621 Elizabeth Street, Key West

Just Listed but not by me 621 Elizabeth Street, Key West. Buyers who are looking for a charming second home with the opportunity to maybe rent it on occasion to help pay for the purchase should continue to read on. Buyers who are concerned about finding a home in the X Zone for flood insurance purposes should definitely read on. And buyers who just want a place where they can walk out the door and walk to all of the hot spots in Old Town should continue to read today's blog.

I dug down into my old shoebox and found a couple of air view photos that show the location of 621 Elizabeth Street taken a few decades apart.  The black and white photo shows the house as it sits atop Solares Hill, the highest point in Old Town. The houses on Elizabeth Street and neighboring streets and lanes have changed immensely since then. I snapped the color photo immediately above around 2010 when I listed the big fixer house at 630 Elizabeth Street. The small house with the rusted roof in the foreground in 629 Elizabeth St. It was recently totally renovated and is now on the market at $1, 550,000. I mention that house because the old view is now totally different as is much of Old Town that existed in an almost virgin state 25 to 30 years ago. That is about the time when the original house at 621 Elizabeth Street was renovated and a second cottage at the rear added.

1965

2012

I found the above black and white photo of 621 Elizabeth Street that was taken in 1965. The interior of the original house was dramatically altered from the way it used to be. Houses like this typically had a long hallway on one side that led to the back door withe a series of rooms opening from hall. The old hallway was removed entirely and that allowed the old rooms to get rearranged. The once flat ceiling was vaulted and two lofts added - one at the front of the house (which is actually the area over the front porch) and the other at the back which spans the area above the kitchen and bedroom.

A new kitchen was added (way back then) as well as a new bath and glass sliding doors in the back bedroom. Period correct replacement windows were installed as was new interior drywall partitions and wood replacements for interior side walls which resemble Dade County Pine but are not. There may be some original Dade Pine under the drywall - operative words are may and be.  I assume the existing rear deck and rear two story cottage were added at the same time. The Property Appraiser records do not show when that approximate 800 sq ft two story building was built.

The listing Realtor describes the current property this way:

"Excellent Opportunity to purchase Historic Duplex on coveted Elizabeth St., just two blocks from Duval St. and all Old Town attractions. Two separate cottages divided by large deck. Rear cottage has it's own entrance. Lots of opportunity here to turn this into a stunning complex. Plenty of room for a pool. Interior of both cottages need updating. Front unit has one bedroom and one bath with two additional loft spaces and rear cottage is a two story one bedroom/one bath. x-zone, vacant and easy to show."

I recently showed this property and feel very positive about it now that I had a chance to see the inside once again. I had remembered the spaces to some degree, but I did not recall the potential both buildings have. The Seller is in the process of replacing and painting the wood clapboards on both houses. There may be some opportunity to get the seller to make other minor changes if some buyer acts quickly.  

Many potential buyers tell me they want a place they can stay for a few months and rent the place the rest of the year. Well that does not happen in real life for a variety or reasons. But this place presents a unique opportunity to do just that. The front cottage is compact and has good spatial layout for a couple to use and still have the occasional bedroom space for the kids or guests who must climb the ladders to the loft bedroom spaces. The lofts would work best for an occasional user.  

I do not have any photos of the back cottage which is basically a two story rectangle with a living room and kitchen on ground floor and a bedroom on second floor. The most recent tenant in this space paid $2100 per month.I think a new owner could rearrange some of the interior just a bit and goose the rental rates upward. Also, the listing agent told me a new owner could remove the existing deck between the two houses and replace with a small pool. 

You cannot beat the Solaris Hill location for ease of mind when it comes to worrying about hurricane season. Our little island is safe from rising tides but potential buyers who have watched too much of the Weather Channel believe otherwise. So this top of the island location will not need to worry about this house floating away. It will not happen. And if you were to finance the purchase of this house, your lender will not require flood insurance. 

Moreover for point of reference this house is located two blocks east of Antonia's Restaurant on Duval Street. Mallory Square, the Mallory Square Theater, and Sunset Celebration are about a six to ten minute walk, the historic seaport is about a five minute walk to the north. The gyms and yoga studios around White Street are a ten minute walk. 

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet on 621 Elizabeth Street which is offered for sale at $899,000. Then call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to arrange a showing. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. 

