1104 Angela Street - Old Town - Key West

1104 Angela Street - Old Town - Key West - Pretty in Pink

One of the great things about living in a small historic town like Key West is the knowledge that more things change in life, the more the houses tend to stay the same in Key West.

The Old Town area of Key West has been designated as a national historic district and houses in the district are supposed to be protected from changes that would significantly alter their street appearance. Now not everything stays perfectly the same. In recent years requests for change need to be approved by the Historic Architectural Review Commission (HARC) that is supposed to follow a set of guidelines that protects buildings from demolition or alterations that would change the character of the building in relation to its neighboring properties. But if we go back a few years and compare old houses that were updated before the HARC regulations went in place we may see a change or two on any given property.

The old house at 1104 Angela Street is a beautiful example of a simple Key West vernacular home that has stayed pretty much the same since it was built in 1933 - or maybe not. The property records for Key West were lost in a major court house fired. During the Great Depression (the one before the one we are currently in) workers in the WPA reconstructed property records for Monroe County. Many of the houses had no actual documents that proved an actual construction date. So somebody decided to give all of those houses the date of 1933 as the date they were built. Let me just say that many of the neighboring houses were built in the late 1800's. Look at the Monroe Property Appraiser's photo below and compare it to the photo above and see if you notice any difference other than the house probably was not painted pink when the black and white photo was taken in 1965.

1104 Angela Street in 1965

The listing Realtor describes 1104 Angela Street this way:

"Picture perfect Key West cottage - picket fence, chicago bricked driveway, heated pool and lovely landscaped outdoor space for al fresco dining and entertaining. This two bedroom and two bath home has an open floor plan with new kitchen opening into a large living/dining room with vaulted ceiling and multiple sets of french doors to the pool area and bricked side yard. There is a spiral staircase to a sleeping loft which is included in the 1324 square feet of living space. Old Town Location is superb - Olivia Street between Frances and Ashe Streets."

This home has just about everything a second home buyer is looking for: a large open living area with vaulted ceiling which has a charming and spacious loft accessed by a spiral staircase tucked into a corner. The loft would make a great kids retreat for a that secret bedroom or fort kids love so much. Two bedrooms plus two baths, a pool, off street parking, a good (and quiet!) location, a great price, and no work to be done. It is ready to move into so you can enjoy Key West's wonderful winter weather far from the freezing black ice in New Jersey (or wherever you live). This 1324 sq ft home which sits on a 43' x 63' (2709 sq ft) lot is price to sell sooner rather than later: $699,000.

CLICK MAP if you still can't place this old house. Then CLICK STREET VIEW for a view of the surrounding homes. Don't forget the scary Key West Cemetery is a block to the west. And the hoopla from Duval Street is several blocks away. Keep things in perspective and you will be content.

I remember when I would visit Key West searching for a place to buy. I would moan and groan at anything further than Margaret Street as being too far from Duval. Now that I actually live here I know for a fact that I hardly ever go to Duval even though my office is only 100' or so away. I go there when I need to but not because that is where people who live in Key West spend their waking hours. Duval Street is a destination or, for me, a point of reference. I mention time and distance to Duval for potential buyers to gauge the distance. That is all. If you are a homeless person or a street a peddler you might live your life on Duval. If you have a nice house in Old Town, you share your life with friends and family in your house or theirs. Duval Street is sometimes a place to meet, but not a place to live.

Neighborhood places near 1104 Angela Street include the Sunbeam Grocery on White Street where you can buy a loaf of bread or a gallon of milk, the Coffee Mill on Pohlankski Lane where you can do Yoga or dance, the Chevron Station on Truman at White where Wes will fix your car, Old Town Fitness at 1010 Truman Avenue where you can turn your fat to fit, and Cafe Sole on Frances Street where you can get fat again.

The Coffee Mill on Pohlanksi Lane is just a block away

Sunbeam Groceries & Deli is a block north on White

Preview

Wes can fix your car at Truman & White Chevron

Cortney can make you lose weight or get buff at Old Town Fitness on Truman

Stop by Cafe Sole a block away on Frances and put the weight back on!

If you would like to see the house at 1104 Angela Street or any other property in Key West, please consider working with me, Gary Thomas, 305.766.2642 or contact me by email at kw1101v@aol.com. I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West, Florida.

1104 Angela Street - Old Town - Key West

1104 Angela Street - Old Town - Key West - Pretty in Pink

One of the great things about living in a small historic town like Key West is the knowledge that more things change in life the more the houses tend to stay the same.

