1026 Whitehead Street, Key West - Renovation Potential

During Realtor caravan a couple of days ago I got to see 1026 Whitehead Street, Key West. We were dropped of the caravan bus in front of the old stone church next door which is also for sale but which is owned by a different seller. After I exited the church I made my way to this property and went inside.

The interior has been gutted which is beneficial to a potential buyer. First, a buyer can see the exact condition of the structure and determine what to save and use as part of the renovation. Second, a lot of the hard work and cost of removal has been absorbed.

The bedroom (two above) and kitchen (directly above) are located at the rear end of the house on either side of the large opening where the new living area would be located. The seller has HARC (Historic Architectural Review Commission) architect plans that will convey with the purchase. A new owner may choose to use those plans or may use them as a basis to revise what was approved. The plans themselves have expired and would need re-approval but the cost of drafting has been paid.

The 920 sq ft house sits on an irregular 2318 sq ft lot which measures 43.29' wide by 52,25' deep. Note the existing garage at the front of the wide lot. A new owner could keep that garage, take it down, and perhaps add a pool to the north side yard which abuts the back side of the old church building.

I found a couple of photos I took four years ago of the property next door to the south. The photo above shows the roof condition of 1026 Whitehead. I checked property records to determine when it was added but could not verify the date. Still, the roof looks to be relatively new and in good condition from what I can see.

I searched the Historic Sanborn Fire Maps to see if I could determine when this house was actually built. The Monroe County Property Appraiser has the date at 1926. The 1899 - 1912 Maps show two houses at the location as 1018 and 1020 Whitehead but they are smaller in size which makes me think they were razed and that the existing house was actually built after 1912. Those maps are accurate as to what existed at the time prepared.

I search in my old shoebox and found the two black and white photos above. The top pic shows 1026 Whitehead as it appeared in 1965. It doesn't vary much from the way the house currently looks. The wood picket addition to the fence obstructs the street view. I think the house would look much better if the pickets were removed. Whitehead Street has changed quite dramatically since the 1947 photo was taken. The street is busy during most of the daytime as tourists make their way to the Hemingway House, the Southernmost Point, or pass by on one of the Conch Trains or Trolley Cars. Around 5:00 PM the tourists head back to their hotels and make way to go to sunset at Mallory Square. This little neighborhood goes back to normal with an occasional car or scooter. Duval Street is just one block to the east.  The new Truman Waterfront Park and Ft. Zach Taylor Beach are a five to seven minute bike ridge to the west. This would be a great location for a Key West getaway cottage.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet on 1026 Whitehead Street offered at $550,000. 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.

710 Galveston Lane, Key West - Life on the Slow Lane

 

One of the joys of having lived in Key West during the past twenty-five years has been to watch the restoration of so many of the once neglected homes in Old Town. I learned to recognize the different architectural styles in Old Town and to appreciate the value of location, especially the quiet little lanes, which have an appeal more than I ever imagined.  I also have learned so much about Key West by studying the old photos and the Sanborn Fire Maps. Both have been excellent resources to understand what once was so that we can now appreciate the unique character of our little town.

 710 Galveston Lane, Key West as it looked back in 1965 and as it looks in 2018

Preferred Properties Key West just listed the cute as can be house at 710 Galveston Lane.  The listing Realtor invited me to take a look at this 1218 sq ft vernacular cottage that sits on a 42" X 71.5' (3010 sq ft) lot tucked away on one of the slow lanes of Key West.

I found an aerial photo of the area taken about fifty years ago. I noted the location of 710 Galveston Lane with a check mark. The house sits near the crest of Solares Hill, the highest point in Key West. The house is located in the coveted X Flood Zone. You will see the lane diverts off Windsor Lane where it dog legs to the east at Bill Butler Park and ends two blocks to the south at Olivia Street.  A photographer for the WPA (Works Progress Administration) took several iconic photos of Galveston Lane in the Great Depressions. Times have changed - most of the houses, like this one, have been renovated, expanded, and gentrified. Many of the houses are second homes instead of primary residences. Life on the lane, however, is still pretty quiet. I'm sure all of the residents like that.

