611 Southard Street #5, Key West - Transient Licensed Condo in Old Town

Just Listed 611 Southard Street Unit #5, Key West, Florida. A total of eight unique units make up the historic Hollinshed House Condominiums located at the tip-top of Solaris Hill in Key West. This 577 sq ft third floor garret is one of five units in this building. There are three additional units located next door at 609 Southard Street. The historic building was built circa 1874.  The unit is an unpretentious one bedroom with lots of space for relaxed living. It has all of the modern amenities but retains the charm of the historic house.  And it has a very valuable asset that few condominiums on Old Town have - a transient rental license which allows an owner to rent the unit on a daily every day of the year.

611 Southard St as it appeared in 1965

The listing Realtor describes this property thus:

"Great opportunity to own an Old Town well established transient licensed apartment. The Hollinsed House (circa 1880's) was converted to 8 condominiums many years ago and has been well maintained and managed since then. Unit #5 is a large one bedroom unit on the third floor of the property. It has a queen bed, sleeper sofa, dining area, and private porch. Hollinsed House has a heated pool and lovely patio area and is conveniently located near the corner of Southard and Simonton St."

If you take a couple of moments to study the photos above you'll soon discover that the building is a Key West eyebrow house. Look back at the top photo of today's blog. See the multiple sets of windows located above the French doors on the second floor front porch. Those windows permitted the occupants of the historic house to have ventilation in the days way before air conditioning and probably before electric ceiling fans were invented. The covered porch allowed air to move about while still keeping water from getting inside the space. They also shaded the interior which otherwise might get warm.

Notice also the Dade County Pine walls and ceiling. So many places today have been gussied up so much with drywall, crown moldings, and engineered floors that we forget how quaint the old houses really are. Their simple beauty is what attracts many returning guests to come back to Key West year after year. I know a lot of people like the amenities offered at luxury hotels, but there are those other travelers who prefer to stay in a place that is unapologeticaly simple. This unit is for that owner or that traveler.

The bedroom is located in the rear addition of the building.  Skylights were added to bring light into this space. The guest closet is located at the side rear and the owner's lockout closet is at the far rear.

The living room has a little niche off to the left where French doors open out to the rear "deck". This is the emergency exit but it is also a really private space for gathering one's thoughts.

CLICK HERE to view more photos that I took of this unit and the grounds.  The bricked courtyard includes a small semi-covered area with a bar-b-que, access to the laundry, plus two first come first served off street parking spaces.

611 Southard Street #5 is offered for sale at $525,000. CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet and listing photos. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to set up a private showing of this transiently licensed condo located near everything. You just cannot ask for a more convenient location. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

606 Truman Avenue No 5, Key West - Transient Licesensed Unit

Preferred Properties Key West (that's where I work but this is not my listing) is the listing brokerage for 606 Truman Avenue No. 5), a sharp 2/2 Windward Park town home which is offered at  just $924,500.  The home offers 1260 sq ft of living space divided between the two floors with two master suites.

Two magnificent Royal Poinciana Trees frame the entrance into the Windward Park Townhome compound. In two or three weeks these trees will blossom and this private parking area will be fully ablaze with millions of tiny red flowers. When you pass through the electronically gated entry the first thing you will probably notice is the very large and usually sunny pool around which most of the thirteen homes are located. Unit No. 5 is tucked away to the left.

The listing Realtor describes this property this way:

"Two bedroom/two bath transient rental property in Windward Park. Immaculately maintained by very particular owners; lots of upgrades and recent attention to every detail of the property. A private island oasis of only 13 townhomes in a compound only a short walk from Duval Street and yet a great distance from the hustle and bustle. Large, heated community pool, X flood zone and security gate entrance along with an assigned, deeded parking spot are some of the important features of this HOA. Excellent rental record making this property a wonderful investment or personal vacation home."

The main living area with the second floor "catwalk" can bee seen in a couple of other units at Windward Park but not all. The catwalk certainly adds dramatic flair to the living space where the ceiling soars two stories.  Otherwise, the main floor is laid out traditionally with the living room and dining area at front followed. One of two master suites is located at the rear. There is a main floor bathroom with access off either the living area or from the bedroom. French doors open from the bedroom to a private deck where an owner or guest could get an all over Key West tan. The washer and dryer are located here which means the noise and humidity will be outside not inside.

