1425 White Street - Key West Grand Estate

Long time readers of my blog might suspect the home shown above is located in Santa Barbara or La Jolla instead of Key West. And they would be wrong. Yes, the home is atypical for Key West.  It is in fact more reminiscent of an old Italian villa snuggled away from the world.  Although the house is only nine years old, the design  and lush landscaping suggests the property is much older. The softly faded exterior is emphasized by creeping vines that climb up the walls and over trellises and columns. The ochre colored walls blend harmoniously with the red barrel tile roof and seamlessly blend with the palms and tropical vegetation that surround this property. 

1425 White Street is located at the corner of White Street and Flagler Avenue in the Casa Marina Area of Key West. The lot totals 13,813 sq ft (92.5' facing White Street X 149.33 facing Flagler Avenue). According to the Monroe County Property Appraiser the house is 3369 sq ft. The property is now offered for sale at $2,000,000 or $594 per sq ft. The Atlantic Ocean is a four block walk to the South. Old Town is a five minute drive to the west or north. The Key West International Airport is seven minutes or so on a normal day.  And the worries of the world are forever enduring, but behind the double door arched entry, the worries disappear as you enter a truly remarkable Key West property. 

You gotta admit, the entrance is pretty damned impressive. And that's just the beginning of what you will see in this remarkable property which the listing Realtor describes as:

"Unique and elegant, walled and landscaped for the utmost privacy sits this luxurious estate on a double corner lot. 3 bedrooms, 2,5 baths and an office in the main house and a separate guesthouse. The impressive front gate opens to a beautiful pathway leading to the front entrance, a 2 car garage and additional off-street parking. Outstanding kitchen equipped with all gourmet appliances includes a Wolf stove, Subzero fridge, two Bosch dishwashers, a drawer fridge and custom cabinets. Large rooms, huge great room and 16' ceilings. Polished hardwood floors. Split floor plan for privacy. Gracious outdoor living includes a beautiful pool and hot tub, covered porches and gardens. The roof is barrel tile. A most elegant & private retreat."

Once you are inside the property you notice the rich Cypress wood that sets off the portico leading to the front door. You also become immediately aware that all of the doors and windows are painted black and that all are variations on paladin windows. Much of the architecture and interior hallways features the similar curved arches.  All interior walls feature Venetian plastering. Some rooms also include tromp loy finishes such as the arched wall in the living room shown below. Rich rosewood floors are another feature of the house. Travertine marble is used in other areas.

While this house looks old on the outside, the interiors are laid out with a modern take on American life in the early 21st Century. In the old days rooms were partitioned off into various functions. Today and especially in this house the rooms seem to flow from one use to another. While the house has a very grand feel, it is also functional.  The kitchen features Kraftmade Cabinets, a Wolff range, Subzero refrigerator, and rich appointments everywhere. Doors open out from the kitchen to an outdoor dining area to the east. Doors from the adjacent dining - family room open out to the covered loggia or portico that overlooks the pool. 

The west wing of the house includes two guest bedrooms which share a Jack and Jill bath, the most incredible laundry room I have ever seen, and the double car garage. The two bedrooms have French doors that open out to the pool area. If you look at the above photos you will notice the doors and trim all of which are painted with a superior deep black finish that is absolutely PERFECT. The finish is the very best I have ever seen anywhere.  Seriously!

French doors off the master bedroom lead to the east garden area and the glass door in the master bath leads to the spa and pool.  Two large walk-in closets are another feature of the master suite. 

The guest cottage is located at the front part of the property. It has a wet bar for making cocktails and coffee, but it is not equipped as a kitchen.  There is a large closet and a very large bath with tumbled marble walls and French doors that open out to the pool.

I took a lot of photos of this incredible property which you can see if you CLICK HERE.  Take some time and go through the photos and imagine what a grand life you could lead if you lived here.  This house sits empty now. It has been that way for some time. It needs a new owner.

I realize that this house does not look like the typical old Conch house with a white picket fence that almost everybody associates with Key West. That and the previous much higher asking price of $2,700,000 are probably the two biggest factors this property has not sold. The new price of $2,000,000 is probably beyond the means of many people reading today's blog. But for that small group of buyers that can purchase a property like this, I would suggest you take a look. The property is listed at a price much lower than when it was purchased. The property is vacant and needs someone to take care of it.  If this would not be a full time residence, I think a new owner could very successfully rent this as a vacation rental.  

CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet. And then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule a showing. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. You just might get over the Conch cottage thing and fall in love with this big and truly impressive Key West property. I did.

