529 William Street, Key West - Bank Owned Property

Rah! Rah! is Right! The newly listed Bank Owned single family house at 529 William Street in Old Town Key West is sure to sell in a heartbeat. According to the listing Realtor, this 1567 sq ft house has two bedrooms, two baths, and a pool. It's missing some kitchen cabinets and appliances, but those are things easy to replace.  The house is offered at just $399,000 or $250 per sq ft. CLICK HERE to view the full Key West mls datasheet. But read on for more info on this property.

I dug into my old shoebox and found a photo of the house as it appeared in 1965. I tried to take a photo of the house as it appears today. There is a big tree that blocks much of the current view. The front "room" appears to have been a porch that was enclosed as far back as the 1960s or earlier. I then checked the historic Sanborn Fire Maps. I found a house on this same location as early as the 1889 map. But it looks like the earlier house was razed and replace with the larger house that has occupied the space since at least 1899. 

The 500 and 600 blocks of William Street have some of the prettiest homes on the Island of Key West. There are a couple of stragglers that need updated. They will be-sometime. And when they are done, another block will be nearly perfect. Mind you, there are four houses within 100 feet of this property worth much more than two million dollars and anther around seven million in the same block. My feeling is that money invested in 529 William Street is money very well spent.

If I owned this house, I would try to restore the porch to an open space to sit in a covered space to watch the world go by. It would add so much dimension to the house as a living space. I would clean up the front yard and re-landscape the space. The huge tree limb from the house next door to the south extends over the roof. As a property owner you can have that limb removed and tree trimmed to protect your house. I would do this in an instant. It would not only provide protection, but also provide more sunlight and limit the mess from dropping leaves.

While a new owner could move in, paint, do some minor fix-ups, fix the kitchen, I think a new buyer might be better off by gutting the interior, removing what I will call the left-over-hippie improvements from a couple of decades ago, and updating the house which is otherwise in pretty good condition. There is some siding and a couple of windows that need replaced. The floors looked even in most places. A home inspector will tell a prospective buyer if any of the structural elements need repaired or replaced.

I simply think a new owner would be better off taking out the old and adding all new. I would eliminate the loft sleeping space that is accessed via ladder from the living room. That would eliminate for the full bath off the living room which would free up that space for a more useful purpose. The second "bedroom" is a smallish space on the left side of the the center hallway. I would move the hallway to the far left side of the house like a typical cigar maker cottage. I would use the spaces on the right side for two nice sized bedrooms with baths. If you like the master bath with black Kohler toilet and bidet, leave it. But if you want something more contemporary, you could free up a lot of bathroom space create more living space. The hallway would lead to the rear where a new kitchen, dining area, and living space would share the area. I would try to get the city to permit enclosing a covered porch of about 70 sq ft that would be incorporated into the new great room. I would add French doors at the back that open out to the pool.  The house would function so much better and the street appeal would increase ten-fold. CLICK HERE to view more photos of the house.

I would attempt to enclose the covered porch to the expand the rear living area. I'd swap opening the currently closed front porch for more living space at the rear. I would rework the deck and make the pool area a tiny paradise.  If I were an architect, I'd know what I am doing. But since I just sell houses, I know what I think would work.  You don't need to do much to make the place livable as it exists. But if you have your own creative ideas and some extra cash, you could work wonders with this property.

I was told there are already multiple offers on this house. If I were a buyer looking for a project, I wold act now.  Don't twiddle your thumbs.  The time to act is now. Please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to help you submit your offer to buy this bank owned property. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

812 Johnson Lane, Key West - Columbus Day OPEN HOUSE

812 Johnson Lane is located  within easy walking distance to Duval Street - just three blocks to the west and within few minute walk to the historic Key West Seaport located six blocks to the north. Most of the gyms and many of the yoga studios are located within easy walking distance as well. This convenient location ought to make this freshly renovated home a perfect Key West vacation rental property. Notice the bricked off street parking large enough for two cars. CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet on this home.

The main house pictured above is a totally renovated two bedroom main house with all new plumbing, electric, air conditioning, new kitchen and new travertine marble bath.  A sweet pool and sunny deck separate the main house from the newly expanded guest cottage at the rear that provides a third bedroom space. The cottage has its own bath plus outdoor shower.

 

OPEN HOUSE

SUNDAY

COLUMBUS DAY

812 Johnson Lane Key West

Offered at $795,000

717 White Street, Key West

 Just Listed by Preferred Properties Key West, that's where I work but this is not my listing, 717 White Street.  This mid-century property is a single story single family home that sits on a 3168 sq ft lot (36' X 88') at the corner of White at Newton Street. The existing 1535 sq ft house has two bedrooms, two baths, a Pullmanesque kitchen, additional storage room, a private outdoor courtyard, and enclosed front porch that currently is used as an office.

