623 Petronia Street - Old Town - Key West

If you become the new owner of 623 Petronia Street you'll never have to buy flood insurance because this home sits at the top of Solares Hill, the highest point on the Island of Key West - 18 feet above sea level. This family home has been carefully maintained over the years. It is is move-in condition. The listing Realtor describes the home as being:

"Only two blocks from Duval Street, this 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom single level home with 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom accessory unit near the top of Solares Hill is within walking distance to all of Key West's best restaurants and attractions. X-Flood Zone! Addition and renovation in 2000 makes this 1,981 sq. ft. home stand out. An over sized lot for Old Town Key West, 6116 sq. ft., leaves room for a pool in addition to off street parking and a nicely landscaped yard!"

The house is located in an Old Town neighborhood of single family homes that have been owner occupied for generations and newer owners who have updated older homes. Some homes in the area are rented as vacation rentals. A small church is located next door to this home. Another church is located one block west at Simonton Street opposite a guest house. Some of the smaller cottage style homes on nearby Whitmarsh Lane are transiently rented. It's a tight little neighborhood with a darned good location within easy walking distance to most of Old Town.

This house has a traditional Key West layout with the living room located up front. A large bedroom with en-suite bath is located opposite the living room.

Bedroom number two is located just off the dining room. A set of French doors open out from the bedroom onto a private side terrace.  Another bedroom on the far side of the dining room has access to the private side terrace as well. There is a Jack-And-Jill bath located between the two bedrooms. A door from the dining room allows this bath be be used as a guest bath as well.

The rear addition which was built in 2000 includes a new master bedroom with en-suite bath, family room, and kitchen. French doors at the rear of the kitchen open out to the backyard. Another set of French doors in the master bedroom open out to the rear deck as well. The back yard is large enough to add a pool. The house is situated on a large lot that measures 59' wide by about 104' deep. A good landscape architect could create a mighty interesting rear garden and pool. 

 As if all the bedrooms, bathrooms, and living spaces in the main house isn't enough, there is also a small guest cottage. The space is a bit smallish, but provides a nice getaway for a teen poet or mother-in-law who wants her own space.

CLICK HERE to view more photos I took of the house and grounds. Look at the windows, all of which have approved shutters which will reduce windstorm insurance rates for you. I took several photos of the piers all of which look to be in superior condition which means you won't be spending money fixing the foundation because it does not need fixed. Most of all you will see a home that has been properly attended to over the years. Any changes a new owner makes will likely be cosmetic because the structure itself appears to be in very good condition. Cosmetic changes are the fun changes new owners like to make. They are changes where the new owners get to put their imprint on their new house. That's probably more fun than rebuilding a foundation or replacing rotting timbers.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet and listing photos.  623 Olivia Street is offered at $949,000. Look at the photos and the mls. Consider what I wrote about the long term loving care given to this house. Consider what changes you might add to turn this home into your home. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642.  I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. This could be your Key West dream home next Christmas.

I took the logo photo below a two years ago. It is a dream home I sold to a couple who made this home their home. Isn't it just perfect!

723 Olivia Street - Old Town - Key West

The more than century old house at 723 Olivia Street in Key West is vacant and ready to be renovated. The 1912 sq ft house sits on a large corner lot at the intersection Olivia Street at Petronia Lane. Petronia Lane is identified at Passover Lane where it originates on Windsor Lane one block to the north and east. Passover Lane becomes Petronia Lane at Bill Bullock Park where it turns at a right angle and dead ends 250 feet later when it meets Olivia Street. The lot measures 46.25' X 78'. The west half of the lot sits vacant. A small portion of the rear lot is also vacant. Together, the vacant spaces give this old house immense potential for future development.

 The listing Realtor describes the property this way:

"In a place with such little space sits a large, classic conch house with a large side yard full of tropical fruit trees, parking, a storage shed and plenty of room for a pool. This classic home features a very desirable 2 story architecture with a second floor front porch. The corner lot allows access to the rear as well as the front. Parking (a rarity on the island)is plentiful on the 3608 sq. ft. lot!"

