1211 Knowles Lane, Key West - Price Reduced

 1211 Knowles Lane, Key West - 2019

1211 Knowles Lane, Key West - 1965

The listing Realtor describes 1211 Knowles Lane in Key West this way:

"Excellent opportunity to create your dream home in the X Flood Zone of Old Town, at just $563/SqFt! This 3BR/2BA is located on quiet, peaceful Knowles Lane & comes equipped with new floors, new stainless-steel appliances and a fresh coat of paint. Owner recently removed one section of paneling to expose what he suspects is Dade County Pine lining the exterior walls of the original structure. Take a look at 5th photo! Kitchen enjoys plenty of counter space with convenient laundry room at its side and an open view of dining room. Home has off-street parking and was tented in May 2019. Perfect buyer is anyone looking for a project property to make into their million-dollar Old Town charmer, or someone looking to do minimal work and rent out immediately to long term tenants. Lots of ideas already in mind for renovations & improvements - easy to verbally explain such ideas upon in-person showing. You won't find comparables in this area at this price. Owner has priced to sell!"

I have written before that our historic property records are "imperfect". No it's worse than that. They are awful. The Property Appraiser shows this house was built in the 1920s. However, I searched the Historic Sanborn Fire Maps and found this house actually existed as early as the 1889 map when the "lane" was called Pear Lane. The listing Realtor suggests and I agree that there is likely Dade County Pine walls under the 1960s basement paneling walls that currently exist. However, we can see that the front room was renovated sometime after 1965 when the front porch became a part of the house. Likewise, the addition at the rear visible in the photo above looks to have been built after the 1960s. The listing Realtor and I agree that the building could be taken down and a pool and decking put in that space.

The house is livable as is, but the highest and best use would be to do a thorough renovation from foundation to roof. Knowles Lane is only one block long running south to north from United Street to Catherine Street. It's tiny and slow and one of the most desired locations in Old Town because it is in the X Zone - the highest elevation on the Island of Key West. 

The house next door to the north was thoroughly renovated a couple of years ago. It is precious. 1211 Knowles Lane could look equally as charming.


CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and listing photos of 1211 Knowles Lane. 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.

1026 Whitehead Street, Key West - Renovation Potential

During Realtor caravan a couple of days ago I got to see 1026 Whitehead Street, Key West. We were dropped of the caravan bus in front of the old stone church next door which is also for sale but which is owned by a different seller. After I exited the church I made my way to this property and went inside.

The interior has been gutted which is beneficial to a potential buyer. First, a buyer can see the exact condition of the structure and determine what to save and use as part of the renovation. Second, a lot of the hard work and cost of removal has been absorbed.

The bedroom (two above) and kitchen (directly above) are located at the rear end of the house on either side of the large opening where the new living area would be located. The seller has HARC (Historic Architectural Review Commission) architect plans that will convey with the purchase. A new owner may choose to use those plans or may use them as a basis to revise what was approved. The plans themselves have expired and would need re-approval but the cost of drafting has been paid.

The 920 sq ft house sits on an irregular 2318 sq ft lot which measures 43.29' wide by 52,25' deep. Note the existing garage at the front of the wide lot. A new owner could keep that garage, take it down, and perhaps add a pool to the north side yard which abuts the back side of the old church building.

I found a couple of photos I took four years ago of the property next door to the south. The photo above shows the roof condition of 1026 Whitehead. I checked property records to determine when it was added but could not verify the date. Still, the roof looks to be relatively new and in good condition from what I can see.

I searched the Historic Sanborn Fire Maps to see if I could determine when this house was actually built. The Monroe County Property Appraiser has the date at 1926. The 1899 - 1912 Maps show two houses at the location as 1018 and 1020 Whitehead but they are smaller in size which makes me think they were razed and that the existing house was actually built after 1912. Those maps are accurate as to what existed at the time prepared.

I search in my old shoebox and found the two black and white photos above. The top pic shows 1026 Whitehead as it appeared in 1965. It doesn't vary much from the way the house currently looks. The wood picket addition to the fence obstructs the street view. I think the house would look much better if the pickets were removed. Whitehead Street has changed quite dramatically since the 1947 photo was taken. The street is busy during most of the daytime as tourists make their way to the Hemingway House, the Southernmost Point, or pass by on one of the Conch Trains or Trolley Cars. Around 5:00 PM the tourists head back to their hotels and make way to go to sunset at Mallory Square. This little neighborhood goes back to normal with an occasional car or scooter. Duval Street is just one block to the east.  The new Truman Waterfront Park and Ft. Zach Taylor Beach are a five to seven minute bike ridge to the west. This would be a great location for a Key West getaway cottage.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet on 1026 Whitehead Street offered at $550,000. 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.

1307 Newton Street, Key West - The Meadows Area

Just Listed, but not by me, 1307 Newton Street, Key West. The listing Realtor describes the property this way:

"Fabulous Meadows neighborhood central to all things Old Town: White Street art district, Historic Key West Harbor, restaurants and more. Two apartments, front and back for investment or live in one, rent the other. Structurally in good shape--new metal roof 2012-- but building needs refreshing and could easily convert back into a single-family property."

