Son of More Projects of Key West

Don't you hate sequels that never live up to the first movie or book? Or, maybe in this instance, a blog post on the projects of Key West. I hope that is not the case. I last updated readers on the progress (or slowness) of some construction projects going on in the Old Town and Casa Marina areas on February 25th.  Nearly five months have passed. It's time to check-up on the projects of Key West.

The historic and quite photogenic home at 618 Eaton Street (above) recently went under contract. An agent in my office is the selling Realtor. It will be really interesting to see what happens to this old house. Stay tuned.


The Eyebrow house at 618 Grinnell Street is undergoing a thorough renovation from ground up. The house was elevated and new piers installed earlier this year. New decks are being added on the sides and rear, and a pool is being installed for the very first time.  An interior wall in the front of the house that was removed many years ago is being re-installed.  The entire interior is being transformed as well. I am so excited about what this home will look like.

618 Grinnell Street

New Piers Being Installed

Back on the Ground, New Pool and Decks Added

 Nipper's Painting contractor did lots of prep work to get this house prepared for the luscious new paint job.

 Eyebrow houses are unique to Key West. I just love them.  This one is going to be spectacularly understated.

911 Watson Street - Old Town

911 Watson Street as it appeared a couple of years ago

Early on in the development of this extra large lot

I wrote about this property a couple of times over the several year period when it was offered for sale. The original house had numerous additions and porches plus two out buildings of significant size. The 10,000 sq ft lot was densely over-grown with vegetation. The property was truly a 'project' of epic proportions. Most of the additions and porches were removed, the other structures were leveled, and the grounds were cleared. New structures are being added. Local architect Matthew Stratton designed this project.

 The cigar maker's cottage in the foreground looks to be all that remains of the original buildings (except for the parking structure on the left). The former owner told me that he hand dug the forty foot swimming pool that snaked across the north side of the grounds. Gone too is an odd addition at the rear that sort of functioned as a bedroom of sorts. And the wrap-around porch on the south side of the original cottage is no more.

Now we are seeing a group of connected buildings that look a bit dissimilar to the original cottage. They jut off at different angles, heights, sizes, diverse architectural styles that suggest they might have been as "additions" over a period of years to the original house. Except we know that is not the case. I definitely want to know more about this property.

909 Flagler Avenue - Casa Marina Area

Pictured below is the progression from almost barren ground to the semblance of a new estate type property in the tony Casa Marina Area of Key West. The property was previously the location of a local church which sustained wind damage during Hurricane Wilma.

That building and two smaller wood frame buildings were demolished to create a 10,381 sq ft building lot (98' x 106'). The property is located adjacent to the truly historic Reynolds property next door to the left.

Local architect Matthew Stratton designed this new property that looks somewhat like an assemblage of cottages that somehow became connected into a much larger living space. What an interesting concept. We often see houses in Old Town where new additions have been added to an existing structure. In many instances those additions are referred to as ''sawtooth" additions. Here the structures are placed in different spaces and at different and divergent angles to the street. If the roofs were flat instead of gabled, we might view the structures as just another modern house. Instead, our eyes are drawn to this property because to me at least it confuses our sense of normalcy. The sight of this site is eye-catching.

 924 Flagler Avenue - Casa Marina Area

Across the street at 921 Flagler Avenue the owner is doing a very subtle renovation of a one-of-a-kind home that was built in the 1920s when the Reynolds House on the corner at what is now Reynolds Street and the Casa Marina Hotel (across Reynolds Street) were among the very few abodes in the Casa Marian Area. One family owned that property until the current owner purchased it a couple of years ago. The house recently had a new roof installed which is being complemented by new copper gutters and copper trim.  The original wood sash windows are being replaced with custom manufactured mahogany windows with hurricane wind resistant glass. These new windows will qualify this home for maximum windstorm insurance mitigation credits but will still retain the charm of this elegant home.

