912 Truman Avenue, Key West Florida

Just Listed 912 Truman Avenue, Key West, Florida. If you have had a yen to own an historic house in Old Town Key West, but missed the opportunity to buy because of rising prices, take note and consider what is offered and the price that should tempt you to take a look. I wrote about this house a few years ago before the current owners purchased the house.

Longtime readers know that I like to look back to see how houses looked in years gone by and compare to the way they now appear.  912 Truman Avenue reflects the growth and popularity of Key West.  The original house was photographed in 1965 and depicts the condition of the building then. Historically, the house sat on a larger corner lot located at the corner of Division Street (later renamed Truman Avenue) and Packer Street. The black and white photo shows a stand alone structure that was a part of this property. A large rear yard extended to the south. In the early 2000s the entire lot and adjacent land was redeveloped into an assemblage of new single family homes situated on the grounds of this once former larger lot. The small building to the right was made into a separate home that is a part of that larger assemblage that is officially a land based condominium. Each home is owned in fee simple and each owner is responsible for all aspects of his property.

912 Truman Avenue has 3494 square feet of living space divided among the three floors - yes, three floors. This is one very large house and that helps us appreciate the way this house flows on the inside and how it has changed on the outside. If you study the above black and white photo taken in 1965 you will see an galvanized chain link fence that surrounds the corner lot. Also, note the extra long posts that support the roof overhang and the 'missing' second floor porch floor. Today this house has a full porches on the first and second floors. Note the high pitched roof with gables facing north, east, and west which is an integral part of the living space of the house today.

The house now has very formal porches on the first and second floors. The porches symmetrically frame either side of the home. Each of the windows have pediments flanked by shutters. Sconces light the first floor entry.

Brick pavers lead from the gated white picket fence up to the front porch. The yard has several mature large palms and other tropical foliage which give the space a "finished look" as opposed to some houses in Key West where landscaping is more native. The result is an impressive and refined front entry which delivers guests to the front door of an elegant Key West property.

 As you enter the front entry you are greeted by an historic staircase and central hallway that divides the house in half so to speak. On the right side you will find the living room with its formal parlor in front and rear space currently configured as an office. A door at the rear opens out to the new pool. On the left side you will see the formal dining room at the front and the country kitchen at the rear, There is Dade County Pine walls just about everywhere in this house including the ceilings. Take a look at the floorboards. Note the width of the floorboards. This is a house of substance and long lasting durable building materials. The dollhouse photo above shows two staircases. The rear staircase ends at the back hallway where there is a first floor powder room. The Kitchen (not shown in the dollhouse photo) is located opposite the rear staircase.

The dollhouse view shows the master suite located on the west side of the house. The rich Dade County Pine wall and ceiling provide a comfortable place to nestle. The master bath is quite large and contains a large soaking tub plus shower and extra large vanity and closet. There are two large bedrooms on the east side of the second floor. They share the bath at the rear of the second floor. Not shown in the dollhouse view is the second floor front porch which runs the breadth of this impressive home. When you see this house in person you will surely be impressed by the pediments over the windows. The historic glass windows ripple with age. I have ripples, and not in my stomach. Mine are called wrinkles, however.

Each o the homes in this complex has a private pool. Some of the neighboring landscaping was lost during the recent storm. It will grow back within a few months. I include an older photo to prove my point. This house has full access on all four sides to maintain the property. There is a rear gate that leads out to the large side yard and the two designated parking spaces. The condo fee is $600 per year.

The third floor offers so many different uses to a new owner. The photo two above shows about 2/3 of the floor. Not visible is a bed alcove located in the front dormer to the right. There's a mini kitchen for Gram or the brother-in-law who won't go back home to use or maybe use as a writer's loft, an artist's lair, or playroom for the grandchildren. CLICK HERE to see more photos of this home taken over the past few years. The photos in today's blog reflect the current condition of this fine home.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet on 912 Truman Avenue. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to set up a private showing of this grand home offered at $1,270,000. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West, the listing brokerage of this property.

1409 Duncan Street, Key West - An Eyebrow House

The listing Realtor describes the eyebrow house located at 1409 Duncan Street in the Midtown area of Key West like this:

"Classic ''Eyebrow''-style house is unique to Key West. Original 2-story structure built in 1890; 2 cigar-makers' cottages attached at a later date. The blend of historic architectural styles and additions needs refining, and price reflects the potential renovation project. Roughly 2000-square foot open-floor plan on ground level includes large vestibule or music room, vaulted ceilings in dining area, a glass-walled living room and 2 bedrooms, plus bonus office wing. The master suite is the only room on the second floor. Off-street parking for 2+vehicles, and room for pool in L-shape lot."

