St. Patty's Day OPEN HOUSE - 618 White Street - Key West

Open House, Sunday, March 17th from 12:00 to 2:00

618 White Street ~ Old Town ~ Key West

Hosted by Gary Thomas, Realtor 305-766-2642

CLICK HERE to view VIDEO

Offered at $474,000

622 Grinnell St. - Old Town - Key West

If you like old houses with lots of character of have a yen to do some remodeling, the historic home at 622 Grinnell Street in Old Town Key West is a property you should consider. This place is glorious and full of charm. You won't see stainless steel appliances, marble, or granite anywhere. But you will see lots of potential everywhere. The listing agent describes the house this way:

"Wonderful, original conch home with three legal units. Great location and superb street presence. Access to the rear cottage is from a lane.Possible conversion back to single family and would be a really spectacular property as such. Opportunity to work with a property that has been maintained while leaving a Key West flavor."
I dug down to the bottom of the old shoe box and found a photo that shows the exterior as it appeared in 1965. Compare that black and white photo with the photo beneath. The stately home with impressive second floor balcony still maintains its commanding view of the street"

The property consists of the main house on Grinnell Street and the rear cottage on Canfield Lane. The main house no longer has an interior staircase as sibling owners occupy the first floor, the second and third floor, and the cottage. This explains the reference to the property as three legal units. As I see it, the value in this property is not as income property but rather as a large property which has not been mucked around with.  I would convert this property back into a single family home with a charming guest cottage. I would add a pool and parking. There is room for both in my opinion.

The rooftop deck on the main house has an incredible view of the area. You can even see the spires at St Mary's Basilica. Most of the lot is covered with tropical foliage and red brick pavers. The house itself has been well maintained and looks great.  Inside the rooms have the character that people who love our dear old homes seek. The house is filled with Dade County Pine and old glass with ripples. There are little cubby holes and scuttles and treasures galore.

The second floor is currently a separate living unit. It looks like a set in a 1940's movie starring Claudette Colbert or Barbara Stanwyck.  It is an almost idealized version of what a Key West home should look like.

The listing agent states that the property as a whole has 2740 sq ft of living space and sits on a 57' x 83' (4683 sq ft) lot. The house has not been touched in years and would benefit from a thorough renovation. But understand that the property is perfectly livable as is. I just think the highest and best use of this house is to take it back to single family. CLICK HERE to view a slideshow of photos I took of this property.

The 600 block of Grinnell Street is one of the quietest blocks in Old Town. That is because it ends at Angela Street which is the northern border of the Key West cemetery. That means that Conch trains, trolleys, and Duck Tour vehicles will not be using this street because they cannot traverse Angela Street. Your life will be quieter because of this. Occasionally you will still see tourists walking by or riding bikes. And you will see neighbors go across the street to use the Grinnell Street Pocket Park.

Five Brothers Grocery and Sandwich Shop is located down the block at the corner of Southard Street. The Key West Historic Seaport is located three blocks further north and Duval Street is located five blocks to the west. Most of the gyms and yoga studios are located within a five to ten minute walk.

622 Grinnell Street is offered at $1,200,000.  CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls data sheet on this property. Or better than that, please call 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. Let me help you find your place in Paradise.

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715 Frances Street - Old Town - Key West

Just listed, but not by me, 715 Frances Street, in Old Town Key West. This classic three bay eyebrow house was built circa 1895. I found an old black & white photo of the house taken in 1965 (see photo below) and compare the same house as photographed nearly fifty years later. Quite a makeover, wouldn't you agree?

 The outside is still simple even if the colors are a bit more lively.  The inside has been upgraded to be sure, but not so much so that the house has lost its character.  When I stepped inside the front door I was greeted by the rich tones of the Dade County Pine accent wall located at the far side of the living room. Three of the original windows with ancient glass bathed the inside with semi-filtered light.  Although I knew the house has just been completely remodeled, the house still has a great old house "feel".

