413 Frances Street Key West - Almost Paradise

When you enter the front doorway of 413 Frances Street your eyes are drawn to the rich Dade County Pine walls that expand from the entry foyer to the living room and dining room on the right and to the main hallway and staircase to the left. This house is the embodiment of what would-be home buyers dream of in a Key West house. The almost rustic appearance is intentional. The previous owner did a  meticulous renovation just a couple of years ago. This home has what discerning second home buyers want: lots of charm, off street parking (for two cars), a pool, and nothing that needs fixed. That's almost Paradise in itself.

The listing Realtor, not me, describes 413 Frances Street as:

"Beautifully renovated historic home located on highly desirable Frances Street in the heart of Old Town Key West. Meticulous restoration with high ceilings, Dade County Pine walls and floors. Gourmet kitchen with stainless steel appliances and granite countertops. Three bedrooms including downstairs bedroom/den with view of yard and pool. Pool, outdoor decking, and front porch for enjoyable outdoor living. Two off street parking spaces, great location near the Key West Bight and restaurants. A Key West Tropical Oasis For Island Living."

The main floor has the entry hall with living room and dining room on the right side of the house. A full bath is on this level as is the kitchen with center island. The main floor family room is located just to the rear of the kitchen. It has French doors that open out onto the pool area on one side and out to  a large terrace on the other.

Upstairs there are two very good sized bedrooms and full bathrooms.The main floor family room can do double duty as a third sleeping area with a sofa bed. That space could be easily converted into a full time bedroom should climbing the stairs become a problem for a homeowner. (Remember there is a full bathroom on the main floor.)

413 Frances Street would make a great vacation rental. In fact was used that way for several years. The home is a full time residence now. The Historic Key West Seaport is a couple of blocks to the north. Duval Street is a five to seven minute walk to the west. The Old Town Bakery and Cole's Peace Bakery are one block away in either direction. Blossoms Market is a block away down Elgin Lane to the east.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet and to view listing photos. This beautiful home is offered at $1,149,000.

Please give me, Gary Thomas, a call at 305-766-2642 if you would like to see this house or any other home in Key West.  I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferreded Properties Key West.

4125 Eagle Avenue, Key West - Open House Sunday

Loyal Readers and Would-Be Homeowners please stop by an Open House I will be hosting at  4125 Eagle Avenue on Sunday, March 9th between 12:00 to 3:00 PM. The asking price on this early 20th Century home was just reduced to $999,000. 

Circa 1926, this classic Spanish Deco has peerless curb appeal! Located in a prime New Town neighborhood, the home with sprawling lot and manicured lawn commands admiration. The main house has two bedrooms, three full baths, remodeled kitchen, formal dining room, living room, den and study. A lovely portico provides covered outdoor sitting and connects the main house to a detached garage. The expansive grounds feature tropical foliage, fish pond and a secret garden! The delightful two-story cottage features a downstairs workshop with an inviting one bedroom one bath apartment up. Other amenities include garage, central vacuum, ample storage, and much more. This is a truly unique New Town property with historic value.

1327 White Street - The Casa Marina Area of Key West

I have written before about this architecturally impressive  four bedroom home with large sunny pool, off street parking, and lots of Key West charm located at 1327 White Street .  The asking price was just reduced to $1,299,000 which makes this home an even better alternative to more highly priced homes of similar age and condition in Old Town.  The listing Realtor describes this 2862 sq ft home this way:

 "Luxury renovation of a historic 1880s three story home. Neighboring the highly coveted Casa Marina District. A perfect combination of every modern luxury a discerning buyer would expect and beautiful 1800s historical architecture. The property features restored Dade County Pine throughout as well as heart pine floors. Crown molding, cathedral ceilings, a spacious master bedroom suite with a walk in closet are just some of the features you will fall in love with. There is a 350 sq ft treetop deck off the third floor with stunning views of the tropical foliage. Sliding glass doors all along the great room open up to the pool and jacuzzi. Perfect for entertaining your guests and family. Spacious floor plan, natural light throughout."

A gracious front porch welcomes guests and provides ample space to sit and watch the world go by. Higg's Beach and Rest Beach are just four blocks to the south. The shops and restaurants of the Key West arts district are three blocks to the north and Duval Street is five minutes by bike to the west.