615 Angela Street, Old Town, Key West - a Buying Opportunity

Every now and then a reader of my little blog will call me, send me an email, or show up at an open house and even set up an appointment to me at my office just to say thanks for writing my blog and to tell me about their dream of buying a place here - someday. Many of my readers are people of normal means. They work 9:00 to 5:00 jobs and spend a part of workday doing what their company pays them to do - their job. I think some  may cheat the boss a bit by their constant presence on the internet using search engines like Realtor.com or Zillow to monitor new listings that pop up in Key West mls. It's true and you know it is. And a lot of potential buyers with big nest eggs saved up do the same thing - they watch the mls for a buying opportunity. They just don't cheat their employer.

128 days ago today (March 15th) readers got to see a new listing pop up at 615 Angela Street located in the Old Town area of Key West. It's a big house located near the crest Solaris Hill.  I had buyers in town who had rented 635 William Street for a couple of months. They loved that house so much that they wanted to buy a place like it or buy a place that they could renovate to create the same kind of serene elegance. We set out looking for properties which included a visit to 615 Angela Street. My buyers were captivated by the property but ultimately decided they wanted to buy a house that was in move-in condition. A couple of days ago I showed this home again, to another couple seeking a dream home. They have been looking for a place for a couple of years and have made offers but have so far been unable to buy the perfect place. They decided as much as they love the location and size of this house, they needed to find a place that was ready to move into.

Let me share my thoughts with you about this house, this lot, this buying opportunity.  Now it isn't fancy. It is a simple house. But that is why I personally think it is incredible. It is a blank slate upon which a new owner could create a beautiful new home, garden, and pool in a very desirable location.

When you look at the house from the street you see this big boxed-in second floor area that just does not look "right".  I have seen this look before and recognize that the space was previously a porch which was enclosed to create additional living space (usually a bedroom or sleeping area). When the listing Realtor showed the property my potential buyers, he looked up to the porch and said the  porch was originally open and then later enclosed by the family who have lived in this house for eighty years. Below you will see a photo I found in my old shoe box which was taken fifty years ago. The second floor front porch was open then. You will also see the exterior side staircase that leads to what is the second apartment in this home.  Once inside this home I got to meet the owner who grew up in this home. She had a photo of her sitting on the front porch before it was enclosed. The view looked toward Duval Street which is only a little over a block away, but far enough away not to hear the clatter. Close, but far.

The original house was built in the 1880s and was just one story tall. The second floor was added as the family grew larger and more space was needed. The Monroe County Property Appraiser shows this house as having 3004 sq ft of living space (measured from exterior walls and including only areas capable of being air conditioned or stated another way not including porches or decks. The house sits near the top of Solares Hill (located about 200 feet to the east) on a lot that measures 54' X 134' or 7,169 sq ft. The old photo shows us that the house is built close to the street and that means the back yard must be immense. It is more than that - I must use that word again "incredible".

CLICK HERE to view a GOOGLE MAP AERIAL VIEW of this house and its relation to the topography as well as its nearness to Duval Street and other areas of Old Town Key West. Use the little toggle switch in the right hand corner of the map to zoom down to see not only this house but also other nearby houses like the Phillip Burton house across the street and the Coca Cola mansion at the rear on Southard Street.

We started our tour of this home by first looking at the back of the property where there is room for a pool and possible expansion of the existing garage into something else. The house itself is very large. It does not need to be expanded. But it does need to be renovated. The house and the garage are boxes. All houses and even palaces are boxes.  A good architect or designer can transform a box into something quite interesting by how he or she divides the spaces into uses and the selections he makes in materials and other building elements. This property has one big box, a smaller box in the left rear corner, and a very large open rear yard. The openness means a new owner is not stuck with a problem tree or forest of protected specimens to deal with. Not having to spend money to deal with a problem results in cost savings to a new owner. Readers probably won't appreciate what I am saying until they have to hire an arborist, an attorney, and maybe an engineer who have to explain why a tree must be removed or how to treat an issue that the city deems worthy of preserving or not disturbing. Money wasted on lawyers is better spent on pretty things, cocktails, or both.

The City of Key West recognizes this property as being a legal duplex. I think the highest and best use of the house is to make it into a single family home and renovate the garage - maybe create a second legal living unit there or convert the space into a guest house or pool cabana. The rear yard is immense and has plenty of ground on which to add a pool surrounded by lush gardens and decks. The existing rear staircase needs to be by something more architecturally interesting. Perhaps a new owner would seek permission to create a two story covered deck that looks down upon and provides a stairway to the new pool and gardens.

