610 Olivia Street - Old Town - Key West

Just re-listed, but not by me, 610 Olivia Street in Old Town Key West. This property has been on the market on and off for a couple of years and it was recently offered at a higher asking price. The property was re-listed today at $475,000 or $380 per sq ft. The listing agent describes the property this way:

"Charming single family home located just one block from Historic Old Town Key West. Wander to museums, shopping, restaurants, clubs and, of course, to the Atlantic ocean. Amenities include off street parking a large yard, central AC throughout and a spacious one bedroom mother-in-law suite to handle all those friends and family who will want to visit."

The two houses at 612 and 616 Olivia Street were purchased by one buyer a couple of years ago for $4,850,000. That purchaser then did a mini-renovation to create an incredibly beautiful Key West mini-estate. The properties directly across the street from 610 Olivia are part of the Paradise Inn. I refer to the view across the street as being similar to Wisteria Lane on Desperate Housewives because the view is just perfect. Key West Chemical Company owns the buildings behind and west of 610 Olivia Street (Guilda's Flowers). Some may view the location negatively and others may view it positively.

I think this house at this location could work well for a buyer looking to purchase a second home in Key West that could be rented occasionally as a monthly vacation rental. There is room at the rear to add a good sized pool and add some needed landscaping. There is a large side yard that already provides ample off street parking.

The cute house at 610 Olivia Street is 875 sq ft and sits on a 3385 sq.ft. lot (91' x 37'). As presently configured, the property has two bedrooms and two baths with one bedroom and one bath on each side of this house which has two front doors. The listing agent refers to the additional living area as "mother-in-law suite".CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet and listing info.

Notable nearby restaurants include Seven Fish, Pisces, 915 (Duval), and Martin's. St. Mary's Catholic Church is a two block walk away. You can reach most of Old Town on foot within ten minutes from this location. Until you build your pool you can use the public beach at South Beach or walk over to Ft. Zach.

Ft. Zachary Taylor State Beach

If you are looking to purchase a second home in Key West, please contact me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 or e-mail me at kw1101v@aol.com to help you find the home of your dreams. I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West.

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Key West Beach Club Condominium

Key West Beach Club Condominiums

For the uninitiated the Key West Beach Club Condominiums are unlike any other condo development in Key West. Every single unit is located right at the beach front. No more special views for just the very rich. If you had legs long enough, you could dangle them over the edge of the balcony and wiggle your toes in the sand. The coral reefs protect the Florida Keys from roaring waves. So instead of hearing ocean waves crash ashore, you will hear the gentle lapping of the tides. Wouldn't that be a nice sound to put you to sleep each night and to awaken to every morning?

Sunrise at Key West Beach Club Condos

Unit #108 is located on the first level of the eastern building at Key West Beach Club. The listing agent shows that this unit has 1500 sq ft of living space including three bedrooms, two baths, living room, kitchen and dining area. The living room and master bedroom each have dead-on killer views of the Atlantic. The master bedroom with en-suite bath is extra large and extra nice. A former resident told me the view from the kitchen sink looking through the living space toward the ocean is 'spectacular'. And you get to see that view every day. Don't forget this unit has a valuable Transient Rental License which permits daily rentals without restriction by the city.


This is how the listing Realtor describes this property:

"True Oceanfront with a Transient License! Spectacular Views and All of the Quiet Elegance for which The Key West Beach Club is so Well Known. Your Own Private 345 Square Foot Oceanfront Balcony. Oceanfront Tennis Court. Two Oceanfront Swimming Pools with Covered Outdoor Grill Entertainment Areas. Oceanfront Gym. Life in Paradise is Best When Lived on the Water!"

The Key West Beach Club has the feel of your own private beach front property. There are only 58 units that share the 720 feet shoreline view at the Key West Beach Club. Compare that to 1800 Atlantic Condominiums which has 168 units that share the 420 foot shore. The Beach Club has two pools, tennis court, a private gym with views directly onto the water. (You can watch the waves or CNBC as you do your morning exercises. Waves rule!) Each unit has one assigned covered off street parking space and storage space, and there is plenty of guest parking. The tropical grounds are always very well maintained.

West pool

Unit #108 is offered at $849,000.


If you are looking for that special Key West getaway place, this may be the answer to your dreams. Please contact me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to schedule a showing of this property. I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West, Florida. Remember the listing agent's remark "Life in Paradise is Best When Lived on the Water".

