307 Truman Avenue, Key West

If you are a buyer searching for a Key West house with a checklist that an three bedrooms, two baths, a pool, and parking, you need to checkout 307 Truman Avenue. CLICK HERE to view the Key West Association of Realtors mls datasheet on this 1280 sq ft house that sits in the shadows of the Historic Key West Lighthouse.

I searched the Historic Sanborn Fire Maps and found 406 Division Street on the 1889 Map. The street number on the 1892 Map was changed from 406 Division Street to 307 Division Street. Division Street later became Truman Avenue.  While trying to find the date Division Street became Truman Avenue I found the "Autobiography of Stephen Moreno Whalton" whereupon I learned that before Division Street got that name, it was previously known as Rocky Road. Mr. Whalton* further wrote

"Another event in my life that I have never forgotten happened when I was about seven years old, at that time there were a very few houses on the Southeast side of our Truman Avenue, most of that part of the Island was a wilderness, my grandfather and my father raised quite a number of horses in the woods of Key West, and my grandfather gave me a horse and my father had him broken to harness and saddle, this was a stallion, and somewhat mean. The only time that I was put on his back, was on a Sunday morning, when one of my father’s hired men put me on him without a saddle, as soon as he got out of the yard, he started to run, and I was too small to stop him, there was a man coming up the street who stood with his arms open,but when my horse got near this man, he made a quick turn to go by him, and landed me on a flint rock, I recovered from that accident in about six weeks, but I never had a chance to get even with that horse, as my father sold him before I became old enough to handle him. This was the end of the events of my early childhood, which have remained fresh in my memory down through the years, due of course, to the fact, that they made a great impression on my mind at the time of happening."

Next I looked through the old shoebox and found the black and white photo above of 307 Truman Avenue that was taken in 1965. Look at the clean lines of this simple wood frame house with metal roof. The architecture of old Key West is so basic. So minimalist. The simple lines live on a mere 126 years later. I think the simple architecture of our little town and this little house will continue to appeal to people for decades to come.   

There are three bedrooms and two baths. The master bedroom has an en-suite bath. There is a bonus loft space in the living room that is accessed via ship's ladder. There is another open space over the the front porch that provides some architectural interest inside the living room. The kitchen is really sweet.It adds so much architectural flavor to this place. The rear deck has a canvas awing. A small heated pool was added within the last five years. Other recent additions include a new roof, central air, hot water heater and stainless refrigerator. There two off street parking spots.

307 Truman Avenue is offered fully furnished except for artwork at the asking price of $895,000.  All you will need do is bring your toothbrush. Please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule a private showing. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. 

*There are two different streets in Key West named after Stephen Moreno Whalton. I happen to live at the corner of Whalton Street and Von Phister Street in the Casa Marina area. The other street is Whalton Lane which is accessed off Duval Street between Truman and Olivia Streets. Mr. Whalton's boyhood home was located there.

CLICK HERE to read the  "Autobiography of Stephen Moreno Whalton". It's great reading if you love Key West. I promise.

826 Johnson Lane - Key West

One of the least expensive houses in Old Town is a potential candidate for renovation or possibly demolition and rebuilding. The listing Realtor, not me, describes 826 Johnson Lane, Key West this 1128 sq ft cottage style house this way:

"Renovation project in prime Old Town Key West location! This Old Town frame residence was built circa 1938 and is ready for a complete rehab. Nestled on a quiet lane near Truman Avenue and just blocks to famous Duval Street, this property is sited on a 116 foot deep lot and offers endless possibilities to create your dream home in paradise. The large deep lot leaves plenty of room for a pool and gardens and has off street parking. Home is vacant and is not habitable as-is. Potential buyers should verify with City of Key West if home can be completely torn down or partially torn down. Per tax roll the home is 1128 square feet. Do not enter property without permission of Listing Realtor as decking in rear is not secure."

I found an old photo of 826 Johnson Lane at the bottom of my old shoebox. This Plane-Jane salt box style is found in many of the small cottages that dot the streets and lanes of Key West. Modest people of modest means lived in these houses decades ago. This particular house was update several years ago but has fallen into disrepair. I will share a couple of interior photos that are self explanatory.

These pics may look scary, but they are probably typical of what many of the now picture perfect Key West cottages looked like before they were redone. And that is the truth. Just below are a couple of photos of the backyard and side deck. The deck is falling apart and needs removed and or rebuilt. The backyard offers room for a pool once the decades of over grown vegetation are removed. One potential buyer that I showed this house to came up with a very good idea which would be to move the house forward just a bit. That would shorten the driveway and allow for a larger rear yard. I have seen this happen before on a couple of houses. Our Historical Architectural Review Commission would have to grant this extraordinary permission. I think it makes sense myself. -

 I am certain that this particular house is not on the list of contributing historic structures in Old Town. That being the case a new owner might even get permission to raze this house and build a new structure. A qualified architect would be able to advise a potential buyer as to whether HARC would allow a house like this to be razed.  Even if the building could not be razed, it would certainly be a candidate for major renovation. I will bet that most of the building seen in these photos would be taken down and rebuilt with a new foundation and new materials throughout.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet on 826 Johnson Lane. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule 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.

1429 Johnson Street Key West - Freshly Renovated Residence

Just listed, but not by me, 1429 Johnson Street in Key West, Florida. This home has just received a sophisticated makeover. It is now ready for a new owner to take up permanent residence. The listing Realtor describes this home this way:

"Recently renovated, one level contemporary home on large corner lot completely walled for privacy. Bright and open floor plan. Vaulted ceiling in Master bedroom with adjacent sitting room/office. Luxurious Master bath. New kitchen with Bosch Appliances. Huge pool with waterfall and outdoor cabana. Cabana could be outdoor kitchen or turned into third bedroom as it is adjacent to third bathroom."

