903 Eaton Street, Key West - Potential Renovation and More

Just Listed by yours truly, 903 Eaton Street in Key West, Florida. If you look at the above photos you may see a big open lot and maybe that's all. Maybe you see the beautiful home across the street and think maybe this is a good location where you might build an equally beautiful home. It's what you cannot see from the street that may make this property more interesting to you because there is an existing two bedroom, one bath home located at the rear of the property.

One of the great features of 903 Eaton Street is the lot size which is quite large for a home located in the Historic District of Key West known as Old Town. It measures 50' X 106' or 5300 square feet. Many of the homes in Old Town are located on lots of 2500 square feet or less. As a general rule houses in the Historic District must be renovated and may not be razed.  The second or perhaps the primary feature is the potential to take down the existing CBS house (concrete block structure) which is not a contributing structure. Given the lot size and land use regulations, a new owner might be able to construct a new fairly large house on this lot with a pool, gardens, and off street parking. If you are familiar with what is for sale in the Key West real estate market today, you should appreciate this property offers more opportunity at a better price and a better location than the competition.

 The existing house is 761 square feet and was built in 1954. It sits at the rear of the immense lot but there is still about ten feet of space behind the lot which is decked. A covered laundry room and store room takes up about 20% of the rear area and is built to the property line. Inside you will see highly desirable Cuban Tile Floors. The period kitchen is simple, but it is clean as a whistle and more important it is functional. Also note the new mini-split air conditioners throughout the house. The electric bills went down when these went up. They are whisper quite to operate and keep the house cool and comfy!

CLICK HERE to view more photos of this property. The owners created a sweet garden area hidden from view. There is a large covered carport and storage area. So many potential buyers worry about where they can park their car and store their bikes and toys when they are away. This place has the space to do just that. Moreover, you should appreciate the location of this home which is within easy walking distance to the seaport and Duval Street. Cole's Peace Bakery is two blocks to the east. Old Town Bakery is across the street at the corner of Margret Street. There are many great restaurants located within a five minute walk in multiple directions.

Please CLICK HERE to review the Key West MLS for 903 Eaton Street and then call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to set up a private showing.  I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. Let's look and you decide how you might turn this place into your private Paradise.

805 Catherine Street, Key West - Just Listed

Just Listed, but not by me, 805 Catherine Street, Key West. I got to show this house a few days ago to a customer who has a dream of owning a large Conch house in Old Town Key West. As we got out of my car and were walking toward this house I pointed out a one story Conch house across the street which I sold several years ago when buyers feared the collapse of the American economy. As you are aware, that did not happen. My potential buyers were shocked at the low price my buyers paid for a three bedroom home with a pool, guest cottage, and off street parking back then.  I also wrote a blog about the ugly duckling house next door the one I sold and across the street from 805 Catherine Street. That house is in the midst of an amazing transformation. I will be writing about in a future Projects of Key West blog. This area of Old Town has many active renovation projects underway.

The listing Realtor describes 805 Catherine Street this way:

"Excellent Old Town Renovation Project with tons of potential. Main House has 3BD/2BA, is full of Dade County Pine, High Ceilings & Opens out to large deck and Garden. Master Suite on Second Floor with front and Rear balcony's. Separate cottage located in back Corner of Garden with private patio. X-zone and Walking Distance to Duval and White St."

I looked through my old shoebox and found the above aerial photo that was taken in the 1950s. I added an arrow to show the location of 805 Catherine Street. It's really amazing to look back at photos like this to see how much of Key West has changed over the years. I then looked for a photo of 805 Catherine Street and found the pic below. This photo was taken in 1965. Look carefully and compare it to the color photo which shows 805 Catherine today.  The original roof-line was extended and a two story front porch added which totally transformed the look of the house. The Monroe Property Appraiser information suggests to me that the original renovation occurred around 1996.

 

I assume much of the interior was renovated at the same time. The current owner has nearly completed an update of the interior of the main house which includes updates to the bathrooms, new light fixtures and fans, relocating and updating the kitchen, and replacement of the first and second story rear decks. 

The main entrance to this home is located on the west side of the house. The front porch is now a private porch off the first floor front bedroom where you will see Dade County Pine on the walls, ceiling, and floors. There is a rear addition to the original house where the kitchen and living area are located. The current owner just relocated the kitchen to mid-way in the house which now allows the owner clear views of the rear deck and pool beyond.

