828 Elizabeth Street, Key West - Just Listed Old Town Duplex

Just Listed, but not by me, 828 Elizabeth Street in Key West, Florida. This two story house is shown on the 1889 Sanborn Fire Map so we know it is at least 125 years old. It is also located on Solares Hill - the highest point on the Island of Key West. That means if you finance this property your lender will not require that you purchase flood insurance. CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet.

The black and white photo above was taken half a century ago. That photo shows the house in a way that is impossible to see today. The  house is still the same, but it is hidden behind the palms and canopy trees that now envelope this property which takes up nearly one city lot. That's a big space for Old Town. (Lot size is 50' X 95.73 or 4865 sq ft. The old photo shows that even back in 1965 there was an exterior stairway to the second floor and that the north side of the main floor front porch had been enclosed. The stairway and enclosed porch still exist today but both can be removed in my opinion.

The property is a corner lot located at the corner of Elizabeth Street which is a one-way street headed north from Truman Avenue and Olivia Street which is a one-way street headed east from Simonton Street. This is a residential neighborhood but there are a couple of businesses located within one block of the property. Those businesses include a flower shop and day spa on Simonton, a couple of guest houses at the corner of Truman and Elizabeth, and Seven Fish Restaurant across the street. Several of the nearby houses have been converted to small apartments but the majority of the houses in the area are single family. And I think the trend for the area is definitely moving toward more single family houses. That is why I am writing about this property today because I think it is an excellent candidate for renovation into a single family home.

The Monroe County Property Appraiser shows the house as being 1871 sq ft. The front section of the house is two story. The rear one story appears on the Sanborn Fire Map so I am not so sure its an addition as much as it may have been attached to the original house. At least it was back in 1889. That space is the current kitchen and bathroom for the first floor two bedroom apartment. The house is set back from the front lot line by about 18 feet. The rear lot line is about 25 ft from the back of the house. The north side lot line is a little over 8ft. The south side lot line is a little over 6ft.

I mention the open spaces because the excess land means a new owner might be able to add onto the existing house if so desired. And it also means a new owner could add a pool. There is ample room for both a pool and parking. There is already parking provided. A new owner might want to re-arrange the parking as it takes up some otherwise really valuable space.

There front entry hall is being used as the "living room" of sorts. There are two doors on either side of the hall where you will find smallish bedrooms. The kitchen is at the rear. The laundry room is located off the back door in an enclosed area. The current usage makes no sense in a future renovation. Walls will need to come down and new space created. I assume there is Dade County Pine located in this house. The windows are old fashioned metal louvers. Both units have window unit air conditioners.

CLICK HERE to view more photos of 828 Elizabeth Street which is offered for sale at $859,000. Please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule a showing of this property. I think this property is an excellent candidate for conversion to a single family residence. A new interior stair way will need to be added. Most of the existing room partitions will likely be removed and spaces re-purposed. But after all the work is done, this could end up being one very sweet house on a large and lovely lot in Old Town Key West. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

901 Washington Street, Key West - Stunning Casa Marina Area Makeover

Just Listed by Preferred Properties (but not by me), 901 Washington Street, Key West. Unlike the Cute Conch Cottages, the Elegant Eyebrow Houses, and the Grand Conch Houses that are rooted in the late Nineteenth Century neighborhoods of Old Town Key West,  this recently renovated mid-century home is emblematic of the new wave of architecture and design taking root in the Casa Marina Area in the 21st Century.

Loyal Readers of my blog (Thank You, All!) know that I live in the Casa Marina area of Key West.  I love the area and have never regretted leaving Old Town nineteen years ago to move to the Casa Marina.  For many years I would ride my bike past 901 Washington Street on my may to the Club Body Tech when it was located at Duval Square. I remember thinking to myself how out-of-place the house looked amid all the other lushly landscaped homes in the area. I dug into the old shoebox and found a photo of 901 Washington Street as it appeared in 1965 (black and white photo above). The old chain link fence and stark landscaping (or lack of any landscaping) contrasted with swaying palms and lush tropical foliage that envelopes the south end of the Island of Key West. Then around 2003 a new owner began remodeling the house that was originally built in 1958.

