1413 Grinnell Street - The Casa Marina Area - Key West - Price Reduction

The asking price on the very sweet and deceptively large Casa Marina Area home located at 1413 Grinnell Street was just reduced from $1,895,000 to $1,795,000.  I wrote about this home when it was first listed in mid March.

I live in the Casa Marina Area, in fact I live a little over one block from this property, and I love this part of town.  I vaguely remember the house as it looked in the latter part of the 1990s when the house was thoroughly renovated. I remember going inside the house when the general contractor was doing the renovation. The original house somewhat resembled a simple box with a shed roof with a dormer in front. A very large addition was built on the rear but for the most part the addition is not visible from the street. I looked for but could not find a photo of the house as it looked in the 1990s. I did find a much older photo that was taken about fifty years ago - see the black and white photo below. I also found an old aerial photo of the Casa Marina Area that was taken in 1930.  I added an arrow that proves 1413 Grinnell Street existed in 1930. (County records show the house was built in 1943. Clearly the county records are incorrect.)

1413 Grinnell St in 1965

Click this photo to enlarge

The current house barely resembles its old self. That's because the old house has been enlarged and gentrified into a 2487 sq ft home with four bedrooms, four baths, an expansive great room with living, dining, and kitchen that flow out to the covered rear deck that looks out to the pool and spa.

There are two main floor bedrooms each with private bath. Notice the heart pine floors throughout the house. All floors have been recently refinished. The house was freshly painted just before the house went on the market.

Upstairs you will find a very comfortable master bedroom (that was added to the rear of the original house) complete with ensuite bath.  French doors open out to the second floor rear deck which provides a place for private sun worship or a shady spot for reading or viewing the goings-on in the pool below. A fourth bedroom and office complete the second floor.

The 1990s two story addition to the rear of the property includes the two-tiered deck that wraps around the house. The ground level deck provides sitting and dining areas. French doors open out from the great room and kitchen onto the deck.  On the second floor French doors open from the rear master suite and the office out to the covered deck.  The views from the either level reveal the large pool and spa. This is a real pool, folks. Not one of those cocktail pools you see in Old Town.

 CLICK HERE to view more photos I took of this home.

1413 Grinnell Street is now offered at $1,795,000. 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 beautiful Casa Marina home.  I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.  Let me help you find your place in Paradise.

1723 Bahama Drive, Key West, Florida

1723 Bahama Drive is located at the easternmost edge of Key West. This three bedroom, two bath home is as clean as a whistle and ready for a new owner to move into.  The listing Realtor describes the home as...

"Immaculate, bright and airy family 3/2 one level home on a very large lot with a great back yard. When the current owner purchased this home, they redid the landscaping and added many new features including an additional bathroom. Open living/dining area leading to the covered Lanai, pool, outdoor kitchen and cabana with a shower off the pool."

This home has a mellow, easy flow from room to room and from inside to the outside.  The island laid back lifestyle is evident everywhere from the large open living areas to the colorful bedrooms.

The front yard and rear garden were designed by landscape guru Pat Tierney.  Instead of a big privacy fence, 1723 Bahama Drive has a densely planted front yard with low maintenance native plants that save water.  The owners have created their version of tropical paradise that includes a very large (and sunny!) pool, palm trees and tropical foliage, a covered lanai, an outdoor kitchen, and lots of room to grad an all over tan. Oh, yes, there is a colorful outdoor shower as well!

CLICK HERE to view more photos of this really charming Key West home that is ready for you to move into and start living the Life of Riley you have dreamed about for so long.

1723 Bahama Drive was built in 1963 of CBS (concrete block construction with stucco over). The house has 1473 sq ft of living space that sits on a 56' X 100' lot. The lot backs onto mangroves so you will lots of privacy when you use the outdoor shower.  The house itself is tastefully designed. The rooms ought to accommodate most styles of furniture with ease. There are new tile floors, new A/C, and new wind impact windows and doors throughout the house. I did not notice any deferred maintenance anywhere.  All of the outdoor spaces are tastefully designed and outfitted with quality materials. CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet and to view listing photos.