The current owner recently removed a small kitchen from the rear side of the second floor. This created the possibility to create a second floor master suite with private sitting area, large master bath and closets, and huge vaulted master bedroom area with a covered front porch balcony as well. The ceilings in both the sitting area and bedroom area are quite tall. This could become a really dramatic area if decorated properly.

The current owner is going to replace the main floor rear deck, but will not be updating the guest cottage nor landscaping. The new owner will be able to save some money by doing exactly what he or she wants to do. The main house and cottage sit on an L-shaped lot with the cottage appended to the rear side. The cottage is 13' X 18' which needs a lot of work. This is all upside for the new owner.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and listing photos on 805 Catherine Street which is offered at $929,000. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule a private showing. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. Now is the time for a buyer to buy - before the hordes of buyers show up looking to grab up the few homes available for purchase.

817 Eaton Street, Key West Florida - Just Listed!

Just Listed!, but not by me, 817 Eaton Street Unit 1, Key West, Florida. This once grand single family home was converted into a five unit condominium in 2003. This unit is located on the first floor and has a wonderful view of the front garden.

 This property is located in the heart of Old Town. Most of the homes on Eaton Street were grand houses - most, but not all. The houses are amongst the finest examples of architectural styles that make our island home so rich and inviting. You'll love living in such a refined living space. This ground floor unit means you won't have to climb a lot of stairs. That will prove invaluable as you begin to age. But until then, it means you can run out of the house and be on your way to start a new day in Paradise.

When you enter this home you are awed by the ceiling height. This must have been quite a house back in the day. What was the original entrance hall is now the kitchen. If you think that means the kitchen is dinky, think again. Remember I said this house was grand. What may have been the parlor in the late 1800s  is now the living room and what may have been the dining room is the bedroom in this one bedroom condominium with 805 sq ft of living space.

The current owner added a breakfast bar perfect for two. What might you do to make this kitchen space your kitchen eatery?

The bedroom is located behind glass doors to provide privacy when required. Notice the height above the doors. You may not think the height is that big of a deal. Well, I think it is and I suggest any serious buyer compare the use of space and height in this unit to something of more recent construction a few blocks to the west in Truman Annex where you will get something smaller in size and less grand in construction for a bit higher price. Size matters.

The bedroom opens directly into the bathroom which has a separate entrance for use by guests. There are guest houses located a block away for those occasions you have guests. Surely they will come. But you don't need to wine and dine and provide them a bed. They can figure out this little island for themselves and share coffee or cocktails with you.

 The original house at 817 Eaton Street was built in 1892. The condominium developer added on to to the building when it was converted into condominiums in 2003. Four of the units are located in the Eaton Street building and the fifth unit is the detached "carriage house" located on Gecko Lane. Gecko Lane is the small lane just to the right of the telephone pole in the photo. There are three incredible homes on this inconspicuous lane.

I have shown each of the units over the years since 2003. I believe the condo conversion was thoughtful. Each of the units has a good layout with comfortable living spaces. This particular unit has the sole use of the front porch. There is no pool nor other common outside area. I took more PHOTOS which you can see if you CLICK HERE.

If you are looking for a large condominium in Old Town within walking distance to everything Old Town has to offer, this may be the property you have been waiting for. I know a lot of people say they must have a pool. Finding a nice unit like this with as much quality living space at this price with a pool is problematic. I have a very viable and very affordable alternative. Buy this place and walk two blocks to Dante's.  Dante's is located at the historic seaport. For the price of a couple of drinks, you can lay by the pool all day long. A lot of locals do it. We have a lot of really cool and interesting people who live here. You might even meet somebody to brighten your life there.

 I went over to the unit earlier this morning to take some photos of the nearby marina. It's just a block away. Imagine walking the dog and stopping by your favorite coffee spot to watch the waterfront come alive. One of my favorites for breakfast or lunch is Harpoon Harry's. It's located around the block at the corner of Margaret at Caroline Streets. The waterfront is magical before all the tourists and boat day-trippers start to arrive. The new 24 Hour Gym is located a block away as well. Duval Street is three blocks to the west. People save all year to come here for a week or two. You could live here all year and live your life the way you dream of.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS database on 817 Eaton Street #1 which is offered at $529,000. Then please contact me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to set up a private showing. I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West, Florida.