1320 South Street, Key West - Bank Owned Home

The newly listed Bank Owned property at 1320 South Street certainly is something to cheer about if you are in the market for a large home located in a superior Key West neighborhood,  This home was built new in 2008 and replaced a much smaller home that previously occupied the 4939 sq ft lot. I dug around and found a photo of the old house. The new place looks nothing like it. The neighborhood as a whole has changed as well. Most, but not all, of the smaller mid-century houses that dot this area have been replaced. The Thompson Estate is located across the street and to the west. Thompson was a buddy of Ernest Hemingway.  I remember showing the Thompson property many years ago and marveling at the huge animal trophies on the walls.

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The 3220 sq ft home sits on a 4939 sq ft lot. The facade looks like two houses were joined together to make one large home. There are three bedrooms each with en-suite bath plus a fourth bath on main floor. The great room is extra large and has doors that open out to the pool and rear deck. The adjacent family room with wet bar also opens out to the pool. Rich Tiger Wood floors are located on both floors of the house. 

 The custom kitchen has about every high-end kitchen appliance that Viking makes including a gigantic range, double door refrigerator, ice maker, dishwasher, and wine cooler. There is abundant storage everywhere. The back side of the kitchen island is extra high and provides a nice place for casual dining.

The main floor bathroom is adjacent to the wet bar in the family room. The full bath also includes hook-ups for washer and dryer. There is a second washer and dryer on the second floor. The house is wired for stereo throughout and there is also a central vacuum system.

The house has Hardiboard siding, 2 zone central A/Ca/c, house generator, impact windows/doors, custom built pool and waterfall with grotto surrounded by IPE decking and built-in custom bench. The yard is fully fenced and accessed via large electronically gate.

Both guest bedrooms are very large. Each has a large walk-in closet located adjacent to the en-suite bath. The hallway between the two bedrooms is lined with more closet space. A second floor laundry is tucked away behind one set of doors.

This house appears to be in really good condition. I did not notice any deferred maintenance or see anything that was broken. The house is painted white throughout. That's probably the one thing a new owner might want to change. It's easy. It's fun. And it's not very expensive. CLICK HERE to see more photos I took of this lovely home.

1320 South Street is offered for sale at $1,199,999 or $372 per sq ft. Most homes in this area sell at a much higher price. CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet and listing photos. Then please 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.

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45 Bay Drive, Key West - Waterfront Property

The listing broker, not me, describes 45 Bay Drive near Key West this way:

"Open water with breathtaking views. Spectacular sunrises, romantic moon rises & starry, starry nights are what this property is about. Open water is visible from kitchen, living & dining areas. Covered deck facing open water is perfect for relaxation. Enjoy your morning coffee or evening tea looking out at the open water. High ceilings & a great-room design w/2 master suites. Huge fenced, 18,161 sq foot lot (1+1/2 lots). Enjoy the rear yard under the nice big shady tree w/ your family & friends. Fish from your own back yard! BONUS is that you are only 15 miles from downtown Key West, same distance to Big Pine Key. Exceptional restaurants, full service marinas, convenient stores & retail shops close by. County Park with Kiddie Park, tennis, basket, volley, & Bocci Ball courts on the island. World famous Baby's Coffee is within walking distance. Plenty of parking. Boat ramp & seawall. Friendly neighborhood. Shallow draft boating access to Gulf & Atlantic. Doesn't get any better than this!"

She writes with authority because she lives across the small cut at the tip of Boulder Drive on Saddlebunch Key, 15 miles from Key West. She told me she has lived there, in that spot, for 32 years. Her eyes lit up as she spoke about the beauty of this spot.  Click GOOGLE MAP for an aerial perspective of this property. Use the toggle switch on the right side to raise the view even higher so that you can appreciate where this home lays in relation to its neighboring islands (keys or cays) as well as the not so far away island of Key West. You will see that Saddlebunch Key is a peninsula that is almost enveloped by Sugarloaf Key which extends so far that it looks like it will never end. This creates a gentle seafront for 45 Bay Drive. Access to the deep water ocean is via a nearby channel.

45 Bay Drive sits just a mid-way down Bay Drive with houses of varying sizes, types, age of construction, and value. The older homes at ground level are giving way to homes either elevated or constructed on piers. There are many homes on larger lots with commanding ocean views with million dollar views and appraised values that match. This home was constructed in 1986 and in my opinion is about mid-value for this area.

The Monroe County Property Appraiser shows this home as being 1505 sq ft under air, but this only shows the second floor inside living space on the site. There is a ground level garage plus storage area capable of being air conditioned that is not included in the living space calculation. The lot is actually a lot plus a half lot with a total space of 18,161 sq ft. The shoreline is about 108 ft from side to side. The irregular lot runs between 156 to 165 ft from the road to the water. There is room for expansion of the house which has a tiny foot print on this large lot. 