Buyers who want a second home in Key West often overlook properties like this because they are not located a couple of blocks from Duval Street. Well, 98% of the houses in Key West are not located there either. This owner has a street legal "golf cart" type vehicle that zips down to Old Town  or anywhere else when the mood strikes.  This home is larger than most of the properties in Old Town. It has a off street parking and a beautiful sunny pool with lots of room for family and friends. As prices continue to rise in Old Town, smart buyers will look at homes like this as an alternative to higher priced homes in Old Town.

1723 Bahama Drive is offered for sale at $695,000. Please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to set up a private showing.  I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. Let me help you find your home in Paradise.

Casa Caselles - 1616 Atlantic Blvd. #2 - Key West, Florida

Casa Caselles is a town home community of just twenty ocean front units.  1616 Atlantic Boulevard Unit No. 2 is a three level unit two bedroom two and one half bath unit with two balconies and a private gated rear garden.  The listing Realtor describes this 1940 sq ft property this way::

"This three-story townhome at glamorous Casa Caselles has two balconies with ocean views and two balconies overlooking the lush and green nature preserve. The modern kitchen is light and bright and each spacious bedroom has a walk-in closet and a sleek well-appointed bath. There is covered parking at the front door and a private and tranquil rear courtyard. The oceanfront pool is one of the prettiest in Key West. There are no rentals at Casa Caselles so the neighbors are all owners or their guests."

Large Master Suite with private deck, vaulted ceiling, large closet and large master bath

Guest bedroom has private front balcony, bath and large closet

 Each unit at Casa Caselles has private under unit parking, a private rear garden area, and shared access to the spectacular ocean front pool.  Anytime some civic group shoots of fireworks at Higg's Beach, you could walk out to the pool for a spectacular view of the fireworks. On other days, you can watch our beautiful sunrises and sunsets for free. HOA fees are $1800 paid quarterly and include cable, common area and pool maintenance. No rentals are permitted.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet and listing photos on this property.  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.  Let me help you buy your place in Paradise.

Bank Owned Condo - 1014 Varela Street #4 - Key West

 1014 Varela Street #4, Key West, Florida is a Bank Owned property in Old Town Key West. This unit is the second floor rear condominium in a small compound of older cottage style homes that were converted into condominiums several years ago. The listing Realtor describes this property as:

"Key West Central Location With Open Living Area/ Kitchen With 2 Bedrooms And 1 Bath Condo With Outside Private Deck To Enjoy The Beautiful Key West Sunshine. This Unit Needs Some Tlc And Personal Touches."

I wrote about this property a couple of months ago when it was first listed at a higher price. I took early morning photos back then. The light was great. The sun had been up maybe an hour or so. The condo sits behind another house which I wrote about a few years ago in this blog.  When I got back to my office I dug into my old shoebox and I found photos of the front and rear properties as they looked before and how they look today.

As is the case for many homes on our small island, 1014 Varela Street #4 is located to the rear of another house. The black and white photo shows how it looked in 1965.  Unit #4 is also the second floor unit. The entry is up the steps to the right. The living room is on the right side of the photo and the front bedroom is on the left side.

According to the Monroe County Property Appraiser Unit #4 is 810 sq ft. There are two bedrooms, one bath, a large living room, an updated kitchen, an usual entry plus laundry and a roof top deck.  See the photos below which are self explanatory.

I took more PHOTOS which you can view if you CLICK HERE. The photos show the gated entry to the unit; exterior photos show the unit from various angles; there are interior shots of each room; and photos of the rear deck.  1014 Varela Street #4 is offered for sale at $254,900 or $314 per sq ft.  It is not a perfect house. The price reflects that.  I was a bit dismissive of the house in front that I mentioned earlier in this blog. I was amazed at the transformation that took place on that property. Take a look at this.  CLICK HERE to search the Key West mls datasheet on view the Key West mls datasheet on this Bank Owned property.  But better than that, 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. 

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