812 Jonhson Lane - Open House Today

Open House Today at 826 Johnson Lane

 Key West, Florida

Please stop by to see this totally renovated Key West Cottage with separate Guest Cottage, Pool, and Off Street Parking that is offered at just $795,000.

Johnson Lane is located between midway Truman Avenue and Olivia Street. 

1711 Atlantic Blvd. Key West - New Lower Price - New Higher Height

1711 Atlantic Boulevard in Key West was originally offered at $680,000 just before Christmas in 2013. The price was reduced to $630,000 in April 2014. The asking price on this mid-century modern home was just reduced to $590,000. 

The listing Realtor, not me, describes 1711 Atlantic Boulevard this way:

"40,000 PRICE REDUCTION! Motivated seller! This solidly built concrete home is unique on Atlantic Blvd. as it was built on top of 5 feet of fill making this the most elevated lot on Atlantic Drive. A nature preserve is the only thing separating this home from the Atlantic Ocean and ensures privacy from the front.This home is large and currently has 3 bedrooms, 2 baths and was built in the mid-century modern style of architecture. The home is surrounded by a concrete wall with iron access gates at the front. There is a two car garage and as an added bonus, there is a very large shed/workshop in the rear yard that could be converted into a guest bedroom or artist studio. Even with the shed, there is room for a nice sized pool."

The house sits on a large lot  8050 square feet (70' X 111') across from the City of Key West Nature Preserve which is located between the Key West Beach Club Condominiums to the west and 1800 Atlantic Condominiums to the east. Nothing will ever be built on the nature preserve - no houses, no condos, no nothing.

It is all the land, all 8050 square feet of it, that makes this property so intriguing either as a renovation project or as a tear-down and build new site. While most of the houses in the Old Town and Meadows Area  cannot be torn down to create a new building, there is no such prohibition in this area of the city.  Key West voters passed a referendum that now allows property owners to build houses up to forty feet height limit which would give a new house on this location an unparallelled view of the ocean. I was not in favor of the law, but now that it is the law, developers are sure to exploit lots like this so build dazzling homes with water views. And with the nature conservancy located across the street, there is never going to be something built to interfere with the water view.   CLICK HERE to view more photos I took of the house and grounds. The entire house is a total redo in my opinion. The photos will help you see what you have to work with. The house is very solid. Don't let the dated interiors deter you from taking a look.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet on this property. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule a showing of this property.  I am a full time Realtor and a buyers agent at Preferred Properties Key West.

Click GOOGLE MAP for a view of this home.

Key West is the Opposite of Ohio

While speaking at the Key West Literary Seminar poet Mark Doty said that although “he was never actually here,” Hart Crane “loved Key West.” Crane loved Key West because by all reports it was the opposite of Ohio.*

Hart Crane

A while back I watched HGTV's Urban Oasis giveaway of a sleek high rise condo at Miami's Paramount Bay.  I mused about winning the $900,000 condo and then thought to myself "Self, if you win, you will have to pay income tax on that thing. Do you really want to own a condo in Miami where people get shot and killed daily for no reason? Do you want to live in a place where most people don't speak English and have a culture that is alien to you? Do you really want to live up in the sky?" I must confess that I filled out the online registration. I figured if I won I could sell the condo and make a few bucks because I really, truly, would never want to live in Miami just as much as I would not want to live in Ohio.  

If you live in Ohio, please don't be offended. I'm sure that a lot of nice people live there. I sold houses to two different Ohio couples in the past.  They area really nice people who really didn't like living in Ohio in the winter when it was so cold and miserable. And they didn't like Ohio much more in the summer when it is so muggy. No, they dreamed of owning a little house in Key West where they could live a much more comfortable climate and a lead a less harried pace of life. One young couple bought a house I wrote about in my blog. I saw the mom and the two girls in their stroller one Sunday morning as I was taking photos for my blog. I asked how things were going, and she responded "I'll never leave Key West!" The other couple is older and don't have children. They bought a house a quintessential Key West cottage. I saw them driving their Key West convertible with the top down.  They were in the turn lane at White and Truman. I asked how they were doing and they said something like "loving life".  