The listing Realtor describes the property this way:

"Unbelievable family home (now a legal duplex) atop of Solaris Hill in Old Town. Living room, dining room, kitchen, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, wide covered front porch and rear wooden deck leading to huge backyard on ground floor. Living room, dining room, kitchen, two bedrooms with Jack n Jill bathroom, plus office and additional room (has been used as a bedroom in the past), rear enclosed porch and outside rear wooden sundeck leading down to the same huge backyard. There is an outside utility room and a detached garage/workshop. Over 3,000 SF in main house. Pull down stairs in upstairs bedroom leads to a full attic. Surprisingly good condition inside."

First Floor Living Room. Note the very tall ceiling height.

Second Floor Living Room - About Eight Foot Ceiling Height

CLICK HERE to view the listing photos of this property. I took pics on my small pocket camera not intending to blog about this house. But after I saw the house I realized readers must see this place. The listing photos are great. Consider the height throughout the first floor. It is impressive. The height on the second floor is  closer to 8'. All interior walls and ceilings are Dade County Pine. There is a huge attic with wood floor. There is room in the attic and under the house to install central air conditioning.  

The house is so big that I think it might make sense to restore the original by removing exterior walls that currently enclose what used to be the second floor front porch. The house is built with balloon framing which I believe would allow a new owner to reconfigure the rooms into a more modern living mode that works with the way we live today. Walls can be moved, an interior stairway added, central air conditioning would be introduced into the home, and a modern kitchen and new baths added to create a superb new home. The second floor porch might be restored to its original design or maybe even modified with covered second floor porch. The house would be painted and the house would present itself in totally different manner.

615 Angela Street is offered at $1,195,000. Please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to set up a personal showing of this (I gotta say it again) incredible house.  I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

615 Angela Street, Key West - The One You Have Been Waiting For!

Every now and then I get a phone call, an email, and even a personal visit (usually at an open house) from loyal readers of my little blog. Most are people who have a dream of someday owning a place in Key West. Many of my readers are people of normal means. They work 9:00 to 5:00 jobs and spend a part of workday doing what their company pays them to do and sometimes do a little internet cheating by keeping track of new listings that pop up on Zillow or other real estate search engines that they monitor throughout the day. It's true and you know it is. The more wealthy readers do it too. They just don't cheat their employer.

By now many readers have probably seen 615 Angela Street located in the Old Town area of Key West on the sites they use to search new Key West mls listings. I got to show the property on Monday to a prospective buyer. I thought others might like to know more about this really incredible property. Now, it isn't fancy. It is a simple house. But that is why I personally think it is incredible. It is a blank slate upon which a new owner can create a beautiful new home, garden, and pool in a very desirable location.

As we approached the house I pointed to the second floor front of the house and said that area had previously been a porch that is now enclosed. The listing Realtor walked across the street to greet us.  Introductions were made. He looked up to the porch and said the original porch was open and then enclosed by the family who has lived in this house for eighty years reconfirming what I had just told the potential buyers. (I went to my old shoe box and found a photo of this  house taken fifty years ago so readers can see how it looked like back in the day.)

The original house was built in the 1880s and was just one story tall. The second floor was added as the family grew larger and more space was needed. The Monroe County Property Appraiser shows this house as having 3004 sq ft of living space (measured from exterior walls with interiors only capable of being air conditioned - not including porches or decks). The house sits near the top of Solares Hill (located about 200 feet to the east) on a lot that measures 54' X 134' or 7,169 sq ft. The old photo shows us that the house is built close to the street and that means the back yard must be immense. It is more than that - I must use that word again "incredible".

CLICK HERE to view a GOOGLE MAP AERIAL VIEW of this house and its relation to the topography as well as its nearness to Duval Street and other areas of Old Town Key West. Use the little toggle switch in the right hand corner of the map to zoom down to see not only this house but also other nearby houses like the Phillip Burton house across the street and the Coca Cola mansion at the rear on Southard Street.

We started our tour of this home by first looking at the back of the property where there is room for a pool and possible expansion of the existing garage into something else. The house is large enough, may be too large. I will discuss that shortly. This property is recognized by the city as being a legal duplex. A new owner might expand the garage and turn it into a living space or make it into poolside cabana. The yard is large enough to accommodate expansion of the garage as well as pool, garden, and decks.

