1214 Olivia Street, Key West - Award Winning Home

Brenda Donnelly, the listing Realtor of 1214 Olivia Street in Key West, invited me over to see this impressive listing. She walked me through each room of the house and adjacent guest cottage. She pointed out features of the original house which was expanded in 2002 by the current owner.. The renovation and expansion garnered a Ceramic Star from the Historic Keys Foundation. 

It's mid-February and there was not one cloud in the skies over Key West yesterday afternoon as I began to write today's real estate blog. The temperature was a pleasant 80 degrees. I took the above color photo an hour or so earlier when I arrived at the house. I had been there before, perhaps more then twenty years earlier, around the time the current owner purchased the home. It did not look then anything like it looks now.

The black and white house photo was taken in 1965 and shows the house to be an atypical two story Conch house. A basic two story Conch house would have been painted white and would have clean straight lines with no gingerbread as opposed to the Olivia house which has Victorian gingerbread around the gable, scalloped shell-shaped shingles, and more gingerbread trim on the wrap-around first story porch. Compare the historic photo to the color photo at the top of the blog. You'll notice the house was expanded at the point where the original house ended. The renovated home is colorful and includes embellishments like the round window with "moon rise views" at the front and back of the home just under the gable where a circular air vent once removed hot air from the attic and which now is habitable space.

1204 Olivia Street was built around 1905 in a mostly rural part of Key West. The above photo of Division Street and was taken in 1900 and shows a widow's walk visible in the foreground. Today that building is the offices of Truman and Co. at what is now identified as 1205 Truman Avenue. The trees at the rear of the widow's walk is partly the large vacant lot where a portion of 1204 Olivia Street sits today. (The massive undeveloped land and water at the top of the photos was later filled and developed. Today that span of ground includes mid-town and new town. North Roosevelt Blvd now occupies much of the space where once there was water)

The black and white house photo was taken in 1965 and shows the house to be an atypical two story Conch house. A basic two story Conch house would have been painted white and would have clean straight lines with no gingerbread as opposed to this Olivia house which has Victorian gingerbread around the gable, scalloped shell-shaped shingles, and additional gingerbread trim on the wrap-around first story porch. Compare the historic photo to the color photo at the top of the blog. You'll notice the house was expanded at the point where the original house ended. The renovated home is colorful and includes embellishments like the round window with "moon rise views" at the front and back of the home just under the gable where a circular air vent once removed hot air from the attic and which now is habitable space. Local architect Tom Pope supervised the renovation and expansion of this property. The WATER-FRONT PASS photo (two below) was that of the first owner, a clerk for the steamship line.

During the 2002 renovation every effort was made to preserve the original wood content. The house had been maintained over the years. Interior renovations included moving wall as well as adding the new rear addition. The original main level floors were removed and replaced with 12" wide Canadian wide planks to give the floors an old world look. The entry foyer changed significantly. The stairway was reversed so improve feng-shui - to prevent luck from rolling out the front door. A half bath was added under the stairway. It's adorable.

When you enter the house you can walk forward through the hallway toward the rear where the great room, dining area, and kitchen are located or pass through the pocket door passage way into the library.

Moving from the front to the rear I appreciated the care and attention to detail that was added to this home. What had been a normal Key West conch house was both expanded and architecturally embellished with details such as the heavy egg and dart crown moldings and fluted pillars. The chandelier was original to the house and was moved from the original front parlor to the dining room. The living room and kitchen are new additions to the house. It was the view out to the pool and rear that grabbed my attention. I get to see a lot of really beautiful kitchens, and this is one of those to be sure. But that view is one-of-a-kind.  I remarked to Brenda that this house has such a gracious feel. It was designed to be perfect. And it is. But it is not pretentious. It is very livable. Maybe a better way to describe it would be to say it is like arriving at a very posh hotel with relaxing people-friendly furniture. It is a nice, uncluttered space. There is plenty of additional space to amuse oneself in this retreat. Speaking of amusement, the old cistern was converted into a 1000 bottle wine cellar.

The tropical foliage at the rear of the pool sustained a bit of damage during Irma. Initial plantings have begun. Within a matter of a few months the area will be filled back in and restore total privacy to the area. The small building in the background is the outdoor kitchen. The coping around the pool is salvaged coral sidewalks from Old Town. If you look porch photo and look more closely at the pool, you will notice a secret grotto covered with foliage. There is a spa at the opposite end.

