328 Elizabeth Street - Old Town - Key West

Just listed, but not by me, the picture perfect home at 328 Elizabeth Street located near the Historic Key West Seaport.  I found this home shown on the 1889 Sanborn Fire Maps for Key West.  So we know it was built prior to that date. Interestingly the house next door to the north 324 Elizabeth Street  (opposite Donkey Milk Lane) was built in 1867.  The seaport area is where the first houses and commercial buildings in Key West were first built. My guess is that 328 Elizabeth was built about the same time as it's neighbor to the north.  But it is only a guess.

328 Elizabeth Street photographed in 1965

324 Elizabeth Street built in 1867 as photographed in 1965

Donkey Milk Lane

Today 328 Elizabeth is a beautifully restored two story home with 2808 sq ft of living space under air but not including the finished third floor attic.  That is a "lot of house" in Old Town Key West.  The lot measures 28' x 101' (2830 sq ft).  A small cottage is located rear of 328 Elizabeth Street. Even though the lane is public, that cottage is the only user of this lane.  The listing Realtor describes the property this way:

"Beautifully renovated 4 bedroom historic home in the highly desirable Key West Seaport section of Old Town. Great open floor plan with Australian Cypress hardwood floors, detailed woodwork, Dade County Pine wood walls and bright, airy rooms. Gorgeous chef's kitchen with stainless steel appliances and quality finishes. Large master suite with artist studio/office ensuite. Lush tropical yard with custom designed pool and waterfall. Incredible location and off street parking make this the perfect Old Town Key West Hideaway. Close to Solares Hill, restaurants, night life and walking distance to marina and the Key West Bight. A Historic Seaport Beauty!"

The front porch offers a restful perch for watching locals and tourists as they walk or bike up and down Elizabeth Street toward the seaport or as they head for Duval Street or other local destinations.  I can never stress how wonderful it is to be able to sit on your front porch and have so many interesting people to watch.  But when you must go inside the house, and especially this house, your mind quickly appreciates the beauty of owning a historic home in Key West.  

When you enter the house your eyes are first drawn to the brawny Dade County Walls and the crisp white painted staircase at the right front.  Then your eyes move to the left where the left where the informal livingroom is located. Although the walls and ceiling in this space are all Dade County Pine, the spaces are painted so as to break up the monotony of a single color. The room is both masculine and feminine - a bit of ying and a bit of yang.  And totally sophisticated.

The combined kitchen and dining area with the adjacent "sun porch" complete the main level of this house. These spaces repeat the variation between exposed Dade County Pine walls and painted walls. Crown molding, baseboards, and windows are all painted crisp white and accentuate the architectural beauty of this home.

It is the sun porch, however, where I suspect you would spend the most of your indoor time. What an absolutely delightful space this is. You can watch your mate make you a meal or look out to the pool and garden and garden. Understand this, not every home in Key West has a view as pretty as this. Not by a long shot!

The pool with magical waterfall is a recent addition to the property. A small shed is located at the left rear of the lot.  The off street parking space is located adjacent to the pool. A newly erected privacy fence with subtle high-end exterior lighting provides compliment the exterior. It is, however, the beauty of the pool and the tropical foliage that make this space so lovely. Sitting in the chairs you might notice the custom wood shutters with palm trees. Or you might just bask in the sun and be oblivious to anything other than the sunny skies and wonderful temperature that is typical of Key West.

The master suite with adjacent sitting room and extra large en-suite bath are located at the rear of the second floor. Like the first floor, the Dade County Pine walls are a mix of natural wood and painted wood.  When I see spaces like this my mind takes me back to mind childhood in Colorado where we would stay in cabins while my folks would go fishing. Certainly this house is no rustic fishing cabin, but the mix of the rich wood with the painted wood creates a very warm and restful atmosphere.Two other bedrooms and another bath complete the second floor.

There's still more to this old house. The third floor attic has been turned into bonus space that is not included in the reported square footage of this home as shown in the Monroe County Property Records.  The third floor space includes what is now used as an extra bedroom, a third floor sundeck, a cedar lined closet, and a/c space tucked away behind the closet. The kids or grand kids will love this space. So will adult guests who want to use the deck to get an all over tan.

CLICK HERE to view more photos that I took of this really wonderful Old Town property.  As I write this and look at the photos I can see some of the details I missed as I was photographing the house. There is a lot of attention to detail in this house that you will likely not see in many homes in Old Town.  As a buyer you need to consider not only how cute a place looks but also how well built it is and how recent the improvements were added. Click on any photo to enlarge so that you can examine the pic in detail.

328 Elizabeth Street is offered at $1,495,000.  CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet and listing photos.  But even better than looking a photos, please contact me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to let me show you this beautiful Old Town home. I know you will like it. It is really beautiful.  I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

826 Eaton Street - Old Town - Key West

Just listed, but not by me, 826 Eaton Street in Key West. This beautiful Old Town cottage is located just a little over one block from the Historic Key West Seaport and within walking distance to many of the quaint little places that make Key West so much fun.