All of the second floor windows have been replaced. You cannot tell the replacements from the original windows. I am eager to see the new mahogany windows which will replace the paladin windows on the sun porch and the jalousie windows that now occupy that space. This is going to be really interesting.

It's really wonderful that this owner spent the time and money to preserve the look and character of this property. The new roof and copper gutters will likely last way into the next century but will reflect back on a home that was built just before the Florida Keys endured the worst hurricane in recorded history.  Passersby may not appreciate the money spent on the new mahogany windows because they look just like what was always there. But that is the point in doing a restoration, isn't it?

411 Grinnell Street - Old Town

Over the past several years I have shown other houses that were listed for sale in the 400 block of Grinnell Street. Each potential buyer would point at the house at 411 Grinnell Street and ask something like "When will that ever change?" implying that 411 Grinnell was an eyesore that needed repair.  It did, and it is going to get the needed repair and then some.  Two local property developers recently purchased the house at 411 Grinnell Street and the adjacent lot with small cottage. The owners are going through the plan approval process now. I expect this property to be another very tasteful renovation in a great Old Town Key West location.

 517 Elizabeth Street - Old Town

517 Elizabeth Street as it appeared in 1965

517 Elizabeth Street - July 2012

The same developers that are redoing 411 Grinnell Street are renovating this century old house that is located on one of the best blocks in Old Town Key West. HARC recently approved the demolition of the uber-attractive garage at the rear as well as other additions to the property and provided for a tasteful revival of the facade and interiors of this home.  These developers have completed several renovations in Key West. They always do really great work.

1016 James Street - Old Town

 1016 James Street photographed by the WPA in the 1930s

Two years ago - a wretched mess!

 This house, like 618 Grinnell Street mentioned above, was jacked up so that new piers could be installed to give this old house new stability.

Same house, same location, July 2012

 The original house has been expanded, a pool added, a "historic" cottage at the corner saved from destruction.

The house is re-emerging as a thing of beauty, a delight to behold.

The little shack at the rear is evolving into a petite poolside cottage.

615 Thomas Street - Bahama Village

An owner's dream, an architect's vision, and a builder's skills are creating a new house. We don't get the opportunity to see very many new houses in Key West.

Elizabeth's End

It looks like the renovation at the home located at the corner of Elizabeth at Fleming Street has been completed. The house is stunning.


I'll close today's post by showing a couple of photos of a commercial property located in the 1200 block of White Street. The property was recently purchased and the new owner will reportedly open a motor scooter store in this location. I wrote about the property well over a year ago. I hoped some new owner would do something great with the property. I am pessimistic about what will now happen or maybe I should say 'not happen'.

If you are thinking of buying a property in Key West, please consider working with me, Gary Thomas. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.  Let me help you find your place in Paradise.

201 Virgina Street - Approved Short Sale - Key West

Here is a short sale that some will give some readers something to really cheer about. 201 Virginia Street is a large three bedroom home with a pool and off street parking that was built in 2005. It has been offered for sale at various price points since 2008. The property was just listed as an approved short sale at the price of $519,000 which is only $230 per square foot.  The listing Realtor describes the property this way:

"Please drive by the property prior to scheduling an appointment to see the interior. This is a short sale and is listed at the approved list price by the lender. Recent built (2005) two story conch style home with three bedrooms, three baths, pool and offstreet parking. All window and doors are wind resistant glass. Kitchen has stainless steel appliances and granite countertops, hardwood floors throughout and widows walk with incredible views of Key West and the gulf."

This house was built to sell for a lot more money at a time when the real estate market in Key West was bounding upward. The house is located in the Bahama Village area of Key West and specifically across the street from some public housing.  I think the public housing probably dissuaded some potential buyers from even considering looking at this house let alone making an offer to buy it. That would be a mistake. This house has so much to offer.

