1315 Whitehead Street - Key West, a New Home in Old Town

"Through the crystal-clear air Lori could hear the ringing of the agent's bell...that had begun when the package had first been sighted, carefully picking it's way past the outer reefs toward the lighthouse at Whitehead's Point."                                                                       Thelma Strabel, Reap the Wild Wind

1940's view

2014 view

October 2015 view

A new compound of seven single family homes is being built at what was once called Whitehead's Point. Today tourists flock to the same location which is now known as the Southernmost Point. During the daytime tourists will pose and take photos of themselves by the marker at the corner where South Street and Whitehead Street meet. As night approaches the tourists move down to Mallory Square to watch sunset. If you buy one of these new homes you can watch the sun set from your rooftop balcony and rest assured that nobody else in town has such a view.  Later in the evening you may even hear waves as they lap the coral rock which in earlier times one could hear the agent's bell. This is the yin and yang of this property.

The listing Realtor describes this new property this way:

"Premier Old Town Location With Ocean Views. Key West's newest residential gated community offers three and four bedroom homes with three and half baths and approximately 1700 square feet of living space. Enjoy all the advantages of a private home along with the professional management of an HOA. All homes include luxury finishes, private decks and pools with beautiful Key West architecture and lushly landscaped grounds as well as roof top decks with views of the ocean and an assigned parking space."

The home I viewed and featured in today's blog will have four bedrooms, three and one-half baths, a roof top balcony, first and second floor front porches, and a main level rear deck with private pool . The builder showed me around the property and spoke with such enthusiasm that I thought about buying here. Seriously!

The site plan above shows Whitehead Street on the left. The demolition debris shown in the above photos will be removed and a new private lane off Whitehead Street will provide access to the private parking. The home in today's blog is actually 1319 Whitehead Street. CLICK HERE to see the Key West mls datasheet on today's home.

 

The main floor will include a first floor bedroom with private bath, a guest bath, great room and kitchen each with 9.5 foot ceiling. Impact Glass rated doors at the rear open out to the IPE deck and private pool area. The existing utility poles will be removed and all utilities will be relocated underground. Fill dirt will be brought in to elevate the ground level such that the new six foot privacy fence and lush landscaping will make the abutting property to the rear to disappear. The homes are being stick built on site. Buyers who look now can see the framing and attention to detail in this approximate 1700 sq ft home. The exteriors are Hardiboard siding and with impact glass windows and doors.  Even the round porthole window on the stairway is impact glass. The metal roof will exceed Florida's stringent building code requirements. These features will greatly reduce fire, flood, and windstorm insurances. Hardiboard siding stands up to our tropical climate and needs painted less often than traditional wood siding and is pest resistant as well. Lower insurance rates and less maintenance mean less money being spent on an annual basis year after year. These are genuine long term savings benefits that serious buyers should consider.

Two guest bedrooms on the second floor will share a Jack and Jill bathroom. The master bedroom has a large en--suite bath and closet. The master bedroom ceiling will soar to about 14ft in height. The builder plans to introduce Dade County Pine into various parts of each house as artistic elements to give this super strong contemporary construction the feel of an historic Old Town home.

 

A doorway just off the master suite opens out to the roof top deck.  I managed to overcome my fear of heights and climbed a ladder to get up onto this space to take a couple of photos of the incredible views these homes will have. A stair and railing will be added later during construction. The view up there is incredible. You'll be able to see the sea in morning and night. And if you turn around you'll have a pretty incredible city view as well.

The builder is taking the time to add little touches to make these homes special. One example is the fish head rafters cut out by carpenters on the job site. If you look closely you'll see the eye and mouth of a fish on each rafter. You also notice that the underside of the eave is not yet painted. The builder told me it will be painted blue like our other old houses in Old Town. Unlike most of the houses in Old Town, this  house will have ocean views and will be less expensive to insure and maintain. The home owner association will provide weekly pool and yard maintenance for each homeowner. Since this home will have four bedrooms, it might just make a great monthly vacation rental for an owner that can't be here all year long.  The HOA can take care of  the exterior of your property when you are not in town. And the rental income can help pay for the home. CLICK HERE to view more photos of this property including historic photos of the site.