The Old Town area of Key West has been designated as a national historic district and houses in the district are supposed to be protected from changes that would significantly alter their street appearance. Now not everything stays perfectly the same. In recent years requests for change need to be approved by the Historic Architectural Review Commission (HARC) that is supposed to follow a set of guidelines that protects buildings from demolition or alterations that would change the character of the building in relation to its neighboring properties. But if we go back a few years and compare old houses that were updated before the HARC regulations went in place we may see a change or two on any given property.

The old house at 1104 Angela Street which has just been listed for sale, but not by me, is a good example of a simple Key West vernacular home that has stayed pretty much the same since it was built in 1933 - or maybe not. (The property records for Key West were lost in a major court house fired. During the Great Depression (the one before the one we are currently in) workers in the WPA reconstructed property records for Monroe County. Many of the houses had no actual documents that proved an actual construction date. So somebody decided to give all of those houses the date of 1933 as the date they were built. Let me just say that many of the neighboring houses were built in the late 1800's. Maybe this house was actually build in 1933. I doubt it.) Look at the Monroe Property Appraiser's photo below and compare it to the photo above and see if you notice any difference other than the house probably was not painted pink when the black and white photo was taken in 1965.

1104 Angela Street in 1965

The listing Realtor describes 1104 Angela Street this way:

"Picture perfect Key West cottage - picket fence, chicago bricked driveway, heated pool and lovely landscaped outdoor space for al fresco dining and entertaining. This two bedroom and two bath home has an open floor plan with new kitchen opening into a large living/dining room with vaulted ceiling and multiple sets of french doors to the pool area and bricked side yard. There is a spiral staircase to a sleeping loft which is included in the 1324 square feet of living space. Old Town Location is superb - Olivia Street between Frances and Ashe Streets."

This home has just about everything a second home buyer is looking for: two bedrooms plus two baths, a pool, off street parking, a good (and quiet!) location, a great price, and no work to be done. It is ready to move into so you can enjoy Key West's wonderful winter weather far from the freezing black ice in New Jersey (or wherever you live). This 1324 sq ft home which sits on a 43' x 63' (2709 sq ft) lot is price to sell sooner rather than later: $699,000. That is the key to selling Key West these days-smart pricing. CLICK HERE to checkout the mls listing datasheet and the accompanying photos.

CLICK MAP if you still can't place this old house. Then CLICK STREET VIEW for a view of the surrounding homes. Don't forget the scary Key West Cemetery is a block to the west. And the hoopla from Duval Street is several blocks away. Keep things in perspective and you will be content.

I remember when I would visit Key West searching for a place to buy. I would moan and groan at anything further than Margaret Street as being too far from Duval. Now that I actually live here I know for a fact that I hardly ever go to Duval even though my office is only 100' or so away. I go there when I need to but not because that is where people who live in Key West spend their waking hours. Duval Street is a destination or, for me, a point of reference. I mention time and distance to Duval for potential buyers to gauge the distance. That is all. If you are a homeless person or a street a peddler you might live your life on Duval. If you have a nice house in Old Town, you share your life with friends and family in your house or theirs. Duval Street is sometimes a place to meet, but not a place to live.

Neighborhood places near 1104 Angela Street include the Sunbeam Grocery on White Street where you can buy a loaf of bread or a gallon of milk, the Coffee Mill on Pohlankski Lane where you can do Yoga or dance, the Chevron Station on Truman at White where Wes will fix your car, Old Town Fitness at 1010 Truman Avenue where you can turn your fat to fit, and Cafe Sole on Frances Street where you can get fat again.

The Coffee Mill on Pohlanksi Lane is just a block away

Sunbeam Groceries & Deli is a block north on White

Preview

Wes can fix your car at Truman & White Chevron

Cortney can make you lose weight or get buff at Old Town Fitness on Truman

Stop by Cafe Sole a block away on Frances and put the weight back on!

If you would like to see the house at 1104 Angela Street or any other property in Key West, please consider working with me, Gary Thomas, 305.766.2642 or contact me by email at kw1101v@aol.com. I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West, Florida.

Cheap Seats

One of the good things to occur as a result of the downturn in the real estate market in Key West is that single family homes in Old Town are more affordable. I just did a search of homes priced under $600,000. CLICK HERE to view the details on the homes. I used the strict criteria as to boundary lines: Duval East to White and Truman North to the Gulf of Mexico. No Bahama Village, Meadows or quasi-Casa Marina.

There are six homes that made the cut. The least expensive is a 1 bed, 1 bath 594 sq ft home priced at$450,000. The median home is a 3bed, 1 bath with 717 sq ft priced at $539,000. The most expensive is a 3bed, 2 bath with 1,638 sq ft priced at $599,900.