Downstairs you will find a large open living room and dining area that meets the large kitchen at the rear of the home. French doors open out to the covered rear deck and the large pool area. A good sized bedroom and bath is located opposite the living room. There are two very good sized bedrooms on the second floor, both of which have private en-suite baths. The second bedroom has a stair case that leads to the roof top widow's walk where you can see the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico.

 
The house is located on the corner of Virginia and Emma Streets. There is off street parking in front of the house and plenty of parking on Emma Street.  There are empty lots adjacent to the house on Virgina Street and behind the house on Julia Street. It is fair to assume new single family homes will be built on these two large lots sometime in the future.

I took the exterior photos this morning.  I remembered driving past this property a few weeks ago and recalled thinking the house needed a new paint job. I was mistaken. The house is constructed of Hardiboard siding which is a man made material that holds up very well to Key West weather and our wonderful year around sunshine.  The white picket fence, however, needs a fresh coat of paint. I also noticed some of the stiles on the widow's walk need replaced and a couple of the decorative shutters look like the need repaired or replaced. Other than that this place looks great.

The house has 2250 sq ft of living space on the two floors. The room sizes and layouts meet the needs of modern day Americans as opposed to the sometimes tiny and often compartmentalized rooms we see in old Key West houses. Families who want lots of space for Mom and Dad and the kids (or guests) will like the size and privacy that these rooms provide.

The house has a traditional Key West facade complete with the required front porch for people watching. The rear of the house has a two level back porch which overlooks the pool below. And the space around the pool offers more outdoor living area as well.  CLICK HERE to view the Key West Association of Realtors mls datasheet and listing photos of this property.

I really think this house offers a great buying opportunity for a buyer looking for a lot of space at an affordable price (by Key West standards).  Consider this house as the counterpart to a similar grand house located at the Sanctuary in the Key West golf club community. Except here you don't have to drive ten minutes to reach Duval Street. You can walk there from your home in about two minutes. Or you can get on your bike and go to Ft Zachary Taylor Beach.

The Truman Annex waterfront will get completed someday when all of the political intrigue gets resolved. The waterfront area will be much easier to reach then than it is now. I think that houses like 201 Virginia Street will be worth a helluva lot more money when that day comes.

If you would like to see 201 Virginia Street or any other property in Key West please contact me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 or send me an email at kw1101v@aol.com. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West.

412 Grinnell Street Key West, Florida

Just Listed 412 Grinnell Street in Key West. I fell in love with this house the first time I stepped inside nearly two decades ago. I believe this was the first eyebrow house I got to see from the inside. The house was deliciously enchanting. That owner (Richard Sheldon) had renovated the  original house, built a new living room and kitchen addition, and added a pool. The home has changed ownership three times since then. The current owners purchased the house through me in 2012 and undertook a thorough renovation and small expansion of the property for which they were awarded the 2015 Historic Florida Keys Ceramic Star for excellence for preservation, restoration, rehabilitation and new construction. Now 412 Grinnell Street is offered for sale. The current owners feel the need to be near their toddler granddaughter and her soon to be sibling and for this reason this home is now offered for sale. 

Eyebrow houses are particularly unique to Key West. They are two story homes which vary in height, width, and size. These houses get the name "eyebrow" because the second floor windows are sheltered by the front roof eave which extends out over the house and supported by columns or posts.  Before electric fans and later air conditioning, shade and natural air flow cooled homes. The windows of an eyebrow house can be left open during rain storms which allows air to flow to cool the rooms.  412 Grinnell Street is one of the larger such homes on the island.

This home was built in 1895. It looks so cute and sweet from the outside. Then when you step inside you know the place is going to be even better than you imagined. Your eyes are immediately drawn past the entry hall and through the living room out to the pool. And what pool it is - a 30' X 10' foot pool and  a 6' X 6' spa. The rear side has a tall privacy fence with native trees and tropical foliage that has grown to adult height.  Later you will learn there are no neighbors to the immediate rear which is Fletchers Lane - a walking lane accessed off Eaton Street, about 100 feet to the north.

