1006 Southard Street - Old Town - Key West

Just listed (by a new Realtor and at a much better price) 1006 Southard Street, Old Town, Key West. This charming property was previously listed by an agent in my office at $869,000 in 2007. Today's new price is an incredible $599,000 or $504 per sq ft.

1006 Southard Street is a charming renovated cottage in the historic district. The cottage is secluded down a shady bricked walkway. There is a bedroom and bath downstairs and the master bedroom with ensuite bath is upstairs. French doors open from the bedroom, living room, and spacious vaulted kitchen to a decked swimming pool. This cottage home has lots of Dade County Pine and historic details, yet it has been modernized with a new roof, well-appointed kitchen and pretty baths.

The house is 1188 sq ft and sits on a 2833 sq ft lot. The house sits to the rear, not the front, of Southard Street. So you cannot see the house from the street. That adds additional privacy for the homeowner. You are a five minute walk to Duval Street or the Historic Key West Seaport. And you are a two minute walk to Five Brothers Grocery and Sandwich Shop where you can get your morning con leche, Michael's Restaurant where you can get your steak fix fixed, or Mangia-Mangia Restaurant to get your pasta fazooled. I'm a big fan of Five Brothers inexpensive fare, Michael's very expensive steaks, but I'll pass on Mangia Mangia. But that's me. Lots and lots of people like Mangia Mangia.

5 Brother's is half a block away

Mangia Mangia is one block west

Get your steak fixed here

CLICK HERE to details on this little charmer and more photos as well. Note the Dade County interiors, the open and eclectic feel that this house exudes, and the utter charm of the pool and garden. You won't be spending all of your vacation time tending to fixing things and working on the yard. There is something to be said and cherished about minimalism.

Season is just around the corner. If you are looking to buy a place in Key West where you can nurse your suntan in the winter, this kewl Key West cottage may be just what you are looking for. If you want to see it, please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642. It's not my listing, but I'll be glad to show you this place and others in the Old Town area so that you can see for yourself why I think this place will sell quickly at the new, lower asking price. I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West, Florida.

824 Eaton Street - OldTown - Key West

824 Eaton Street (behind the overgrown bougainvillea)

824 Eaton Street nearly fifty years ago - clean lines - simple but sweet

It's on a busy street. It has a distinct odor of dog. It is livable for now. It could be so much more. I am referring to 824 Eaton Street in Old Town Key West. The listing Realtor describes this house this way:

" Here it is! Close to the waterfront, marina, restaurants, art galleries etc. Same owner for the last 36 years. Good floor plan in this 1 & 1/2 story charming home with original dade county pine, virtually untouched, claw foot bath tub, 19 x 25 ft upstairs sleeping loft. Large yard with room for a pool."

I've shown the property a couple of times and I took some photos which you can see CLICK HERE. This place is rented and the current tenants have a couple of dogs. Hence the dog smell. And dog poop on the back deck. And barking. Then there is the locational issue of being located on Eaton Street. This house has no off street parking. The stairway to the upstairs "loft" has no handrails and was, to me, quite dangerous. The place needs a thorough cleaning, painting, and some general fixing. So was I possessed by some demon yesterday, Friday the 13th?

The first time I saw this house I took photos for a potential buyer. The house was new on the market and my potential buyer thought the house looked interesting. The doors were open and other agents were there taking a similar peek. I could see thru the oblivious "flaws" of the house and did not smell the dogs nor did I step in their mess-that day. The second time the smell and poop got to me and to my buyers who did not have the stomach to even consider this place. The house has been on the market since March 31, 2010. It was originally listed at $459,000 but not it is offered at $339,000 or $281 per sq ft. It was briefly under contract, but that deal did not workout for some reason.