Please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to schedule a private showing of this really interesting new home in Old Town Key West. I think these homes will sell quickly now that potential buyers can see the quality of construction and attention to detail that is going into each home that is priced at just $1,425,000.  I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

1711 Atlantic Boulevard Key West, Florida - A Conundrum

The Mid Century Modern home at 1711 Atlantic Boulevard in Key West, Florida presents a bit of conundrum to a potential new buyer.  The house was built in 1958.  It is a bit different from most Key West homes of that era in that it is actually built with real bricks whereas most Key West houses were built with concrete blocks (or poured concrete) with stucco finish. Click GOOGLE MAP for a view of this home. The house is within walking distance to the beaches.

The house sits behind an impressive yard marked CBS wall with iron entry and driveway gates. The yard rises five feet above the street grade. The grade carries to the back of the property where it gently slopes to the rear.  The yard itself sits higher than any of its neighbors.

If you are old enough to have grown up in the 1950s or 1960s you will recall that our economy and social outlook were pretty buoyant. In the 50s young men had returned from serving in the military after World War II. America was building new homes at a feverish pace.  The houses were noted for their simplicity in design and construction. These new houses were contrary to the often more intricate Victorian style homes and the less ornate bungalows years earlier.  In the 1960s the more simple boxes opened up a bit more when walls of glass replaced brick walls. Spaces and uses evolved. One purpose rooms were still pretty much the norm, but at least the doors were removed between kitchen, dining, and living areas.

1711 Atlantic Boulevard is noted for its rectangular look in both the house, windows, and public rooms. There are no square windows or rooms. There is but one one arch in the kitchen. 
.

According to the Monroe County Property Appraiser this house has 1802 sq ft of living space. However, it looks like a doorway between the main house and the Florida room was removed which  expanded the real living area by an additional 288 sq ft. There is another room with 121 sq ft of space on the side that provides interior storage. So the actual square footage of usable square feet is much larger than one would see by viewing the public record.

The existing house embodies the a spaces, usage, materials, and style are of another era.  And that is the conundrum - whether to spend money to renovate and bring this fairly good sized house into the 21st Century, or to do a retro restoration, or whether to tear down this house and build new.

The house sits on a large 8050 (70' X 111') square foot lot across from the City of Key West Nature Preserve. The great Atlantic Ocean is on the far side of the Nature Preserve. The views from the front porch (or perhaps a new second floor balcony or bedroom) will never be replaced by condos or any other development.  Several of the neighboring properties have expanded into two story homes.

Since this location is outside the historic district, the city will be less intrusive as to what a new owner could do with the property.  That suggest renovation costs should be less expensive if either a renovation or restoration project was chosen. New construction would allow the owner to create whatever he or she wants as long as it meets building code requirements. I could envision a new two story house on this prime lot.  I think the second floor would have at least a partial ocean view.

No matter whether the house is updated or if a new house would be built, the tiled backyard (as lovely as it is) probably needs to go away. There is an existing gazebo type structure on the east side with which has a non functioning spa.  A quite large storage building sits at the back of the lot. I would estimate the building is 15' X 15'.  The building is grandfathered in place. It could not be rebuilt because set backs nor could it be converted into a full time living space with kitchen.   A new owner might want to convert this building into a poolside cabana or pool house.  Once the tile and unnecessary trees and foliage are removed, there is plenty of room for a good sized pool and new landscaping.

I think 1711 Atlantic Boulevard offers three intriguing possibilities for a potential new owner. The good thing is a new owner could introduce wind impact resistant windows and doors in any of the three scenarios. If a new house was built the owner could do something very creative with the look of the house that might start a trend to redevelop properties with more flare. That is the kind thing that spurs prices upwards in my view. Creativity and novelty in design and construction often pay off in big dollar returns for the builder/developer.

CLICK HERE to view the Key Wst mls datasheet on this intriguing property that is listed by Preferred Properties Key West, that is where I work but this is not my listing. Please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule an appointment to see this property. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.  Let me help you find your place in Paradise.

1617 White Street - Casa Marina Estate - Key West

1617 White Street - Key West, Florida

If you are a buyer who wants to purchase an estate type property in Key West, 1617 White Street please take a few minutes to view today's blog, the attached photos, and the mls datasheet and then you will surely appreciate the newly reduced asking price of $3,750,000. This designer home with its incredible park like grounds are located one block from Higg's Beach and the Atlantic Ocean.