405 Olivia Street - Key West - Bank Owned

Just listed (but not by me) a very interesting Bank Owned house located directly across the street from the Ernest Hemingway Home in Old Town Key West. One of the great marvels of the internet is Google Maps. CLICK HERE to view 405 Olivia Street. Use the toggle switch to get a different aerial perspective or click 'street view' to see the area.

The two story bank owned house was built around 1890. The county records show the house has 1380 sq ft of living space. I have not been inside so what I write is just speculation. This place looks like it may be bigger than the records state and that there may have been alterations and or additions that the county is not aware of.

405 Olivia Street as it appeared in 1965 - notice the porch columns

405 Olivia Street in January 2011

This photo demonstrates the width of the side yard which is 89' deep

The lot is 55' wide

The county records show the lot size as 3828 sq ft with a frontage onto Olivia Street of 55 feet. The lot is basically 89' deep but there is a small cutout at the left rear which makes the lot not perfectly rectangular. Otherwise, 405 Olivia Street has a big lot with room for a good sized pool, more gardens on the west, north, and east side. In my opinion the existing carport is an eyesore. The space could easily be redone and made attractive and useful.

CLICK HERE checkout the Key West mls database on this bank owned home. I found some earlier photos of the interior. Please see below. The place has been tenant occupied and looks the worse for wear. Big deal. That's what bank owned bargain hunters look for. They want good deals on places with upside. They expect the worse. I don't know that I would classify this property as "worse" but it is not the best. But the previous owner paid $1.1 million for this same property in January 2006. TODAY this Bank Owned property is listed for $450,000 or $326 per sq ft (again square feet according to county records which sometimes are wrong).

interior

old interior photo

old photo

old photo

I may be accused of being a cheerleader, but I think this is a really good buy for someone that wants a bit of a project house. The big lot and solid looking (at least from the outside) are certainly worth a serious look.

If you buy this property your neighbors will include the Ernest Hemingway House (museum) which has thousands of visitors all year long. The entrance to the museum is on Whitehead so most of the visitors won't be passing your doorway. A parking lot is located immediately adjacent to the west and a simple Key West cottage is the neighbor to the east. The Six Towed Cat cafe is located at the rear. The Lighthouse Court guesthouse is located on the far side of Whitehead Street and a small public housing structure is on the opposite corner. See the photo below taken from the nearby Key West Lighthouse. It gives a decent perspective of the area.

The Hemingway House before the ugly fence was built

Corner of Whitehead & Olivia as viewed from atop KW Lighthouse

Ft Zach Beach

The tourists normally head north to Mallory Square in the late afternoon so they can view sunset. They don't return to the area until mid morning. The area turns into a regular neighborhood to the extent possible during that time. Yes, tourists bring people walking down the sidewalks with cameras and cellphones. And lots of money, too.

Ft. Zach Taylor is just a few blocks walk. So are the restaurants, bars, shops galleries, and other hangouts on Duval Street. I can see why someone paid over a million dollars for this house and this location. Today you can buy it for less than half the recent sales price.

If you are interested in this bank owned property or any other house in Key West, please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642. I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West.

526 William Street - Old Town - Key West

Just listed by Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc., (that's where I work) 526 William Street Unit No. 5, a second floor condominium in the beautifully restored and centrally located Delancey Hall building in Old Town Key West. Each unit in this five unit building is unique. Unit No.5 is special. The front door opens into a formal foyer with views of the living room and old fashioned porch beyond. Just to the right is the beautiful master bedroom with its extra large en-suite bath. (See photos below.) A second full bath is located at the far end of the foyer, and it serves as a guest and/or second bath.

Formal Entry Foyer

Master Bedroom

Master Bath

The entire back end of the unit is presently combined as open living room, dining area and kitchen. The kitchen has polished granite counters and custom wood cabinets. This area has a vaulted ceiling which makes the entire living area feel extra spacious. Charming details include original Dade County Pine walls, new Brazilian purple-heart hardwood floors throughout and Italian marble bath floors, high ceilings with crown moldings, and a multitude of windows on three sides. The kitchen features cherry wood cabinets with polished granite counter tops and stainless steel appliances. A guest room is located at the north end of the living room. It has floor to ceiling doors that partition this area off for use as a bedroom when the need arises. The space expands into the living area at other times. Relax and enjoy the peaceful covered rear deck that overlooks the bricked courtyard and pool below.