I searched through my old shoebox and found the above black and white photo of this property which was taken fifty-three years ago. Compare it to the recent photo immediately below. The once enclosed front porch was re-opened and the white picket fence was replaced by a galvanized fence. The interior was likely converted from a single family home to the two apartments which currently exist.  The listing Realtor does not mention that this is a legal duplex so my suspicion is that is not. More important, the highest and best use of this property would be as a single family home.

The Monroe County Property Appraiser records show that this house was built circa 1890. I modified the above 1920's aerial map of the area to show the location of 1307 Newton Street. The large area above was the former US Army Barracks which was in use from pre-Civil War and onward. The area to the south (opposite the barracks) was pasture land in the days before houses was built in this area which today is referred to as "The Meadows Area". If you look carefully at the right side of the photo you will see a sandy beach. A local politician "developed" that ground where today there are several condominiums and a couple of commercial businesses.

The Property Appraiser records show the 857 sq ft house sits on a 32' X 83.5" lot (2743 sq ft) lot. Note the existing off street parking space. The interior has been divided into two separate apartments, each with small rooms. The rear unit is entered through a gate at the end of the driveway. There is an existing back yard with a storage shed.  I think a new owner would gut the interior and do a complete renovation. I would open up the enclosed portion of the back porch to expand the porch area to look out to a new pool. In my opinion the lot is large enough to support the addition of a pool. 

It was almost five years ago when I wrote a blog about the house next door at 1309 Newton Street pictured above. That was one of the most viewed blogs I wrote. That house was renovated and is stunning. See the photo below. Imagine how attractive 1307 Newton Street could be if renovated and the trees trimmed.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and listing photos of 1307 Newton Street in Key West offered for sale at $659,000. 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.

627 Caroline Street, Key West - Conch House in Need of Revival

Just Listed, but not by me, 627 Caroline Street, Key West. This home is located is located a little over one block from the Historic Seaport which was the economic hub of commerce in the 1880s and early 1900s. I searched the Historic Sanborn Fire Maps and determined 627 Caroline Street was built before the 1889 map which makes sense given the located near the seaport.  As I studied that map I learned a large portion of the 600 block was a sponge drying field. I can visualize a horse drawn cart relocating freshly harvested sponges to Caroline Street to be tried then put back on the boat to set sail for northern destinations. Today this house and two other original homes are the only buildings that have not been renovated in the modern era. That's what makes this particular old house so interesting and appealing from my point of view. Let me tell you why.

 

I wrote above this house has not been renovated. It wasn't. But it was messed around with. The original front porch was partially enclosed and had jalousie windows added. French doors were added to the adjacent parlor that is adjacent to the enclosed porch. The space is dark and dreary. The porch enclosure should be removed and existing interiors should be dramatically changed. Plans to renovate the property are included in the offering. The elevations shown below would "restore" or perhaps "create" a Grand Conch front facade with two story porches. The new house would have three bedrooms and a new detached guest cottage plus pool. The existing "garage" would disappear and be replaced by two tandem parking spaces. The bay window on the first floor would be re-purposed as a steam room for the first floor front bedroom.

The second floor was built for the way people lived one hundred fifty years ago. It had a bathroom added and that worked for the past century. Modern Key West functions much differently. We may not need as much closet space as folks living up north in America, but we need more bathrooms. The plans include a main floor guest bath located under the stairs. The first floor bedroom has shower plus steam room. The two second floor bedrooms have en-suite baths and the guest cottage has a half bath. There is even a pool bath located. New glass slider glass panel doors will open out to the pool from the first floor and second floor rear decks. The view from the second floor rear will be amazing.  The back yard is quite large and undeveloped. The plans propose a guest cottage and pool. A new owner might prefer a larger pool  The plans are proposed and not determinative as to what must be done.

This little part of town has changed dramatically since I moved to Key West in 1993. The old seaport was renovated and now is an esplanade that wraps around toward the Truman Waterfront Park. The seedy old buildings on Caroline Street have become upscale shops and restaurants. More restaurants and hotels are located where the original boat docks existed to the north and west. The photos just below show the corner next to 627 Caroline. The photos show the history and the change over the years. Such is also the story of much of Old Town. So much is the same, and so much has changed, mostly for the good.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet on 627 Caroline Street, Key West. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to set up a private showing. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. Let me show you this house and walk the area to see how much opportunity this building, this lot, and this location have to offer to a new buyer who is seeking a project property. This is going to be a serious renovation and not one where you apply a coat of paint and put in a Home Depot kitchen. Our office sold the house next door (621 Caroline St) in 2016 for $3,200,000. It was the home of author Phil Caputo. It had 4,0000 sq ft of living space and a transient rental license which generates a lot of income. A new owner at 627 Caroline Street could rent that property as a monthly vacation rental throughout the year. Or not. Renting is not required but could be very profitable if that is something a new owner wants to pursue.