812 Fleming Street #5, Key West - Classic Key West Architecture

I have been selling houses and condos in Key West for twenty years. I remember a conversation I had with an agent in my office at the beginning of my real estate career. The lady agent had made a remark about a particular house as if she had just been inside. That puzzled me because the house was just listed that day. I asked her how she knew so much about the new listing. She said something like "Gary, there are only so many houses in Key West. We keep selling the same houses over and over again."  I got it. And that remark has stuck with me over the years because it applies not only to the theme of selling homes in a limited market area but also of having been inside the same house (or condo) on multiple occasions over the years. That is the case for the new listing at 812 Fleming Street #5, Key West.  I wrote about this same unit several years ago when it looked much different than it does today. Back then the unit had been abused by a renter who fancied himself to be an artist. I called the guy a lamebrain. The place has had two owners since my previous blog. The vestiges of the man without a brain are completely eradicated. Today the unit is spiffy clean and ready for a new owner who will have the best view of the gayest street in all of Key West.

Unit #5 is located on the top floor of the Seafoam Condominiums - a six unit residential condominium complex which also includes two commercial condos on the ground floor - a doctor's office and a tuxedo rental shop. Timmy Tuxedo to be exact. The building was renovated into condominiums a couple of decades ago. I remember the first time I entered the place. I was awed by the architecture. This is simply one of the most magnificent buildings in all of Key West.

The historic is laid out with solid geometric precision. There are basically four residential units on each floor with two units in the rear which have views of the pool and two units in front which share a large balcony spanning the width of the building.A partition provides privacy for the units on either side. A skylight in the middle of the atrium fills the hallways with light during the daytime.

This one bedroom unit is laid out fairly simply. Although two doors can provide entry into the unit, the primary access door is located off the kitchen. An adjacent closet provides a bit of storage as well as spatial separation from the combined dining and living room. A door opens from the living area out to the covered front porch.

There is a wide doorway opening out from the bedroom into the living room. A door on the window side opens into a small hall that leads to the bathroom. (The bathroom is located next to the kitchen and serves as guest bath without having to go into the bedroom.) Another door opens from the bedroom out to the front porch. CLICK HERE to view more photos.

I personally love this outdoor space. You can sit on this porch and watch Key West come alive in the morning. At first light you will see joggers and dog walkers. Later delivery trucks and carpenters and building tradesmen will appear on their way to work. Later trolley cars and trains will mix with tourists in cars and on bikes making their way down this street filled with homes of former millionaires and current ones. An hour or so before sunset you will notice the traffic dies down and the sidewalks become more busy as tourists head west on either side of Fleming Street with their destination being either Mallory Square to watch sunset celebration or a bar or restaurant or both. In the late evening tourists and locals will walk back to their guest house or hotel room or to their home. Duval Street and the Historic Seaport are only a couple of blocks away. This is the perfect location to be near both. And around 5:00 PM on the next to last Friday of each October, this balcony will have one of the best views of the Peoples Parade during Fantasy Fest.

The Seafoam Condominiums have a shared pool surrounded by palm trees and tropical foliage. The small cottage at poolside is the coin operated laundry.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet for 812 Fleming Street Unit 5 which is offered for sale at $599,000. 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.

1019 Elgin Lane, Key West - A Reinterpreted Old House

1019 Elgin Lane  Key West  2017

I wrote about 1019 Elgin Lane in April 2015 when I described is as a bank property "located in a desirable Old Town location near the Historic Seaport." I was shocked and delighted in the transformation from what was a mess into a stunning contemporary renovation. In my 2015 blog I showed the original building s it appeared in a 1965 photo and a photo I took at that time.

1019 Elgin Lane Key West  1965

1019 Elgin Lane Key West   2015

The listing Realtor describes the freshly renovated property as a

"Stunning contemporary Renovation of Elevated Historic home located on Picturesque Elgin Lane just steps from the Historic Seaport. With 3BD/3BA. the beautiful interior finishes create a luxurious beach ambiance. Soaring Ceilings combined with a Wall of Impact Doors marries the Sun Filled Patio and private Dipping Pool to living and Kitchen. Gorgeous Master on Second floor with ensuite Bath and an enviable large Walk in closet. Third bedroom is located on third floor, with beautiful views of the Key West Rooftops. With One Off Street Parking Spot, this brand Newly restored home qualifies as the Quintessential Key West Retreat."  