This is an informal home designed for laid back Florida Keys living. As is the case with many of the Lower Keys homes, a covered walk way surrounds the living level  on all four sides. This provides a comfortable perch to watch the kids as they play or to have a cocktail as night approaches. The practical use is to provide access to install storm shutters when needed. 

 Windows abound in the great room and kitchen which flood the space with light. I didn't measure the ceiling height but assume it reaches beyond 9 ft. There are two bedrooms. The master bedroom has an en suite bath. The second bedroom also has access for guests. There is a large laundry room on this floor. (There is a second laundry on the ground level.)

 I'm a city boy and always have been. But I can see why people who love the water, fishing, boating, and nature in general gravitate towards a home like this. The garage here and a good part of the yard is filled with toys for enjoying life on or around the water. I get it!  And if you are a buyer that wants a place near Key West to watch a play, listen to a live band, attend an art show, have a great meal, or watch funny people from Peoria act out during Fantasy Fest, this may just the place for you. CLICK HERE to view more photos I took of this property. If you have kids they can get in a small boat and play in the secluded lagoon just north of the house or walk up the street to the park. Baby's Coffee is up at the highway. It's a great place to get Key West's favorite coffee, morning baked goods, and even champagne. There's a nearby deli where you can buy sandwiches when you are too tired to cook.

45 Bay Drive is offered for sale at $899,000. CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet and listing photos. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule a private showing. Remember this home is priced mid-range for this area. I think a new owner could do some simple updates to the kitchen, bath, and grounds to make this place shine. There is room to expand and add onto the exising house or maybe add a guest cottage, a pool, or do something really creative with the lot. i am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

811 White Street, Key West - Price Reduction

The asking price on the recently constructed home at 811 White Street in Key West was just reduced to $1,395,000. This impressive home stands in stark contrast to the little Cigar Maker Cottages and Grand Conch Houses that populate the streets of Key West. This house will grab your attention if you happen to be driving down the street in a car or riding your bike.  It says "Look at Me!".  It is much larger than the other nearby properties. It dominates the neighbors in size and boldness of design.  It looks nothing like the much smaller bungalow that sat on this lot for five decades or more. See the photos below starting with a photo from 1965 followed by mls listing photos from 2000 and 2005.

Three photos immediately above illustrate that the bungalow house that sat on this prominent lot was not historically significant which, I guess, is why the city allowed the original house to be razed. But the bungalow shown was not the first building built on that lot. I looked at the 1892  Sanborn Fire Map for Key West and learned that the original address for this corner lot was 801 White Street. 801 White was the largest of six houses in the 800 block of White.

I found the above photograph that shows the 800 block of White Street as photographed circa 1900.  I added graphics that show the large Army barracks at the corner of Newton at White. I also added an arrow to show 801 or 811 White (whichever numerical address the house may have had when the photo was taken). The 900 block of White Street still has cigar maker cottages.

811 White Street was constructed (finished) in 2014. The two story house has 2300 sq ft of living space and sits on a 4179 sq ft lot.  The house looks as if it borrowed some of the elements of design seen in many old Conch houses, but it is definitely of the 21st century design. The house is wood frame construction with Hardiboard siding.  All windows and doors are wind impact resistant.  Modern construction materials and techniques will significantly reduce wind and casualty insurance costs.

The two story front porch looks directly out to White Street. White Street is a feeder street in the  daytime. After 6:00 PM traffic really dies down.  When you are inside the house you do not hear any traffic because of the impact glass and insulated walls. If you sit on the porch, you will hear noise. This may deter some buyers but I think there will be buyers who would love to watch the human parade go by.  The views from the front and back porches are terrific.  

After you pass the formal entry and head toward the great room at the rear you see this huge open space there is supposed to be a wall.  But there is no wall. Doors have magically disappeared into the the side of the house. The combined living, dining, and kitchen areas all see to flow out to the rear deck and pool area.

The pool area is really attractive. Newly planted trees and shrubs will soon fill in and provide lots of privacy - don't you fret. The Trex deck will last for years. It is a man made material that will resist our harsh climate.  Notice the stepped deck down to the pool is repeated by steps into the pool itself.

There is one bedroom with en suite bath on the first floor, two guest bedrooms on the second floor, and the master bedroom with en suite as well. Each second floor bedroom has a vaulted ceiling. The master suite has dual French doors which open out to a private deck that overlooks the pool below. The view of the neighborhood is quite amazing.  Both guest bedrooms on the front share the second floor porch.  CLICK HERE to view more photos that I took of this property. 

I think 811 White Street would make a really great second home for someone that wants to rent it as a vacation rental. It has off street parking, a convenient location within walking distance to Duval and near the gyms and yoga studios in the White Street area. But it is the four large bedrooms, the large and inviting living area, and that incredible sunny pool that will make this place popular.  This place has room for people to actually live a little - to kick back and relax.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet on 811 White Street.  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.