This property is located across the street from former military housing that date back to the Civil War.  The old Army barracks are in the far background with water beyond. As late as the early 2000s the former barracks ground has been used as military housing - updated, of course. I found an old photo of the location taken back in the day when a genuine trolley car ran up and down White Street. The trolley in the photo shows the approximate location of 717 White Street, but the existing house was not in existence when that pic was taken. Still, it is fun to look back at old photos that help us appreciate the history of our neighborhoods and the fact that so many of the old houses and buildings still exist.

The black and white photo above shows 717 White Street as it appeared half a century ago. I took a similar photo which shows the house as it appears in 2014. How this location will appear half a century from now is up to who buys this property because this house is not protected by HARC. That means it can be razed and a new property can be constructed on this location. Before we consider what might be built in the future, let's look at what exists today.

The current house reflects the owner's contemporary design aesthetic on both the inside and outside. The front yard has been replaced by a contemporary garden. The Newton Street side yard has potted plants and minimalist "yard". There is an existing curb cut which means a new owner could re-establish an off street parking spot although parking in this block is normally not a problem.

The historic metal louvers in the original front porch were replaced with glass panels. Today the porch space is used as office space. This location is zoned HMDR (Historic Medium Density Residential) which would permit the owner to maintain an office but no retail sales. Notice the glass panel doors that lead to the private residence.

The owner went through extensive planning and permitting process to obtain approval for the construction of a new two story 1840 sq ft three bedroom, three and one-half bath house with pool and off street parking. Plans and permits will convey with the sale. A new owner could build the house as approved or submit new plans and build the house of the new owner's dreams. A new house could use current building materials such as impact glass windows and doors and Hardiboard siding. Since this property is in the X Zone, flood insurance will not be required. CLICK HERE to view all photos I took of this intriguing property.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet on 717 White Street which is offered for sale at $695,000.  After you have looked at the pics, 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 place in Paradise.

530 Catherine Street - Old Town Key West - Success Story

 I am forever telling potential buyers that are looking for a "fixer-upper" to forget what the inside looks like and not to fixate on the negative issues of the exterior. I tell them that they are buying boxes that will get torn apart and rebuilt. If they come up with a good design by themselves or if they hire a good architect or designer and if they select the right contractor, they can create the house of their dreams. The freshly completed renovation and expansion of 530 Catherine Street is a perfect example of a quality renovation.

Some people might throw their arms up in the air and feel overwhelmed at the prospect of tackling a project like the one above. But the buyers of 530 Catherine Street (Todd Kemp & Brian Boyer) did not bat and eyelash. They made an offer when they first saw the house and closed soon thereafter. They hired local contractors and undertook the renovation and expansion in stride. The worked with HARC to overcome some design concerns. The result is stunning. Had I not been fully aware of how sad the former house looked, I would not have appreciated how fantastic the new house looks.

The photos below show the house as it looks today. The front porch is now a place to sit and watch the world go by. The main entry was relocated adjacent to the off street parking space.  The front bedroom now has wood walls where the old room had louvered windows with a window unit A/C. The new great room and kitchen now occupy space where the old kitchen and living space were located. The rear king sized bedroom with en-suite bath, vaulted ceiling, and glass sliders open out to the rear garden, deck, and pool. The former space was a hovel. The newly created upstairs space is a third bedroom with en-suite bath. That room has a tree house kind of feel. I just loved that space. 

The buyers that purchased 530 Catherine Street completed the renovations and expansion for about $400,000.  What they got in return is practically a "new" house in an excellent location.  And this house came with a transient rental license. CLICK HERE to view the Blue Corral vacation rental by owner for this great new Key West Property.

If you are looking to purchase a similar property, please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642. I am a full time Realtor and a buyers agent at Preferred Properties Key West. Let me help you find your place in Paradise.

1600 Sirugo Avenue - Key West

If you have been looking for a perfect place to build a major new residence in Key West free of restrictions from restrictions imposed in our Old Town area, may I offer for your consideration 1600 Sirugo Avenue - just one block north of the Higg's Beach and the Atlantic Ocean.  

The grounds were designed by Raymond Jungles Design. The garden as currently configured includes an allee of specimen palms on either side of the interior lawn. The ten foot waterfall and pool anchor this portion of the lot. Just out of sight is an equally large terrace with bandstand and service entrance. The lot measures 110' X 117.5' or 11,750 sq ft. It is zoned SF-1 - single family. This property is currently part of 1617 White Street. The Seller will divide for closing.

This unique parcel is offered for sale at $1,595,000.  CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet on this property. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to arrange a personal visit to view the grounds. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. Let me help you find your place in Paradise.