If you have looked at other town homes, condos, or even moderately price old houses in Key West before you have probably found that many bedrooms are rather small and often dark. Not so here. The second floor master bedroom is extra large.  If you prefer sleeping in a king size bed, you will have room to spare in this big boy bedroom that has windows that face overlook the gardens of St. Mary's of the Sea Basilica. This bedroom also has an extra large closet with owners' lockout. The en-suite bath is also extra large. Compare the size of both bedrooms to similarly priced units at Truman Annex which can only be rented for 25 weeks each year on a transient basis. Put yourself in the position of a renter and ask where would I rather sleep? CLICK HERE to view more photos I took of this home.

 CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls data sheet on 606 Truman Avenue Unit No 5. 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. I took photos of this unit late yesterday afternoon where I was sandwhiched in between other agents showing the place to prospective buyers. The last transient licensed unit went under contract in a matter of days after it was listed. I think this one will to. This place is clean as a whistle. There is no deferred maintenance. It's got a valuable full City of Key West Transient License which allows for 52 weekly rentals. The unit is one block from Duval and close to all that Old Town has to offer. Need I say more!

109 Front Street No. 112, Key West - Harbour Place Waterfront Condominium

There are seven distinct communities at Truman Annex in Key West. The one with the Million Dollar Views is Harbour Place Condominiums. If you are reading my blog you may be considering the purchase of a home or condo in Key West - perhaps you are looking for the perfect place to retire to in a few years. Or maybe you are just looking for a safe place to invest some excess cash in the hope that it will multiply in value as our economy prospers in the years to come. You probably want a place where you can enjoy all that Key West has to offer and make some money along the way to help pay for that investment. The new condominium listing at 109 Front Street, Unit No. 109 at the Harbour Place Condominiums in Key West may be the place you have been hoping to find. All a new owner needs to do is re-activate the Transient License which permits up to 26 weekly rentals each year.

When you step onto your the expansive private balcony and overlook the boardwalk and then view the private yachts and giant ships and Sunset Key beyond you will know that you came out just fine. Take a look at this immaculate 1350 square foot two bedroom two and one-half bath designer condominium where nothing has been left to chance.

Upon opening the front door you enter into a vestibule you immediately notice the new wood floors and tray ceiling. As you look toward the living room you will see that space also has a tray ceiling. These features are not common features at Harbour Place. This is an unexpected upgrade. If you look to your left you see the bedroom wing. If your right  you will see the custom kitchen with a breakfast bar that opens into the living area. While this place is grand, it is not stuffy. It is designed for comfortable and luxurious living.

This is not your ordinary master suite. This master suite has a formal entry hall that leads past the es-suite bath into the bedroom chamber. The bath has a handsome vanity, jetted marble bath, and shower. The bedroom has two walls of windows where Plantation Shutters provide muted views of the waterfront looking past the Fort Zachary Taylor to the south and Sunset Key to the northwest. A door leads from the bedroom out to the deck where you can sip your morning coffee or take a breath of fresh air before you go to bed.

The guest bedroom and bath are located at the far end of the hallway. What a great place this would be for your guests to snuggle.  When I pulled back the Plantation Shutters I got to see two huge cruise ships as passengers disembarked to enjoy their day in Key West. When I photographed a two different units last year neither berth had a cruise ship. It was especially enjoyable for me to see these huge floating hotels outside the window. Water views change daily if not hourly. I think your guests would fall in love with watching people from around the world come to spend a day in Key West. This also the perfect place to watch nightly sunset. You and your guests can nurse your favorite cocktails as the sun sets.

This luxurious waterfront condominium can be purchased fully furnished including all the little brick-a-brac.  I opened the kitchen cabinets to determine the quality of the cabinetry. The base and upper level cabinets are nothing but the finest. The basket-woven inset in the upper level cabinets sits behind glass. I suppose a new owner could remove this to add a new insert or take it out entirely to create an entirely different look. The base cabinets have extra-wide draws for storing all mater of things one might use to create a meal on those nights you decide to dine at home rather than going out to one a dozens of wonderful Key West eateries. Note the cute little bar sink located to the side.

The living room has wrap-around windows that look out to the expansive deck which overlooks the waterfront. Note again how the tray ceiling helps define the separation between the living room from the dining area and entry hall. Little things like crown molding, built-in sound system, and high-end light switches distinguish this unit from the standard fare. This unit also conveys with exclusive use of two under building assigned parking spaces. CLICK HERE to view more photos I took of this special unit.

109 Front Street No 109 is offered for sale at $1,375,000. CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet for more information. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule a private showing to see this special Harbour Place waterfront condominium. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.