11 Birchwood Drive, Key West - Just Listed!

Just Listed, 11 Birchwood Drive, Key West, Florida. This is a brand new and never been lived in home located in Key West's official bedroom community located on Stock Island Key at Mile Marker 6.  This community evolved as an alternative to Old Town which became very expensive for young locals to afford. And most of the lots here are located on canals which have relatively quick access to open waters. This is a single family area where there are not condos or multiple family situations. And other than the gas station up on US 1, there is no commercial activity here. I dug down into my old shoebox and found a photo taken in 1987 that actually shows the site where 11 Birchwood Drive would be built 29 years later - 2016. The lot had never been built upon until now. CLICK HERE to to see a Google aerial view of the lot and the area as a whole. You will see that this house is located across the street from a "pond" which has canal access to the ocean. I will discuss more later.

As I drove through the neighborhood I appreciated the evolution of this area. Some of the original one story ranch style houses still look pretty much like they did in the 60s and 70s. The architecture changed in the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Several of those homes are two story and are of concrete block construction. More recent houses located on premium waterfront lots are mini-mansions.

The listing Realtor describes 11 Birchwood Drive this way:

"Brand new and ready for you! This spacious home is a custom modular with many upgrades including 9ft. ceilings on both floors,double 3/4 plywood sub-floors, crown moldings, built to 180 mph. wind loads, impact windows & doors, built 2 ft. above required grade, all of which result in a very low cost of living. This home has an open floor plan with a bright kitchen that features solid wood cabinets, granite counter tops and stainless appliances. A breakfast room could become an office or study. Lots of storage on both floors. The downstairs has a deck overlooking the lush backyard. Upstairs is a huge master en suite with a large garden tub and separate shower plus a walk-in closet. There are two more bedrooms and a full bath upstairs plus a laundry area with W/D hookups. The bright and sunny yard is sodded and landscaped with mature trees and plants. This home is across the street from a lagoon which is used for boating access. This beautiful home is easy to see!"

The modern open living area concept is clearly evident in this home. The space surely seems larger with the nine foot ceiling. The kitchen is a real family kitchen with room to make more than nuked fast foods. I suspect the view from dinging area at the front of the house will create some anxious moments as it has a great view of the the lagoon across the street. There is a deck off the living room at the rear. The one thing the builder missed was installing a stairway to the back yard.

The master bedroom is immense. It has a large en-suite bath with tub and separate shower. There are two more large bedrooms which share a second bath.

The house has 1920 sq ft of interior living space. The exterior is easy to maintain Hardiboard siding which is pest resistant. The impact windows and doors meet Florida's newest and toughest building code requirements which means your fire & liability and windstorm insurance costs will greatly reduced as compared to what you might expect in an older home. But I suspect a new owner will be contemplating building a small dock on the pond across the street where the family boat will be parked.  CLICK HERE to view more photos I took of the exterior and the lagoon.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet with lots of excellent photos of this home including some drone photos. I need to buy one of those drones. These pics are too cool. After you've looked at the photos, please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to schedule a private showing of this home. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

1120 Catherine Street, Key West - a Potential Renovtion Project

1120 Catherine Street is located in the Old Town area South of Truman in Key West. I checked the Historic Sanborn Fire Maps and learned that this property first appeared on the 1912 map. The Monroe County Property records show the house as having been built in 1948. I feel pretty confident this house is much older. The house on the Sanborn map looks identical in size and location as the existing house. I then looked in my old shoe box and found a photo ( black and white below) taken a little over half a century ago. Note the faux stone exterior. This was probably added to what I assume was a wood frame house.  I represented a buyer of a nearby home which had the same faux stone applied over original wood siding. My buyer learned that his faux facade was applied in the 1950s. I mention this because a new owner might want to remove the faux stone from this house in a future renovation. I think this home could make a wonderful renovation project which I will discuss below.

The listing Realtor, Andrea Weitz and Century 21 Schwartz Realty, describes 1120 Catherine Street this way:

"This 4 bedroom 2 bath house of Indian Block construction w./ high ceilings is located on a large 6,158 Old Town lot adjacent to White St. This property is in X zone which does not require flood insurance. Listed at appraised value."