Covered Rear Deck overlooks the heated pool below

10' x 18' Pool

This building was one of the very best renovations I have seen in Key West. The quality of the workmanship and the superior interior finishes look as good today as they did ten years ago when the original renovation was completed. The current owner purchased this unit new at that time and has maintained the unit.

Locals and frequent visitors know the value of a good location, and 526 William Street is located in the very heart of the Historic District. The Key West Seaport is three blocks to the north. There are lots of great restaurants and water based activities there. Duval Street is just a five minute walk to the west. The very incredible and very expensive Old Town Bakery is on the corner of Grinnell at Eaton- just a two block walk. Fausto's Food Palace has a great wine selection plus one of the best real butcher markets in Key West. And Fausto's always has fresh sushi. The point is you can get to where you want by foot or bike anywhere in Old Town in about five minutes or less.

Food, booze, and water sports just a couple of blocks away

Old Town Bakery

Where locals shop

I will be hosting an OPEN HOUSE at 526 William Street on Sunday , January 9th from 12:00 to 2:00. Please stop by to see this lovely 835 sq ft two bedroom, two bath condo that is offered at $429,999. CLICK HERE to checkout the Key West mls datasheet and to view more photos.

If you are interested in scheduling a private showing of this unit please contact me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642. I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc.

Home, James

What do you think of when you hear the phrase "Home, James"? My mind conjured up a vision of a chauffeur driving someone very rich to some fancy house. I Googled that phrase and up popped a pic of King George V (see above) with a beggar chasing his carriage. And that is the roundabout explanation of today's blog except the home I offer for your consideration isn't fancy, but it is located on James Street.

Today's blog is about the hodge podge house located at 1018 James Street in Old Town Key West. The Monroe County Property Appraiser photograph below says the house was built in 1900.

1018 James Street as it appeared in 1965

1018 James Street - January 2011

I met a gentleman last weekend who told me the story of how he almost never saw Old Town. Many years ago friends told him about this wonderful place called Key West. He drove his car to see what the commotion was all about. When he reached 'new town' he was so disappointed he thought of turning around and going back to Miami. He couldn't imagine anything worthwhile beyond new town. Since he had already driven 120 miles, he decided to drive a couple more to see if Old Town was any better. Then he discovered why so many people return to Key West year after year after year.

James Street is a two block long street located between Frances Street to the east and Margaret Street to the west. The Key West Seaport is located one long block to the north. There are three notable landmarks at the corner of James and Grinnell Streets: Finnegan's Wake Restaurant and Bar, the Key's Energy building, and the Old Town Garage.

Finnegan's Wake

Keys Energy Building

Old Town Garage

1018 James Street is located four houses east of Grinnell Street, and it is not affected by the traffic. Thompson Lane is the rear boundary. Thompson Lane is a tiny lane with some houses that 'front' onto the lane whereas 1018 James has a large lot that extends from James Street to Thompson Lane. It is the size of this lot that makes 1018 James Street so appealing. The listing Realtor says the lot is 3508 sq ft.

The listing Realtor describes 1018 James Street this way:

"Classic Old Town diamond in the rough! This property has the charm of a cute Conch cottage backing up to Thompson Lane. In it's present state, this 3 bedroom/1 bath has Dade county pine throughout, large bedrooms,great front porch, large cistern,off street parking in the rear, and a new roof. Motivated sellers that are willing to entertain all reasonable offers. Great renovation project with a great location within a block to the waterfront."

Historic Key West Seaport as it appears in 2011

1018 James Street is offered at $425,000. The photo below shows the property from the rear. I numbered five (5) different roofs that show how this house was cobbled together. This place cries out for someone to do something creative.

Count the roofs - five in total

CLICK HERE to checkout the Key West mls datasheet on 1018 James Street.

The house next door at 1016 James Street CLICK HERE is also available. It is priced at $325,000.

1016 James Street (above) is also for sale

View east of 1018 James Street

Manley deBoer Lumber Yard is located northeast of 1018 James St.

I know the neighborhood with its mix of commercial and residential will not appeal to most buyers. The thought of such a big renovation will scare most other potential buyers. This property will take a special buyer who has been coming here for years who appreciates the value of the land and its proximity to the waterfront. That buyer may not end up with a place grand enough to have a chauffeur named James, but the buyer surely will end up with a nice place to call home.

If you are looking for a fixer property please contact me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642. I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West.