1406 South Street, Key West - Just Listed

ATTENTION!  Just Listed, but not by me, 1406 South Street, Key West, Florida. This freshly updated house is now available just in time for Christmas.  The house is located in the Casa Marina east neighborhood near the beaches and within easy biking to all that goes on in the Duval Street and Old Town areas.

Like many of the homes in this neighborhood, 1406 South Street sits behind gated privacy fence with swaying palms beckoning passersby to wonder what kind of Key West magic might be beyond.  I had shown this house several years ago when it was owned by someone else. I was surprised to see the new front yard with a semi-circular walkway of carved coral rock which leads to either side of the home. The main entry is located mid-way on the west side of the property.

This 1967 sq ft contemporary home was built new in 1988.  It was designed with the main living area at the rear with numerous French doors that light the living areas by day and provide easy access to the large pool and spa beyond. The vaulted ceiling visually expands the already large space in the mind's eye. The light colored travertine marble floors work well to soften the feel of this large space. The home has been freshly painted throughout (inside and outside). New Viking appliances were recently added to the ample kitchen with multiple stations for food preparation and storage.

Not shown in the outdoor photos are storage closets on either side of the house where there is a place for everything. And in this house, everything is put away where it belongs. There is a pool bathroom located on the east side of the house near one of two storage closets. There is also a whole-house generator for those occasions we lose power from the mainland.

1406 South Street has three bedrooms, each with en-suite baths. The main floor guest bedroom is shown in the first photo directly above. The master suite is located at the front of the house. Part of this room has the same vaulted ceiling architecture which exists at the rear. The room is visually stunning when you enter. Plantation shutters provide filtered sunlight and privacy. However, nobody can see into the property from the street. The privacy thing is an issue many people bring with them from up north in America. Tall fences and tropical foliage usually provide all the privacy anyone needs in Key West. The master bath resembles something you might see in a suite at a Ritz Carlton.

Several years ago the Thompson Estate located directly across the street. Thompson was a friend of Ernest Hemingway. There was a giant head of a rhinoceros or some other huge dead beast brought back to Key West from Africa hanging on the wall. The grounds were huge but filled with palm trees to provide total privacy. As I reflect on this little part of the island, many of the lots, like 1406 South Street, had not been built upon before. Perhaps Papa Hemingway and Thompson stood on the grounds of 1406 South and practiced shooting a wild chicken or iguana. Who knows.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet on this home offered at $1,399,000. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642. to set up a private showing. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

923 Southard Street, Key West - Pretty as a Picture

Just listed, but not by me, 923 Southard Street in Old Town Key West. The original cigar maker's style cottage was built circa 1889. I found an old photo that shows pretty much the original structure as it appeared 50 some years ago (see the black and white photo below). If you look carefully you can see traditional clapboard siding at the front but board and batten siding (vertical siding) on the side.  You also will see a "sawtooth" addition at the rear. I suspect that was the kitchen at the time the photo was taken. A later owner expanded that space to include a second floor addition.  The resultant house today has 1476 sq ft of living space under air. The house sits on a large 2700 sq ft lot (approximately 27' x 100') lot located in the heart to Old Town.

Circa 1965

The listing Realtor describes this pretty as can be property as:

"This late 19th Century cottage is the perfect oasis in the heart of Old Town. Landscaped and fenced in the rear for total privacy, with an outdoor shower, arbor, heated plunge pool and a bodega for storage. The living area and hallway are bright with eastern light falling on the natural Dade County pine walls. The bright white kitchen gives onto the outdoors, and attached laundry room. Bedrooms are at opposite ends upstairs, separated by a hallway with skylights, closets and a nook. Step out of the master suite onto the deck overlooking the inviting scene below. The harbor and Duval Street are a short walk away. New roof in 2015, and 4 new split a/c units in 2016. Offered furnished."

Today this storybook cottage rests behind a picturesque white picket. The front porch provides the perfect perch for people watching.  Inside, you are greeted by a traditional long hallway on the right which leads to the kitchen and dining at the rear. The current owner removed a previously existing wall that separated a small front office from the adjacent living room. The newly expanded living room is a delight. The floors were refinished and look like new. Windows from the hallway on the east which filter into the living area.  Windows at the front and west side light the living room during the daytime. The Dade County Pine Walls are punctuated by the baseboards, trim, and crown molding all painted a crisp white.  