The listing Realtor describes this 1344 sq ft home this way:

"Beautiful Key West cottage located in the heart of old town and just a short stroll to the Harbor and Duval Street. The first floor features 2 generous sized bedrooms, 2 baths and an open living/dining/kitchen with two sets of French doors opening to the pretty backyard with spacious deck for outdoor entertaining and heated pool with water feature. In addition there is a spiral staircase to a large loft which is the third bedroom with sitting/office area. The loft is finished to the same quality as the downstairs with hardwood floors and ample ceiling height. Lots of features today's buyer want are included: Wood floors throughout, Dade County pine walls, granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, central air and outdoor shower."

 I found the above black and white photo of 826 Eaton Street with a note that says the original house was built circa 1874. Compare that to the color photo just above that was taken in 2013. The house looks pretty much the same except the house is now painted yellow, the old mail box has been replaced, and a huge frangipani is planted in the front yard. The inside has certainly been changed, however. The front two rooms are now bedrooms. The combined living room, dining area and kitchen are at the rear. There are two bathrooms on the main floor as well as the laundry area. Upstairs you will find a decent sized loft bedroom that comfortably accommodates two twin beds.

Two sets of French doors open from the living area out to the spacious pool. The pool is located near the rear of the lot and this provides ample outdoor space for sunning, socializing, and cooking on the grill. There is even an outdoor shower off to the side.CLICK HERE to see the Key West mls datasheet on this cute little cottage that is actively (and successfully) used as a vacation rental.

I took more photos which you can see if you CLICK HERE. Or better than looking at photos, please contact me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule a showing of this property for you.  I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

1105 Olivia Street - Old Town - Key West

1105 Olivia Street - Key West, Florida in 1965

 Just listed by Preferred Properties Key West, that's where I work but this is not my listing, 1105 Olivia Street in Old Town Key West.  When I saw this new listing I knew I had to do some early morning snooping to see what I could learn about this property which is located a little over one-half block east of the Key West cemetery and one block north of Truman Avenue in the southeast quadrant of Old Town.  I dug deep into the proverbial old shoebox and found the photo above which was taken back in 1965 when 1105 Olivia Street was FERNANDEZ CLEANERS.  If you look just beyond the square facade you see the outline of the simple cigar maker cottage that pre-dates the commercial use.  I then went to the Sanborn Map of 1889 and found the house abutting the city sidewalk. That review satisfied me to that this old house was built before 1889.

I took the above photo this morning to show how 1105 Olivia Street looks in 2013.  The house itself has been updated over the years, but I suspect that a new owner may do a new renovation of this old house. I am mindful that the 623 sq ft home has only one bedroom, but it does have a great Old Town location and it has the potential to convert an existing cistern into a dip pool. That, Dear Readers, makes this new listing worthy of your consideration.

The listing Realtor describes this property this way:

"Old Town sleeper. Behind the gated entrance is a one bedroom one bath cottage with a private rear courtyard. High ceilings in the living/dining room along with a wall of windows provides light and tropical ambiance. There is an eat-in kitchen, renovated bath and good-size bedroom. A little renovation will produce an Old Town Jewel!"

Living room looks out to what might be the pool area

Update this kitchen

Convert the concrete cistern into a dip pool

The 1889 Sanborn Map shows the house located right on the City property line with a very large rear yard. The current Property Appraiser map shows the lot at 20' x 55'. The house itself is 40 feet in length which leaves 15 feet for the creation of a small pool. A new owner would probably need to convert the old cistern into a dip pool as building code would limit new construction. I do believe code would permit the conversion but a new buyer would need to verify this before relying on what I "believe" to be permissible.

Most of the cottages and larger homes in the immediate neighborhood have been updated. Some of the properties have small pools but most do not have off street parking. You must remember that this area (once referred to as Pohalski Village) was mostly cigar maker cottages on situated on small lots. That has not changed in the decades since the houses were built. Back in the old days the residents walked to work and to neighborhood stores.

In today's more modern world off street parking is very limited in this area. Most owners park their cars on the street.  Most of the residences in this area are single family homes. There is commercial activity up on Truman Avenue one block to the south.  There is little to no "spill over" of parking from those businesses into this neighborhood.

This is the area where you will find most of the local gyms and yoga salons. And Duval Street is only a five to seven minute walk.  The Historic Key West Seaport is also located within a short walk to the north. I like to point out that you don't have to have a pool in your backyard to enjoy a pool.  Dante's is located at the Seaport. Locals go there on a regular basis to lounge by the pool. They usually buy some burgers and booze, but that is less expensive than paying the cost of operating a pool everyday of the year and paying for pool maintenance. 

CLICK HERE to view the Key West Association of Realtors mls datasheet to view the particulars on 1105 Olivia Street which is offered at $439,000.  If you would like to see 1105 Olivia Street or any other listing 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.