Old Town - Key West - Hidden Treasure

809 Virginia Street - Key West

Some Key West properties just burst with energy and show off to the world. Others, like the the cottage home at 809 Virginia Street keep their charm and sweetness nice and private.

The front of this cottage is screened from the passing world

The listing Realtor describes 809 Virginia Street this way:

"Completely renovated by an artist/designer, this classic Key West cigar maker's cottage has wonderful style. The living area opens to a very private pool surrounded by lush tropical foliage. French doors and windows fill the house with light from the front porch to the back of the house. Light wood floors, high ceilings, an open staircase to the loft and the two bedrooms all have the charm factor. Great old town location."

I recently had some buyers in town that read an earlier blog I wrote about this property. They rode their bikes past the place and could not understand my remarks about the charm. A closer look was required. They came away believers.

The master bedroom is located at the front of this cottage home

When you walk inside you kinda feel like Dorothy, only this time instead of knowing your not in Kansas, you know you are in some place very different. The front room is currently used as a bedroom and art showcase. The vaulted ceiling, blank walls, and gauze curtains are unlike anything in Kansas, for sure.

Second bedroom

A hallway leads you to the second room, a smaller bedroom, which precedes the bathroom. Then you suddenly emerge into the large rear end of the house. A big bright kitchen is to your right and a small staircase takes you to a landing where the living room soars up to the rafters. This area is bright and alive and the space is filled with the art and sculpture. If you look out the French doors you will see a secluded pool and deck and of course you want to go outside. But it you turn around to look down into the kitchen your eyes are drawn upward to the loft that runs a good portion of the length of the house. Now how did I miss that? Do you go out or do you stay inside? What a delicate dilemma.


The pool is lovely. It's plenty big for Key West. There is room for sunning and reading under the shade. There are bricked side yards on either side of the house. One has an outdoor shower which you will come to love if you buy a house in Key West. Really!


Back inside you see the stairway to the loft spaces. Yes, plural. The sleeping area is located toward the front. Two skylights let daytime sunlight fill this space.


It is the rear of the loft that is the big draw for this space. Look at the photo just below because it will help you understand the simplicity of design that makes this space so damned appealing both as a design element and as functional living space.

The loft area viewed from down below

Viewed from below the vertical slats in the loft are something akin to back of a sofa or perhaps a headboard.

When we look at the same area from the other side we see a "built-in" bed or whatever-you-want-to-call-it. I sat on these fluffy pillows and came up with all kinds of fun things one could do here.

A neat spot to do nothing

The house has lots of niches for storing stuff or showing off possessions. No space was wasted. CLICK HERE to view a slide show of this wonderful property. You will be amazed.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet and to view lots of nice listing photos of this Key West cottage home listed by Preferred Properties, that is where I work but this is not my listing. This property is offered at $699,000. If you would like to see 809 Virginia Street or any other home in Key West, please consider contacting me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 or by email at kw1101v@aol.com. I am a buyer's agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West. Hey, don't worry about this place being too far out. It's close to everything.

307 Olivia Street - Old Town - Key West

Just listed, but not by me, 307 Olivia Street in the Bahama Village section of Old Town Key West. This is a sweet little house that is located on a quiet little one way street just two blocks from Duval Street. The listing Realtor describes this gem like this:

"Within a block of Hemingway's house, and close to all his Key West Duval Street haunts lies this special conch house. Charming, 2 bedroom, 2 bath, with a sleeping loft. Well kept and peaceful, with a great deck and beautiful trees, in addition to off-street parking. Bike or walk to all the wonderful restaurants, the beach or many attractions Key West has to offer."

The house has 1064 sq ft of living space on divided between two floors. The kitchen and living space are at the rear of this home. Two sets of French doors and several windows make this area quite bright and inviting. The master bedroom and bath are located at the right front and a smaller bedroom or office is at the left front. A second bath is also located on the main level. A stairway leads to the second floor loft that is used as a bedroom space.

