Just listed, but not by me,
415 Bahama Street in the
Old Town area of
Key West.
I found what I believe to be 415 Bahama Street on the 1889 Sanborn Fire
Map of Key West. The houses were not numbered the same in 1889 as they
are today. But the location of the house is in scale with the other
properties that are (or were) located on that block. If you love "old
houses", you're gonna really love this one.
In his book
The Streets of Key West J. Willis Burke tells us that in the past Bahama Street was previously known as
Chicken Bone Alley
and that long time ago a Chinese hand laundry and small cigar factory
were also located in this block. I dug into the old shoe box and found a
photo that dates back to around 1900 which shows 415 and 417 Bahama
Street. Today a small parking lot separates 415 and
417 Bahama Street.
The black and white photo above shows 415 Bahama Street as it appeared
in 1965. You can see that the second floor front porch was semi-enclosed
after the 1900 photo was taken. The "new" louvers provided more living
space on what was the second floor porch or balcony. Several larger
Old Town homes had second floor porches enclosed with louvers during
World War II. This allowed homeowners to rent theses spaces out as
bedroom to the military whose population here swelled during the war.
I went back to the shoe box to find a photo of a vintage photo of a
similarly designed Bahama house that is located at 730 Eaton Street
(corner of Eaton and William Street). Bahama style houses are noted for
the expansive porches and multiple French doors that permit air to
enter the house from all directions which provides natural cooling from
the heat and shelter from the rain. The second image (immediately
above) is of the same house as it was immortalized in post card fashion.
The listing Realtor describes 415 Bahama Street as:
"A diamond in the Rough. A historical building in the heart of Old Town with 4
Transients Units. A great income producing property. Lots of Dade County Pine,
Huge and private Courtyard with room for a pool and more parking spaces if
desired. The units rent nightly. Half block from Duval, a couple blocks from the
Seaport, just steps from the shops, restaurants and excitement of Duval Street
without the noise. Established property manager. Unit 1 is a bright, sunny, 3
bedrooms, 2 bath. Unit 2 is second floor 2 Bedrooms, 2 bath with a den and huge
balcony. Unit 3 is first floor 2 bedrooms, 1 bath with one of the bedrooms being
huge. Unit 4 is 2 bedrooms, 2 Bath and 2 living/ Flex rooms. Very unique set up
to maximize income."
According to the Key West mls datasheet
CLICK HERE
to view, 415 Bahama Street has 3672 sq ft of living space under roof
capable of being air conditioned. The lot is 5983 sq ft (an
irregular
57.67' x 83.83'). The front of the house sits very close to the
property line. I would guesstimate the rear yard to be 57.67' x 24"
which may provide room for a sizable pool and deck area. There are
three large trees which a new owner would need to address as part of any
redevelopment of this parcel. The space is quite large and offers
significant development potential rarely available in Old Town.
The
house is divided with two units on the ground floor. The front unit
consists of a living area with kitchen, dining area, and three bedrooms.
This unit is the only one that has use of the front porch.
 |
| Main level front living room and kitchen |
 |
| Main level front left bedroom |
 |
| First floor private outdoor area |
If
I purchased this property I would remodel this space into something
more gracious than presently exists. In my opinion the rear unit would
be the "money room" with direct views of the pool. I would add French
doors across the rear and relocate the stairway to the second floor rear
unit. During earlier days, the two bedrooms on the right side were a
"separate unit" with access to the rear porch. The old door still
exists, but the space today is rented as a single unit.
 |
| Second floor front unit rear bedroom |
 |
| Second floor front bedroom |
 |
| Second floor front porch partitioned into sleeping areas |
 |
| Imagine the louvers removed and the front balcony restored |
The second floor is similarly divided between front
and rear units. The front unit (shown above) is accessed via side
exterior staircase that enters into the living area. This space includes
two bedrooms, bath, and the second floor front porch which as been
enclosed and partitioned into three small sleeping areas. If I purchased
this property, I would remove the louvers and open the space back up.
This would add street appeal to the house and provide interior light to
the second floor which is currently missing. The bonus effect would be
to provide guests with private outdoor space and some great people
watching opportunities. If you compare the house as it presently exists
with the photos of the classic home at 730 Eaton Street, you may
appreciate my vision as to how significant the removal of the louvers
would impact this home. Instead of cramming heads in beds, a new owner
could create an elegant private oasis near Duval Street.
The
second floor rear is absolutely beautiful. The entire space is a mix of
Dade County Pine and bead board which provides a very warm Old Key West
charm that is sorely missing in so many of the new "renovations". This
portion of the house reminds me of how houses looked like when I first
started looking at houses in the 1980s - a time before granite and
stainless steel overtook the island.
Most
of the original clapboard siding has been covered over with asbestos
shingles which are perfectly fine if left alone. They cause no harm to
any person in their present state. However, being the person I am, I
would remove the shingles and restore the wood siding for a more correct
historic look to the property. I would extend the balcony along the
south side of the house so that the entrance to the rear unit could be
relocated to enter into the living area instead of a hallway that
presently takes up a lot of valuable interior living space. Finally, I
would add a
pool at the rear.
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| Estimate 57' x 24' rear yard for redevelopment |
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| Off street parking for at least three full size cars |
CLICK HERE to view all of the photos I took of this very large Old Town property. (Click any photo to enlarge.) 415 Bahama Street has
four valuable Transient Rental Licenses which
permits daily rental of each living space throughout the year and
without any limitation. This property is offered for sale at
$1,850,000.
I offered my opinion as to what I might do to improve the property and to perhaps boost the income potential. I must state that
nothing needs to be done.
The property functions fine the way it is. I really mean it when I say I
love the old Key West feel this property provides. I just think it
could be such a better property if a few improvements were added.
If you would like to see this property in person or if you would like more information, please contact me,
Gary Thomas,
305-766-2642 or send me an email at
kw1101v@aol.com. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at
Preferred Properties Key West.
