621 Elizabeth Street, Key West

Just Listed but not by me 621 Elizabeth Street, Key West. Buyers who are looking for a charming second home with the opportunity to maybe rent it on occasion to help pay for the purchase should continue to read on. Buyers who are concerned about finding a home in the X Zone for flood insurance purposes should definitely read on. And buyers who just want a place where they can walk out the door and walk to all of the hot spots in Old Town should continue to read today's blog.

I dug down into my old shoebox and found a couple of air view photos that show the location of 621 Elizabeth Street taken a few decades apart.  The black and white photo shows the house as it sits atop Solares Hill, the highest point in Old Town. The houses on Elizabeth Street and neighboring streets and lanes have changed immensely since then. I snapped the color photo immediately above around 2010 when I listed the big fixer house at 630 Elizabeth Street. The small house with the rusted roof in the foreground in 629 Elizabeth St. It was recently totally renovated and is now on the market at $1, 550,000. I mention that house because the old view is now totally different as is much of Old Town that existed in an almost virgin state 25 to 30 years ago. That is about the time when the original house at 621 Elizabeth Street was renovated and a second cottage at the rear added.

1965

2012

I found the above black and white photo of 621 Elizabeth Street that was taken in 1965. The interior of the original house was dramatically altered from the way it used to be. Houses like this typically had a long hallway on one side that led to the back door withe a series of rooms opening from hall. The old hallway was removed entirely and that allowed the old rooms to get rearranged. The once flat ceiling was vaulted and two lofts added - one at the front of the house (which is actually the area over the front porch) and the other at the back which spans the area above the kitchen and bedroom.

A new kitchen was added (way back then) as well as a new bath and glass sliding doors in the back bedroom. Period correct replacement windows were installed as was new interior drywall partitions and wood replacements for interior side walls which resemble Dade County Pine but are not. There may be some original Dade Pine under the drywall - operative words are may and be.  I assume the existing rear deck and rear two story cottage were added at the same time. The Property Appraiser records do not show when that approximate 800 sq ft two story building was built.

The listing Realtor describes the current property this way:

"Excellent Opportunity to purchase Historic Duplex on coveted Elizabeth St., just two blocks from Duval St. and all Old Town attractions. Two separate cottages divided by large deck. Rear cottage has it's own entrance. Lots of opportunity here to turn this into a stunning complex. Plenty of room for a pool. Interior of both cottages need updating. Front unit has one bedroom and one bath with two additional loft spaces and rear cottage is a two story one bedroom/one bath. x-zone, vacant and easy to show."

I recently showed this property and feel very positive about it now that I had a chance to see the inside once again. I had remembered the spaces to some degree, but I did not recall the potential both buildings have. The Seller is in the process of replacing and painting the wood clapboards on both houses. There may be some opportunity to get the seller to make other minor changes if some buyer acts quickly.  

Many potential buyers tell me they want a place they can stay for a few months and rent the place the rest of the year. Well that does not happen in real life for a variety or reasons. But this place presents a unique opportunity to do just that. The front cottage is compact and has good spatial layout for a couple to use and still have the occasional bedroom space for the kids or guests who must climb the ladders to the loft bedroom spaces. The lofts would work best for an occasional user.  

I do not have any photos of the back cottage which is basically a two story rectangle with a living room and kitchen on ground floor and a bedroom on second floor. The most recent tenant in this space paid $2100 per month.I think a new owner could rearrange some of the interior just a bit and goose the rental rates upward. Also, the listing agent told me a new owner could remove the existing deck between the two houses and replace with a small pool. 

You cannot beat the Solaris Hill location for ease of mind when it comes to worrying about hurricane season. Our little island is safe from rising tides but potential buyers who have watched too much of the Weather Channel believe otherwise. So this top of the island location will not need to worry about this house floating away. It will not happen. And if you were to finance the purchase of this house, your lender will not require flood insurance. 

Moreover for point of reference this house is located two blocks east of Antonia's Restaurant on Duval Street. Mallory Square, the Mallory Square Theater, and Sunset Celebration are about a six to ten minute walk, the historic seaport is about a five minute walk to the north. The gyms and yoga studios around White Street are a ten minute walk. 

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet on 621 Elizabeth Street which is offered for sale at $899,000. Then call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to arrange a showing. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. 