The rear deck is nestled under a big canopy of trees. I think there is adequate room for a pool but the tree roots could be problematic in getting permission to build an in-ground pool. There is a bricked off-street parking spot.

Rear deck and a large backyard

CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet and to view more photos of this property that is offered at just $489,000.

If you would like to see this home or any other property in Key West, please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642. I am a buyer's agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc.

Artist's Retreat - 809 Virginia Street - Key West

The kewl pool at 809 Virginia Street

Just listed by Preferred Properties (that's where I work, but this is not my listing) 809 Virginia Street in Old Town Key West. If you like the avant garde, read on. The listing broker describes this unorthodox home this way:

" Completely renovated by an artist/designer, this classic Key West cigar maker's cottage has wonderful style. The living area opens to a very private pool surrounded by lush tropical foliage. French doors and windows fill the house with light from the front porch to the back of the house. Light wood floors, high ceilings, an open staircase to the loft and the two bedrooms all have the charm factor. Great old town location."

The front room

When you walk inside you kinda feel like Dorothy, only this time instead of knowing your not in Kansas, you know you are in some place very different. The front room is currently used as a bedroom and art showcase. The vaulted ceiling, blank walls, and gauze curtains unlike anything in Kansas, for sure.

A hallway leads you to the second room, a smaller bedroom, which precedes the bathroom. Then you suddenly emerge into the large rear end of the house. A big bright kitchen is to your right and a small staircase takes you to a landing where the living room soars up to the rafters. This area is bright and alive and the space is filled with the art and sculpture. If you look out the Fench doors you will see a secluded pool and deck and of course you want to go outside. But it you turn around to look down into the kitchen your eyes are drawn upward to the loft that runs a good portion of the length of the house. Now how did I miss that? Do you go out or do you stay inside? What a delicate dilemma.


The pool is lovely. It's plenty big for Key West. There is room for sunning and reading under the shade. There are bricked side yards on either side of the house. One has an outdoor shower which you will come to love if you buy a house in Key West. Really!


Back inside you see the stairway to the loft spaces. Yes, plural. The sleeping area is located toward the front. Two skylights let daytime sunlight fill this space.


It is the rear of the loft that is the big draw for this space. Look at the photo just below because it will help you understand the simplicity of design that makes this space so damned appealing both as a design element and as functional living space.


Viewed from below the vertical slats in the loft are something akin to back of a sofa or perhaps a headboard.

When we look at the same area from the other side we see a "built-in" bed or whatever-you-want-to-call-it. I sat on these fluffy pillows and came up with all kinds of fun things one could do here.

The view from the loft looking down to the kitchen and living area is so inviting.

The house has lots of niches for storing stuff or showing off possessions. No space was wasted. CLICK HERE to view a slide show of this wonderful property. You will be amazed.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls database and to view listing photos of this property. This property is offered at $699,000. If you would like to see 809 Virginia Street or any other home in Key West, please consider contacting me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642. I am a buyer's agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West. Hey, don't worry about this place being too far out. It's close to everything.

820 Terry Lane - Key West - Bank Owned

Just listed, but not by me, 820 Terry Lane in the Bahama Village area of Old Town Key West. The price on this lovely little two bedroom home with 598 sq ft of living space plus a very large shared pool and an off street parking space is just $210,000. The listing broker describes this Bank Owned property like this:

"Cute Conch Cottage In A Unique Old Town Compound. Gorgeous Shared Pool, Welcome To Shangrila. Condo Restricted To Full TimeResidency 5 Unit Complex. One Off Street Parking Space. All Offers, Buyers Must Have Pre-qualification Or Proof Of Funds Before An OfferCan Be Submitted."

Terry Lane is located two blocks west of Duval Street. It is situated between Truman at the south and Petronia to the north. CLICK HERE for a Google Map aerial view of the location. If you have walked to Blue Heaven for pancakes or an evening meal, you probably walked right past Terry Lane. If you managed to walk to the top of the Key West Lighthouse you probably saw the house because it is located just a little over one block to the north.


