1307 Elizabeth Street, Key West Florida - Just Listed

The listing Realtor describes 1307 Elizabeth Street this way:

"Once in a lifetime, does a historic Conch Home, in old town Key West, on a very quiet lane, with all the luxuries of a new build come on the market. Now is that time. This amazing, cute, and fully functional home is located just steps away from Dog Beach, world-famous restaurants, Downtown Key West and all that Key West has to offer. Perfectly located on a very quiet one-way lane. Just recently updated, it's just like moving into a new home but this home has an amazing past. Original hardwood floors, brand new kitchen, updated bathroom, and new paint, are just a few of the upgrades this Historic home has to offer. Are you ready to kick back and live the Key West Dream? Well then this is your home. Call today for your private showing and see it for yourself."

The freshly renovated house hit the Key West MLS on Friday just in time for the 4rh of July rush. I got to see it on Sunday afternoon while playing tourist in my hometown stay-cation.  A young couple was leaving the driveway just as I entered. They said hello and said "You'll like it!" 

People who saw the house  a year ago or so will be impressed to see the once over-grown lot has been cleared and cleaned. What appeared an ominous task wasn't as big a deal as feared. The grounds are now vacant and ready for a new owners' gardening fantasy to take root.

There is a brand new kitchen, new bathroom, and floors throughout. Clerestory windows in the family room fill this room with light. Glass panel doors at the rear open out to the backyard which is large enough for a small pool. The shed a the rear is plumbed for washer and dryer. The interior and exterior are freshly painted as is the privacy fence which surrounds the yard.

The "front porch" is actually a private outdoor sitting area off the bedroom. Entry to the house is on the side as shown in the earlier photo set. Now that the entry is located at the middle of the house, the front room is a much larger bedroom with adjacent bath. There are windows on three sides of the bedroom giving it a cheerful ambience. A large textured window gives the bathroom diffused sunlight in the daytime. You cannot see out nor in. I peeked to no avail.

If you'd prefer sitting on a beach rather than putting in a pool, South Beach and Higg's Beach are both within easy walking distance. This home would make a great little monthly vacation rental. It is close to all the attractions but far enough away not to be a part of the hoopla.

1307 Elizabeth Street is still a part of Old Town. This block runs only one block long from United Street at the north to South Street, naturally, at the south. Simon Street is the neighbor to the west and Villa Mill Alley is the street to the east. By the way the adjacent to the rear (1316 Villa Mill Alley) sold in February 2020 for $3, 245,575. There goes the neighborhood!

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and more listing photos of 1307 Elizabeth Street, Key West. 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. More people arrived just as I departed yesterday. This house will sell quickly now that the guesswork is gone.

421 William Street, Key West - Prime Property

I played "buyer" today and checked out the listing at 421 William Street in the Old Town area of Key West. Before we go inside, let's look at the way the house appeared in 1965 and compare basically the same view as it looks today.

A couple things are obvious: wrap around balconies were added on the first and second floor levels; a staircase was added to access the third floor space for one's brother-in-law; the concrete fence was removed and replaced by white picket fence and a gated off street parking space. Louvered windows and doors were replaced by wind resistant impact glass as well as decorative shutters. When you examine the house up close you will be impressed by the high quality paint job and attention to detail. That attention to detail carries out throughout the entire house - outside and inside.

I was awed by this house as soon as I crossed the threshold. You will be too. Depending on the Realtor you talk to, this style of house may be called a Conch House, a Grand Conch, a Temple Revival, and as the listing agent correctly calls it a Grand Dame. All are correct. I have been inside many house like this. This is one of the best examples of this style of architecture. It is in perfect condition. I suspect the front room may have been a parlor but I doubt the opening was as grand as it is now nor that there was an opening into the adjacent dining room. Many of the larger homes had crown molding, large baseboards and fancy trim. These design elements are superior to most I have seen. The dining room and front room each have incredible chandeliers. I am not  sure they are original to the house, but that does not matter. All of the floors on both levels have been replaced with Brazilian cherry wood flooring.

The new flooring is evident as we move to the rear of the house where the great room (kitchen, informal dining, and family living area) are located. A two story addition was added to the rear of the original house. All of the design elements in the original front were added in the rear. The continuity of design and high quality materials is consistent. Look closely: did you spot the hidden refrigerator and freezer and island style dining space? French doors open to the side and rear where the pool is located. Notice the balcony off the second floor rear master suite.