During the renovation process the building was elevated to comply with FEMA and building code requirements. Electric, pluming, and HVAC were replaced as were all interior wood walls, flooring, and bathrooms. A pool with waterfall plus surrounding fencing and decking were added. These features mean your insurance policies will be more affordable and your maintenance costs will be less expensive. Insulation and construction features mean your costs of electricity will also be less.

Main floor bath

The main floor bedroom is located adjacent to the staircase. The main floor bath is located off the kitchen and next to the main entry. 

Master bath

Second guest bath

The master suite is located on the second floor and it is anything but petite.  The en-suite bath has floating cabinetry and double sinks plus an extra large shower.  There is also a large walk-in closet.

The third floor bedroom runs the length of the house from south to north. This a lot of space no matter how it may appear in the photo.  I saw the house on a cloudy day (the first in a long time). But I took a couple of photos looking toward the Historic Seaport to the north and down onto Elgin Lane to the south.

Looking north to the historic seaport

Looking down onto Elgin Lane

This owner did everything right. This place is move-in ready and should sell quickly. The place has all new everything - mechanical, interiors, roof, pool, and so forth. The spaces and uses are well thought out and attractively done. The materials are contemporary in style and functionality. Most of the home on this block have been renovated in the past decade and would be considered as up graded when compared to many homes in the Old Town area. This house would make a good monthly vacation rental because of the three bedrooms, three baths, pool, and parking plus the terrific location near the seaport. 

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and more listing photos of 1019 Elgin Lane Key West. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to set up a private showing.  I think you will love this house and its great Old Town location. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

3414 Duck Avenue, Key West - Major Price Reduction

When most things are too big they get reduced - like bellies and high prices. Most things - not all!

Just Announced - Price Reduction on 3414 Duck Avenue, Key West.  The original asking price was $1,620,000. The new price is $1,420,000.  This 5676 square foot office condominium is located in the Poinciana Plaza center in the New Town area of Key West. Other tenants in this center include the Key West Association of Realtors, an alternative medicine clinic, an art and framing store, a real estate closing and title agent, an insurance company, and a land surveyor. The prior tenant in this space was a medical laboratory.

The listing broker describes the property this way:

"This commercial condominium has appx. 5,600 sq. ft.and can be reconfigured as needed. It is conveniently located at Poinciana Plaza with plenty of parking and close proximity to transportation, schools and housing. This large space is presently two commercial units, one formerly a diagnostic center, the other is a private medical practice. Both units front on Duck Ave. and have high visibility. The property lends itself to a variety of commercial uses and is located in the center of new town. This spacious, versatile condominium is ground level and has easy access for customers. Other well established businesses in the plaza. Equipment does not convey. Easy to see."

The Monroe County Property Appraiser website shows this concrete block building was constructed in 1945.  I dug into my old shoe box and found photos of the Poincina center that date back to 1960. It appears to me that the taller structure (Poinciana Food Centre) was added to the original center soon the building was originally built. The building became a commercial condominium in 2002. The facade was updated and a new covered walkway was added. Unit #8 is located at the far west side of the building and occupies 36.2% of the space.   

Customers have plenty of on street parking in front of this complex. There is gated housing community across the street which means which has restricted access. That means there is no competition from residents for on street parking on this section of Duck Avenue. This  building has additional parking on the side and rear for staff. 

While this commercial condominium is offered as one unit, a new owner could divide the spaces into smaller office units. In fact the prior owner created one separate unit at the far west end. There are five doors which open to the covered front walkway.  I took more photos which you can see if you CLICK HERE.

Click GOOGLE MAPS for an aerial view of this location and then use the toggle switch for a street view. The building is located two blocks north of Flagler Avenue and three blocks east of Kennedy Drive. This property can has quick and easy access from Old Town, Casa Marina, Mid Town, and points east.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet on 3414 Duck Avenue, Key West. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule a showing. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties.

