1227 Von Phister Street - Key West

Just Listed, 1227 Von Phister Street, Key West. Local architect Michael Miller designed the renovation and expansion of the bungalow style home and Scott Miller of Native Landscape designed the gardens. Their design earned a Ceramic Star for preservation from the Historic Florida Keys Foundation.

The listing Realtor describes the property as:

"Fully restored and winner of the 2013 Historic Preservation Star. This craftsman style, is a one level home with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, office, salt water pool and outdoor shower. Located in the heart of Midtown, Key West, within convenient reach to Downtown, the airport and beach. The newest addition to the house is an oversized master suite complete with custom built-ins, and sliding doors revealing the tropical landscaping. The feel good ambiance of the cozy living/dining /kitchen,with stainless steel appliances provides maximum functionality. Privacy fence surrounds the outside living areas."

I think craftsman style homes are so very easy to understand. Unlike the Victorian and Queen Anne homes at the turn of the Twentieth Century which had all kinds of architectural drama going on, craftsman style homes were simplistic in design. Whereas a Queen Anne might have drama columns on a rounded front porch entry, a craftsman house like this one has simple linear columns which support the porch roof. When you enter this house light from the rear garden at the rear demands your attention: you feel compelled to move through the house to see what awaits beyond.

The architect didn't fool around with the traditional craftsman layout. The living room flows into the dining area which opens into the very large and inviting kitchen. A breakfast bar provides an informal place to eat for the homeowners or a place for guests to sit and watch meals being prepared or drinks being poured.  The home office is located just off the kitchen.

I took these photos on a rainy-on-and-off day.(CLICK HERE to view all the photos I took.) When I headed to the house, the sun was ablaze. When I got there, five minutes later (no place is far away in Key West), the sun was hiding under clouds. I apologize because this garden is absolutely beautiful.  I walked to the far side of the pool and was amazed in the variety and size of in the plant and tree selections. A small stone path leads away from (or to depending on where the walk begins) the pool to the new master suite. This is a Garden for Adam and Eve or Adam and Steve.

The master bath has dual sinks and a shower large enough for two. However, if you become the owner of this chic abode you'll probably use the outdoor shower more often than you'd imagine right now - especially if you live in the snowy northeastern part of the United States. But you will. Trust me!

1227 Von Phister Street is offered for sale at $1,050,000. 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 wonderful home. If you act now, you could own this home by Christmas.

622 Grinnell Street - The Flavor of Key West

The listing Realtor describes 622 Grinnell Street as "Wonderful, original conch home with three legal units. Great location and superb street presence. Access to the rear cottage is from a lane. Possible conversion back to single family and would be a really spectacular property as such. Opportunity to work with a property that has been maintained while leaving a Key West flavor."

Three words in his description really stand out: wonderful, location, and flavor (of Key West).  I know I sometimes get a little gushy about some houses and let the superlatives fly.  This property does that to me - big time.  To say this house is wonderful is an understatement. It is the embodiment of what makes Old Town Key West so special. We have a treasure trove of wonderful old homes confined to few blocks on an island out in the middle of the ocean. You just don't get in the car and drive to Key West in an hour or so. The drive from Miami, our nearest big neighbor, takes about three hours on a good day.  For most people getting here involves booking a flight that takes several hours. Some adventurous souls take the ferry.  The time it takes to get here is worth it. It lets you decompress from whence you came and prepare yourself for what lays ahead.

I checked the Sanborn Fire Maps of Key West and learned that 622 Grinnell Street appeared for the first time in the 1892 edition. It could have built several years,for some strange reason, that block of Grinnell Street was omitted in the 1889 edition.  Whatever the case,  we know the house existed by 1892.  I found a photo of the property that was taken in 1965.  Compare that black and white photo to a photo I  recently took. 

The property consists of the main house on Grinnell Street and the rear (guest) cottage on Canfield Lane. The main house does not have (and may have never had) an interior staircase. I have shown this property several times and have been unable to find any evidence of a prior interior staircase.  However, the house is quite large and there are a couple of alternative areas where a new staircase could be added which would then make it possible to convert the property into a single family residence. The property is divided with one apartment on the first floor, a second apartment that shares the second and third floors, and the cottage on Canfield Lane is the third unit.

Historic Photo of Canfield Lane Cottage

622 Grinnell Street has 1820 sq ft of interior living space. The cottage has an additional 512 sq ft.  The house and cottage sit on a large lot on one of the quietest blocks in Old Town. In my  opinion the highest and best use of this property would be to convert the main building into a single family residence and update the guest cottage. There is adequate room for a pool on the south side of the house and there is room for off street parking beside the guest cottage.