I am not tall. But a lot of my male buyers are. Most of them cannot fit into a Cigar Maker Cottage. Those houses have small ceilings and small rooms. This house has tall ceilings on both levels. The ceiling in the master suite has to be 20 feet or taller. It soars. There is a huge master bath with tub, shower, sink, and other necessities. It is however the the French doors that appealed to me. The doors were shut when I viewed. It is in the 90s today. The AC was working fine. The room was cool. I looked to the east and snapped an iphone pic looking to the far right window. Forever views like below. Views are terribly important to me. They should be to you.

There are two guest bedrooms on the second level. Both have private baths and new closets. Closets are new to old houses like these. I guess people from two centuries prior did not have need for as many changes of clothing as we do. Although real Conchs and people who have lived here for a quarter century like me find that a couple of pairs of shorts and tee shirts are sufficient. If you can afford this house, you will probably have a tux or an evening gown and high heels (sex not dependent on either). There are adequate closets in both bedrooms. I checked.

The second floor front bedroom has two sets of petite French doors which open out to the front porch. The doors are original. The glass was re-glazed. Rubber insulation was placed around the frame to keep the cool in and the weather out. That is attention to detail you might not notice. I did. AC was added throughout the house. All of the Dade County Pine walls and ceilings were sanded, filled, and re-sealed. These walls were originally used in our old homes because the high resin helped deter damage from out flying termites. Today we rely on periodic est control The beauty of these walls is forever. 

The wrap-around porches are such an improvement to this already impressive house. There is a door at the second floor rear that provides quick access to the second floor guest apartment. If I owned the house, I would rent it. Probably for $1,800 per month. Easy.That would pay part of your taxes and or insurance. Ot it's a place to keep your teenage boy or brother in law. Both are better kept apart.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and listing photos  of 421 William Street offered for sale at $2,800,000. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2542, to schedule a private showing of this home with a PRIME LOCATION NEAR EVERYTHING. There are lots photos. Let me fill in the details and take you on a tour of the house and the area. You will fall in love with both. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

True Tales of Key West Real Estate in the Time of Covid 19 - Part Six

This really happened.

A Realtor friend of mine had a broker's open to showcase her new listing of a very expensive home in Key West. There are few homes that aren't, but this one was really expensive! The event was catered. Lots of agents showed up for free wine and tidbits. And to see the house.

I had seen the house severs years earlier, long before the current owner did the renovation. I was impressed by all the work and money spent on updating the home. It had all the bells and whistles one would expect for a two million dollars plus home...

...except the snazzy new kitchen was useless. It was a show stopper as far as style. It had expensive stainless steel appliances and high end cabinets, but the minimalist cabinets and limited counter tops made it totally dysfunctional. Prior to the brokers open, my Realtor friend hid all the appliances and things one would use in the oven so as to hide how dysfunctional the space really was.

Not the actual kitchen, but you get the point!

Florida law does not require Realtors to disclose that a murder occurred on a property or that a kitchen is useless. Nobody died in that house and nobody cooks there either.

Happy Fourth of July!

1100 Flagler Avenue, Key West - Stunning Mid-Century Residence

1100 Flagler Avenue is a stunning example of true Mid-Century Modern Architecture and is one of Key West's most beautiful residences. The main house and guest house feature walls of glass overlooking the tropically landscaped gardens. The house was originally built in 1958 and has been remodeled and tweaked a bit by various homeowners over the decades including author Judy Blume when the home was featured in Architectural Digest in 2016. I dug into my old shoebox and found photos of the house way back when.

I actually live one block north of this incredible property. I drive by it a dozen times a week. I took the photo immediately below in 2016 which shows a banyan tree anchoring the corner lot. The two following photos show the location after Hurricane Irma toppled the giant banyan. The house was not damaged. The last photo from 2018 shows that owner's addition of a brick fence that curves the corner. 

The expanded house is now 3,522 square feet of living space situated on a massive 15,336 square foot lot located just four blocks from the Atlantic Ocean and Higg's Beach. Louie's Backyard (that is not a neighbor but a posh restaurant and Doggie Beach are located just a couple of blocks to the west. 

Blume and her husband hired Key West architect Tom Pope who added walls of windows opening to the gardens where now the inside and outside are one. Raymond Jungles did the landscaping. The current owner is the second to own since the Blume and her husband sold. Let's take a quick look.

The house had five bedrooms and five baths. The outdoor shower is a work of art. Notice the showed extending out from the wall. I use my outdoor shower almost every day of the year - even the few days that get chilly and even in the rain. I just turn the water temperature up a bit higher. Looking up at the sky and seeing palm trees swaying is just awesome. Try it. You'll love it.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and listing photos of 1100 Flagler Avenue, Key West offered for sale at $4,300,000. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to schedule a private tour of this very private treasure. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. I have lived in the Casa Marina neighborhood for 25 years. You will love it.