I am going to add some interior photos just so you can see the ceiling height. I am confident a new owner will do a substantial interior renovation at the least. While the house is fairly large, I believe it could be expanded to provide larger bedrooms, more baths, and a more modern interior room layout for the way we live our lives today. The interiors are in good condition that do not require renovation. The large lot size provides opportunity to expand if a new owner wants to go that route. If I am correct that the faux stone was added over original wood siding, a new owner could seek permission to restore wood siding as a part of a renovation project. The faux stone looks great. New wood would change the look and provide a look that is in keeping with other homes in the area.There is plenty of room for a pool. There already is ample off street parking located on the right side of the house.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet and more quality listing photos. 1120 Catherine Street is offered at $720,000 or $487 per sq ft. The 6158 sq ft lot adds a huge amount of value a casual looker may overlook. A new owner has so many possibilities with this property. Please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to schedule a private viewing. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

1117 Stump Lane, Key West - Stunning Renovation

In November 2012 I wrote about the then new listing of a decades long Conch family home that was a great renovation project. It was purchased within days of being listed and a couple of months later the new owner began an amazing renovation that today is offered for sale again. But to appreciate the current beauty, I want my readers to see what stood before.

The interiors were those of a normal local family who had lived in this home for years and years. The back yard was concrete painted green which a lot of Conchs favored over yards which require constant maintenance. This was a place ripe for renovation.

The original living room with the over-stuffed rocker has been transformed into one of three bedrooms. The old concrete pad was removed and became a cool pool and deck area with lots of sunshine. And all the rooms in between have been reborn inside the old frame house. Everything from foundation to rooftop have been replaced and reformed into a beautiful home. Let's take a look at a few of the photos that showcase this home.

The old house became new not only by replacing linoleum floors with new solid wood floors and replacing acoustic tile ceilings with vaulted ceilings and recessed light fixtures, but also by re-configuring old single purpose rooms into modern living spaces. Sure that happens a lot in most renovations, but not all look this stunning!

The listing Realtor describes 1117 Stump Lane like this:
"An outstanding transformation of an Historic Conch Home located on one of the most secluded lanes in Old Town. Just two blocks from the Historic Seaport and 4 blocks from the famed Duval Street. On the main level there is a master bedroom with a bath, open living/dining area with gourmet kitchen, half bath and laundry closet. French doors open to reveal an 22 ft. pool with a great water feature and decking all around. Upstairs are two very bright bedrooms and baths. Brazilian wood floors throughout and accented Dade County pine walls. Spend lazy days on the covered front porch. Offered turn key down to the dishes. This property has been a very successful vacation rental."  In fact it has been so successful that she has not been able to show it because it has been vacation renter occupied. But potential buyers will finally be able to see inside come June 1st.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet and listing photos. 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. This is a great little lane with adorable houses and nice people. It is worth looking at - with me!

815 Pearl Street #2, Key West - Affordale Living in the Meadows Area

The listing Realtor describes this charming 536 sq ft condo with a pool located at 815 Pearl Street in Key West this way:

"Exceptional home with a pool nestled in a quaint Old Town neighborhood. Recently renovated the full kitchen, living room, bedroom and bathroom are appointed with updated design and functionality including your own washer and dryer. A great combination of walkable location and carefree living this condominium in a peaceful part of town has everything you could want including a stable condominium association that recently tented and painted the entire exterior of the property. Low association fee of $211.00 per month includes insurances! With a mortgage and 10% down your payments are only around $2500.00 a month! The outdoor patio increases your living space with room for a BBQ grill, dining table and lounge chairs. And you will certainly want to take a dip in the in-ground pool right outside your back door. Walk or bike to your favorite Old Town establishments and return home to the sanctuary of your Key West home, with all the conveniences you need."

This compact home was on our Realtor Caravan last week. There were a lot of ooh's and aah's as Realtors walked thru this adorable home. I was skeptical at first because I had seen another unit years ago when it was offered as a bank foreclosure. That place had been ignored. But this place has been
"adored". Let's look at the inside.

The living area is compact. No doubt about that. But it has all the essentials packed into a very attractive space. The place is offered fully furnished. There is nothing for a new home owner to do except, maybe, replace the dinosaur television sets.

The bedroom is a delight. It's large enough to accommodate a king size bed and still move about the room. The bathroom is clean as a whistle. The tiled shower is pristine. But it is the door in the bedroom that will pique your interest in this place. It opens out to the pool at the rear which is shared by just the two ground level units. They share the cost of maintenance which is not included in the very affordable condo fees of $211 per month which includes all insurances.

815 Pearl Street is located two blocks north of Bayview Park, Key West's main city park. This is where the city hosts several civic events each year. There are tennis courts, a baseball field, lots of trees including several spectacular Royal Poincianas which are about to bloom. The hustle and bustle of Duval is a ten to twelve minute walk or a short bike ride.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet and many more great photos of this unit. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to set up a private showing. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.