721 Southard Street, Key West - a Fixer-Upper in a Great Old Town Location

The little pink house as 721 Southard Street in Old Town Key West may not catch your eye as much as the beautiful yellow house next door. But it could and it should because it is offered for sale at the new reduced price of $575,000.  This legal duplex can be lived in "as is" or it could be remodeled and improved. The listing Broker, not me, describes the property this way:

"This property is in the heart of Old Town Key West in an X Flood Zone. Legal duplex but could be used as single family with guest unit/rental unit. This is a fantastic opportunity to have an owner occupied unit with rental income or use as an investment property. The main level was owner occupied and the upper 1/1 apartment was tenant occupied. The property is ready for updating and your personal touches. Great location near Duval Street, restaurants, library, and the historic seaport."

I dug down into my old shoe box and found the black and white photo above which shows 721 Southard Street the way it appeared in 1965.   I think this house was updated in the 1950s or 1960s when the original front porch was enclosed and jalousie windows were added. The interiors suggest the same. The photos below show a rustic division where I believe was the porch roof appears at a lower angle inside the current living room area. Fifty years ago a lot of people modernized their homes by adding paneling similar to that shown in the color listing photos. I'll bet the recent owners added the full length mirrors and chandelier in the 1970s or 1980s. I then reviewed the Historic Sanborn Fire Maps. 721 Southard Street appeared on the 1889 map but was then identified as 407 Southard Street. In 1892 the street number was changed to 619 Southard and changed to its current numerator in 1899. The map consistently showed a simple cottage with a front small front porch and a small rear attachment. The Monroe County Property records do not show when the rear addition was added. Since it is not original, I think a new owner may be able to get permission to remove that addition. If I am correct in my assessment, I would suggest a new renovation that would include the restoration of an open front porch overlooking Southard Street. I would remove the "modern" windows and replace with historically correct windows and new wood siding.  I would re-frame the original cottage and seek permission to add a revitalized two story addition at the rear which would reduce the current lot coverage and allow the creation of a larger rear yard. I would personally like to see a pool located there. The lot measures 24.75' in width by 90' in depth or 2228 sq ft. The house next door to the right (pictured above) has a small pool on an exactly the same sized lot. The east side yard (shown in photos at top of this blog) show a five foot space between the buildings which would give a pool contractor sufficient space to remove debris and introduce materials to construct a new pool behind the house.

The home was expanded several years ago by adding a rear addition. Today the main floor has three bedrooms and two bathrooms. The legal second second floor unit is accessed via wood exterior staircase. That apartment has one bedroom and one bath.

The door at the back of the above photo opens out from the bedroom to the roof of the front part of the original house. I did not take a photo on either time I showed this home, but the view is really precious. You can see the storybook cottages across the street which I believe are fairly similar to the way this house originally looked.

The two photos above of 718 Southard Street (directly across the street) demonstrate what I think the original front porch of 717 Southard Street looked like before that space was enclosed and jalousie windows were added. A new owner of 717 Southard might prefer a smaller renovation similar this house. That would be cheaper and as you can see from the photo, the resultant house would be utterly charming.

Southard Street is one of the best blocks in all of Key West. The three most expensive listings are currently located on this block. This location is a five minute walk to Duval Street and a short walk to many of the small restaurants and haunts of Old Town. This house is located near the tippy-top of Solaris Hill which is the highest point in town. That means your lender will not require flood insurance if you have a mortgage.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and to view listing photos. 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.

606 Grinnell Street, Key West - New Lower Price and Buying Opportuity

The Key West selling season is quickly coming to an end. Buyers that have been looking for a good deal ought to consider buying 606 Grinnell Street which is located in the very heart of Old Town. This house sits on one of the best blocks in Old Town.  It is located within easy walking distance to the Historic Seaport, the world famous Duval Street, and most of the gyms and yoga studios. And (you gotta live here to appreciate this fact: the Conch Trains and Trolley Cars can't go down this block - they can't make the narrow turn at the cemetery at the end of this block. Best of all the asking price has just been reduced from the $1,200,000 to just $1,050,000 or $464 per sq ft for this 2261 sq ft home.  There are 37 homes for sale in the Old Town and Casa Marina areas priced between $800,000 to $1,200,000 at an average asking price of $634 per sq ft where the average size is 1690 sq ft.  I see 606 Grinnell Street as a real buying opportunity.

When you view the home from the street you would probably never suspect the place is actually a two story legal duplex. I checked the Historic Sanborn Fire Maps to see if I could determine the approximate date this home was built. The 1889 map did not show any homes in this area but the surrounding blocks were thoroughly built out.  This leads me to conclude there were houses were on  this block and other surrounding blocks in 1889 but were omitted from map placement for some reason. The house did appear on the 1892 map. I then dug through my old shoe box and found a couple of photos of the home taken about fifty years ago. They show the house before it was renovated and enlarged. The new rear structure rises two stories but is not visible from the street.