606 Truman Avenue No. 1 - Windward Park - Key West

Preferred Properties Key West (that's where I work but this is not my listing) is the listing brokerage for 606 Truman Avenue #1 a sharp 2/2 Windward Park town home which is offered at  just $729,000.  The home offers 1260 sq ft of living space divided between the two floors with two master suites.

The listing Realtor describes Unit #1 this way:

"Delightful two bedroom two bath townhouse in a well-sought out Old Town compound, Windward Park. Unit 1 is tucked away in the front corner of the complex, therefore somewhat removed and most private. Enter into a large great room with two-story cat walk. Great for displaying treasured art. The new kitchen features high-end, custom cabinetry with unique counter tops and new appliances. The downstairs bedroom with adjoining bath has French doors leading out to a very secluded deck with beautiful tropical plantings and a hot tub. The upstairs features the master bedroom with en suite bath, as well as a second-floor porch that offers private, treetop views of the pool (heated in Winter) and well-manicured tropical gardens of the complex."

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 by a guest bedroom 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 living space out to a spacious deck which includes a private hot tub. (Not all units have this feature.)

If you have looked at 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 the east, south, and west (although the light here is filtered by the second floor covered porch) . The closet is equally extra large. The en-suite bath is located at the rear and has a window that overlooks the garden of St. Mary's of the Sea Basilica.  The first floor bedroom is quite large and has plenty of room in case you find using a stairway a bit challenging.

The second floor front porch provides an enviable view of the pool that is shared with only 12 other units.  Compare this property to some similarly priced units in Truman Annex where the pools are shared by potentially shared by hundreds of units.  I am not being negative on Truman Annex, but you will likely to have to pay more money to have fewer potential people sharing your pool if you live there.  CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet and to view all listing photos.
Readers not totally familiar with the location may be aided by who the nearby neighbors are including the aforementioned St. Mary's of the Sea Basilica (Truman at Windsor Lane), Better Than Sex (desert restaurant at Truman and Simonton), Moped Hospital (also at Truman and Simonton),  and Denny's (located one block away at the corner of Truman at Duval Street).  Many of the gyms and yoga studios are located nearby as well. I mention the neighbors because many popular tourist attractions which are within easy walking distance.  Unit #1 is currently used as a private residence but a new owner could easily rent the unit as a Key West monthly vacation rental. Several, but not all, residences at Windward Park are rented. 

 If you would like to see this unit or any other  property in Key West, please call 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 Key West.  Let me help you find your place in Paradise.

630 Elizabeth Street - Key West

Frequent readers will recall my former listing at 630 Elizabeth Street (above). The house sits at the very top of Solares Hill - the highest point on the Island of Key West. Passers-by could not help notice how poorly she looked.  Last year the new owner had started a major renovation to the property when his business and home were devastated by Super Storm Sandy. That put the Key West project on hold. The renovation was stopped after the new foundation had been added. The property is now offered at the asking price of $650,000 or $328 per sq ft which makes it the least expensive property for sale in Old Town on a per square foot basis. 

630 Elizabeth Street built circa 1887, photographed in 1965

Photo taken during renovation of the piers

This property was historically a two unit. In the very old days the downstairs unit was a neighborhood store. Presumably the owner lived on the second floor. The property was converted into a legal duplex in the 1970s. The downstairs was a three bedroom apartment. The second floor was a two bedroom apartment.  The property would still qualify as a duplex were a new owner want to keep that usage.  However, in my opinion the highest and best use of this property would be to make it into a single family residence.

The listing Realtor describes the property today as:

"Historical renovation project 1.5 blocks from Duval street, built in 1887 located at the highest point in Key West on the top of Solares Hill. The seller began the renovations on a legal duplex and has plans already in place which would convey with the sale. The property also has plans to be turned back into a single family home. The seller has lifted the property up and renovated the footers/subfloor, leveled the home and placed it back down. Inside is now stripped down to just the shell so it is prepared for the floor plan of your choice.2nd floor views looking down Solares Hill are extraordinary. Plans Provide for 2300 sq ft of Living Space upon Completion of Remodel plus Porches&Siding (Exc20%of Existing)."

View from the second floor looking down Windsor Lane

The photos immediately below demonstrate balloon framing. The exterior walls support the structure. The second floor will then be added to stabilize the entire building. Finally, the interior framing will be added.

Early photo showing balloon framing

630 Elizabeth Street is vastly improved from the way it looked when purchased. With the piers replaced and the building stabilized, the hard and most expensive part of the renovation has been done. Building plans have been approved by HARC and the building permits are in place. However, a new owner could change things - even at this late date.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet and to view listing photos. This property is listed by Scott Forman who kindly gave me permission to write about it in my blog.  If you are interested in seeing this property please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.