715 Fleming Street, Key West, Florida _ First Time on the Market in Decades

Just listed 715 Fleming Street in Key West which is located opposite the Monroe County Library. When the listing agent asked me to take some photos of the house, I gladly agreed. I immediately went to my old shoebox and found the black and white photo below taken in 1965. That photo shows the house when louvered shutters enclosed the front porch of the CBS house built in 1948. I searched for earlier photos reckoning there must have been a wood frame house on the lot prior to 1948, but I could not find one.The original house was atypical for this block which has several larger multi-million dollar homes and other wood frame homes in the low one million dollar range. Later wood clapboard siding was added to the the front to make the actual CBS house blend in with the surrounding homes.

I spoke to the owner who has lived in the house since he purchased it in 1989. He said he removed one of the original interior walls to create a larger living room. French doors were added on the west and north sides of the house allowing free flowing air to pass through the home. I was just awed by the simplicity of the house and how open and charming it was. Let me share some photos I took.

If you look back at the black and white photo you will understand how the current day house evolved. The porch was totally enclosed except for two windows on either side of the front recessed entry. The west side became the kitchen. A window brings in filtered sunshine that shines through into the living room. The east front became one of the bathrooms. It is quite large and also has a window which allows light to pass into the adjacent bedroom. The doorway with sidelight panel was recessed to an entry hall where the mirror amplifies the natural light and visually enlarges the space.

The size and volume of the living room was totally unexpected. An original interior wall was removed to create the vaulted ceiling. French doors were added on the west and north walls which allows light and air to flow through the interior. The earlier renovation added a bathroom adjacent to the front bedroom on the east side. That room also has French doors which added light into that space. I did not take any interior photos of the rear bedroom, however I did photograph the French doors from the rear deck which give that room abundant light.

The Monroe County Property Appraiser shows the house as having 1137 sq ft of air conditioned interior living space plus a 10' X 11' air conditioned storage building located at the north rear of lot. The lot measures 50.25' X 64'. There is a wood deck that wraps the west and rear of the lot. The east side is fence enclosed area that is not utilized at present. The impervious space is quite large which makes me believe there may be room for a pool.  The front yard is under utilized. I an envision a total transformation that would not cost all that much to do. CLICK HERE to view more photos of this property.

715 Fleming Street is located a short two and one-half block walk to Duval Street and two blocks to the Historic Seaport. While the house does not have parking, I have found that I can normally find a parking spot on that block. This is partly because the library takes up so much of the block and it has its own parking lot. The larger houses have their own off street parking which lessens the demand for on street parking in general.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to schedule a private showing. This house will sell fast. It is priced to sell at $849,000.  I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. This place is perfect for the buyer who wants a great Old Town home in a good location but who doesn't want to spend a million dollars to buy it.

62 Front Street, Key West - Commanding Truman Annex Property

The 600 block of Fleming Street in Key West during the 1920s

Front Street in the Truman Annex, Key West in the 2010s

The two photos above show how much Key West has changed in the past 100 years and how much things remain the same. Last week I wrote a blog about the big house at 923 Fleming Street where I remarked about notation on an early Sanborn Fire Map that Fleming Street was bricked. That remark was noteworthy because many streets back then were dirt. Bricked streets signified that the houses belonged to the wealthy. Followers of my blog know that the houses on Fleming Street today are still among the most expensive in Key West. The color photo above shows Front Street in the Truman Annex addition to Key West which was developed in the early 1990s. Most of single family homes located on Front and Emma Streets are owned by the wealthy as well.

The new listing at 62 Front Street, Key West is a modern day Eyebrow House with widow's walk.. This 2486 sq ft home was built in 1998 and varies greatly from the historic eyebrow houses built more than a century earlier in that the living spaces on the main floor wide and open and the bedrooms on the second floor are quite large as compared to the bedrooms found in historic homes. The house has a commanding presence on this street on this street of fancy homes. The listing Realtor describes this property this way:

"Located in the Key West Truman Annex is a very prominent Eyebrow home,custom built in 1998 for the President of the company that developed the Truman Annex. A large front porch allows you to enjoy the beautiful manicured landscaping of the Truman Annex. Opening the front door to this 4 bedroom 3 bath home, you are mesmerized by the size of the open floor plan and soaring ceiling heights and light. The Kitchen has custom cabinetry with granite counter tops with access to the outside living and pool area. On the main level is a full bath and bedroom adjacent to the living room with French Doors leading to the covered deck and pool. A custom staircase leads to 3 bedrooms and 2 baths with oversize closets. Another highlight is 2 covered Parking spaces. Transient License."

