1410 Grinnell Street - Casa Marina Area - Key West - Short Sale

Just listed by Preferred Properties Key West, that's where I work but this is not my listing, 1410 Grinnell Street in the Casa Marina Area of Key West. This 1104 sq ft home is currently configured as a two bedroom home with a pool and off street parking. It is a Short Sale and is offered at $435,000 or $394 per sq ft for a great Casa Marina location.

The listing Realtor describes 1410 Grinnell Street thus:

"Great potential in Casa Marina neighborhood. Short sale listing in need of some TLC. CBS structure with good square footage. Former 3/2 converted to 2/2. New hurricane grade windows. Small pool in private back yard. Nice gardens and foliage surround the property. Not a drive by... once behind privacy fence great potential for the right Buyer."

The house was built in 1949. I found the black and white photo above that shows how it looked in 1965.  Just below is a photo of how it looks today.  The house sits on a 3572 sq ft lot (45' x 80'). The yard is now lush with trees and tropical foliage. The pool is in the rear. A new owner may want to clear out decades of vegetation and create new outdoor spaces. The house was originally a three bedroom. Two of the bedrooms at the rear were combined into a larger master suite. A new owner could convert the space back to three bedrooms but a new owner might want to do some significant changes to the property as well. Many of the homes in this area are much more expensive. This house sits on a small lot compared to most in the area. I think any money spent on improving this property would benefit a new owner in the years to come.

 CLICK HERE to view more photos I took.  The house needs some TLC, a new kitchen, a new roof, and some creativity with the front and rear yards. The Casa Marina Area is a vibrant part of Key West. With the expenditure of some new money couple with some creativity and hard work, a new owner, maybe you, can give this Mid Century home a new lease on life.

Higg's Beach is a couple of blocks away

CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet and then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule a showing. I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. I live in the Casa Marina Area and love it. Let me show you this house and the area. I think you will appreciate the value in this new listing.

 

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718 Olivia Street - Old Town - Key West

718 Olivia Street - Old Town- Key West

If you are looking for a "project house" on a big lot and situated in a good Old Town location, you may want to take a look at 718 Olivia Street which was just listed at the asking price of $679,000. The listing Realtor describes the property thus:

"A grande historic house built between 1899 and 1912. 5 bedrooms. 2 bathrooms. Large LR, DR and kitchen. Beautiful hardwood floors. High ceilings and 23 large windows create a steady flow of light and air. 9401 sqft lot with BIG 85' x 65' back yard. Easy walk or pedal to anywhere in Old Town."

The listing Realtor states "Sanborn Insurance map shows house built btwn (between) 1899 and 1912". I found a photo of the house from half a century ago that shows the house without all of the current trees and assorted foliage.

Photo from 1965

Photo from 2011 - note the cinder block front fence

Photo from January 2012

A huge Royal Poinciana tree dominates the front yard today. The front porch today still has the same wrought iron posts as shown in the 1960s vintage photo as well as the jalousie windows and the concrete block front fence.

East side of the property

CLICK HERE to view the Key West Association of Realtors mls datasheet and listing photos of this home. You will note that the listing states this house has 1538 sq ft of living space. The property site is much larger than the photos suggest. The front parcel (where the house is located) occupies only about 2600 sq ft of the entire 9401 sq ft lot. The remaining lot is located at the west rear of the front parcel. That is the space where one would likely add a pool and/0r guest quarters.

If you are looking for a renovation project in the Old Town Key West area this may be the house you have been searching for. The house certainly has street appeal and the yard space is just huge. Creating a viable plan for the property as a whole is the key to making a project like this work. We have several knowledgeable local architects that could help a buyer develop a winning concept for this one of a kind property.

I sold the beautiful home next door at 716 Olivia Street a couple of years ago. Before it was recently updated 716 Olivia looked similar to the way it appeared for decades as shown in the old black and white photo.

716 Olivia Street as it looked in 1965

716 Olivia Street as it appears in January 2012

What could you do to improve 718 Olivia Street? Please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to schedule a view of this property. I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West, Florida.

922 Thomas Street - Bahama Village - Key West

The Old House at 922 Thomas Street in Bahama Village needs a new owner. It needs an owner that has vision, some cash, and a good contractor. And, oh yeah, a green thumb would be really useful. CLICK HERE to see the listing info and a couple of listing photos.

922 Thomas Street is a very modest two bedroom one bath house with 821 sq ft of living space. There is some new vinyl siding on the outside and a few windows have been replaced. But not all of the windows match, and though the house is perfectly usable as is, it could be so much more. The property is priced at $350,000 or $426 per sq ft.

Before you start to chime in and saying "Gary you have lost your mind!" consider this: the lot is huge for Old Town (58' frontage X 139' depth), or 8004 sq. ft. CLICK HERE to view a not so good photo that shows the depth of the property. There are two fences. The first fence at the back of the house is covered in green vines. The actual property line extends another 50 or 60 feet beyond that fence to the barely visible fence at the the very rear. The lot is enormous and the property size is where I see potential. There is plenty of room to greatly expand the current house, add a pool, put in some off street parking, gate the driveway and put up a white picket fence in front. But it is that space to the rear that just really intrigues me. There is room for a corn crop for now and hold the ground for future development.

Also you need to consider the neighborhood. I took some photos of the adjacent properties to help you both recognize the location and to see who the actual neighbors will be. Next door to the south CLICK HERE is the Bethel AME Church on the corner of Thomas Street and Truman Avenue. There are two single family houses just west of the church CLICK HERE whose small backyards abut the rear portion of 922 Thomas. They currently have no room for a pool. But someday the owners of those houses may really wnat to have a pool. The property immediately south of 922 Thomas Street CLICK HERE is a smartly remodeled home that is owned by a judge. (Notice the bricked driveway.) There are three additional properties directly across the street that are equally smartly remodeled. CLICK HERE, CLICK HERE, and CLICK HERE to see these properties. Each of these properties are as nice as almost any property you would see in Old Town. At least half of the homes on this block have been nicely redone.

I know there are buyers out there looking for project properties. 922 Thomas Street has a lot of upside potential in my opinion. The house is tenant occupied so we need at least 24 hours notice to schedule a showing. I think this house is definitely worth a look. If you would like to see this house, please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642. I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty in sunny Key West, Florida.