The photos below were taken a several months ago when the property was owner occupied. Tenants now occupy the property and it does not show the same.

Main floor living room

Third floor apartment

Third floor apartment with old scuttles

The rooftop deck on the main house has an incredible view of the area. You can see the spires at St Mary's Basilica. Most of the lot is covered with dense tropical foliage and red brick pavers. The house itself has been well maintained and looks great.  Buyers who seek Dade County Pine and old glass with ripples will fall in love with this old house. There are little cubby holes and scuttles and other architectural treasures galore.

                                                            Third floor rooftop deck

Second floor living room with front with front porch

The listing agent states that the property as a whole has 2740 sq ft of living space and sits on a 57' x 83' (4683 sq ft) lot. The house has not been touched in years and would benefit from a thorough renovation. But understand that the property is livable as is. But it could be so much more! CLICK HERE to view a slide show of photos I took of this property.

I sold the house next door at 618 Grinnell Street a couple of years ago. It was in similar condition and it was owned by the same folks that own 622 Grinnell Street. My buyer got a much better price than the asking price. That does not infer a buyer for 622 Grinnell would get the same type of deal, but you never know what price you can agree upon until you make a real offer.  My buyer did an excellent renovation of his property at 618 Grinnell for which he received a Ceramic Star for Historic Restoration. (He took out most of the old trees and vegetation, added a pool, parking on the side, and introduced new native landscaping.) Look at the before and after images of 618 Grinnell and imagine  how proud you would be to receive to similar recognition after you renovate 622 Grinnell.

The 600 block of Grinnell Street is one of the quietest blocks in Old Town. That is because it ends at Angela Street which is the northern border of the Key West cemetery. That means that Conch trains, trolley cars, and Duck Tour vehicles will not be using this street. Those vehicles cannot traverse Angela Street. Your life will be quieter because of this. Occasionally you will still see tourists walking by or riding bikes. And you will see neighbors go across the street to use the Grinnell Street Pocket Park.

Five Brothers Grocery and Sandwich Shop is located down on the corner of Southard Street. The Key West Historic Seaport is located three blocks further north and Duval Street is located five blocks to the west. Most of the gyms and yoga studios are located within a five to ten minute walk of this location.

622 Grinnell Street is offered at $1,200,000.  CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls data sheet on this property. Or better than that, please call 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. Let me help you find your place in Paradise.

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1101 17th Terrace - Key West - Bank Owned

Just listed, but not by me, 1101 17th Terrace which is located in the new town area of Key West. This three bedroom/two bath home is probably the cleanest and best maintained bank owned property I have seen in Key West.  As I walked thru this house taking photos, I could see the attention to detail the former owners put into this property.  It is comforting to believe that the former owners left this property with their heads held high knowing they left the home in near move-in condition.

The listing Realtor describes the home this way:

"Terrific opportunity to own a 3Br/2Bth home in New Town, Key West, FL. It has a nice sized living room, tiled floors, Florida room and, HUGE rear yard. You bet it has room for a pool, decking and more! Located close to shopping centers, professional offices, schools, restaurants, and more. Desirable family neighborhood with nice wide streets and well maintained homes with good curb appeal having grass and mature landscaping."

The photos below show the living area, kitchen and dining area, family room, master bedroom and bath, and two bedrooms with a shared bath.  All of the rooms are very well maintained. The tile floors are in really good condition. With a couple of minor exceptions, the walls and ceilings are in great condition.  The window in the living room will need replaced, but read on later about that.

The backyard is immense.  There is a screened-in patio plus a giant rear yard that has room for a huge pool.  It's funny that the back yard is mostly concrete and the front yard is so lush and green.  I think a new homeowner could have a wonderful time designing exactly the size and type of pool to add to this lot.  There's an existing little shed and even an old fashioned solar powered clothes line.  The house has off street parking to accommodate two cars.

Any purchaser ought to have a property inspected as part of the buying process. I noticed a couple of water stains on the interior ceiling and some of the fascia needs replaced.  All in all, I think a buyer looking for a family home in a really good Key West neighborhood ought to look at 1101 17th Terrace which is offered at $389,900 or $301 per sq ft for this 1296 sq ft home located on a 6,000 sq ft lot (60' X 100'). CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet.

I took more photos of this home which you can see if you CLICK HERE. This property is one of the least expensive homes in Key West. It ought to sell quickly, especially given the clean condition.  Please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to arrange a private showing.   I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.