Two sets of French doors with clerestory windows above open out to the covered deck pool beyond which are two separate carports

For some reason that I do not fully understand, a lot of potential buyers want to buy a house that they may rent for income when they are not using it. I understand the idea and have written about the ability to do it. What I don't really understand is why someone who can afford a house as expensive as this would want to rent it. But if you do, you may, as this house has a valuable Truman Annex Transient Rental License which permits an owner to rent the property for 25 weeks each year plus as many 30 day months as one wants. Remember this house has four bedrooms and three baths, a sunny pool, off street parking, as is within easy walking distance to Ft Zachary Taylor Beach and the dining and entertainment on nearby Duval Streets. Renters will love it!

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and listing photos on 62 Front Street, Key West which is offered for sale at $3,570,000. 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.

Twisted Key West - Egg Beats Tourist

This is a true story. The guy in the photo has nothing to do with today's story except that he was a Key West taxi driver and tour director. His name was Ramon Navarro, and no he wasn't the famous actor of the same name. Mr. Navvaro was famous for showing tourists around Key West in style.

Back in the 1890s horses were the primary horse and buggies moved people up and down Duval Street past 336 Duval pictured above. The building was once the school. Years later it became the home of Knight Realty, later Prudential Knight and Gardner Realty, and now Berkshire Hathaway Knight and Garner Realty. 

More than a dozen years ago I was a real estate agent at Prudential Knight and Gardner Realty located at the corner of Duval Street at Eaton Street in Key West.  Floor duty is the time a Realtor spends in the office waiting for someone to walk in the door or call on the telephone to inquire about buying or selling a house or other property. A lot of agents hate it because few  agents convert an inquiry into a transaction. I liked it as I aactually got buyers out of walk-ins, some of whom I have written about in my blog.

 0 Duval Street - The Gulf of Mexico

Southernmost Beach - the end of Duval Street and the beginning of the Atlantic Ocean

Duval Street runs about one mile long. It starts at the Gulf of Mexico three blocks to the north and ends at the Atlantic Ocean eleven blocks to the south. Eaton Street is one of two streets that traverse all of Old Town.  The other is Truman Avenue. This intersection is a crossroads of humanity in our little town. This is a terribly busy corner starting around 10:00 AM or so when most shops open for business. Depending on the time of year and the time of day the sidewalks can be almost impassable with tourists walking around not paying attention to anything or anyone.  Right now Key West is experiencing Spring Break with thousands of daily tourists de-boarding cruise ships mixed in with college kids, gays, and families who have flocked here for fun in the sun. Delivery trucks, cars, people on bikes, skateboarders, pedicabs, taxi cabs, trolley cars, and tour trains clog Duval Street which was made for horse and buggies. Sometimes it's enough to a person go crazy. 

I remember the events of one particular afternoon quite vividly. I was sitting at a desk in reception area of our real estate office looking out the south facing window to the intersection of Duval and Eaton. St. Paul's Episcopal Church was located diagonally on the far side of the intersection. It happened in a flash. There was no warning that I recall. For a period of only a few years there was an alternative taxi company called Egg.  On that day an Egg driver jumped out of his vehicle, ran over to a German or Dutch tourist, and cold cocked the guy knocking him to the street as his wife watched in horror. The Egg driver started screaming at the man lying on the ground and waving his hands around in panic and horror.  

The cops arrived in a flash. There is not much crime in Key West so when somebody does do something, there is a lot of whoop-ass that comes down on whoever did something wrong. The tourist started to cross the street against a red light which prevented the Egg drive from making a right turn on red. The tourist foiled the turn and the Egg driver became the Egg beater. End of true story.

Open House Today - 713 Emma Street, Key West

OPEN HOUSE SUNDAY

March 11th

12:00 to 3:00 PM

713 Emma Street, Key West

This is a sweet two story condominium in a small condominium association of only four units all built in 2005. This two bedroom, two and one-half bath unit has a first floor/office with half-bath that can double as a third bedroom The unit has GE Smart House technology and is outfitted with Viking Range, SubZero refrigeration, crown molding, high baseboards, Brazilian cherry hardwood floors, recessed lighting, and lots of features you'll won't find in other condos or single family homes priced below $700,000. I'm confident of that. If you doubt this Mr. Thomas, stop by and check it out.  Or look at the YouTube video below. I prefer that you see it in person. You'll really like it. I promise!

From Duval Street at Petronia, walk or drive four blocks to Emma Street. Santiago's Bodega is on the corner. Turn right. Located 1/2 block on the right.