Although this house was originally built in 1954, there is not one vestige of the old house left, at least that I could discern. The tell-tale signs of a 1950's era home are simply non-existent in this house. There are no rounded doorways, colorful ceramic tiles, or tiny rooms. Instead, this house and the ground on which it sits are au currant.  The iconic pillars and portico at the front entry gives the guest or homeowner the immediate sense that this place is something special.  The portico continues around the north side of the house where the pool and deck are located. A large enclosed side yard which faces the south provides a nice garden space off each of the two bedrooms where there is also  gated off street parking. 

The new renovation includes the opening of the kitchen into the living and dining area. New quartz counter tops give the kitchen a super chic look. There are loads of drawers. And there is a pantry for lots of additional storage. The prior renovation kept the chef locked in the kitchen. Now, the kitchen is part of an elegant open living space which includes two sets of sleek French doors that open out to the pool area.

 The guest bedroom is a nice spacious space. The French doors open out to the south garden area. I noticed the introduction of opaque glass insets into traditional wood doors. This simple feature adds to the sophisticated design that carries throughout the house.

The master suite includes an attached sitting room or office area just off the bedroom. A set of French doors also opens out to the south garden. The ceiling in this room is vaulted and gives the space an extra dimension. The bath includes a shower large enough for two (or three).  Again, all spaces are newly refreshed and contain new fixtures and lights.  CLICK HERE to view more photos that I took of this lovely home.

The new owner made a somewhat radical change to the pool area. There were two small buildings located at the west end of the pool. One was a nice pool bath complete with all the necessities. The other building was too small to be used as a guest room for more than one person. A prior owner had used the space as a gym. The new owner took down the wall that faced the pool and opened the space to be used as a covered pool loggia.  It looks great!  The portico and pillar theme from the front of the house continues on the poolside as well. The limestone floors from inside the house continue to the outside. I can imagine how grand this space would look while entertaining guests. There truly would be a seamless flow from inside chic to outdoor elegance in this newly refreshed setting.

The renovations and interiors were designed by Ben Teague. I have written before about Ben in my blog. You may have seen him on one of HGTV's programs about Key West houses. 

Many of the homes in this area were built around the same time period. Many of these homes have been updated before. There are several current renovations and expansions going on at this time. The newly renovated and expanded homes are bringing varying degrees of design and upgrades to the area that (generally speaking) were not used in earlier renovations.  I see these newer renovations as increasing the overall property values for this part of town which is located within easy walking distance to the beaches. 

1429 Johnson Street is a 1532 sq ft two bedroom, three bath house that sits on a large 5896 sq ft corner lot that is offered for sale at $1,075,000. CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet and to view listing photos. Then cll me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule a private showing of this really attractive property. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

720 Simonton Street rear, Key West, Florida

There's a little cottage located at the far end of a private lane located just south of the swank Gardens Hotel. The street address of this place is 720 Simonton Street (Rear). I dug into the old shoebox and found a photo taken half a century ago. The cottage sits at the rear of the deeded private. You'll probably recognize the contemporary house located next to the driveway. I found a photo of the old commercial building that occupied the same location years ago.

I found more photos of other surrounding houses that all appear to have been built around the same time. They all share that tree lined drive from Simonton Street to where it ends in a large gravel parking area for the homes located there. I recently showed 720 Simonton Street Rear and remembered that I had been back in this hidden area years ago but did not return because I had no need to go there. I get amazed at how hidden some places are. This is one of them.

 The listing Realtor describes 720 Simonton Street Rear this way:

"Live In The Heart Of Key West Just Steps From All The Attractions On Duval Street! Cozy Cottage Located Off A Quiet Lane In Old Town With Deeded Off-street Parking. One Bedroom, One Bathroom, Living-dining Area, And Galley Kitchen. Sliders Open On Front And Back Of Home To Two Separate Privacy Fenced Decks."

As soon as you pass the gated entry you realize this cottage is no cigar maker cottage. Instead, it is slice of life of mid-century American architecture complete with glass slider doors that provide ample daytime illumination of the living area located on the other side of the wide deck.

 The four room house is easy to understand. The living room and dining area are located in front. The galley kitchen and bathroom are located in the middle of the house. The spacious bedroom is located at the rear where there is another set of sliders that open out to a rear deck.  Notice all the closet space in the bedroom. This place just seems to offer so much living space as compared to some cigar maker cottages where sometimes rooms are cramped. If you are reaching your 'golden years' you'll appreciate that all rooms are located on one level. There are no stairs, no spiral staircase, and no ship's ladder or other contraption to complicate your life or mobility. And your off street parking spot it located right outside your front door. CLICK HERE to see more photos.

720 Simonton Street rear is zoned  HNC (1-3) which may allow for future transient rental which would require the purchase of a transient rental license at additional expense. This property does not have a transient license and may not be rented transiently at this time. Most abutting properties have transient licenses. Just because it is zoned to accept a transient license does not mean that the City of Key West would consent to such a use. The city has a policy against displacing existing residential use with transient use. 720 Simonton Street rear could be rented as a monthly vacation rental. I think this would make an excellent vacation rental property.. You cannot ask for a better location. It is close to everything but it is serenely quiet.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet on 720 Simonton Street rear which is offered for sale at $519,000. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to arrange a showing. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.