This house was made for someone who wants a big house with lots of interesting rooms and spaces. This house is the anti-salt box because the geometry of the place is so varied. Look at the photo just above. That proves my point for sure. This home has the appeal of a Queen Anne with a bit of Conch added.  Lots of angles and numerous building materials have blended historic sensibility and current trends together to create a really unique living space. The third floor can be either used as a fifth bedroom or rumpus room. That room provides access to the private roof top deck which has commanding tree-top views of the island and the large kidney shaped pool and separate spa below. There are very few homes in Key West that have this kind of view!

 

The front entry hall (viewed in first two photos above) leads to the second and third floor bedrooms. The main level is a gracious reinterpretation of the historic home with modern lighting, new windows and doors, HVAC, and new kitchen appliances and cabinets all of which are highlighted by the crown molding that defines each living space.

The house sits on a large 4678 sq ft (46.75' x 100.08') located five blocks from the Atlantic Ocean. A white picket fence spans the front of the property. A large gate on the right provides access to the large off street parking space. Notice the wooden vine covered trellis to the right in the photo above. The house faces west toward White Street. The southern side yard is quite large. The parking space is located there (as noted above). Multiple sets of French doors open to the rear side yard and back deck and pool area. The pool area is surrounded on three sides by mature specimen palm trees. The pool and spa are quite large, but there is plenty of room left over for outdoor living. There is an existing shed with water that a new owner might want to expand and turn into an outdoor kitchen. That's the trend for high end homes.

1327 White Street is now offered at $1,299,000. CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet and listing photos.  CLICK HERE to view more photos of this really beautiful Key West property which offers so many of the features buyers seek in a Key West home.  Better yet, please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule a private showing of this beautiful home. I live in the Casa Marina and really love the convenience it offers. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

718 Eisenhower Drive Key West - The Pendleton Estate

718 Eisenhower Drive in Key West was recently brought back on the market at a new and lower price, $2,475,000. Now that might seem like a really expensive property in most places - and it is even expensive by Key West's inflated market value pricing, but it is not really that expensive when you consider how much this grand old dame offers. The listing Realtor describes the property as a

"Fine example of Victorian Queen Anne architecture, built in the late 1800's, restored in 1993. Wide expansive porches wrap around the mansion overlooking a beautiful pool and tropical gardens. The 4,148 SF main house has a large central hallway, original 8 ft. pocket doors, 15 ft. ceilings, separate dining/living rooms and a large library with hand-crafted bookcases, 3bd/3ba, garage and gated parking. The guest house, the former carriage house, is 1,496 SF consisting of a 2bd/2ba guest apartment, personal gym, and pool side Florida room with bath. The estate was built by C.B. Pendleton in 1885. Mr. Pendleton was a prominent politician/newspaper editor and his home was considered one of the finest mansions in Key West in the late 1800's."

I dug into my old shoebox and found several old photos that show this house in yesteryear.  Two aerial photos show the house when the house had a waterfront view of North Beach on what was then called Salt Pond Road.  Many years later a local politico-developer filled in the beach and built condos.  (Politicians always get to do things real people cannot do. It still happens today in Key West.) The Garrison Bight Marina is now located opposite this property.

The top aerial photo was taken around 1918. The next aerial was taken in the 1920s. The 1920s photo shows the Army barracks up to the right. The big square is the old parade ground. During World War I the house at 718 Eisenhower was used as bachelor officers quarters. The brass, like the politicians, always live better than the real folk. See the photo below taken on the north side of the front porch.  The staircase is one of several that lead to the lush gardens that flank this property today. (Notice the hammock behind the young officer!)

The color photo above shows the same area about 96 years later.  This old house is as grand, or maybe even more grand, than it was over a century ago.  The house is as solid and strong as an owner could want. It has stood the test of time. The interiors reflect an era when big men built big houses to show their place in society.  The room sizes and interiors are more than impressive.

A gentleman's parlor with deep rich bookcases and trophy walls plus the kitchen complete the main level.  A massive staircase leads to the second floor where a wide hallway and a set of French doors with paladin windows open out to the second floor balcony that overlooks the water on the far side of the street. The master suite is huge. Too bad I took my peanut size camera and cannot show you how grand the spaces are.

A two story guest cottage complete with living room, dining room, kitchen, two bedrooms and a gym is located at the rear just off the swimming pool and rear gardens.  This is the perfect place for your guests or hanger-on relatives.  CLICK HERE to view more photos.

718 Eisenhower Drive is now offered at $2,475,000. CLICK HERE to view the Key West Association of Realtors mls datasheet and listing photos.  Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule a private showing of this Key West grand dame.  I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.