923 Fleming Street, Key West - Investment Property with Renovation Potential

Not all that much has changed to the house at 923 Fleming Street, Key West during the 52 year time period between 1965 when the black and white photo was taken and 2017 when the color photo was made. The building is a modified Greek Revival which locals refer to as a "Conch House". This just happens to be extra large.  I checked the historic Sanborn Fire Maps and found a much smaller building on this site as early as the 1889 map.  The 1912 Sanborn map shows the side addition and a long more narrow addition at the rear. The 1912 map shows the front porch extending out onto Fleming Street which was noted as being "brick paved". Some of the most beautiful homes in Key West were and still are located on Fleming Street. The listing Realtor describes 923 Fleming St this way:

"Unparalleled 5 bedroom, 4 bathroom, 2,788 square foot, two story home on a 4,500 square foot lot with a gorgeous lagoon style pool and parking. It has three legal units but could easily be converted into a spacious single family home in the perfect Old Town location. The poolside apartment could become a large one or two bedroom guest cottage and the other apartment could become a downstairs master suite. It is beautiful as-is, yet lends itself to capturing your dreams of creating your personal paradise in the heart of Old Town Key West. Your outdoor options include some of the best porches in town and lush landscaping surrounding a beautiful heated lagoon pool. Off-street parking adds to the convenience, but from this location, you can walk almost anywhere. Once inside, your indoor living is framed by Dade County Pine, a fully renovated kitchen featuring exquisite granite counter-tops and hand-crafted Hansel and Bringle cabinets and an extraordinary number of rooms upstairs and down."

The listing Realtor shows the square footage as 2788 sq ft. This is one very large house with two stories of exterior porches (not calculated in the interior square footage). There is also a small cottage at the left rear. The lot measures 45' X 100'. There is a narrow walking lane adjacent to the east property line which is access to a house located at the rear of 923 Fleming but which is not a part of this property.

I saw this property a few days ago on Realtor caravan - a monthly tour or new listings in the Old Town and Casa Marina Areas. I instantly felt at home, but I had never lived here. In 1993 I purchased a similarly large property on Eaton Street. It had been a 13 room guest house, but was closed for two years after it had been foreclosed upon. I was new to Key West and although I had been in a few big houses on various trips to Key West, I really did not appreciate the value of these big old houses nor the value of good location. I do now. Let me share my thoughts. 
1.  This is a big and well built property. It has been well maintained. The photo below shows us that much of the original character has not been mess around with. The metal louvers are still being used. A new owner might want to install new windows, but a purist might prefer to keep the old character in tact.
2.  The house sits right at the city property line. In fact the Sanborn Map suggests that the easternmost porch may extend out onto the public right of way. This fact and the knowledge the lot is 100 feet deep tells the back yard is very large. We can see the pool in the photo, but it is the size of the yard and the potential it offers to a new owner that is the dominant fact.
3.  It has been my experience that a single family residence in a location like this would be more valuable over time than a multi-family. But a multi-family offers a new owner income and different ways to use the property until such time as an owner wants to convert it into a single family residence. The existing apartments are very nice and should command high rents because of their condition and this great location. The photos show the property when fully occupied. The front main floor unit is the only space occupied so a new owner could move in and occupy any of the other spaces and rent the other.
4.  The attic has been updated and offers additional living space that may not be included in the total square footage of the building. This is an amazing space that offers a lot of possibilities.
5.  I usually tell buyers to live in a home for six months or longer before deciding how to change it. Many of our old homes are too small and buyers try to figure out how to create more living or storage space. This place is the opposite. It's pretty big, maybe too big for most buyers. But that size gives a buyer with money and vision opportunities that less wealthy and maybe less visionary folk cannot achieve. 

The second floor front porch wraps around the front of the house to the west. It is a nice place to sit and people watch all year long. Around 5:30 PM on the last Friday in each October that space will be gold as it offers prime time viewing of the People's Parade during Fantasy Fest. Thousands of revelers will pass this location and many will be deliriously jealous of whoever owns this home. I am not suggesting that a new owner convert this so a single family home and rent it as a monthly vacation rental, but if you did the place should be very successful because of the size of the house, number of bedrooms and bathrooms it could have, the awesome pool and garden area, and the perfect location close to everywhere but far enough away from the hoopla. And, oh yes, the proximity to the other very valuable homes in the same block.

I sold two of the larger homes across the street a few years ago. 923 Fleming Street looks mighty pretty from the front porch of 914 Fleming Street. CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and all listing photos. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to schedule a private showing of this property. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.