well as a vacation rental as well. It has what second home owners are looking for - no work, great location, three bedrooms, two baths, pool, and double off street parking and it is priced well under one million dollars.

4125 Eagle Avenue - Key West - Price Reduction

 4125 Eagle Avenue - Key West

4125 Eagle Avenue is located on the sunrise side of Key West. I know most of my readers only consider purchasing a home in Old Town. Some may consider the Meadows and Casa Marina areas. And a few bargain buyers may even look at what I consider to be the best values on a per square foot basis in Key West - the  Key West Golf Club Community.  I truly hope some reader will take the time to look through today's blog and click the photo link that will appear later, because if you do, you may just fall in love with this gracious home that has so much to offer.

Many out of area readers may not be familiar with the location.  I dug deep into the old shoebox and found a couple of aerial photos of the area taken a few decades back. The first photo (immediately below) shows the U.S. Navy Hospital and the grounds immediately west of what is now South Roosevelt Blvd. 4125 Eagle Avenue is located in that area. The lower color photo was taken in the 1970s and shows the new town area that sprung up in the prior decade.  I marked 4125 Eagle in both photos.

Click GOOGLE MAP and take a current aerial view of the area and then use the toggle switch for a street view 4125 Eagle and the surrounding homes. Eagle Avenue is a broad clean street with neatly maintained homes and yards.

The listing Realtor describes 4125 Eagle Avenue thus:

"Circa 1926, this classic Spanish Deco has peerless curb appeal! Located in a prime New Town neighborhood, the home with sprawling lot and manicured lawn commands admiration. The main house has two bedrooms, three full baths, remodeled kitchen, formal dining room, living room, den and study. A lovely portico provides covered outdoor sitting and connects the main house to a detached garage. The expansive grounds feature tropical foliage, fish pond and a secret garden! The delightful two-story cottage features a downstairs workshop with an inviting one bedroom one bath apartment up. Other amenities include garage, central vacuum, ample storage, and much more. This is a truly unique New Town property with historic value."

4125 Eagle Avenue offers 2268 square feet of living divided between two floors in the main house plus a stand alone guest cottage at the rear of the huge 80' x 120' (9600 sq ft) lot.  Not included in the square foot calculations is the stand alone extra large garage off the portico.

Family Room

The main floor of the home features an inviting living room that has a real wood burning fireplace (original to the home), an adjacent office, and family room for watching TV.  The kitchen has been remodeled and provides lots of counter space for meal planning and preparation. The kitchen even has a large walk-in pantry.

My jaw dropped when I saw the dining room for the first time. It is truly breath taking. Really!  The dining room sits at the rear of the house and and features French doors on two sides with muted views out to the lush gardens. Tucked back into one corner is a wet bar and  the powder room is nearby. You can tell that this space has been often used for grand entertaining.

Dining Room, Wet Bar, and Powder Room

Upstairs you will find two equally eloquent master suites, each with en-suite baths. The front bedroom has a small second floor terrace as well.

The second bedroom occupies the back half of the house and includes an extra large bath area.

Rear Master Suite with Extra Large En-suite Bath

The guest cottage at the rear of the property offers several different scenarios for living including presumed use as guest accommodations; living space for a mother-in-law or teenager with a desire to be left alone; or living space for a caretaker, nanny, or other live-in.

There are babbling ponds and water features in several locations throughout the property. I found hidden gardens located in areas other owners would probably ignore simply because they are not immediately visible to the eye. I could see that this home and this yard have been lovingly cared for years.

There is plenty of room to add a large pool and surrounding deck.  This is the only thing I can think of that a new owner might spend money on. CLICK HERE to view a slide show of photos I took of this lovely home.

The asking price on 4125 Eagle Avenue was just reduced to $999,000. CLICK HERE to view the Key West Association of Realtors mls database on this property.  If you would like to see this special home in person, please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.