The owners did a bundle of projects during the renovation including replacing the metal; replacing piers where required; and installing heart pine floors (aged 200 to 500 years) which look absolutely perfect. All floors on both levels are flat and flawless. All of the HVAC is new.  The owner updated all of the interior spaces, renovated all bathrooms, added wind impact resistant windows and doors where permissible. Every town has a go-to local custom cabinet maker. Hansen & Bringle is that company in Key West. They installed new custom cabinets in the kitchen and bathrooms and wainscoting in living and dining rooms.

The kitchen, while relatively recently new, was still renovated. An all too large bank of windows was removed and replaced with a single new window which permitted the installation of upper cabinets. The laundry closet became a pantry and the washer and dryer were placed under the kitchen counter. New SubZero, Wolf, and Miele appliances were added as were new granite counter-tops. One of the best features is the kitchen door which opens out to a little porch where there is an herb garden. The porch leads down to the brick paved driveway with electrically opening gate.

The owners took down the original guest cottage and built an entirely new 23' X 12' guest house. It is located in a separate building just off the covered rear deck. That deck will probably be the most used space in the house besides the bedroom. The guest cottage has a cathedral ceiling punctuated by a round impact glass window near the top of the gable, natural travertine marble floors, and a wet bar with under counter refrigerator. It has a full bath. This cottage and bath mean the entire home has four or five bedrooms (explained below) each with bath. The owner thinks the guest cottage could be used as a master suite.

The guest cottage is located next to the pool which has a gate opens that opens out to Fletchers Lane. Guests can return from a night out in Key West without disturbing the folks in the main house. The newly resurfaced and revamped pool includes a salt water filtration system, LED light show, and remote control programing. Travertine marble coping surrounds the pool and spa. All new Azec decks were installed including the covered rear lanai. The gardens were replanted with native foliage. The owners added an irrigation system to supplement Mother Nature.

Depending on your need, the main house has either four bedrooms and four baths or three bedrooms and a study.  The study or fourth bedroom is located at the right front of the home. It has two stained glass doors and panels. Everybody who sees it goes "Ooh and Aah". This space would inspire any would-be writer, artist, or thinker of great thoughts, or a grandmother who knits booties (do they still do that?) or a grandfather who smokes a pipe (do they still do that, either?). The room has a half bath that is illuminated by a chandelier. The owners had a new stained glass window made with the house numerals which was place in the transom over the front door. The ceramic star is placed above the transom. Passersby at night admire the colors emanating from this room.

The owners use the main floor bedroom as their master. It is located at the front of the house opposite the study/bedroom. About half of the main floor Dade County Pine walls are natural and the remaining walls are painted. The master bedroom has Dade Pine and has a fairly good sized en-suite bath with large shower complete a marine porthole where you can look out to see tropical foliage. I guarantee you will have a smile on your face every day if you use this shower and that's not a bad way to start your day any day.

There are two more bedrooms on the second floor. Notice the windows near floor level and look out to the street. You will then understand the eyebrow concept. The heart pine floors are gorgeous. Each bedroom has a brand new en-suite bath with shower. The rooms are not big, nor are they small. They are how people lived one hundred twenty five years ago except these rooms are air conditioned, have electricity, and have bathrooms.

 The owner traced the history of this home back to the beginning of the island. Every detail of  this old house has been committed to writing and detailed so that future generations may share in the history of this home. I think any potential buyer will appreciate the care that has been given not only to the preservation of the structure but also of the history of the house which the owners call "La Casa Ceja", The Eyebrow House. CLICK HERE to view an album of photos of this beautiful Old Town treasure that has been carefully and thoughtfully restored and made better than ever before. You won't have to do a thing except enjoy your home and make reservations for dinner.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet on 412 Grinnell Street offered at $1,999,000. The please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to schedule a private showing. I am the listing agent on this very special property. You won't find anything comparable at this price. I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.