419 Simonton Street - Old Town Investment Property - Key West

419 Simonton Street - Old Town - Key West

Just listed, but not by me, 419 Simonton Street in Old Town Key West. The listing agent describes this property like this:

"Historic, 2 story residence on a 5967 sq ft Old Town lot that's close to everything. Covered balcony & covered porch on front. Upper level balcony & covered porch at rear. Currently set up as four legal apartments (with four 1.0 ROGO's & 4 electric meters) and one off street parking space. Lot has mature Spanish Lime trees and at nearly 6,000 sq ft, it affords room for expansion or pool. HNC-1 zoning lends to many potential uses (City approval required). Convert to grand single family residence, keep apartments, condo out, put in 'light' commercial aspect, etc.., this is a great opportunity to acquire a superb Old Town property."

Click GOOGLE MAP for a great aerial view of this property. Then move the toggle switch and look at the street view. The Dean Lopez Funeral Home is across the street. Other neighbors include a Chinese restaurant, an antique store, a guest house, the Methodist Church, Voltaire Book Store, and the Marquesa Hotel and Cafe Marquesa on the corner. The setting is Key West urban for sure. As the listing Realtor says "HNC-1 zoning lends to many potential uses (City approval required)".

The Monroe County Property Appraiser shows this property as having 2469 sq ft of living space on two floors. The lot is an irregular rectangle of approximately 44' (wide) x 83' (length). The listing agent says room for a pool. But be cautious because of the big trees in backyard. This is a big property for Old Town both in size of building and lot size. The location does lend itself to several different uses. The asking price is $759,000. This is an estate sale. CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls database and more photos of this property.

Off street parking - for two cars!

If you would like to see 419 Simonton Street, or any other property in Key West, please contact me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642. I am a buyer's agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc.

525 Simonton Street - Old Town - Key West

525 Simonton Street - Old Town - Key West

I know the property at 525 Simonton Street pretty well. That is where I first worked when I got my real estate license in 1997. The real estate offices were on the main floor. The rest of the main building and the detached cottage were The Watson House Guest House. The prior owners did a very nice job of renovating the buildings. They operated the three unit guest house to capacity all year long. The current owners converted the previous office space into residential living space and condominiumized the property as a whole.


Fast forward to the present. This beautiful Key West landmark property is now a Short Sale. The listing Realtor describes the property this way:

"***Short Sale****The Watson House on Simonton is an historic estate beautifully renovated and restored. It is currently being managed as an upscale 3 unit guest house with excellent revenues streams year round. The home includes high ceilings, crown molding, large open floor plan with amazing covered decks overlooking the private pool. It also offers off street parking, and a separate guest house."

This property is located on Simonton Street between high-end Marquesa Hotel to the north and Sarabeth's to the south. It is one block off Duval Street. (Guests can find their way home even in the dark!) There is off street parking, a beautiful pool, and large suite like facilities as presently configured. A new owner might keep the rear cottage as an owner's unit and rent out the rooms in the main building. There are lots of possibilities on this property.

Off street parking-in Old Town!

The asking price on this property was just reduced to $1,999,000. This dear Readers, is a bargain in my opinion. If you have been looking for a guest house and have been dismayed by the high asking prices, condition, location, or all three, this may be a workable and bankable alternative.

Please contact me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 or send me an email at kw1101v@aol.com for more information on this property. I am a buyer's agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West. Turn this short sale into a big opportunity.

Choices

Not Key West

~

Key West

Potential buyers have lots of choices as where to live and who to work with when selecting a new home. CLICK HERE to search the Key West Association of Realtors mls database. If you see something you like, please consider working with me, Gary Thomas. I am a buyer's agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West.

You could live in a box just like a lot of other boxes almost any place in the world. Or you could live in Key West. It is your choice.

Open House - Easter Sunday - Key West

If you are in Key West on Easter Sunday please stop by and take a look at 630 Elizabeth Street between 12:00 to 2:00 PM. I will be providing hard hat tours of this wonderful old Key West property that is ready for renovation. This property has received HARC approval for renovation into a 2300 sq ft single family residence. CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls database.

Turn this OLD HOUSE into your NEW HOUSE

2518 Fogarty Avenue - Key West

Instead of searching for Easter Eggs this weekend, maybe you should be searching for bargains. I recently showed 2518 Fogarty Avenue in the mid town area of Key West, and I think this is a hidden bargain for the right buyer. The listing Realtor describes the property like this:

"Single family CBS (3BD 1.5 BA) home with separate 450 sq. Ft licensed guest cottage. There is a new metal roof on the main house, recently painted interior and exterior, newer appliances, and room for a pool. The main house is currently rented through June 30th 2011. The guest cottage is open and previously rented for $1000/ month."