The three room guest cottage (above) sits at the far end of the driveway and adjacent to the house. The cottage includes a living room (or office), a bedroom, and a bathroom plus a very sophisticated outdoor shower. This cottage is as nice as the homes of many locals.

 

 The master suite occupies the entire new addition to the second floor which includes those impressive wide plank floors in the bedroom, a morning kitchen, a huge walk-in closet (maybe the largest in Key West), a posh en-suite bath, and a private deck overlooking the pool below. I didn't take any photos of the master bath and MLS listing does not have any that shows the incredible tub located in the sweet little nest extension shown above. There are two more guest bedrooms plus bath on the second floor. View of the pool from private deck is shown below.

During the renovation a stairway was added to the former attic area which was totally updated. Now there is a nice bedroom on the south end with two Pullman style beds tucked in under the eaves. The front end of the house has an office. Both ends have identical round glass window inserts in the former attic vents. This is such a clever use of space and the result is sheer whimsy. What kid wouldn't love to sleep up in the bird's nest with Eagle-eye views of this enchanting home and grounds.

I wonder what Mr. Simon Kemp would think of his old house now. It's pretty impressive, but not stuff or pretentious.  I think Tom Pope created good living spaces and maximized the southern views which add natural light into this home. No wonder this home earned the Ceramic Star.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and listing photos of 1214 Olivia Street, Key West, offered at $3,575,000. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to show this beautiful home. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

One of the things I do when showing houses is to ask the potential buyer to sit in the living area and imagine what it would be like to live here. I think this is critical for any buyer to do at any house. I also like to get the buyer to look out the front door and take in the view of the neighbors. This is the view you will see each day as your leave your home. The top photo just above was taken inside the entry hall looking to the front door. Some people would pay a pretty penny to buy a water color painting with a view like that. When the door is opened the pretty view expands to encompass several different and delightful cottage style homes.  There's a little fountain in the front yard with water trickling down. 

As soon as the front door is open and you enter this house you know your not in Kansas anymore. The home is gracious from front to back. Not a detail was overlooked,

Strange Love in Key West - A True Story

I always preference my little tales of Key West by telling my Dear Readers that the stories are true as opposed to stuff that comes out of Washington and reality television. You can't make up the truth, and, sometimes, the truth hurts.

A few years ago on the week before Christmas, I was setting up a listing of my office to host a Saturday afternoon open house. I turned on the lights and opened the door to the pool at the rear. I placed my open house signs out in front and prepared to talk to passersby.

I had been sitting on the cute-as-can-be front porch when I noticed the neighbor was hanging Christmas lights on his two story duplex home next door to the east. I walked out to the sidewalk and started a conversation. I looked up and saw what I assumed was his wife on the second floor front porch. They kept doing their respective decorating as he told me about the joys of this Old Town location.

He told me something I had not heard before. He said he lived on the first floor of this home and his wife lived on the second. I thought the arrangement odd. It was not until three years ago that I found another couple who also lived in a two story house who shared their spaces the exact same way.  I know a lot of folks who live together no long share their bedrooms, but living in separate floors was rather odd even for Key West.

All of a sudden and without notice the wife dropped the hammer from her hand. The law of gravity set in.  It fell. And landed on her husband's head.   He screamed. I instantly appreciated why they lived in separate parts of the house.

Now there can be two theories as to what happened either of which is plausible. One is the wife dropping the hammer was totally accidental. I as a witness could testify to that in court. I could have told a judge and jury she was totally innocent.  On the other hand, I could testify she waited until I distracted him from what he was doing and then she dropped the hammer squarely on his head.

I have told friends this story for years. I don't really know her intent.  But I thought it very strange what happened occurred while I was there to watch it. Who knows?

1501 Leon Street, Key West - Bank Owned House Back on the Market

BANK OWNED HOUSE - BACK ON THE MARKET.  1501 Leon Street in Key West is a bank owned property that just went back into our MLS as an active listing. The property had been under contract and suddenly the deal fell apart. I spoke with the listing agent who reported the property was ready to close when the buyer failed to close.