The listing Realtor describes the property this way:

"Unbelievable family home (now a legal duplex) atop of Solaris Hill in Old Town. Living room, dining room, kitchen, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, wide covered front porch and rear wooden deck leading to huge backyard on ground floor. Living room, dining room, kitchen, two bedrooms with Jack n Jill bathroom, plus office and additional room (has been used as a bedroom in the past), rear enclosed porch and outside rear wooden sundeck leading down to the same huge backyard. There is an outside utility room and a detached garage/workshop. Over 3,000 SF in main house. Pull down stairs in upstairs bedroom leads to a full attic. Surprisingly good condition inside."

First Floor Living Room. Note the very tall ceiling height.

Second Floor Living Room - About Eight Foot Ceiling Height

CLICK HERE to view the listing photos of this property. I took pics on my small pocket camera not intending to blog about this house. But after I saw the house I realized readers must see this place. The listing photos are great. Consider the height throughout the first floor. It is impressive. The height on the second floor is  closer to 8'. All interior walls and ceilings are Dade County Pine. There is a huge attic with wood floor. There is room in the attic and under the house to install central air conditioning.  

The house is so big that I think it might make sense to restore the original open second floor front porch and to open a portion of the now enclosed first and second floor areas to create porches that look out to a new pool and gardens. The house is built with balloon framing which I believe would allow a new owner to move existing interior walls into configurations that provide larger bedrooms and bathrooms and to add an interior stairway that does not presently exist.

615 Angela Street is offered at $1,195,000. Please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to set up a personal showing of this (I gotta say it again) incredible house.  I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. This property will sell very quickly. This is the one you have been waiting for! Don't wait!

623 Petronia Street - Old Town - Key West

If you become the new owner of 623 Petronia Street you'll never have to buy flood insurance because this home sits at the top of Solares Hill, the highest point on the Island of Key West - 18 feet above sea level. This family home has been carefully maintained over the years. It is is move-in condition. The listing Realtor describes the home as being:

"Only two blocks from Duval Street, this 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom single level home with 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom accessory unit near the top of Solares Hill is within walking distance to all of Key West's best restaurants and attractions. X-Flood Zone! Addition and renovation in 2000 makes this 1,981 sq. ft. home stand out. An over sized lot for Old Town Key West, 6116 sq. ft., leaves room for a pool in addition to off street parking and a nicely landscaped yard!"

The house is located in an Old Town neighborhood of single family homes that have been owner occupied for generations and newer owners who have updated older homes. Some homes in the area are rented as vacation rentals. A small church is located next door to this home. Another church is located one block west at Simonton Street opposite a guest house. Some of the smaller cottage style homes on nearby Whitmarsh Lane are transiently rented. It's a tight little neighborhood with a darned good location within easy walking distance to most of Old Town.

This house has a traditional Key West layout with the living room located up front. A large bedroom with en-suite bath is located opposite the living room.

Bedroom number two is located just off the dining room. A set of French doors open out from the bedroom onto a private side terrace.  Another bedroom on the far side of the dining room has access to the private side terrace as well. There is a Jack-And-Jill bath located between the two bedrooms. A door from the dining room allows this bath be be used as a guest bath as well.

The rear addition which was built in 2000 includes a new master bedroom with en-suite bath, family room, and kitchen. French doors at the rear of the kitchen open out to the backyard. Another set of French doors in the master bedroom open out to the rear deck as well. The back yard is large enough to add a pool. The house is situated on a large lot that measures 59' wide by about 104' deep. A good landscape architect could create a mighty interesting rear garden and pool. 

 As if all the bedrooms, bathrooms, and living spaces in the main house isn't enough, there is also a small guest cottage. The space is a bit smallish, but provides a nice getaway for a teen poet or mother-in-law who wants her own space.

CLICK HERE to view more photos I took of the house and grounds. Look at the windows, all of which have approved shutters which will reduce windstorm insurance rates for you. I took several photos of the piers all of which look to be in superior condition which means you won't be spending money fixing the foundation because it does not need fixed. Most of all you will see a home that has been properly attended to over the years. Any changes a new owner makes will likely be cosmetic because the structure itself appears to be in very good condition. Cosmetic changes are the fun changes new owners like to make. They are changes where the new owners get to put their imprint on their new house. That's probably more fun than rebuilding a foundation or replacing rotting timbers.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet and listing photos.  623 Olivia Street is offered at $949,000. Look at the photos and the mls. Consider what I wrote about the long term loving care given to this house. Consider what changes you might add to turn this home into your home. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642.  I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. This could be your Key West dream home next Christmas.

I took the logo photo below a two years ago. It is a dream home I sold to a couple who made this home their home. Isn't it just perfect!