Large living room at front of house

Dining room opens to rear deck

Front bedroom is one of three

The house was built in 1951 and is a typical ranch, of sorts. The Monroe County Property Appraiser shows the house as being 1880 sq ft (including the guest cottage). The listing agent says the house has 3 bedrooms. There is a nice sized living room, kitchen, and family room plus office/study/ or fourth bedroom.

The legal guest cottage is the show stopper. This place is super cute, super clean and way cheap if rented at just $1,000 per month. It is located at the rear of the 50' x 100' lot and has a separate access from the front gated access to the yard.

Guest cottage living room - this place is sweet!

Guest cottage kitchen

The rear area of the main house currently has a large spa, but there is both room for a pool and easy access for construction of a pool. The front yard is nicely landscaped and protected form the street by fenced and gated access. There are two off street parking spots as well.

Guest cottage at rear - no access to the spa or potential pool

The asking price is just $399,000 or $222 per sq ft. CLICK HERE to checkout the Key West mls database and to view more listing photos. This is a good family neighborhood. I don't reckon that many second home buyers would consider this location, but maybe they should. The price is affordable and having the monthly income from the cottage would help offset taxes, insurance and a portion of the mortgage. It is worth contemplating.

If you would like to see 2518 Fogarty Avenue, please consider contacting me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642. I am a buyer's agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West.

4 Lowe Lane - Old Town - Key West

Author Thomas Sanchez (Mile Zero) wrote "I live on a lane called love. Love Lane's behind the library. Key West is filled with little lanes with cute names." Most of the lanes of Key West are quaint. They weren't designed for big houses or big cars. The attraction to owning a house on a lane may be the small spaces and seclusion where owners can then build a nest which they can fluff and call home.


4 Lowe Lane is a listing of Preferred Properties (that's where I work but this is not my listing). The listing Realtor describes this lovely home this way:

"This charming & elegant cottage is situated on a quiet & secluded Old Town lane. The house is approached through an inviting bricked & lushly landscaped courtyard. The dramatic vaulted ceilinged great room has two pairs of French doors opening to the front porch overlooking the garden & two more sets of French doors in the rear overlooking the solar heated swimming pool. The large sunny kitchen also has two pairs of French doors opening out to the pool and terrace. Downstairs are two bedrooms, one with a vaulted ceiling & the other opening to yet another shady porch. There is a full bath downstairs and a large laundry which could easily be another bath. The master suite is upstairs with a skylit bathroom and a sundeck. One parking space."

Living on Lowe Lane is like living on an island within the island of Key West. The rooftop deck off the second floor bedroom provides sunlight and seclusion. It is your own private little place to veg out, read a book, take a snooze, or whatever-whenever!

Master bedroom with secluded rooftop deck

4 Lowe Lane is offered at $995,000. CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls database on this lovely home.

For the uninformed Lowe Lane is an "almost" one block long slow lane that runs from Grinnell Street toward the east. It runs parallel to Southard Street to the south and Fleming Street to the north. The most familiar notable landmark is 5 Brothers Grocery which is located southwest corner of Grinnell and Southard Streets. Stop by 5 Brothers any weekday morning for a cup of coffee con leche and listen as all the big wheels, cops, politicians, contractors, and many tourists as they exchange notes on what is going on in Key West.

4 Lowe Lane is located in the heart of Old Town. Other than 5 Brother's Grocery mentioned above and Azur Restaurant located at the corner of Fleming and Grinnell, there are no commercial enterprises nearby, no guest houses, no apartments or condos. This little block is populated with single family residential homes most of which are of similar size on this lane. The homes on Southard Street to south are very large by contrast. And very expensive. Those expensive homes will help this location maintain its long term appeal and value. (The big house at the end of Lowe Lane has a street address of on Southard Street. The entrance to the carriage house is located there. Preferred Properties (that's where I work) sold that house in 2006 for $5.5 million in 2005.) All of the neighboring grand Key West Conch houses and small Key West cottages have the same quick access to the Historic Key West Seaport located at the foot of Grinnell Street just three blocks to the north and to the restaurants, nightlife, and attractions on or near Duval Street four blocks to the west.

Please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766.2642 to schedule a showing of this property. I am a buyer's agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West. I really enjoy helping buyers find the right nesting places.