CLICK HERE to view slide photo presentation of this property. You will observe a large winding pool sitting behind five houses. These five houses comprise the Terry Lane Court Condominiums that owns the common area including the pool. Each homeowner is responsible for the repairs and maintenance of the individual homes. 820 Terry Lane is one of only three homes to have a designated off street parking spot.

The house needs real good cleaning and a fresh coat of paint. The floor boards on the front porch need replaced. There is some minor wood rot in a couple of places. Otherwise, the house looked in pretty good condition. The house is currently configured with the two front rooms used as bedrooms followed by the kitchen living room at the rear. The bathroom is located off the living room. It might be a bit awkward of you had lots of guests. But a young couple or old empty nesters could make-do just fine with the arrangement. The rear of the house has a big vaulted ceiling and lots of windows that look out to the back porch and the pool beyond.


The listing broker got it right when she referred to the area as "Shangrila". This is the type of cute little compound many buyers dream of. And it is affordable.

If you would like to see 820 Terry Lane or any other property in Key West please contact me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642. I am a buyer's agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West.

604 Grinnell Street - Short Sale - Old Town - Key West

604 Grinnell Street - Short Sale - Key West

Just listed, but not by me, 604 Grinnell Street, in the Old Town area of Key West. This 968 sq ft Key West cottage has been completely renovated. It is a one and one half story cottage located in the heart of Old Town. The first floor is the living and dining area that opens onto the kitchen and breakfast bar. There is a large bedroom with jacuzzi tub in the bathroom. The second level is a nice sized loft. The lot is 1472 sq ft or 32'x46' which means there is no room for a pool. The listing Realtor describes the property this way:

"*Short Sale* Recent renovation on this wonderful Conch Cottage located in the heart of Old Town, make this a special investment. The first floor includes a large living/dining room, open kitchen with breakfast bar, master bedroom and large bath with jacuzzi. This is a potential short sale transaction subject to lender approval."

Just as in the case of 1421 Eliza which I wrote about last week, I think this place will go under contract very quickly for the obvious reason that it is cute and has the look so many features second home buyers want; it has a great Old Town location within easy walking distance of everything; and it is priced at just $368,000. There are a couple of obvious 'negatives' I must mention: it is on a small lot and has no off street parking nor room for a pool; it is located immediately adjacent to 5 Brothers Sandwich Shop; and a prospective buyer will have to live through the short sale approval process. Irrespective of the negatives, this place ought to sell very quickly. CLICK HERE to see the Key West mls datasheet for details.

604 Grinnell Street (above) was built circa 1889

604 Grinnell Street in June 2011

You will note that the mls description says the cottage was built in 1933. I found the old photo (two above) with a notation that states the house was actually built in 1889. Look at the roof and you will see scuttle, a hatch that allowed warm air to escape through the roof. The scuttle is still in place. The jalousie windows and galvanized fence are gone and have been replaced by decorative shutters and a white picket fence.

The 600 block of Grinell Street ends one block to the south at the Key West cemetery. That means the block does not get as much tourist traffic as most Old Town blocks. I recall showing another house in the same block earlier this year. We stood out in the street for about 30 minutes or so discussing how picturesque the block is and how quiet the location is.

If you lived at 604 Grinnell Street you could walk to the Historic Key West Seaport or Duval Street within five to seven minutes. The Studios of Key West arts building on White Street is five minutes to the east. Nearby neighborhood restaurants include Cafe Sole, Mangia Mangia, Michael's and Azur.

Historic Key West Seaport is just a couple of blocks away

Mangia Mangia is a little over a block to the west

The Studios of Key West is just two blocks to the east

If you have been waiting for an affordable Old Town cottage with a great location, don't let the moss grow under your feet on this one. If you snooze, you will surely lose. Please contact me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to arrange a showing. I am a buyer's agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West.