The original house was a two story stucco over concrete block construction. The house sat on a mostly empty lot surrounded by a galvanized chain link fence. There was a grass lawn, a cactus, some bushes, and a large satellite TV antenna.. The house and lot was blah. I don't want to offend anybodies relative who may have lived there. But it was. The new owner revamped the entire house on the inside and outside. A pool and garden were added.  A privacy wall was built. Peering eyes like mine were no longer able to see inside the yard. That would have been the end of the story on most properties were an expensive renovation was done, but that was not the case here.

The owner who did the 2003 renovation moved a few blocks away to a different home in the Casa Marina area.  The current owners of 901 Washington Street recently completed an amazing two part transformation of  the already beautiful home. The newest version of residence is stunning in its simplicity of design. Designer David Smith transformed the house into a work of art. The transformation included the addition of a room over the previously existing first floor front room which extended out from the body of the main house. This new space became a part of the new master suite. Windows in the original first floor front room were removed to create a new semi-enclosed informal outdoor living area. A new dining pavilion was added adjacent to the kitchen on the west side of the house.  All of the windows were removed and replaced with new high-end impact windows and doors that are trimmed in black. The windows became "more than windows" - they became "picture frames" that focused attention on the beautiful exterior views.

Egyptian limestone pavers were added as walkways throughout the garden. Front porch furniture by Dedon.

Two first floor folding doors by Eurowall open out to the pool and east gardens. New porcelain tile floors were added throughout most of the house and extend out to the pool area to provide a seamless transition from inside to outside and vice versa. The kitchen counter top was replaced with an amazing slab of agate. Since the building was constructed of concrete, the designer created a network of wires from which lights were suspended to illuminate the revamped living room.  The dining room chandelier was custom made in New York City by Lindsay Adelman. Light became art. Windows became picture frames. Floors and walls became a showcase on which to display important pieces of furniture and ob-jets d'art..

The stairway to the second floor and  hallway morphed into a museum-like space for the display of art. The porcelain tiled floors, black framed impact glass windows, drop ceiling, and pin-point light fixtures blend together to create a subtle showcase that lures you to the second floor to see what more wonderful sights surely would be located there.

The front half of the second floor is the master suite. You enter into a private sitting room that is complete with a morning kitchen.  The walk-in closet has lots of built-in drawers and racks. The tray ceiling, coved lighting, and natural toned walls and porcelain floors set the stage for entry into the bedroom chamber. All rugs are silk from Rug Company. The sectional is by Roche Bobois

The master bed was designed by Minotti. The bed sits in front of an incredible wall tile that was finished in place. The wall looks like ripples of sand turned on its side. It begs to be touched to see what it might be.  Bartel sliding doors in the master bedroom are made of macassar wood. The bathroom rivals a spa at some exotic resort.

Two guest bedrooms are located on the north side of the second floor. The east bedroom has a picture perfect view of the poolside sculpture created by Debra Yates. The private bath has one of those amazing picture frame views of the outdoors where nature seems to become art in this house.

The west bedroom has a rooftop sundeck where you can watch sunset far from the madding crowds of Mallory Square. The floors in this guest bedrooms are acacia wood.

There is a fourth bedroom complete with en-suite bath on the main floor that is located just off the living room. The current owners use this space as an office.

The transformation of the gardens and grounds was just completed under the direction of landscape architect Craig Reynolds. The combination CBS and louvered wood fence was set on its ear and given a dramatic new flare. The main entry became a statement of arrival at some place important. The former gardens were removed and replaced with new plantings. A Zen garden with reflecting pool provide a restful view while sitting in the covered outdoor living room or when dining in the pavilion. The two poolside diases on either end of the pool and fountain were revamped with new palms and exterior lighting.  CLICK HERE to view more photos of this stunning Casa Marina home.

901 Washington Street is offered at $2,875,000. Furnishings are negotiable.  If you are looking to buy a home in the Casa Marina area or any place else in Key West, please contact me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642  or by email at kw1101v@aol.com to schedule a showing. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.