734 Amelia Street, Key West, Florida

The newly constructed house at 734 Amelia Street is a lovely addition to the Key West home scene. Few occasional visitors and locals probably recognize this location. This two block stretch of Amelia Street which runs east from Simonton to Windsor Lane was omitted in the Historic Historic Sanborn Fire Maps from 1889 through 1912. St. Mary's convent school yard was and still is located across the street where a tall stone wall insulates the school yard from public view. One of the maps referred to the entire area as "tropical gardens". I found the black and white aerial photo below taken in 1960. I added a notation to show the location of the home that was located thre at that time. I also found a photo of the former house that was razed. The lot sat vacant for as many years as I can recall. That explains how the current owner obtained permission to build a new house in a town where old homes are treasured.

The listing Realtor describes the new house this way:

"This beautiful, brand new home boast 3 large bedrooms with 3.5 baths equipped w/ bluetooth audio and shower wands. Master features his & her closets, gorgeous bath & private balcony. 2100sqft of open living space with many upgrades including hand scraped engineered oak flooring, quartz counter-tops, induction cook-top range, built in microwave drawer, high power ultra-quite dishwasher, X-large 34 cubic foot refrigerator. Built to 180 m.p.h. wind load, maintenance free Hardie board siding, Trex composite decking, aluminum impact windows & doors in highly desirable X Flood Zone. Outdoor living area entertainment center, plus a wonderful outdoor kitchen area w/ commercial 120 lb ice machine. Relax poolside or soak in the spa after a long day. Off street parking."

When you enter the home the first thing I noticed was the handsome wood floors and then the stylish  staircase that leads to the second floor. My eyes were drawn to the rear of the home where the great room is located. This  area is bright and welcoming. Two sets of impact glass doors open out to the partially covered rear deck. Another door opens to the east side deck. Windows on either side provide garden views. This space is so inviting and it is not decorated yet. I had to touch the quart counter-tops that are impregnated with just a touch of color. What I thought was a simple French refrigerator is actually a large refrigerator with normal cold food storage on top and frozen fools on the bottom. The built-in breakfast bar will keep the chef a part of whatever is going on inside this area. The guest powder room is located off the kitchen. Note the crewon molding, extra large baseboards, handsome real wood doors used throughout the house.

 

The pool and garden area will probably be a very well-used part of the living that occurs in this home. There is a built-in automatic elevated television system where the TV will rise out above the cut stone base. What I call the mini-kitchen (or bar) is on east side deck which would presumably be used for outdoor dining. The sunny pool is long enough to really swim in. And there is a spa for whatever it is that one does in a spa.

There is a first floor bedroom which is large enough to serve as a master bedroom in later years when climbing the stairs may be come a challenge. Windows on two walls allow generous light to enter this space. The en-suite bath is large and comfortable. While each bathroom is unique in vanities chosen, they all use porcelain tile floors and glass shower enclosures. Both second floor bedrooms have private decks. The occupants of this bedroom have use of the front porch. The second floor hallway is quite large and provides a good separation between the bedrooms. The hallway includes a bank of closets where the laundry and the AC are located.

The second floor front guest bedroom is quite large as is the private en-suite bath. This bedroom includes a pull down ladder to attic storage. The covered front deck provides views of St. Mary's school yard across the street. The master bedroom at the rear has views of the pool and  the southeast skyline. Notice the underside of the canopy. This same motif is employed in all covered outdoor roof locations. Note as well the porcelain decks off the master bedroom. Trex decks are used in the other outdoor areas.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet for 734 Amelia Street that is offered for sale at $1,695,000. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule a private showing of this new home with a lot of money saving features built in. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

1211 Grinnell Street # F, Key West - Bank Owned Property

Slowly but surely the backed up foreclosures are working their way through the Key West court system. I wrote about 1211 Grinnell Street Unit #F in September 2015 when it was a short sale. That short sale did not get accomplished. Today the property is Bank Owned. That means some lucky buyer is going to have an opportunity to buy what I think is a nice house in the very desirable Grinnell Gardens Community.

Grinnell Gardens is a unique compound consisting of seven distinctive units which share a large and sunny pool. Each home has one designated off street parking space. These homes were built new in 1994 and replicate the Greek Revival architectural style found in many houses in our Old Town area. This particular two bedroom two and one-half bath home has 1390 square feet of interior living space plus covered first and second floor front porches for private outdoor entertaining.

