627 Elizabeth Street - OldTown - Key West

The bright and cheery Cigar Maker Cottage at 627 Elizabeth Street sits near the tippy-top of Solares Hill, the highest spot on the Island of Key West. The home was meticulously renovated and received a Certificate of Excellence and a Silver Star for Renovation in 2010. It is as clean as a whistle and ready for new owners to bring their tooth brushes and flip flops. Not much else to do here but sit back and enjoy the good life in Old Town Key West.

627 Elizabeth Street is a genuine quintessential Key West Cottage

I have written before about this lovely home and do so again now that it has been recently re listed. The listing Realtor describes the property this way:

"Opportunity knocks.This totally remodeled home was awarded the Cert. of Excellence and a Silver Star for 2010. You will feel the attention to details from the moment you step inside. The entire house has Brazilian Cherry hardwood floors. A 2-storey addition was added and there is central HVAC throughout the house. All rooms a wired with cat5 cable for phones and computers. A salt-system, heated pool with a waterfall was installed, and a propane valve is available for your backyard grill. The kitchen has all stainless steel appliances.The house is located at the intersection of Elizabeth and Angela Street. This is the highest point on the Island and flood insurance is not required. Furniture may be purchased separately."

The renovation included major structural improvements that will outlast all of us. Those improvements permitted the owners to edit the traditional approach of room configuration and ceiling heights in cigar maker homes. So what you think you know about a house that looks like this probably is not what you will actually see. The living room is at the rear and has a large vaulted ceiling and wonderful built-ins. The stairway to the second floor master bed and bath is dainty and ever-so-charming.

The home has a very elegant but not overstated feel once you enter. Every detail has been attended to but not in such a way as to make you feel uncomfortable. Some houses come across as being so "done" that you don't fell you can sit down. Not here. This home was made for sophisticated but also relaxed living.

Two bedrooms with a shared Jack and Jill bath are located at the front of the house. A guest bath is tucked in the hallway just off the living room with its vaulted two story ceiling. The kitchen with French doors that open onto the pool at the back occupies most the space at the rear but there is a darling staircase that takes you up to the second floor rear master bedroom and with en suite bath.

The asking price on 627 Elizabeth Street was just reduced to $935,000 or $684 per sq ft. This home has 1367 sq ft of totally remodeled space with superior finishes throughout. The wood floors, for example, are solid wood and not some el cheapo laminate. Everything is done just right. The second floor front window is even wired for placement of an electric "candle light" for the Christmas holidays. CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls data sheet and to view listing photos.

I think this is a great house and I would really like to show you this property if you are looking for the perfect Key West Cottage. Please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule a showing of this home. I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West, Florida.

The Top of Solares Hill - 630 Elizabeth Street - Old Town - Key West

Turn this OLD HOUSE int0

Your NEW HOUSE

I just listed 630 Elizabeth Street at the top of Solares Hill in Old Town Key West.


I found a few old photos of the immediate area to share with my Readers.

Tony's Grocery in the 1960s - located across Angela Street

Same location in the 1970s but you can also see 630 Elizabeth on the right

Photo taken by WPA in the 1930s shows 630 Elizabeth St on left and Tony's on the right

Most of the funky old houses in Key West have been restored over the years. Most, but not all. A prior owner who was also a Realtor said 630 Elizabeth was a general store in the late 1800s. Most recently it was used as a duplex with an apartment with multiple bedrooms down and a larger apartment upstairs with a separate entrance. The current owner has obtained HARC approved plans to convert the building into a single family residence. When completed, the house at the top of Solares Hill will have a commanding view of much of Old Town.

Views from second floor looking down onto Elizabeth Street and Windsor Lane

The plans provide for 2300 sq ft of living space on two floors plus conversion of some attic space. HARC even approved a rear third story porch off the rear. The HARC approved architect's plans convey with purchase.

The third floor is larger than many cottages in Old Town -what space!

If you are among the many who unsuccessfully tried to buy this historic old home a few years ago, you now have a second chance. 630 Elizabeth Street is offered at $449,000. CLICK HERE to see the Key West mls database and to view more photos.


630 Elizabeth Street is easy to see. Just call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642. I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West, Florida.

728 Love Lane - Key West

I wanted to grab your attention with the banner pic. 728 Love Lane is one of the best homes in all of Key West. And now it is offered for sale at $1,795,000.