730 Windsor Lane - Old Town - Key West

730 Windsor Lane is affordably priced at just $299,000. The listing Realtor describes this 072 sq ft two bedroom two bath house this way:

" This single family two bedroom two and two bath home is situated in Old Town Key West. Home has been moderately renovated and is just one block from the Historic Key West Cemetery. The first floor offers an open floor plan which includes the living room, kitchen and dining room with French doors opening to a private deck. Walk to restaurants, clubs, shopping and museums. Enjoy the sites from your charming front porch."

The living area downstairs is very open. The kitchen is at the rear as is the dining area. Both have access to the rear deck area. The rear deck is small and if you are looking for a place where you can add a pool, keep looking. Because there is no room for a pool here. Nor is there off street parking. But this house has a great location and there is not a lot of deferred maintenance. CLICK HERE to see photos I took of this property.

730 Windsor Lane does have a lovely front porch and a nice front yard that enclosed by the ever-so-necessary white picket fence. The house across the street (photo above) is a pleasant view as are many of the houses in this neighborhood. Readers will recall that the Key West Writer's Compound is located across the street and the Key West Cemetery is about 120 feet or so to the east. Duval Street is three blocks to the west and the Historic Key West Seaport is six blocks to the north.

You can checkout the Key West mls database if you CLICK HERE. Don't wait on this because it will be under contract within a very short time.

If you would like to see this house please contact me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 or send me an email at kw1101v@aol.com. I am a buyer's agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc.

1505 Pine Street - The Meadows of Key West

1505 Pine Street is one of two remaining Bank Owned homes located in The Meadows of Key West. Both homes are equal in size and are located next door to each other. Their floor plans are 'flips' of each other.


1505 Pine Street was constructed in 2007. It is is a 1629 sq ft 3 bedroom home with 3 ensuite bathrooms plus powder room. It is one of 8 homes built by the developer that were eventually foreclosed upon. Preferred Properties is the listing broker on the remaining homes. The listing broker describes this home this way:

"This stunning home is part of The Meadows condo association. Built with quality materials and craftsmanship, this home offers everything one expects in a luxury residence. The first level features marble floors, soaring 11' ceilings, a wall of glass doors leading to the private pool and spa. A gourmet kitchen provides solid wood cabinets, high-end stainless steel appliances, luxurious granite countertops & lots of storage space. The living room features a wet bar and is great for entertaining. The bedrooms are en suite and feature high ceilings & sumptuous baths plus a second floor laundry. A private carport has an entry through a gated drive. Lush landscaping provides a tropical backdrop for this spectacular home Easy to see!"

The large field at the end of The Meadows is actually a part of the development. It was built to absorb the storm runoff water from the homes. It practical terms, it's a nice place to walk the dogs.


1505 Pine Street is offered for sale at $825,000. CLICK HERE to read the Key West mls database information and to view listing photos.

If you would like to see 1505 Pine Street please give me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, a phone call. I am a buyer's agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West.

1319 Newton Street - A Meadows Charmer - Key West

1319 Newton Street - The Meadows Area - Key West

Just listed by Preferred Properties (that's where I work but this is not my listing), 1319 Newton Street in the Meadows Area of Key West. The listing Broker describes this home thus:

"This charming 2/2 historic home is in pristine condition. Located in the Meadows area of old town,it is picture perfect with a white picket fence, a dreamy front porch and orchids hanging in the palm trees. It offers a spacious living/dining room with custom built-ins and beautiful polished Dade co. pine floors. The kitchen adjoins a home office and opens to the awning covered deck and outdoor dining area where steps lead to a whirlpool spa. There is a lovely guest bedroom and bath on the first floor. The entire upstairs is the large master suite complete with a marble tiled master bath, a walk-in closet, a wet bar, laundry plus tons of storage space. There is even a private balcony off the master suite. This beautiful home is a must see!"

1319 Newton Street was built circa 1895. It is nestled among the many similar houses of that era plus a few new ones that were added in recent years. The lot is about 24.5' x 80' deep. The house is 1512 sq ft and has been carefully updated with attention to detail. This is no "cookie cutter" cottage. It is an "original". The price is just $635,000.

Living room viewed from the rear - notice custom front door extreme right

Custom china cabinet in the dining area features reclaimed wood slats from Key West Shutters

Lovely outdoor deck and dining area

Orchid Garden in the rear

CLICK HERE to checkout the details in the Key West mls database. Better yet, please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to arrange a showing of this really sweet Key West charmer. I am a buyer's agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West. Our office is the Lower Florida Keys exclusive affiliate of Christie's Great Estates.