The prior owner was the original owner of this unit who paid extra to incorporate additional insulation between the first and second floor as well as the space separating this unit from the one next door. The owner also applied custom Venetian plaster to the interior walls and pickled the floors and wood work, both techniques that were in vogue two decades ago.

This house is pretty simple. And that is the joy of it. The combined living, dining, and kitchen area make for a relaxed Key West lifestyle home. If you were to become the new owner you could take this house as it comes or maybe sand and refinished the real wood floors - perhaps add a dark stain. Maybe you would tone down the walls with a more subtle paint scheme and paint the trim a crisp white that is found in so many of our older homes. You might landscape the back area which right now is begging for some attention. The view of the million dollar home next door only adds to the appeal of this space that has been forgotten.

The second floor center hallway separates the master suite which is located at the front from the guest bedroom and laundry located at the rear. Venetian plaster is also found on this floor except here each bathroom his tile floors The bathrooms have fixtures that were popular a quarter century ago. The windows in each bathroom are frosted glass for privacy.

When you open the door out to the second floor balcony you immediately appreciate not only the views but also the charm of this sweet little environment.

Three of the seven homes in Grinnell Gardens have their own private pools. Over the years that I have shown units here, I think I have only seen people sunning by the main pool twice. That's actually pretty common in small places like this. The home owner association rules do permit owners to rent their homes on a long term or vacation rental basis. But the people who stay here treat this place like home. CLICK HERE to view more photos I took of this property.

1211 Grinnell Street #F in Bank Owned and offered for sale at $630,000. Please CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet and then call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to schedule a private showing of this home. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. This home has so much potential as a new full time residence or as a second home for buyers that hope to retire here in the future. I know some places may generate more short term income, but I always caution buyers to consider whether they would want someday to live in a place where a hundred or so units turnover every Saturday afternoon. That is something all potential buyers should consider.

1309 Grinnell St - Freshly Renovated Casa Marina Area Home - Key West

Nine months ago I first wrote about 1309 Grinnell Street which is located in the tony Casa Marina Area of Key West when it was being offered as a fixer-upper. It went under contract the first week it was listed. The new owner is a local contractor that totally renovated this home which is now offered for sale at $1,599,000.  The listing Realtor describes the property as being a...

"Complete renovation in the Casa Marina! X zone.Beautiful large front covered porch poolside, with new pavers for zero maintenance. Decking off the kitchen to enjoy your meals cooked with new Kenmore Pro Series appliances.Downstairs Master bedroom and bath has new imported designer tile and vanity. Upstairs is a 2nd Master bedroom and bath,large walk in closet, and vaulted ceilings.New Oak flooring,drywall, and paint throughout. Custom built interior doors and wood work. Upstairs guest bedroom connects to a third bathroom, with a marble designer floor, new plumbing, fixtures,and a cast iron tub. High efficiency a/c, upstairs and down.There is a new metal roof, Miami Dade impact resistant doors and windows, electric service, wiring and lighting. House has new Hardi Backer siding, fascia, decking,fencing, and more. Off street parking too!"

When I passed through the entry gate I was immediately taken by the lagoon style pool and newly landscaped yard that gave the house a presence it previously did not have. The stage was set for something quite different than existed before. New slider doors open out to from the living area to the cool pool. Since most Key West houses are reversed with public rooms in the rear to provide pool views, it's appropriate that this home has its living area up front to look out at the pool located in the front yard.

This new house is anything but formal. The combined living, dining, and kitchen areas are designed and outfitted for Keys casual living. The living area has just a bit of separation from the dining and kitchen area. An extra wide opening from the kitchen allows the chef to be a part of whatever is going on inside this area as well as to provide a view out to the pool. The laundry area is located just off the kitchen. The guest bath is tucked away off to the side. Several rooms in the house have the sliding wood doors made especially for this home.

 

The master bedroom and en-suite bath are located at the rear of this home. Impact glass doors open out from each of these rooms to the south side deck that runs the length of this home. Similar doors open out from the dining area. The shower in the master bedroom provides a means of quick escape to get an all over Key West tan to the private outdoor area. I know a lot of my older customers favor first floor master bedrooms. This obviates the need to sell and buy a new place when climbing stairs becomes a chore. And when you're young, you can step out and take a skinny dip just before you hit the hay.

There are two bedrooms and two baths on the second floor plus an extra large second floor sitting area. I am sure you have noticed the new wood floors and sharp baseboards and trim evident throughout the house.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet and to view more listing photos. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule a private showing of this lovely newly renovated Casa Marina Area home that is offered at $1,599,000 and partially furnished (as shown).  I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.