The house at 405 Frances needs lots of work. It is located across the street from a guest house, and it is just off Eaton Street. At $296 per sq ft it may seem a bargain to some. I think the price is still too high given the negatives.

I previously wrote about 730 Passover Lane. It is a cute little cottage just off the Key West Cemetery. It is priced at $1010 per sq ft. There is no pool and no room for a pool. It doesn't have off street parking, but that is not an issue since parking is not a problem given the location. I like the location, but the market does not.

630 Olivia Street is a cute cigar maker's cottage with a good sized backyard that has been updated. It is priced at $838 per sq ft. There is room for a pool. It is two blocks off Duval and the neighborhood is a mix of high and low priced properties. The house is situated on a one way street that is mostly used by locals. There are some absolutely charming homes in the area, but the area has never performed as well as other parts of Old Town as far as sales go.

The house at 5 Hunts Lane is priced at $499,000 or $412 per sq ft. Cheap yes, deal no. House needs lots of work. I love lane life, but this is a walking lane meaning you cannot drive your can down it to unpack groceries, etc. Everything you do in life has to be carted from some other location to the house. So your cost to remodel will be higher than other locations. There is no room for a pool so whatever outside life you want will be diminished.

527 Bahama Street is another problem property. It was tremendously overpriced when I showed it 3 years ago. You are basically buying the right to spend a fortune of renovate a small house on a 744 sq ft lot. Not a lot of space. And the location is worse. The house is basically adjacent to the downtown Faustos' parking lot.

Then there is 1116 Eaton Street. It is the little charmer located across the street from Strunk Ace Hardware. Price reduced to $450,000 or $670 per sq ft. And it is listed below appraised value. Cute 2 bedroom 1 bath Conch house with heated swimming pool. Perfect Key West retreat in Old Town. This little cottage has a rooftop sunning deck to get that perfect tan! The house did flood during Wilma.

At least two of the above properties are in or near foreclosure so there may be some flexibility on pricing. I know you can buy a bigger house in better condition in some other location. But then you would not be buying that house in Key West.

The weather here is absolutely wonderful right now. The days are warm but not horrible. The nights are cool, but not cold. The trees that flower are starting to bloom again. The recent rains have made everything come alive. Yes, you can buy cheap seats elsewhere, but who wants to live elsewhere?

You can perform your own search of all Key West homes by CLICKING HERE to search the Key West mls real estate listings. If you see something that strikes your fancy, please call Gary Thomas at 305-766-2642 to schedule a showing.

The Projects of Key West

 Up north, in America, you probably cringe when you read or hear the word "project" especially when looking to purchase real estate. But in Key West people stop and take pictures and even write blogs about our little projects.  Our projects are often signs of restoration and regeneration of our treasured homes. Some projects are particularly noteworthy. Today's blog is a continuing update on the Projects of Key West.

Below are photos of properties that recently were completed, properties in the midst of renovation, and other projects that have just begun.

In 2010 a bank owned house at 1021 Fleming Street was listed for $321,750.  There were ten cash offers higher than asking price. The house sold for $400,000 after only a few days on the market. Restoration took about two years.  The house is now complete.  Congratulations on an incredible job.  This place is a show stopper!

Several months ago I wrote about the house for sale at 1117 Stump Lane. I said "Budget buyers who are looking for a place they can move right into and do a little bit of fix-up over time or a buyer who wants to do a major renovation ought to take a look at this home." I then added  the property would probably go under contract as soon as you can say "Jumping Jack Flash" because it was priced to sell in a market filled with a lot of buyers desperate for a deal. It sold the first week it was listed. This was renovated from the bottom to the top and from the front to the new pool in the rear.

1010 Washington Street is a circa 1958 vintage house with an elevated garage apartment located in the Casa Marina Area.  The new owner elevated and renovated the apartment, did a total transformation of the main house, and added a pool and new landscaping.

608 William Street was purchased by the owners who also restored the adjacent 730 Southard Street. The William Street cottage was recently completed after a lengthy renovation and expansion. I found a couple of old photos that show the cottage from past decades and have added recent photos that show the construction and final product. Local folk artist Ronny Bailey created a miniature version of the 608 William cottage which is shown immediately below.

I wrote several blogs on 1020 Southard Street when it was listed for sale. The house has one of the very best locations in Old Town.  The house had a modest guest cottage and a good sized pool. And the lot included off street parking for two cars.  The new owners demolished most of the original house except the front facade.  New piers, super structure, framing, and roof have been installed. The re-imagined house is beginning to take shape.

If you look carefully you will see that the entire back end of the house has been removed.