If you have been searching to find a potential new home or maybe a "flipper", you already know there are few houses for sale in Old Town at any price and even fewer with enough land and size to create a decent sized house with a pool and parking. The house at 723 Olivia Street has (1) a good location, (2) a lot large enough to provide a pool and parking, and (3) room for limited expansion.

I fished around in the old shoebox and found the black and white photo of 723 Olivia that was taken about fifty years ago. Notice the concrete block base of the front porch. That base is not original to the house because they did not make concrete blocks like that in the late 1880s.  I am confident in saying that a new owner would be permitted to replace the non-original CBS porch with wood.

This house is very typical of many old houses that need renovation. It has multiple small, single purpose rooms. Key West has several very talented architects that tackle projects like this all the time. They understand how to rearrange rooms and to create spaces for the way we live today.  Key West also has several highly qualified general contractors that redo houses like this all the time. They know how to repair failing foundations, straighten tilting walls, install replacement windows, and restore decades old Dade County Pine walls.  Various subcontractors will replace all utilities including water, sewer, and electric supply. There is room to bury a propane tank so that the new owner can have the gas range many chefs prefer. The roof will get replaced and clips added to secure the roof to the house. New HVAC will be introduced to the house. There is room in the attic and under the house for duct work or piping to move cold air throughout both floors.

 The old windows will likely be replaced - perhaps adding wood impact windows. Impact windows are more expensive than regular casement windows but protect against windstorm damage up to 155 mph. Impact windows also provide superior noise reduction. Adding impact windows will provide significant windstorm insurance mitigation credits in the near term.
 which means lower insurance rates year over year. In the long term having impact windows will make re-sale easier because it will reduce the long term insurance costs for future owners making this home more attractive than a house with traditional casement windows and ugly corrugated steel shutters.

Door opens out to the second floor front porch overlooking Olivia Street

The photo third from the top shows a single story addition to the back of the house. I think a new owner might add a second level above that space which likely would become a part of a new master suite or maybe become a rooftop deck to over look the new pool to the west. Also notice the small cottage at the very back of the lot. This cottage might become a poolside cabana or bar. The vacant space behind the house is large enough to provide a parking spot. A new owner would need to decide whether to create parking in front or on the side. The good thing is there is room for parking at either location. CLICK HERE to view more photos I took. Sorry, they are not the best quality.  But they give you a rough idea of the current condition of the house. The future is in the hands of whoever buys it and tackles the renovation.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet and listing photos. After you have done your computer or ipad home study, please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule a showing of this property. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. If you buy this home this year, you could be living in your newly renovated home next Christmas.

807 Catherine Street - Key West

The listing Realtor describes 807 Catherine Street this way:

"This ideal centrally located Conch style home has been recently updated including a beautiful new bath and kitchen that includes stainless steel appliances, quartz countertops and glass back splash. The charming home has very tall ceilings, Dade County Pine Walls, wood floors and a very nice floor plan. The living/dining area and kitchen are located at the rear of the home adjacent to a covered porch overlooking the private nicely landscaped rear yard with outdoor half bath and koi pond. Additionally there is a sleeping loft or storage area and lots of exterior storage."

This 856 sq ft home is set up like many other Conch style homes that have been updated. The entry hall goes in a straight line from the front door to the kitchen at the rear. The two bedrooms are located at the front of the house.

 This home has a good deal of exposed Dade County Pine incorporated into the interior walls. The entry hall almost looks like the walls are pickled (they aren't), but they offer a bit of a contrast to the somewhat darker walls in both bedrooms. The floors have a light finish to avoid monotony. The hallway folds into the great room with vaulted ceiling that includes a second level roost for meditating, writing, or maybe singing while your partner is preparing dinner. The indoor bathroom is located under the roost.

What happens next is pure Key West cool and can only happen here because of our year around moderate climate. The kitchen opens out to the outdoor dining area and rear deck. That space includes space for outdoor meal preparation, a separate outdoor bathroom, a small garden and a koi pond. The space is just precious. You can tell someone who loves life lives in this home. This is definitely a happy home.  CLICK HERE to view more photos I took of this very cute home.

807 Catherine Street is offered at $649,500.  CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet. 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.