I wrote about this house as soon as it hit the MLS last year. It went under contract soon after. In fact the day I went over to take photos, another agent was showing the house to her potential buyers. I drove by the house a couple of times and I saw buyers and agents poking around looking at the house and hypothesizing what they might do with the property.

This 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 cottage at the front of the corner lot, today there is a house in need of serious 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.

There are several brand new homes being built within blocks of this location. A new owner could raze this existing house and build all new. The large lot means you could build a home up to around 3,500 sq ft or a house and maybe a pool house. The large lot gives a new owner so many options that are rarely available. 

1501 Leon Street is a bank owned property is now offered at $603,250. 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. 

713 Emma Street, Key West - Open House Today

Okay all of you romantics in Key West this Valentine's Weekend, bring your beautiful bride or handsome husband to see this adorable two bedroom home located at 713 Emma Street just a couple of blocks from Ft Zach Taylor Beach and only a couple of blocks to Duval Street.

OPEN HOUSE

Sunday

12:00 to 3:00 PM

713 Emma Street

Key West 

From Duval Street at Petronia, walk or drive four blocks to Emma. Turn right. Located 1/2 block on the right.

Packing in Key West

This is a retelling of a true story imparted to me by a lady lawyer who purchased an Old Town  home from me. She lives in a big eastern city throughout most of the year, but spends her winters in Key West. She enjoys the ability to practice her profession in the comfortable environment of her tropical home. She is single and shares her life in Key West with her two dogs which she calls her "puppies".  

My buyer. who I'll call "Annie", told me about a recent event which occurred while she was on a scheduled conference call with various "principles". She said that particular phone call was more productive than she had expected, inferring that not all conference calls work out well.  Annie set the stage for the events that followed. She said she normally leaves all the doors open when she is at home. She loves the fresh air and sunshine, the elements she can't enjoy up north during the winter. She said the conference call principles were making their points when all of a sudden the puppies started barking loudly - the angrily. An unknown woman walked right into Annie's front door with a piece of paper in hand. Annie did not who this woman was or why she was standing inside Annie's house.

Annie told the principles she needed to excuse herself from the phone call and put the telephone on hold. She walked to the woman and asked who she was and why she was inside her house. The lady said "This is my house!" Annie told me she immediately wondered if the precious owner had pulled a maneuver sold the house a second time to someone else. She remembered how tight he was and wondered if he would have tried something like that. She dismissed that thought. The woman then said something about having proof the house was hers. Annie examined the piece of paper. It was some type of rental agreement for Annie's home.

The woman told Annie she had seen the house advertised on Craigslist where she saw a lot of photos. The lady loved the place and paid the $3500 for her upcoming vacation.  Upon first arriving at the house lady could see someone was inside. She called the rental agent who said the last "tenant" had not left the house and was an illegal holdover. The agent said there was nothing he could do. The lady was not deterred and decided to confront the illegal holdover tenant herself whereupon the lady and Annie were facing each other down in the living room. Annie said "I am the owner. I do not rent my house".   The lady realized she had become another victim of a Craigslist rental scam. She agreed to leave.

Before existing, the door still opened, the lady asked Annie a favor.  She said she was expecting a package which was to be shipped to the vacation house address. She asked Annie to call her when the package arrived. Annie agreed. The package was delivered a couple of days later.  Annie looked at the sender's return address: it was a firearms and ammunition dealer. Annie surmised the package contained either a gun or ammunition.

Annie called the lady who returned to Annie's home to retrieve her package. This time the lady waited to be invited inside the house. The two ladies exchanged pleasantries. Annie looked at the box as she handed it over to the lady and said "I'm packing!" The lady said "I'm packing, too!"  They laughed.

Annie told me under other circumstances the day of the telephone conference call could have ended quite differently. She said she might have responded to seeing a stranger walking around in her living room not with a question but with action, and under Florida law that would have been her legal right. Remember the terrible consequences in the Trayvon Martin killing. Florida law gives property owners the right to stand their ground and kill an intruder.

I get phone calls every few weeks from folks who have seen a Craigslist ad for a house which I have written about. The caller often starts out telling me they are a bit suspicious about an ad that sounds to good to be true. Or the tell me the rental agent insists that the renter remit payment by Paypal instead of credit card. I always tell each caller to do a Google search for real estate companies or property management companies that rent vacation rental homes.