Another couple from the northeast decided to buy a big lot in the Casa Marina area where they  built their dream home from scratch.  They hired a noted Key West architect, an accomplished landscape architect, and a very competent builder to turn their vision into reality.  The photos above show the view from their master bedroom and the new pool and gardens.  The pool view is a dramatic alternative to the view from the high rise Miami condo. Which place do you think Hart Crane would have preferred?

If you are thinking about buying a place in Key West, please contact me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.  Let me help you find your place in Paradise.

*CLICK HERE to read this most interesting account about Hart Crane written by Key West's Mark Howell in ABOUT THE BEATS.

812 Johnson Lane - Old Town - Key West

It's time to talk turkey about 812 Johnson Lane in Key West. This Old Town cottage style home was completely renovated earlier this year. Just about every part of the inside was replaced or updated including all a new kitchen with stainless steel appliances, granite counter tops; new floors throughout; new bathroom with travertine marble shower and floor; new whole house air conditioner; and crow molding. A bath and laundry room were added to the guest cottage at the rear which also includes an outdoor shower. Finally, the front of the property now offers bricked off street parking for two cars.

There is a heated kidney shaped pool and sunny deck that separates the main cottage from the guest cottage. A gate on the side allows guests to come and go without having to walk through the house.

 

 CLICK HERE to view more photos of this cute three bedroom, two bath property that is located in the X Zone for flood insurance purposes. That means your lender will not require you to purchase flood insurance. The house is located three blocks east of Duval Street and just one half block north of Truman Avenue. You can get to just about any place in Old Town within a matter a few minutes. This home might make a great little vacation rental as it has the bedrooms, bathrooms, pool, and parking a lot of vacation renters require.

Please CLICK HERE to see the Key West mls datasheet on this property that is offered for sale at $795,000. I am the listing agent on this property. Call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule a showing.

416 Margaret Street, Key West - An Old Town Beauty

The house at 416 Margaret Street really is one of the prettiest homes in Old Town. The listing Realtor, not me, describes this Key West home this way:

"Two blocks from the Historic Seaport and 4 blocks from Duval, this classic home embodies the charm of Old Key West. With original Dade County Pine throughout, the first floor features 2 bedrooms and 2 full baths, living and dining area, and kitchen with granite countertops and top of the line appliances. The lovely covered lanai is the perfect spot to relax poolside. The upstairs studio has a kitchenette, full bath and private entrance -- perfect for visitors. Enjoy cool evening breezes and people watching from the vantage point of the extra wide front porch. Awarded the ceramic star in 2009, this beautifully renovated and maintained home is truly a prize and even has off-street parking and is elevated ABOVE base flood level."

I remember this home before it was renovated. A woman doctor from New Jersey came to Key West at least twice to look at this particular home. Back then the house was a genuine "fixer" that so many potential buyers think they want to buy. She wanted to buy it but found a dozen reasons not to buy it because of all the work she thought it needed. The house was purchased and thoroughly renovated. The renovation was so good, in fact, the the gents that did the renovation were awarded a ceramic star acknowledging the finished home. 

I looked in the old shoebox and found a fifty year old black and white photo of the house plus a picture of a prior owner, Mr. John Lopez.  If you look at the black and white photo you will see a car and a house located behind 416 Margaret Street. That car got to that house by driving down Lopez Lane which still exists today. (The historic Sanborn Fire Maps show 416 Margaret as existing as early as 1889. The 1912 map shows Lopez Lane as then being called Lippitt Ct.) The exterior staircase to the second floor has changed somewhat since the black and white photo was taken. The boxed in landing is now open and a white picket fence with trellis now provides a bit of privacy from passers-by on the sidewalk. You will also note that the house is elevated high above street level. When you sit on the front porch today, you have the perfect perch to people watch.

The house is laid out with both downstairs bedrooms located at the front of the property.  The living room, dining area, and kitchen are located at the back side of the house. This is typical Key West living for the modern age where public spaces are located at the rear of the house where many homes open out to rear porches or decks and pools.

A beautiful covered lanai is located just past the double French doors at the rear of the house. Another door in the kitchen also opens out to the lanai where there is plenty of room for socializing next to the pool and rear garden. There is a sunning area just off the covered portion of the lanai. A rear entrance from the off street parking spot passes by the outdoor shower. A separate door off the dining room provides access to the stairway to the second floor third bedroom efficiency and also alternative exit to the parking space.

