820 Whitehead Street - Old Town - Key West

820 Whitehead Street - September 2012

Don't let the rusty roof on the front part of 820 Whitehead Street in Old Town Key West fool you. The historic part of the property (that under the rusty roof) was totally renovated from piers to interior roof and wall to wall in 2005. The rear two story addition is totally new.

820 Whitehead Street in 1965

 I dug into the old shoe box and found a photo of the property taken in 1965.  If you compare the old to the new photos you will see the porch has been modified and the door moved from the right side to the left. The old concrete block wall has been replaced by a white picket fence. The front porch is now just that, a porch. The formal entry has been moved to the north side of the house.



The renovation of this house was done in concert with the renovation of two other small historic cottage homes and the construction to three other new cottages. 820 Whitehead Street and the five other cottage homes are part of a small condominium association that have a shared use agreement to use the pool and landscaped walkways between the properties.

 

The main floor provides an open living area with French doors that open outto the covered terrace that overlooks the pool.

The open kitchen is located just to the left of the main entry. The front of the house currently houses a law office (legally permissible as the property is zoned HMDR in case a new owner might want to live and work in the same location. (Cuts down on travel time for sure.)  That room does have access to the front porch from which you can see the Ernest Hemingway House across the street. The main floor bath is located between the kitchen and the main floor bedroom.

The floors in the living area are a beautiful grayish marble that is almost reminiscent of Cuban tile. The floors are stunning in their simplicity.

The master bedroom is located on the second floor. This space is a total surprise to first time viewers. Wow! The space is large and open. This room has a feeling of being much larger than it actually is. A set of French doors open onto a Romeo and Juliet balcony that overlooks the pool below.  What a view that is! The master bath adjoins. The floors on this level (and the stairway) are new rich oak - the real thing.

820 Whitehead Street is located just one block off Duval Street and across the street from Hemingway House. The Southernmost Point is located a few blocks south on Whitehead. The current entrance to Ft Zachary Taylor State Park and Beach is located just a couple of blocks to the north.  This is a great tourist location. I believe this property would make a great vacation rental. Four of the adjacent cottage homes are currently also available for purchase. None of the properties have been rented as vacation rental.

820 Whitehead Street has 970 sq ft under air and is offered at $449,900. The monthly condo fee is $668.99 and covers building maintenance and insurance, common area maintenance, and pool maintenance.  CLICK HERE to view the Key West Association of Realtors mls datasheet and listing photos. Then CLICK HERE to view a slideshow of photos I recently took of this property.  I think you will find that this house has a lot to offer and is priced to sell.

If you would like to see this property or any other property in Key West please contact me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West.

1108 Fleming Street - Key West - Pretty as a Picture

1108 Fleming Street in Old Town Key West is pretty as a picture - and then more. It's the poster child for quintessential Key West charm. Now it is available for sale at $1,250,000.  The listing Realtor describes the new property thus:

"Beautiful historic conch home located in the heart of prestigious Old Town Key West.This classic three bedroom has a warm open floor plan with vaulted ceilings.The guest cottage has its own access and off street parking located on Curry Lane. The tropical pool area has plenty of room for entertaining.The pool separates the main house from the guest cottage."

The house is bright and cheerful from front to back and bottom to top. Every room is different, but the entire place flows evenly and with purpose. The great room at the rear of the main house invites you out to the pool. The guest cottage at the rear invites you to come in and get cozy.

1108 Fleming Street is located at the far end of Fleming Street. Duval Street is just a six or seven minute walk to Duval Street. You can walk to the Historic Seaport in about the same time. There are two neighborhood convenience stores on White Street. And there are numerous restaurants and cafes within a few minutes walk. If you are into the arts, The Armory is just one block away at the corner of White and Southard Street.

The house is laid out with one bedroom located at the front of the house on the main floor. The kitchen and great room occupy the rear area of the main floor. There you get a view of the pool, deck, and uber-cute guest cottage at the rear.  There is off street parking in the rear on Curry Lane. The master bedroom with sitting area or office is located on the second floor. The cottage at the rear has a bedroom and bath. The house and cottage have a combined total of 1604 sq ft of living space under air.

Main Floor Bedroom

Master Suite

Guest Cottage with Parking

Cottage looking toward the main house

CLICK HERE to view the Key West Association of Realtors mls datasheet and to view listing photos. Better yet, please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule a showing of this beautiful Key West home that really is Pretty as a picture. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. Let me help you find your home in Paradise.