I got to see the inside of this home for the very first time during Realtor caravan yesterday. I had, however,  seen the house from the outside many times over the years including when I blogged about the house across the street a few years ago and again when I wrote about the famed Rose Tattoo house a half block away to the east.

 1410 Duncan Street, Key West is located directly opposite from today's featured home.

The former gate to 1421 Duncan Street in Key West.This is the famed Rose Tattoo house. Tennessee William's personal residence is next door to the east.

I dug into my old shoebox and found two photos which show the home back in the 1960s.

The Monroe County Property Appraiser shows this house as having been built in 1889. The listing agent cites construction at 1890.  It's of no matter which date is correct. I could immediately tell this house was old when I looked at the extra wide Dade County Pine walls. Those wider boards distinguish older houses from the "newer" construction (in the early 1900s) where the Dade County Pine boars are a bit more narrow.

Today's blog is a bit of a departure from others about houses like this because it is atypical of other eyebrow houses.  These houses get the name "eyebrow" because of the second floor windows sheltered by the front roof eave which extends out over the house supported by columns or posts.  In the olden days, before electric fans and later air conditioning, shade and air flow cooled homes. The second floor windows could be left open during rain storms which allows air to flow.

I have sold a couple of eyebrow homes and been inside many. This is the very first eyebrow house I have been in where the stairway to the second floor is located on adjacent to an exterior wall. My experience has been that stairs are located in the center of the house and most often land at the front where a small hallway leads to a bedroom on either side. Not all eyebrow houses are the same size. Some are fairly small while others are quite large. The common theme among even the larger eyebrows is that they have two bedrooms and usually share a bath located at the rear of the stairway landing on the second floor.

This house, however, has one bedroom which spans the width of the second floor. The stairway has a fairly high pitch which makes me wonder it is original to the house or whether it replaced a center hallway staircase.  There is a second bedroom located at the first floor front adjacent to the entry hall.

The top photo above shows the entry hall and the doorway to the first floor bedroom. The kitchen appears to the right. The lower photo shows the living area followed by a glassed in room akin to a Florida room. There is a third bedroom to the rear plus additional rooms. The living areas and Florida room are atypical of an eyebrow house. The listing agent suggests there is a "blend" of architectural styles. I think a good architect could re-work the house to develop a theme that combines the 19th century eyebrow with the more modern living areas at the rear.

According to the MLS this home has 2506 sq ft of living space situated on a 5016 sq ft lot. The L-shaped lot measures 45.5' on Duncan Street that runs 88' to the rear and which extends on  the rear side of the eastward 23 additional feet.  If you look at what I call the Florida room (bricked floors with sliding glass doors) you may wonder as I did - why was this done?  The Monroe County Property Appraiser shows the gross square footage as 3776 sq ft and I believe it is the Florida room which accounts for this.  As soon as I walked into this space I thought I would demolish this space and open up the back and side yard to be redeveloped into a tropical garden and pool area. The confined space, no matter how much glass there is, makes no sense for contemporary living in my opinion. 

The black and white photos from the 1960s teach us this home has had a carport since then and that the front yard was defined by a white picket fence. The sundeck is located atop the Florida room. I doubt that would be allowed A part of the fence is now gone, The exterior staircase on the west side of the house is no longer functional.  I searched the Key West Historic Resources Survey 2011 to determine if this house is considered a contributing resource and learned it was not evaluated as a part of the official survey and was determined not to be eligible for the National Registry of Historic Properties. That suggests to me a new owner can clean up the facade and not be confined to preserving the carport, sundeck, or current fencing.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet on 1409 Duncan Street which is offered at $999,999. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to set up a personal look. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

Key West - Not a Knock Knock Joke

I am going back into my memory closet more than twenty years to relate this story. Soon after I got my real estate license in 1996 I was working with a gay couple who wanted to relocate to Key West to own and operate a guest house.  There were a few properties listed for sale.  I set up showings for my customers and casually mentioned to a woman agent in my office that I would be showing Newton Street Station, an all gay male guest house. 

The woman agent had first hand knowledge about the place because she lived nearby and was familiar with its mode of operation which was a bit odd even for Key West. She suggested that I warn my customers to expect to see the manager open the door in the nude. She said the manager would actually show the guest house as the owner would not be present. I thought she was joking, but she was not. She had experienced first hand when she had shown it. And she had seen the nude dude open the door to greet guests for years. So I told my customers. They were gay and took it in stride. I can recall missing things in the property because I was avoiding looking at the obvious. Over the following months I showed the guest house several more times to both gay and straight buyers. The manager always opened the door in the buff and always conducted the showings.