728 Love Lane is located next to the end of Love Lane as it dead-ends at the Monroe County Library. Click GOOGLE MAP to view the aerial photo of the location which is atop Solares Hill and the dead center of Old Town.

This residence is a must see for anyone who desires the best in location, privacy, security, top notch construction, and superb attention to every detail. Some features include: bricked off street parking, heated custom reverse infinity edge pool, two zone A/C, whole house back-up generator, professional chef's kitchen built by a custom furniture maker with Wolf/SubZero/Bosch Appliances, spacious loft to accommodate extra guests, extensive storage, covered veranda with wet bar, ice maker and under counter refrigerator, impact windows and skylights, floor to ceiling marble and decorative tile in all baths.

This is the kind of house that you fall in love with as soon as you cross the threshold. Everything was done "right". The formal entry is at the rear addition. You walk into the great room which has a vaulted ceiling. Your eyes get drawn to the infinity pool beyond the French doors at the rear and also to the delightful kitchen to the right. The master suite is off at the right rear. (It has French doors that open out to the pool making a midnight dip so enticing.) There is a second master suite at the front of the main house. Competing for attention is the special loft accessed by a ship's ladder. (The loft provides a third bedroom for guests and other strangers.)

CLICK HERE to take a Virtual Tour of this gracious Key West home. This is a tour worth taking! And CLICK HERE to see the Key West mls database on this property.

Anyone who has read my blog knows how fond I am of homes located on almost any of the Old Town lanes. This particular lane has the added pizazz of being called Love Lane. Who wouldn't want to live on Love Lane?

If you are looking for the very special home with all of the amenities and location that 728 Love Lane offers, please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to schedule a showing. I am a buyer's agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West.

712 Elizabeth Street - Hidden Treasure in Old Town Key West

712 Elizabeth Street is hidden behind 710 Elizabeth Street shown below

Just listed, but not by me, 712 Elizabeth Street, located steps from the tippy top of Solares Hill in Old Town Key West. Wow, that's a lot to say! But it says so much about the most excellent location of this new Key West cottage listing. The listing Realtor describes the cottage this way:

"Beautiful little cottage with lots of Dade County pine high on Solares Hill. Built in 1928, the house was completely and lovingly restored in 2000 with all new electric and plumbing, kitchen and bath and it's been meticulously maintained. There's an open kitchen/living/dining plan with a set of French doors that lead to a side porch and bricked patio. One bedroom and bath with a loft for overflow guests or storage. The house sits quietly on a walking lane behind 710 Elizabeth Street. A must see and easy to show."

Active buyers know that many of Key West's hidden treasure houses are hidden behind other houses that are clearly visible from the street. I found the old photo below that shows the house taken in 1965. Interestingly, the County Appraiser identified it then with an alias (befitting Key West's colorful history!) as "712 Elizabeth St. aka 710-1/3 710-1/2 Elizabeth St.". I have never seen any house number as being a "1/3" whereas there are several "1/2"s. That designation normally means the house sits behind a larger house that fronts on a street or lane. Such is the case here. The second photo below shows the primary house behind which 712 Elizabeth now sits. CLICK HERE for an aerial view of 710 Elizabeth (house in front) so you can gage the vicinity from a street view perspective.


The County Appraiser shows 712 Elizabeth as being 598 sq ft ( or 23' x 26'). It sits on a 1686 sq ft lot (41' x 48') and it appears that the 'walking lane' may actually be deeded as the property appraiser's map shows the access as being part of the property itself. A survey or title policy will show this for sure. At any case, the "lane" leads only to the house and is not a lane any yahoo would be walking down. The lane is accessed only through a gated and locked privacy fence inside the yard at 710 Elizabeth Street which is shown in the four photos below.
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Access to 712 Elizabeth is through this gated and locked entrance

Solares Hill is the highest elevation in Key West. And it is a great starting point for any walking destination. Duval Street is just two blocks to the west (via Angela Street to the north or Olivia Street to the south). The Historic Key West Seaport is a quick five minute walk to the north. Seven Fish is up the street at Olivia and Elizabeth and Sarabeth's is two blocks away on Simonton at Southard. The Key West Garden Cottage is 100 feet to the west of Sarabeth's. Fausto's Food Palace is one block further north. And the Solares Hill grocery is one long block to the east down Windsor Lane.