A guest bedroom with en-suite bath is located just to the right of the front door. The room has lots of filtered light as well.  The stairway to the second floor appears quite long when compared to stairways in other eyebrow houses I have seen. Imagine how grand that stairway would look at Christmas wrapped with pine boughs and garland. Buyers who doing long term planning may appreciate having a large first floor bedroom when climbing stairs in later years can become a challenge

There are two bedrooms on the second floor both of which have en-suite baths. The north bedroom has a great view of the pool below while the south bedroom has a wonderful bathroom with multiple windows that look out to the palm tree views of neighboring properties.  The listing agent had to remind me I was standing inside an eyebrow house with dormers that permitted the rear space for these expanded bathrooms.

The new kitchen has a vaulted ceiling and three sets of windows that provide lots of daytime sunlight into the space.  Travertine marble floors give the space a cool and sophisticated feel. The travertine floors continue to an alcove behind the kitchen where the laundry and a separate guest bathroom are located. The travertine then continue over to what the listing agent calls the "indoor/outdoor" room that overlooks the pool. This room has a stunning vaulted wood ceiling that adds both height and dimension to the space.  The area is presently protected by screens to enjoy our wonderful winter and spring weather. When summer arrives, the screens can be replaced with custom made window inserts.  The area is air conditioned when necessary.

 

 This indoor/outdoor room is quite clever in my opinion.  Our fall and winter seasons are quite mild and most homeowners use their outdoor living areas most of the year. But there are those few occasional days or nights when the weather is a bit too cool.  This conversion option is a feature that others might adopt.

The indoor/outdoor room provides views of the backyard area and the newly installed pool. An IPE deck area provides stepped down access to the pool and spa.  This pool is long and sunny - quite a change from so many Old Town pools that are cramped into small spaces and shielded from sunlight by mighty houses or tropical foliage.  Sun-worshipers will delight in this sunny space.  The owner has also added an outdoor shower for pre-swim and post-tanning.

You can view a slideshow of more photos I took of this thoughtfully updated Old Town eyebrow home if you CLICK HERE.   I know a lot of potential buyers think they might want to rent a place like this as a vacation rental when they are not using the property themselves.  I think this place could be a very successful vacation rental. It has three very nice bedrooms with en-suite baths, two large living areas, a very comfortable new kitchen, and a stunning pool and sunning area. The property has off street parking. And it is located within an easy walking distance to Duval Street or the Historic Key West Seaport. Most of Key West's gyms and yoga studios are located within a five block walk to the south or east.  People that come here for extended vacation stays love being able to walk to locations like these and usually prefer a bit of distance from being right in the heart of the Duval crawl.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West Association of Realtors mls datasheet and to view professionally photographs of this property. which is offered at $1,495,000.  If you would like to see this home, please call 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 Coastal Realty, Inc.  Let me help you find your place in Paradise. 

2116 Fogarty Avenue ~ Key West

2116 Fogarty Avenue Key West

The three bedroom/two bath ranch at 2116 Fogarty Avenue has been recently updated and is is move-in condition. It will appeal to a family who wants space to grow and plenty of room for the kids to play safely. This property should also appeal to the price conscious buyer who wants value. Consider that this house is already remodeled and does not need any additional work, or investment of time or money to make it livable. 

Master bedroom

Bedroom #2

Bedroom #3

The 1258 sq ft home sits on a spacious 5000 sq ft lot (50' x 100').  CLICK HERE to view Google aerial of the property.  The house sits more towards the front of the lot which leaves ample room in the rear for a pool at some time in the future. There is an existing shed that might make a nice pool house or guest cottage at a later date. And don't overlook that huge second level sundeck as well.

Pool House or Play House

The house itself is all spiffed up and ready for move-in. The combined living, dining, and kitchen area provides open and bright family friendly living spaces. French doors at the rear open out to the rear yard where you might add a pool. The master bedroom is quite large, and the two other bedrooms are larger than some I have seen in other houses in the area. CLICK HERE to view more photos I took of this property.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West Association of Realtors mls datasheet and to view listing photos of 2116 Fogarty Avenue. This home is listed by Preferred Properties Key West, but not by me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642. Please give me a call to set up a showing.