During that same time period I had a listing on a different guest house. I remember showing it when a buyers' agent mentioned he was going to show Newton Street Station right after leaving my property. I warned to expect the Newton Street Station manger to greet him and his customers in the nude. He was shocked but appreciated the warning. A few days later he saw me and thanked me again. He said had warned his straight couple from the Midwest and they took it is stride.

816 South Street #4, Key West - Southpark Condominium

816 South Street #4, Key West, Florida

The asking price on this sharp one bedroom 640 square feet condominium was just reduced to $494,500.  I have sold four units in this four building complex with a total of 16 units over the past few years.  I think Southpark Condominiums are the best buy in Key West based on size, quality of construction, location, and amenities.

Southpark Condominiums are made up of four four unit buildings located between William Street and Reynolds Street (the pathway to Higgs Beach and the Atlantic Ocean).  This second floor unit is located in the easternmost building. The unit has been tastefully updated including the new kitchen which was added just two years ago. This unit has central air conditioning and an in-unit washer and dryer.  Not all units have private laundries in the unit. The unit enjoys light throughout the day either from morning sunlight from the south which filters in through the kitchen window and the French doors in the bedroom. As the sun moves from east to west during the day, light bathes the living room in muted tones early afternoon until sunset. A door in the living room opens out to the front porch.

The dining are contains a built in display wall for showing off artwork, books, and nick-knacks. Another mirrored wall visually tricks the eye and enlarges the entire living space. Note also the natural finished oak flooring found in living room, dining area, and bedroom. Crown molding and bright white trim and baseboards plus pops of color on the walls add a bit of drama throughout this abode.

All of the units have private rear porches.  This one is sunny throughout most of the day. There is a rear interior stairway from a door in the kitchen which leads down to the pool at the rear of the property. The pool is located about fifty feet or more to the west. The Southpark grounds are quite spacious and professionally maintained. Each building has access to the gardens and pool area plus gated access from the front and side yards. The pool is one of the largest and most beautiful of any condominiums in Key West. There is a small building located at the east end of the pool which houses a coin operated laundry plus storage units for each of the condominiums.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and listing photos of 816 South Street #4 which is now offered at $494,500. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, at  305-766-2642. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. I can't make enough positive comments about these units especially when compared to higher priced units in the Key West area.

1501 Leon Street, Key West - Newly Listed Bank Owned Home

Just Listed 1501 Leon Street, a new Bank Owned property in Key West, Florida.  If you have been dreaming of buying a place in Key West, this may not be the home you were thinking about buying. But if you look at the picture above, it was once one family's castle. Of that, I am sure. As you look at the photos and read my narrative, understand what you see is the result of several years of neglect. Where once there was pride of ownership with a fairy tale folly, today there is a house in need of renovation or perhaps tear down and rebuild.

This 2205 square foot home was built in 1958 and sits on an imperfect square lot that measures 88' X 90' or 7920 square feet. That is large for Key West but fits into the neighborhood which is located on the ocean side of the island of Key West. The Atlantic Ocean is located about five blocks to the south.  CLICK HERE for an aerial GOOGLE MAP VIEW. Nearly every home in the immediate area sits on a lot of 5000 square feet or larger which is much larger than you will find in Old Town.

When I first arrived at the house I realized the second story was an addition and not a very attractive one at that. But as I looked at the lot, I immediately started to think what a new owner might do to improve upon what exists today. I went to the back yard where I found a boat and lots of trash. Forget the debris, if you can, and imagine the second floor as no longer existing.

Consider instead expanding the house toward the east on the Flagler Avenue side of the house.  This would provide more privacy at the rear for the construction of a new garden, pool, and deck. I would add new impact windows and doors throughout plus add new insulation and air conditioning.  I would also install a CBS privacy fence on the Flagler and Leon streets similar to the one that exists in the very expensive home on the opposite side of Flagler. See the photo below.

I took photos of the current interiors which you may view if you CLICK HERE. If you were to buy this home, you would certainly clean and paint it at a minimum. You would probably update the kitchen and baths. You would fix up the yard and add landscaping. So what you see in these photos should not give you pause, instead, it you energize your brain to figure out how you could turn this property into something that equals that home across the street.

1501 Leon Street is a bank owned property offered at $635,000. CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and listing photos. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to schedule a showing. I am a buyer's agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.