The listing Realtor at Preferred Properties describes this property thus:

"This splendid tropical estate rests on 25013 square feet of land and extends from White Street right through to Sirugo Avenue. The completely renovated elevated residence has ocean views from the cupola and rooftop deck and a dramatic vista across the pool and lawn to the spectacular waterfall. In addition to the luxurious poolside master suite and two guest bedrooms with en suite baths, there is a charming study in the tower and a very efficient office overlooking the pool. This home was featured in the Oct. '01 issue of Architectural Digest. There is a whole-house generator and a hurricane protection system. For additional money, an adjoining property of two units having a total of 3 bedrooms,3 baths and a pool may also be purchased."

The present owner purchased the main house in 1997 and engaged local architect Tom Pope and brought in designer Thomas Achilles (who had designed other projects for the owner). The trio collaborated to transform the original house into something truly unique. The most prominent feature visible from the street is the widow's walk. Historically, widow's walks were places where sailors' wives would climb to look out to the sea to search for the returning ships.  Wireless radio made those roof top perches needless. Since the original house was only built in 1983,  the widows' walk was more a follie than a necessity when built. Yet it was this novel feature that attracted many an eye a block away at nearby Higg's Beach or at the city park across the street. The new owner and his design team expanded the widows' walk by adding a rooftop sundeck.

Sunset at Higg's Beach

The palms at the front of the residence now obscure much of the front facade and widows' walk from public view. But the widows' walk is still the most prominent feature when viewed from the back side of the property.

The owner was quoted in the Architectural Digest piece "Key West has Cuban sensuality and a Caribbean irreverence. At the same time, the island has a distinctly American individualism and a clear-stated preference for charm and history that can only be European. We tried to make sure our home blended all of these elements."

I guess I would describe the house as British Colonial Revival. The front veranda features an elaborate front door, decorative crown pediments, and double sets of windows on either side of the front entry. The interiors are rich in design and color. The designer used used a color pallet of tans, caramels, creams, and magenta that were set off by crisp white trim.

The home has 3259 sq ft of living space under air that includes formal entry, elegant living area and views to the front and rear,  three bedrooms, 3 1/2 baths, and the roof top widows' walk with its 360 degree views of the Island of Key West. The entire property is fenced and lighted. There is bricked off street parking for several vehicles.

Although the main entry is Key West casual, you know upon entry this is not s typical Key West property. The front door opens into the entry which then expands to the right where the living room is located. That space is quite large and has multiple sitting areas. The fireplace, one of three in this home, is the focal point of this area.

The rear wall of the living room and adjacent formal dining room is actually multiple sets of French doors that open out onto the covered veranda that wraps around the rear of the home. Note the bay window effect of the French doors.

Bay window off the dining room

Fireplace on south end of the veranda

The master suite (below) has multiple sets of French doors that open out to the veranda as well.  The suite as presently configured includes a large office area which might easily become a media room, the bedroom chamber with fireplace, luxurious master bath, and an adjacent morning kitchen.

View from office

View from the master bedroom

There are two bedrooms on the second floor each of which has an en-suite bath.  And finally there is the widows' walk and sundeck which offer amazing views of the south end of the island, the nearby ocean, and the beautiful park-like garden to the rear.  Guests here will truly never want to go home.

 After completing the renovation and expansion of the main house, the owner purchased abutting properties to the rear. Existing houses were razed to expand the rear of the property where a park-like botanical garden was created complete with massive waterfall plus an nearby bandstand for large gatherings. The resulting property is an irregular rectangle that roughly measures 100 feet x 225 feet.
When you enter the home your eyes are immediately drawn through the house, past the pool and the garden to the sputtering waterfall literally located a block away. You don't see sights like that in Key West nor most places. The effect is quite dramatic.

The waterfall demands attention. It commands first time visitors to walk through the garden to the foot of pond where the water collects. While wandering toward the pool I passed a myriad varieties of fruit and citrus trees, flowering trees, and palm trees of all kinds. The garden is amazing.

Ten foot tall waterfall at the rear of the palm grove

Of course there is a huge swimming pool with its own waterfall, a Jacuzzi, an outdoor shower, a pool kitchen and pool laundry (for pool towels, of course). A sunny deck  surrounds the pool. An expansive loggia provides ample entertaining areas for many guests.  Hilary Clinton was a guest of honor at a campaign event held here a few years ago. I heard there were about five hundred supporters present.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West Association of Realtors mls data sheet on this wonderful Key West property.  And CLICK HERE to view the photos I took. Please contact me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 or send me an email at kw1101v@aol.com if you would like to see this home or obtain more information. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West.