There is a full bathroom plus closets closets located at the rear of the living room. This space will come in handy as the second bathroom on the second floor is en-suite to the master bedroom.

The kitchen is a compact place to cook when the owner is dining at home versus going out to one of the nearby restaurants including Mangia Mangia, Michael's, Azul, or Cafe Sole. The owner created a nicely outdoor dining area under the trellis opposite the pool. The laundry room is located adjacent to the kitchen.

The turf is not real, but the sunshine, the trees, the singing birds are very real, and they are very much a part of the appeal of this magical back yard located in the heart of Old Town.

The front bedroom tells us a lot about the history of this house. There is an original scuttle located in the ceiling over the chair in the above photo. In the old days before air conditioning, scuttles were opened to allow warm air to rise through the space to the outdoors. Today the old scuttles  remind us of the miracles of electricity and interior refrigeration. The common hallway separates the two bedrooms.

The roof top balcony is the perfect spot to take an all-over Key West tan. It's also a great place to sit in the morning drinking your coffee or late at night as the warm breezes move across the island. The last couple of nights have been incredible as the full moon migrated across the sky with slow winds moving lots of clouds about. It was quite the show. When the conch trains, delivery vans, scooters, and cars stop the real noises of the island begin: the dog scratching off fleas, the occasional cat screeching, the gecko on the wall chirping, the fountain in the garden gurgling, the palms swishing. These are the sounds of Key West us locals love to hear.

923 Southard Street is offered at $1,024,900.  CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to schedule a private showing of this treasure. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. Let me help you find your place in Paradise.

1118 Seminary Street, Key West - Just Listed

Just Listed by Preferred Properties Key West, that's where I work but this is not my listing, 1118 Seminary Street.  Buyers who are seeking a house with a classic Key West "look" and whoch features many of the houses in Old Town simply do not have, should check-out the features of this home.

1118 Seminary Street was newly constructed in 2001 and received a prestigious Ceramic Star awarded since 1981 by the Historic Florida Keys Foundation to recognize excellence for preservation, restoration, rehabilitation and new construction. 

The listing Realtor describes the home thus:

"Along a well-lit street, you will find a surprisingly sizable home in the X-Zone. There are 2 en-suite bedrooms, off a windowed hallway leading to the kitchen dining/living area surrounded by French doors revealing a slate patio with a heated cocktail pool. The upstairs suite consists of wall of closets, washer and dryer, large bathroom and at the end of the hallway if 4th bedroom/den. 2 Off street parking one covered."

 I took the above photo about eight years ago when the house was painted yellow. This photo helps orient readers to the interior layout described below. Obviously you can see the home has a coveted (and covered) off street parking spot. You will not from the photo the entry door is set back just a bit from the front porch. The entry hall leads to the great room in the rear. The space at the first floor front can be used as a main floor master suite, a much sought after feature by many second home buyers who plan for use in later years when staircases can become a challenge.

Referring back to the yellow house photo, you will notice the bump-out past the carport. That is where the dining room is located. Entry to the main floor bedroom is just off the foyer. Note the pine flooring and wains-coating in the bedroom which continues into the great room. However, the flooring in the great room and dining area are slate which then continues out to the pool. Note also all of the windows. This home is totally private. Ambient daytime light fills the living spaces and reminds us why we seek a house in Key West - the beautiful outdoors. There's a cocktail pool. Swimmers who seek a bigger swimming challenge can walk or bike to the Atlantic Ocean which is located about five blocks south.

The second floor also has pine floors and lots of built-in storage and closets in the sidewalls. What a clever use of that space to add function to what otherwise might have gone unused. Note the skylights which bathe the hallway with daytime light.

 I found the above photo in my old shoebox. It shows Higgs Beach as it appeared in 2003. The playground has been improved and some guy now rents chairs on what used to be a free beach.  You can still lay your towel down in the sand and walk for what seems like forever out into the shallow and warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and listing photos. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to schedule a private showing of this four bedroom, three bath home located in the Casa Marina Area of Key West. I live a couple of blocks away and love the quiet neighborhood that is a welcome alternative to the increasingly busy Old Town area. I can show you exactly why this area is a great place to live. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.