617 Frances Street, Key West - Price Reduction

The asking price was reduced $100,000 on 617 Frances Street, Key West. I had the opportunity to see this Old Town home just before it was listed and want to share some photos and thoughts with my readers - especially those looking for a fixer-upper.

I love how much the houses of Old Town have changed so little over the years. I found the above photo of 617 Frances St in my old shoe box. Take a look. When I found the photo I presumed the owner at that time had replaced original wood columns and balusters with wrought iron. That was a common practice across Mid-Century America. Chain link fences were equally popular and required less maintenance than painted white picket fences.

I then searched the Historic Sanborn Fire Maps to see if I could determine when the house was built. The lot where 617 Frances Street sat vacant up to and after the 1912 Map. I went to the Monroe County Property Appraiser website which shows the property to the rear at 618 Ashe Street had a house on that lot. I compared the Sanborn Map to current Property Appraiser Map which shows 617 Frances and 618 Ashe perfectly aligned. There was a small cottage sitting mid distance at what would become 617 Frances. I am confident that the current house did not exist as of 1912. I decided 615 Frances must have been split to create the new 617 Frances Street after the 1912 Map. A small building sat at the rear which I believe was incorporated into the building which is now 617 Frances.  The Property Appraiser records show the house as having been built in 1933 which we know is not correct as that was during the Great Depression which slammed Key West. This suggest the house was built after 1912 and before the WPA reconstructed the property records. My guess.

The house sits on a 3,060 sq ft lot (34' X 90') on one of the best blocks in Old Town. Most but not all of the houses on this block have been extensively renovated. 614 Frances Street was totally renovated when it sold in 2016 for $1,825,000. 620 Frances St sold in 2018 for $1,825,000.  The house to the rear and immediately south of  at 620 Ashe Street sold at $1,900,000 in 2019. I mention these sales as they indicate the price trend for renovated homes in this immediate area.

617 Frances Street is a place of possibilities. It is a true renovation project. I walked the entire lot and all around the inside of the house. The exterior needs work. The interior has been pretty much gutted so that a potential buyer can see what exists and what does not. Don't let the interior or exterior condition intimidate you. Most interior walls will be removed and re-situated to meet modern day needs. The exteriors will be scraped, sanded, and repainted. The decks will be removed and replaced and maybe a pool will be added.

There are five foot side yards on the north and south sides of the house. There is a small shed at the rear which abuts the property line. Existing set backs are grandfathered. Some people expand these sheds to create pool cabanas.

The long narrow building at the rear may have been the "Dwelling" unit sited on the 1912 Map. The French doors painted black and the elevated wood deck were probably added in the 1970's or 1980's. They were not used in Key West houses before then. The windows in the front part of the house appear to be original. They have the old fashioned rope sashes.

This is  one and one-half story vernacular house found in many parts of Old Town and The Meadows area. The Property Appraiser says the house has 1,300 sq ft of living space. You enter into a hallway that passes an original parlor which has been opened and pass by what is now the kitchen. A door at the end of the hall opens into what I presume may have been the original Dwelling. It is long an narrow and has a high pitched roof that has been partially exposed at the entry. I can envision this room being made into an open living area with kitchen and dinging space included. I am familiar with another house on Grinnell Street that had this same size room and in just about the same condition that became a truly wonderful living space. I think the current deck could be replaced by a pool and that the rear cottage could become the laundry and storage room. Don't see what exists. Imagine what you could create. I think the parlor and kitchen could become first floor master bedroom and bath room. CLICK HERE to see all the photos I took.

The original chain link fence still wraps the entire lot including the front white picket fence which is attached to the chain link. I think there is adequate ground to comply with pool setback requirements.

There are two bedrooms on the second floor which share the only bathroom in the house.T here used to be a bathroom on the first floor but the current owner removed it.

This is a wonderful block in Old Town with appreciating prices on restored homes. I blogged about the newly renovated house across the street at 614 Frances. It quickly sold at  $,1,825,000. I found photos I took from the porches of 617 and 614 Frances looking opposite.They contrast potential with perfection.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet on 617 Frances Street, Key West now offered for sale at $895.000. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to schedule a private showing. I am  buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

714 Passover Lane, Key West - Price Reduction

The asking price on 714 Passover Lane, Key West was just reduced by $250,000. Now offered at $1,249,000 you can buy your Key West dream project. It's a fixer, but not like the falling down kind in Bahama Village or the flat on the ground in New Town.  And this property is located in the coveted Old Town area near the Historic Key West Cemetery.

Buyers looking for a fixer property should take a look at this architecturally interesting three story home located on an irregular 6,547 sq ft lot in the heart of Old Town. I dug into my old shoe box and found two photos that show the house in 1965 and later in 1973 just as Key West was being re-discovered by a generation of poets, authors, and artists of all types.

The 1965 photo shows the sagging front porch and missing slats on the east facing side. The house  northwest toward Passover Lane.

Passover Lane remains one of the few walking lanes in Key West. It is not wide enough for a car. There are but four houses on this lane each of which has been updated and improved over the years including 714 Passover which now has novelty siding and wrap-around porches on the first and second floors and a roof-top deck on the third level.

I recall having been inside this house years ago when I was an agent at the former Prudential Knight Gardner Realty.  At that time I saw this place as a lot of work. I have watched house after house in Old Town get renovated and made into something much better than before in most instances. The property looks like so many of the houses before they were renovated to new high-end standards. Now I really do appreciate the potential this house, lot, and location offer as perhaps a throw-back to less programmed renovation and more of a return to basics kind of place.

A separate stand alone cottage above adds both character and development potential to this very large lot that is peppered with trees including a grand Royal Poinciana located on the east facing Passover.

I have never quite understood what the falling down structure on Passover Lane is but its existence adds real value when it comes time to develop a new site plan.  Perhaps giving up this structure provides a new off street parking space. The property is zoned HMDR and has three ROGO units.  I think the highest and best use would be as a nice single family home with guest cottage, pool, and off street parking in a great location. See the aerial photo below.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet on 714 Passover Lane, Key West, 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.

912 Fleming Street, Key West = Price Reduction

The asking price on 912 Fleming Street, Key West, is now $2,250,000. The historic house dates back to the later 1890s and has been updated and expanded. It now has six bedrooms and five bathrooms. There is a 750 SF legal apartment in the front that the owners do not rent but instead store their children's toys and bikes. This space could be renovated into a large main floor master bath by a new owner.

The house sits at the front of the 5,650 SF Lot which extends 115 Feet from the street. The view from the inside looking out to the pool awes just about every single person who sees it for the first time.That's because the house next door is a huge estate with gigantic grounds giving 912 Fleming a sunny and totally private skyline.

The updated kitchen includes a breakfast bar, dining area, large pantry, wine cooler, and lots of cabinets. Glass sliding doors in the living room and kitchen open out to the 30 covered porch that looks out to the gardens and pool.

The master suite is in a newer addition to the house. It includes the bedroom, bath, plus good sized walk-in closet. The vaulted ceiling gives the space a bit a dramatic flair. There are two other bedroom which share a bath.

The current owners converted a former second floor apartment into additional family guest space that now includes a living room, two bedrooms, mini-kitchen, and bathroom. Doors open out to the front covered balcony giving guests a grand view of the homes on Key West's Millionaires Row.  CLICK HERE to view more photos.

912 Fleming Street has two valuable off street parking spaces including a covered space - that is a rarity on Old Town. CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642. to schedule a showing.  I received a phone yesterday afternoon from a gent who saw the house during an open house shortly after I change the listing price.  I think the new price will loosen up the wallets of many potential buyers who are waiting to buy. This house is poised to sell.