Seven Fish at Olivia and Elizabeth Streets

Sarabeth's Key West at Simonton and Southard Streets

Garden Cottage at 530 Southard Street - Key West

The cottage at 712 Elizabeth Street may appeal to the buyer who wants cozy as opposed to the person who wants 'showy'. Instead of spending several hundred thousand dollars more to buy a place with a guest bedroom and parking, invite your guests to stay at a guest house or hotel-maybe at your expense. It will be cheaper in the long run and you will save extra money on taxes and insurance to boot.

Front entry is upper right side

712 Elizabeth Street is offered at $499,000. I haven't shown this place yet as it is brand new and has not been previously offered. But I'd love to show it if you are in Key West. Please give me, Gary Thomas, a phone call 305-766-2642 or contact me by email at kw1101v@aol.com. I am a buyer's agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West.

728 Windsor Lane - Key West - Price Reduction

728 Windsor Lane in 2010

728 Windsor Lane in 1965

I think the little cottage at 728 Windsor Lane is one of the best buys in Old Town Key West. The seller just reduced the asking price from $260,,000 to $229,900. This house is still livable as is for a few years, but it really needs a redo. When I show a house like this I tell my buyers not to consider what it looks like now on the inside or the outside because when to redo is done, you won't be able to recognize the place. The good thing about a redo like this is that you don't have to worry about small rooms or inefficient layouts or lack of closets. All of those ills should be fixed in the renovation.

The house currently has two bedrooms, one bath, a living room and dining room, a small kitchen and separate laundry area accessed from the rear deck. The listing agent says the house has 654 sq ft of space under roof and it sits on a 1279 sq ft 1/2 block from the top of Solares Hill, the highest point on the Island of Key West and one block from the tippy top of Solares Hill. MAP. Many of the other properties on this block are of similar size. Many of those have been renovated. Most share the common dilemma this house faces: small building, small lot, no off street parking. Those three factors and the high cost of renovation in Key West have scared away many potential buyers from a place like this. I understand this but I think I have a somewhat good alternative on how to approach this property.

The red X marks the location of 728 Windsor Lane on Solares Hill in Key West

Key West Cemetery

Top of Solares Hill is one block to the west

Small neighborhood park is just around the corner at the end of William Street

Americans have gotten spoiled into requiring big rooms and grand spaces. Even when buyers are seeking bargain properties, most want to make something bigger and better out of what exists. Well, sometimes you can't get everything you want. Sometimes you must accept a little less to get most of what you want. I spoke to one contractor who looked at this house as a possible renovation project for a buyer. That buyer wanted so reconfigure the existing house and add a partial second floor at the rear. That buyer decided not to do the project because he couldn't make the house grow big enough.

The Key West Historic Architectural Review Commission (HARC) and the Planning Department for the City of Key West must approve such projects. All kinds of rules, building code requirements, and density restrictions must go into approving projects like this. A small house like this can take as much time to move through the bureaucratic jungle as a big project and some decide that the small house does not justify the investment of so much time and money if the end result is still just a small cottage.

What is wrong with a small cottage? Why does someone have to mess with something so quaint? Why not do something a little less daring and probably more certain of getting approval?

I'm not a designer or contractor but I came up with a plausible plan to renovate this house in such a way as to keep the historic facade intact but that would allow a new owner to totally redo the inside to create new living spaces that meet today's lifestyle.

My idea is to remove all existing interior walls, doors, and windows. Repair the foundation as necessary and reconfigure the house with a large bedroom with ensuite bath at the front. Create a new side entrance on the west side of the house with entry into the new living-dining-kitchen areas at the rear. A door off the kitchen would permit guests to use the bath without going into the bedroom area. The existing structure is a double sawtooth with an addition at the rear. I would remove the existing ceilings and create new vaulted ceilings throughout. New French doors would be added to the rear of the house that would open onto the rear deck and pool. I have seen similarly sized and styled homes have been renovated in similar fashion. Local contractors have done lots of houses like this. I cannot say everything I suggest will work or would get approved by HARC or the city planning department. And I cannot guarantee the price of the work. But this only a 650 sq ft property. I just have difficulty believing construction could go beyond $150,000.