I recently sold a nearby house that was a short sale in far better condition and at a lower price. It was also tenant occupied and that tenant also had a pet. But the place was very clean and the house was cared for as if the tenant were the loving owner. An Eaton Street location bothers some buyers, but not all. Many buyers are looking for project houses that have the potential to be something greater in the future. This property is not a short sale so you won't have to wait for months to find out if your offer gets accepted. CLICK HERE to checkout the mls listing information and photos and then read on.

A new owner will likely want to renovate so the current tenants and pet smells will go away. The house will get ripped apart in some fashion and new rooms and spaces will get created. The two things that really attracted me to this house still are attractive: (1) the facade-it is so Key Westy and (2) the backyard-it has so much potential. A good architect and a competent contractor can clean up the problems with this place. The sawtooth addition at the rear could become a spectacular new living area that could be opened up to look onto a new pool and garden. And I am not talking about a cocktail pool.

Imagine a rear wall of French doors opening onto a new garden and pool area!

This property is located little over one block from the Historic Key West Seaport. It is within easy walking distance the numerous neighborhood restaurants like Michael's, Azure, Mangia Mangia. Duval Street is only a five minute walk. This location would work great for a part time owner that wants a place with lots of charm and a convenient location.

If you would like to see 824 Eaton Street, please consider calling me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to schedule a showing. I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West, Florida.

530 Grinnell Street - Key West Cottage with the Character Thing

530 Grinnell Street is located just to the right of the decorated white picket fence.

The Perfect Couple for the Quintessential Key West Cottage reading the Key West Citizen

Just listed, but not by me, is 530 Grinnell Street - another Quintessential Key West Cottage. But this place is priced within the budget goal of many would-be second home buyers. The asking price: $475,000 or $600 per sq ft. The listing Realtor describes this property this way:

"A delightful cottage on one of Key West's prettiest streets in the very heart of Old Town. This cottage is a triple saw-tooth roofed, board-&-batten frame, with vaulted ceilings in all the rooms, from the living room through the dining room to the kitchen. The spacious bathroom has a laundry closet. Accent wall in the living room of Dade County pine and a stained glass window in the dining room. There's a mango tree in the back yard and the front porch invites one to have a relaxing sit to watch the world go by."

The cottage meets most of the needs of prospective purchasers that are looking for a nice house in a good Old Town location at an affordable price. It has that character thing going on for sure! CLICK HERE to see 530 Grinnell Street as it appeared in the 1960s. It looks the same today. It has two bedrooms and one bathroom. The cottage is 792 sq ft of living space and sits on a 1500 sq ft lot. There is a wood deck in the rear but there is not room for a pool. CLICK HERE to see more of the mls listing information and to view photos of the inside and exterior.


530 Grinnell Street is located between Fleming Street at the north and Southard Street at the south. Five Brothers CLICK HERE is located at the corner of Southard and Grinnell. Azur Restaurant CLICK HERE is located at the corner of Fleming and Grinnell. The Historic Key West Seaport is a five minute walk from the house. Cafe Sole, Michael's Restaurant, and Mangia Mangia are a block away. Duval Street is a five minute walk to the west.

I have not been inside 530 Grinnell Street but I was inside the house next door a few years ago during an Old Island house tour many years ago. I was just awed by that house. It is pretty much the same construction, size, and vintage as 530 Grinnell Street. The owner is designer Michael Pelkey. Every square foot inside and outside was a delight to see. CLICK HERE to see the front porch of his cottage which is also the cover photo on the book Key West A Tropical Lifestyle by Leslie Linsley with photographs by Terry Pommet. I think a lot of buyers have difficulty in visualizing how to create and live in small spaces. Perhaps buying the book or better yet engaging a talent like the incredible Mr. Pelkey would serve one well. (CLICK HERE to read more about Michael Pelkey.)

I think 530 Grinnell Street is priced to sell. It is in that magic price range that so many buyers feel is within their budget. I have an idea to overcome the lack of space to build a pool: make friends with a neighbor. Please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-76-2642 to schedule a showing. I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West.