901 Pearl Street is located in the Meadows Area just one block from Bayview Park. This property, a former bank owned CBS house with red clay tile roof, was not deemed a contributing structure under our historic guidelines and could be razed. As I understand it, the owners planned to salvage the house. As construction ensued it became apparent the cost to correct the spalling issue was more expensive than expected. The house was razed and the lot has been cleared.  Let's see what happens next.

525 Grinnell Street keeps plodding along, and along, and along...

Most of this house was thoroughly rebuilt from foundation to roof, from the outside to the inside. After the project was nearly complete a decision was made to remove the cement front porch and to replicate a historically correct wood porch.

Speaking of plodding along, I posted photos of 410 Simonton Street in my May 13, 2013 blog which discussed new projects in Key West.  The house had been carved up into nine apartments. The second floor garret offered so many possibilities with its multiple dormers and the ever-so romantic Juliet Balcony. An addition at the rear housed two or three hovels. One apartment was so dreadful I would not go inside when showing it to potential buyers.The new owner has begun a significant restoration of the property. I snapped a couple of photos in April 2013. A year later the exterior staircase on the south side has been removed and workers are preparing to replace or repair piers and the superstructure before they undertake the interiors.  This is one of the most beautiful old homes in Key West. I am so eager to see the finished home.

 I found the below night time photo that someone posted online. Notice the stacked pieces of lumber in front of the old house.

Below photos taken May 1, 2014.

Before Key West got so fancy, many houses were pretty plain.  The simple house at 610 Olivia Street was updated over the years and was most recently used as a "duplex" of sorts. Two doors on the front porch separated what were two living spaces. A new owner has undertaken a significant renovation of the property which is being incorporated into the substantially larger estate next door to the east.

625 Margaret Street is quite a remarkable project indeed. The original house is shown in the black and white photo below. The house sat on a huge lot located very near the Key West cemetery.  HARC allowed the inexplicable to happen - the house was razed so that a new house could be built in place. The frame of a front window and the fireplace were the only parts of the original house that remained. Progress photos show the rebuilt frame, sheathing, and roof. A guest house and pool were added at the rear. Landscaping was being added last week as I snapped a couple of photos of the completed home.  

 

He must be doing something work related on his phone.

617 Grinnell Street There's not much left of 617 Grinnell Street. The last remains of the steps to nowhere were removed earlier this week. The black and white photo shows Grinnell Street as it looked in 1965. Some additions were made but the place really had no character. That is why the city allowed the owner to take down the original house and to built a new one in the same location. Stay tuned to see what rises from the pile of rubble.

620 Ashe Street is getting a new lease on life starting with a new foundation. The house has been elevated so that new piers and superstructure can be built. The house will be lowered onto the piers and then the house will get all  new interiors, windows, and probably the whole nine works.

1015 Simonton Street has been a trailer park ever since I came to Key West on my first visit in 1984. Even Bert,  a returning visitor to Key West, was perplexed when he arrived in Key West this year. The former Key West Trailer Court had been razed to make way for 21 new town homes that are to be added to the site later in 2014. The trailers, the trees, the fences, the screaming woman on the street that lived in one of the trailers - they are all gone. Many a day I would drive by this site and see several patrol cars with blue lights flashing as they prepared to take one trailer park residents off to the pokey.

1015 Simonton Street

Eliza Street near mid town home in the beginning stages of renovation.

904 Flagler Avenue is a new renovation of a 1950s concrete block house located in the Casa Marina Area just two blocks away from the beach.

Below is what once was 1119 Johnson Street, Casa Marina Area of Key West. The public record shows the new owner paid $1,300,000 for the house which was razed to make way for a new even more expensive contemporary residence.

The 1950s era CBS home at 1123 Von Phister Street (Casa Marina Area) has been razed as well. A new home will be built on this site.

1424 Grinnell Street in the Casa Marina Area is a different story. The owner has taken the 1963 CBS home to a totally different century in the stunning renovation that is nearing completion. Once the privacy fence is finished, the pool and rear garden will be completed. More on this classy addition to the Casa Marina scene in an upcoming blog.

7-20-2013

9-28-2013

3810 Flagler Avenue is located near the very far end of Key West. The house that sat on the site was a massive 3207 sq ft single story home with an incredible presence and view of the Riviera Canal to the rear. This property is getting a deserved face lift. The overbearing greenery has been removed to reveal what may be a new Key West landmark on the far end of our island home.

I will soon be writing a supplemental blog about many of the public works projects going on in Key West. This little island is getting a mighty big makeover. I'm not sure I like all that is happening, but there isn't much I can do to stop it.

If you are looking to purchase an existing home or maybe buy an old house and turn it into something really great CLICK HERE to SEARCH the KEY WEST MLS. Then please contact me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 or send me an email at kw1101v@aol.com.  I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.