Back on the Market: 707 Southard Street - Key West

707 Southard Street - Old Town - Key West

The listing Realtor (who is also the owner) describes the cottage home at 707 Southard Street as

"Quintessential Conch Cottage in Best Old Town location. New baths, newly refinished wood floors, fully fenced, new mini split ac system, outdoor shower and laundry. Sit on the front porch and watch the world go by or lounge by the private pool. Original cook house. THIS IS IT! Location Location Location and cute as can be."  

This special little home at 707 Southard Street is located in the heart of Old Town Key West and is back on the market. (It's been on and off a couple of times since it was listed this spring.) You can't beat the location for convenience. Most of the neighboring homes are equally charming and certainly much more expensive. The asking price will fit the budget of many buyers who want a simple getaway place: asking $599,000.

 The house next door to the east is equally charming

707 Southard Street is painted a bright white. The blue shutters contrast the white so perfectly that the resultant appearance is crisp and clean. The front porch provides an excellent perch for viewing the continual people parade. I can imagine sitting there sipping an iced tea greeting passersby as they say things like "I love your home!" or other such words of praise and envy.

The house itself is small, just 606 sq ft. The living area is quite spacious and tastefully designed. Six over six window provide light on the south and east walls. The master bedroom is located front west. When the bedroom door is open the filtered light from that room adds additional light to the living area. So what one might assume to be a small space actually appears quite large. There is a smaller second bedroom at the rear. Both bedrooms have private baths. The dining area is nestled between the main house and the historic cook house at the rear which is housed in a smaller building. The cool pool is located to the west of the cook house. What a delightful place to spend the spring, or summer, or fall, or winter, or the rest of your life. 707 Southard Street may be everything you need in a picture perfect setting and located near where ever you want to go.  It would make a great vacation rental.  CLICK HERE to view photos I took of this charming cottage home.

Classic Key West construction

Sophisticated but not stuffy

Master bedroom (above) master en suite bath (below)

The second bedroom (below) has private bath and a view of the darling pool

Dining is nestled between the main house and cook house

The cook house is located in a separate building at the rear

The pool

Sarabeth's is just a block away to the west. The Cafe Marquesa is a five minute walk. The Monroe County Library is around the corner: perhaps a three minute walk or ten minutes if you stop to speak to neighbors. Five Brothers is located a couple of blocks east. You can be almost any place in Old Town within a five to fifteen minute walk. And that's why living here is so great.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West Association of Realtors mls datasheet and to view the listing Realtors photos. Better yet, please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule a visit to see this place. Don't wait. This cottage home is one of the lower priced ready to move in homes in Old Town offered at the price point where many buyers are prepared to buy. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc.

1501 White Street - Key Wset - A Diamond in the Rough

 The listing Realtor at Preferred Properties, that's where I work but this is not my listing, describes 1501 White Street as a

 "Diamond in the Rough. This charming 2/1 home plus detached guest room is completely walled and gated for privacy. Features include a formal living room with vaulted ceiling and built-in cabinetry, kitchen with granite countertops & nice appliances, dining room with multiple French doors opening onto the beautiful private pool and patio. Off-street parking for two cars. This property has a compound like feel and offers enormous potential to become a real show place."

 A very unique master bath with an adjacent outdoor shower for two is located beyond he bi-fold doors shown just above. The shower is large and spacious and so very private at the same time. It, like so many features of this house, is why this house is so Key Westy in character.

 The updated main house with its lush garden and sunny pool sit behind a tall privacy wall surrounded by large palms and specimen trees. An electric gate opens to covered off street parking. A caretaker's cottage sits at the back of the property. The lot is quite large by Key West standards (60' x 120' or 7,369 sq ft).

The caretaker's cottage sits to the rear of the gated driveway and behind the covered off street parking. This is the part of the property that needs the most attention. The cottage is currently isolated apart from the main house by the privacy fence. I think a new owner might want to open the side by adding French doors, removing the fence, and incorporating the cottage into a share garden and pool space which would end the isolation and prettify the space at the same time.

 The cottage and off street parking are located on other side of the fence.

The pool and gardens are pretty nifty as they sit.  One potential buyer that I showed the house to suggested adding French doors from the living room out to the garden. That would replace the single multi-light door on the right side below with French doors. That would add more light into the living area and bring the outdoor area more inside the living area as well.

1501 White Street is offered at $695,000 or $418 per sq ft for this lovely home, cottage, and extra large sunny lot.  CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet. If you would like to see this home, please call 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. 

Open House - Sunday - 920 Terry Lane - Key West

If you are in Key West on Sunday, November 4th, please drop by 920 Terry Lane to see this award winning three bedroom and three bath renovation that is offered at $895,000. Look for the Historic Key West Lighthouse.  920 Terry Lane is located just behind and it has the best view in the city.  Come sit on the front porch and imagine how wonderful it would be to live here.