The listing Realtor describes this home this way:

"Beautiful, Completely Remodeled Home In Heart Of Old Town Key West. Enter Into A Study/Sitting Room And Has A Bedroom Facing A Quiet Street Front. This Room Shares A Full Bath W/The Master Bedroom Large Enough For A King Suite And Makes A Cozy Retreat After A Long Day. Down The Hallway To The Living Area You'll Find An Inside Utility Closet, Two Storage Closets, And Half Bath."

The main level unit has two bedrooms which share a Jack and Jill bath plus a guest bath. The great room is located at the rear where two sets of French doors open out to the covered rear deck which overlooks the pool. What I believe was the original living room is located at the front of the house. Today this space works well as a home office.

The entrance to the second floor unit is located on the side of house. There is also an interior door entry located off the first floor unit. A new homeowner could simply remove the door and convert the second floor unit into a single family home. Oh, I know you'd need to remove the kitchen and do some other little things, but those little things really are not all that big nor all that expensive. And the result could be a very nice single family home in a great location. But let's look at what exists now and leave tomorrow to whoever buys this property.

There are two doors at the bottom of the stairs. One enters from the outside and the other from the main floor. Removing the interior door would make conversion to a single family home a snap.

There is a cute little under-utilized cottage at the rear which a new owner could possibly convert to a pool bar or something fun. There is also room on the opposite side of the rear lot for creation of an off street parking space. The listing realtor told me that space was on the site plans submitted to the city when the building permits for the renovation were approved. The parking was not created at that time.  The owner has not lived in the property since the renovations were done. A new owner could do some very creative things with the landscaping to provide a more lush environment and privacy.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls data sheet on 606 Grinnell Street which is now offered at the lower price of $1,050,000. 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.

1214 Laird Street, Key West - Price Reduction

The listing Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West describes 1214 Laird Street which is located in the Casa Marina Area of Key West this way:

"This spacious and substantial one level home sits on an extra large corner lot (75 x 100 feet) which is completely surrounded by a high wall for total privacy. The two bedroom two bath main residence has many sets of French doors opening to the lovely yard (designed by Ray Jungles) and large sunny swimming pool. The one bedroom one bath guest wing has it's own living area and private courtyard."

Before I actually moved to Key West and was only dreaming of living here, I only considered buying a place in Old Town. I think that is probably the location most prospective buyers think about as well. There are, however, several different neighborhoods in Key West that potential first time buyers should consider as an alternative to Old Town. The Casa Marina Area is just such an alternative.. Most locals recognize the Casa Marina Area to be that geographic area located south of United Street and west of White Street. This area sits on a naturally occurring land arc that curves from White Street as it heads to the Casa Marina Hotel at Reynolds Street. Purists will say that is the Casa Marina Area - Period.. They will argue any property not within the geographic confines of those streets is not Casa Marina. They may be technically correct, but I argue that there are some homes that are near enough to the "border" to be considered in the area. The home at 1214 Laird Street is one of those houses since it is located just about 200 feet east of White Street. And it rivals many of the properties inside the area.

Until recently this house was a part of a much larger estate that recently sold.  The main portion of the house served as the guest house and the smaller section was the caretaker's unit. 1214 Laird Street is now offered for sale at $995,000.  CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet for more details. There are separate entrances to the guest house and the caretaker's cottage. This is one building which could be made into a single family home. There is off street parking for both living spaces.

The house is hidden behind a six foot privacy fence on the Laird Street and Sirugo Avenue sides. The red clay tile roof can barely be seen from the street, but once inside the gate the roof becomes a bit of a novelty since most roofs in Key West are metal. Then you see the pool - in the front yard. Egads! This, too, is not normal. The pool and gardens are stunning in the simplicity of design.

The renovation of this home was designed by local architect Tom Pope who also designed the larger home next door to the south which appeared in Architectural Digest several years ago. Pope incorporated the same attention to detail to this property. Dual sets of French doors open from the garden and pool area into the living room. The bright kitchen is at the rear. A traditional "back door" exits onto a small alternative garden area. This side of the property has less sun; hence, the pool was located at the front.

The main portion of the house has two bedrooms and two baths. The master en-suite bath (pictured two above) is quite large. The master suite dual sets of French doors that open out to the private garden area on the Sirugo Avenue side of the property. The guest bedroom has doors that open out to the pool. The caretakers space is quite large. The house as a whole is 2211 sq ft and sits on an ample 7500 sq ft lot (75' X 102').  A new owner might combine the spaces into a single living unit or convert the caretakers' space to guest quarters.

 Please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, if you would like to see 1214 Laird Street. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.