410 Catherine Street, Key West - Just Listed

Just Listed by Preferred Properties Key West, that's where I work but this is not my listing, 410 Catherine Street in Key West Florida.  The listing Realtor describes the property this way:

"Half a block from upper Duval Street this three bedroom, two and a half bath home is within walking distance of all the restaurants and attractions of Key West. This charming historic home has been completely restored and offers every modern amenity such as a gourmet kitchen, modern baths, a wide covered porch overlooking the pool and electronic gated parking."

When I looked at the house from the street I had no idea that it was an historic home. It doesn't look all that old. In fact it looks pretty crisp and modern. I am not suggesting the recent renovation took away the charm, it simply spiffed the place up with aplomb. The house is located one-half block west of Duval Street in an area once known for the cigar maker cottages where factory workers lived. I reviewed the Historic Sanborn Fire Maps to determine the approximate age of this house and was surprised to see that it appeared on the 1889 map when it was then identified as 235 Catherine Street. The house identifier was changed to 410 Catherine on the 1892 map. True to form the Villamil Pino and Co cigar factory was located at the corner of Duval and Catherine Street. A small lane identified as Doe Alley separated the factory from the nearby cottages. That lane curved behind the cigar maker cottages and ended at Whitehead Street.  The portion of Doe Alley that ran parallel to Duval Street became Riehl Court on the 1912 Sanborn Map, and the rear alley was then identified as Louisa.  Today what was Doe Alley (Riehl Ct is known as Thompson Lane. However, GOOGLE MAP shows it as Thomas St. GOOGLE MAP is incorrect!)

410 Catherine Street, Key West - 1965

408 Catherine Street razed in 1968

Our history lesson is almost over.  I looked into my old shoebox and found the above black and white photo taken in 1965 which shows 410 Catherine Street as it then appeared. I found a photo of the former next door house at 408 Catherine Street which was damaged by fire and finally razed in 1968. In 1969 a then new CBS (concrete block structure) replaced the old house at 408 Catherine St. That house still exists today on a block where most of the homes are updated versions of the historic cottages which like 410 Catherine Street date back to the late part of the 19th Century. 

Today's house is much different than the original version of this house - that's pretty much a truism for most of the old homes in Key West. The front porch is now a small veranda off the front bedroom. The main entry was relocated to the east side of the home pictured immediately above. The interiors are all refined. The kitchen is a chef's delight. Exterior changes can be seen in the black and white photo of 410 Catherine St  which show a sapling Royal Poinciana tree once stood where today at the driveway an electronically operated gate exists.

You enter into the comfortable living area. There is plenty of Dade County Pine to lend an historic feel to the living space. Modern French doors and new windows bathe the interiors with abundant ambient light during the daytime. The kitchen and dining area are located to the left where there are views of the pool and guest cottage.  This property has been rented as a monthly vacation rental. The location one-half block from Duval Street makes this an ideal vacation rental location. The house and all the amenities will seal the deal.

There is a pool house complete with bath adjacent to the pool which runs much of the rear width of the of the property. There is a small waterfall at the far end of the pool. Native coral rock and tropical foliage and palm trees set the backdrop for the pool. The balcony complete with hammock provide outdoor entertaining area protected from the sun and those occasional days when we have rain. This is a very pleasant and spacious area to spend idle hours doing not much of anything.

The large master suite is located behind the Dade County Pine wall in the living room. French doors open out to rear covered porch and pool for a late night swim. The ceiling is vaulted giving this bedroom area a more spacious feel. 

The front bedroom is an equally restive spot. Bahama shutters provide muted daylight to enter the bedroom area as well as to provide privacy. What was the original front door is now a door to the front porch which has no entry from the yard - the Fuller Brush Man won't accidentally enter the bedroom. The porch will give the occupant a nice private outdoor space to read a book or to contemplate the meaning of life.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and listing photos of 410 Catherine Street, Key West. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to schedule a personal view of this new listing which is offered at $1,485,000. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.