Notice the double sawtooth roof

If a buyer purchased this property at the asking price and put $150,000 into it, that buyer would have a virtually "new" cottage style home in a great Old Town Key West location for about $380,000 or $581 per sq ft. What the buyer would not have is off street parking. But a lot of Old Town owners do not have it either. And the new owner would not have a guest room for all of his or her family and friends. I bet that it would be cheaper for a buyer to put his freeloading family and friends up at the Eden House on Fleming Street every year than it would be to add a second floor guest bedroom.

728 Windsor Lane is not a big house for starters, and you can't grow the house much larger. But you could immensely improve the structure and the space. The location is great. There is a neighborhood grocery 1/2 block away. Duval Street is three blocks to the west and the Historic Seaport is five blocks to the north. You could walk to just about any spot in Old Town in about ten minutes or less.

CLICK HERE to see the listing info sheet on this property. This property is rented and advance showing notice of at least 24 hours is required. Please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule a showing of this property. I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West, Florida.

728 Windsor Lane - Old Town Renovation Project - Key West

728 Windsor Lane - Old Town - Key West

Room for a pool behind 728 Windsor Lane

728 Windsor Lane as it appeared in 1965 (above) and today (below)

728 Windsor Lane - Old Town - Key West

Similar home on Petronia Street undergoing remodel today

Similar home (but larger in size and with pool) on Carey Lane that is priced at $1,150,000

The listing Realtor describes 728 Windsor Lane thus:

"If you are a ready-to-act buyer who has been waiting for the chance to live in the charm district of Key West, this may be the house that causes you to take immediate action. While small, it is difficult to find a home in this area for under $300,000. The house has a great private shady yard with room for a small pool. On the weekends, you can look forward to Operation Recharge. Sleep in on Saturday morning, drink your coffee, and relax. In the afternoon, jump on your bike and ride around and enjoy the tropical ambiance. It's thrilling to live so close to the heart of Key West music and entertaining district. There is some work to be done but for the size the price is a fit!"

This two bedroom house has 654 sq ft of living space and sits on a 1279 sq ft lot 1/2 block from the top of Solares Hill, the highest point on the Island of Key West. 728 Windsor Lane is offered at $260,000 or $398 per sq ft. The property is tenant occupied and we need at least 24 hours advance notice to see this property. I'm neither an architect nor builder, but I came up with a plausible plan to renovate this house in such as keep the historic facade intact but that would allow a new owner to totally redo the inside to create new living spaces that meet today's lifestyle.

My idea is to remove all existing interior walls, doors, and windows. Repair the foundation as necessary and reconfigure the house with a large bedroom with ensuite bath at the front. Create a new side entrance on the west side of the house with entry into the new living-dining-kitchen areas at the rear. A door off the kitchen would permit guests to use the bath without going into the bedroom area. The existing structure is a double sawtooth with an addition at the rear. I would remove the existing ceiling and create new vaulted ceilings throughout. New French doors would be added to the rear of the house that would open onto the rear deck and pool. I have seen similarly sized and styled homes have been renovated in similar fashion. Local contractors have done lots of houses like this. I cannot say everything I suggest will work or would get approved by HARC or the city planning department. And I cannot guarantee the price of the work. But this only a 650 sq ft property. I just have difficulty believing construction could go beyond $150,000.

728 Windsor Lane is not a big house for starters, and you can't grow the house much larger. But you could immensely improve the structure and the space. The location is great. There is a neighborhood grocery 1/2 block away. Duval Street is three blocks to the west and the Historic Seaport is five blocks to the north. You could walk to just about any spot in Old Town in about ten minutes or less. There are two other houses in the Old Town area priced under $260,000. GO HERE to compare all three. Those two houses are both short sales. 728 Windsor Lane is not. That means you will know that you are getting the house for the price you negotiate and that you will not need months of waiting for some "negotiator" or should I say "procastinator" to decide if you get to buy your place in Paradise.

I did another comparison of single family homes under 800 sq ft in Old Town. I did not put any price limit on my search, but I did look for houses that have been renovated and that have pools. The only one is a house I wrote about a week ago at 812 Johnson Lane. CLICK HERE to see what you can get for $499,000.

The Red "X" marks the spot where 728 Windsor Lane is located

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CLICK HERE to read more about 728 Windsor Lane. Please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to arrange a showing on this special little house. I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West, Florida.