The third bedroom is located on the second floor of this home. The only access is via an outdoor straircase. This space was originally a separate apartment. Today the city recognizes that space as being a part of the main residence. Hence, it is not supposed to be rented.  I was informed the prior owner used this space as the master bedroom. The bedroom is like a garret with precious window views of nearby homes set amid the angled room. The space is quite large and very beautiful. 

This1609 sq ft home sits on a 3300 sq ft lot mid-distance between Eaton Street to the north and Fleming Street to the south. The immediate area is a blend of high priced single family homes, guest houses, and some small commercial businesses. The historic seaport if two blocks to the north and Duval Street a five minute walk to the west. This home would make a great vacation rental for a buyer who wants some income to help pay a portion of the purchase price. CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet and to view more photos of this thoroughly renovated home that is offered for sale at $1,275,000. Please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule a showing. Don't make the same mistake the woman doctor from New Jersey made several years ago. Buy this house before someone else does. This is a one-of-a-kind home.

622 United Street - Old Town - Key West

Just Listed, but not by me, 622 United Street in Key West.This house dates back to World War II when it was used as an Army barracks and then located at Fort Zachary Taylor in Key West. At the end of the war the Army sold off these barracks at $100 each. Each buyer had to relocate the barracks to a different location. The photo below shows the approximate location where Army barracks similar to the one that was relocated to 622 United Street once sat. The wide open street on the right side of the photo below is United Street. Moving the house would have been pretty easy back then because there were fewer trees and no historic body that regulated who could build what. I am not saying it was better. It was different. And it worked.

The black and white two photo above was taken nearly fifty years ago. The color photo was taken in November 2014. The exterior of the house looks pretty much the same today as it did then. A small shed addition was added to the right (west) side of the house which is where the laundry room is photo located. A larger shed addition was added to the left (east) side of  the house which was previously a semi-enclosed porch with numerous louvered windows which had views of the rear, east side, and front yards. If you do a quick comparison you will see that the trees have certainly grown and wall unit air conditioner was added. The original asbestos siding is still intact.

I recently showed this property to a prospective buyer. It looks to me as though the original interior walls were removed and new studs installed to create a new layout. Some insulation has been placed between stud walls. I'm not sure about the direction the current owner has taken on renovation.  I'm not saying it is wrong, but instead suggesting a new owner might go another direction.  I don't think scrapping the existing layout or "improvements" would be wasteful because so much finish work needs to be done. It makes more sense to get the layout and finishes done which would result in a superior property. A new owner might completely redo this simple 904 sq ft house.  If I owned this house I would remove the asbestos siding and replace with traditional clapboard siding.  I would take out the old "picture window" and all other windows and replace with new wood windows. If I could afford impact windows, I'd do that in a New York minute. That would save on windstorm insurance year after year and it would eliminate the need for ugly metal panels.  The roof is looking a bit worn. It should probably be replaced as well.  This house is located on United Street which is the second highest elevation in town. The original piers looked to me to be in very good condition. A home inspector would need to verify my assumption. But if I am correct, the piers do not need to be redone and that would result in costs savings to a new owner seeking a project property.

The current owner started to enclose the east side porch shown below. I would remove all drywall and rethink how I could use this space. The drywall that was installed blocked the only access from the house to the back yard. That should be undone pronto because you have to have easy access to your outdoor space. There is not enough room for a pool, but there is room for a spa and patio. The room is not large enough to be used as a bedroom, but it might be large enough to be used as a kitchen if some of  window area was enclosed to provide upper cabinets. There would not be any space for dining, however. That's why the used needs to be thought out before building continues.

This property is located on a well traveled street during the daytime. Traffic on this street really diminishes after 6:00 PM. The house is located next to a motel and across the street from single family homes to the east and low impact offices to the west. South Beach is located one block to the south and west. Duval Street is two blocks west. I view 622 United Street as being an excellent location for a vacation rental which is what I think this property ought to become.

622 United Street sits on a quite irregularly shaped lot of 3103 sq ft.  While the front and side lot lines are easily understood, the back property line is a hodgepodge. The asking price on this fixer is $390,000. CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet. Please contact me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to show you this Key West house. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. This house has a great location and a lot of upside for the right buyer.