I checked the Sanborn Fire Maps to determine when 710 Galveston Lane may have been built. The 1889 Map did not show any structures in the area which I doubt was the case as surrounding areas were all inhabited. The 1892 Map showed the house then identified as 12 Low Lane. The 1899 Map revised the address to 710 Lowe's Lane. (This must have confused locals back then as there was another Lowes Lane located just off the 500 block of Grinnell Street.) The address was revised on the 1912 Map to 710 Galveston Lane. We can therefore conclude 710 Galveston Lane was built prior to 1899. The original house has been updated and enlarged several times over the years. The current owner recently completed a new renovation which included the addition of a pool. The house is in pristine condition and is more cute in person than the great photos suggest.

The owner relocated the main entrance to the rear of the property which is accessed from the gate at the end of the driveway. Guests arrive at the garden and pool area which includes a sunny backyard plus covered sitting and dining area. French doors open into the living area and adjacent kitchen.

This home now has an open concept living area at the rear. Guest can move easily between the indoors and outdoors through French doors throughout much of the year. The cheerful kitchen opens into the living area. There is a cute little powder room next to the staircase that leads to a second floor guest bedroom and private bath. The guest bedroom bath is tucked under the rear dormer - it is so friggin' cute!

The large master bedroom is located at the front of the house. The original front porch is now a private porch off the bedroom. It provides a perfect perch to people watch, although there is not very much traffic on this little lane. The bedroom has an en suite bath and large closet. There is a lot of well planned storage which makes this house is viable as a full time home. However, it could easily become a monthly vacation rental were that to be the aim of a new owner.

I sold the house directly across the lane to a couple from my home state of Colorado. They are near completing the expansion of their home which can be viewed from the front porch of 710 Galveston Lane. Galveston Lane is a cute-as-can-be block of similar little cottages that just keep getting better and better.

Charlies Grocery is located one block to the west of Galveston Lane. The Key West cemetery is one block east of that. The historic seaport is located three blocks to the north and Truman Avenue is three blocks to the south. You can walk just about anywhere in about five minutes. People from all over the world travel for hours to get to Key West. If you lived here, you could be in someplace really special in a matter of minutes. CLICK HERE to view more photos of 710 Galveston Lane Key West.

710 Galveston Lane is offered for sale at $1,090,000 by Preferred Properties Key West. Please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to set up a private showing. CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet for more details on this listing.

1307 Newton Street, Key West - The Meadows Area

Just Listed, but not by me, 1307 Newton Street, Key West. The listing Realtor describes the property this way:

"Fabulous Meadows neighborhood central to all things Old Town: White Street art district, Historic Key West Harbor, restaurants and more. Two apartments, front and back for investment or live in one, rent the other. Structurally in good shape--new metal roof 2012-- but building needs refreshing and could easily convert back into a single-family property."

I searched through my old shoebox and found the above black and white photo of this property which was taken fifty-three years ago. Compare it to the recent photo immediately below. The once enclosed front porch was re-opened and the white picket fence was replaced by a galvanized fence. The interior was likely converted from a single family home to the two apartments which currently exist.  The listing Realtor does not mention that this is a legal duplex so my suspicion is that is not. More important, the highest and best use of this property would be as a single family home.

The Monroe County Property Appraiser records show that this house was built circa 1890. I modified the above 1920's aerial map of the area to show the location of 1307 Newton Street. The large area above was the former US Army Barracks which was in use from pre-Civil War and onward. The area to the south (opposite the barracks) was pasture land in the days before houses was built in this area which today is referred to as "The Meadows Area". If you look carefully at the right side of the photo you will see a sandy beach. A local politician "developed" that ground where today there are several condominiums and a couple of commercial businesses.

The Property Appraiser records show the 857 sq ft house sits on a 32' X 83.5" lot (2743 sq ft) lot. Note the existing off street parking space. The interior has been divided into two separate apartments, each with small rooms. The rear unit is entered through a gate at the end of the driveway. There is an existing back yard with a storage shed.  I think a new owner would gut the interior and do a complete renovation. I would open up the enclosed portion of the back porch to expand the porch area to look out to a new pool. In my opinion the lot is large enough to support the addition of a pool. 

It was almost five years ago when I wrote a blog about the house next door at 1309 Newton Street pictured above. That was one of the most viewed blogs I wrote. That house was renovated and is stunning. See the photo below. Imagine how attractive 1307 Newton Street could be if renovated and the trees trimmed.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and listing photos of 1307 Newton Street in Key West offered for sale at $659,000. 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.