527 Margaret Street - Key West Short Sale

Just listed, but not by me, 527 Margaret Street in Old Town Key West.  This new Short Sale three bedroom home is offered at $549,000. The listing Realtor describes the listing this way:
"Excellent buy in a great Old Town location. This home is located in the heart of Old Town and walking distance to several restaurants and attractions.Great renovation project with good square footage and location. This transaction is a short sale."

Frequent readers of my blog know that the Great Fire destroyed the county property records for Key West. WPA workers reconstructed records and gave houses various dates of construction when the actual construction date was not know. The house at 527 Margaret Street still shows in our county property records as being constructed in 1938 - during the Great Depression - in a town that itself was in such a dire straits that the federal government had to bail it out. So it is highly unlikely that 527 Margaret Street was actually built in 1938. Moreover, I located what I think to be 527 Margaret Street on the 1889 Sanborn fire map. (Street numbers were different then, but this house appears on the 1889 map.)

The style of the house looks quite similar to many houses of the late 1800s as well. I dug deep into the old shoe box and found a photo of the property taken back in 1965.  I took photo from a similar angle that shows the property as it exists today.  Note the similarities and differences in the 48 year time span.

My guess is that a former owner many years ago added the shed addition to the right of the main house. Other additions were added to the rear. And there is even a second floor "bedroom" or loft which is accessed by a ladder. That room brings back memories of when I first started selling houses here many years ago as it looks like a lot of  hippie rooms that were created before HARC existed and before building codes were enforced as strictly as they are today.

 

 527 Margaret Street is a 1532 sq ft home that sits on a 2227 sq ft lot (44' x 55')  on one of the better blocks in Old Town.  The living room has a very tall ceiling which gives the room a much more voluminous feel than the photo would suggest. The living space flows comfortably to the rear where the kitchen The kitchen and dining room are divided and sit at the back of the house. 

 The current configuration has requires you to walk through one bedroom to go into the master bedroom. This is not efficient and gives nobody privacy.  The master bedroom is very elongated - too much so in my opinion.  There is room for improvement here. But the good thing is that there is room for improvement. A new owner won't have to build new but instead re-create space that is more efficient. 

 A family room plus loft bedroom and an additional bath sit at the back of the house on the north side. The space needs a good bit of work to make it work more efficiently as well. If I bought this house I would try to get permission to take down this rear addition (including the second floor loft) and replace it with a swimming pool.  There would be more than enough room.

 In 2008 I wrote about 529 Margaret Street - a two story home that sits directly behind 527 Margaret Street. Both houses share a huge banyan tree that straddles the rear property line of 527 Margaret Street.  The owner at 529 Margaret created an outdoor shower on his side of the old tree.  That house has a pool and a spa. 527 Margaret Street does have a nice rear deck area and small garden.  And, oh yes, that huge banyan tree.  CLICK HERE to view more photos I took of this property.

Frequent visitors to Key West likely will be familiar with the location. Michael's Restaurant is located across the street. Mangia Mangia is up on the corner at Southard Street while the neighborhood organic food market is located down on the corner at Fleming Street.  Other nearby establishments include Azul, the Old Town Bakery, 5 Brothers Grocery and Sandwich Shop, and the Historic Key West Seaport.  Duval Street is just four blocks to the west.

The listing Realtor describes this listing as a "Great renovation project with good square footage and location".  I agree. This property has really good location, upside potential, and is priced where a new owner could invest the dollars necessary to do the improvements and still come out okay.  CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet and then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to schedule a personal viewing of this Old Town short sale property.  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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1719 Ashby Street - Key West, Florida

 
 1719 Ashby Street is located near the beaches in Key West, Florida. This ranch style two bedroom (three bath) home has 1279 sq ft of living space, a lush tropical garden, and a pool which is offered at $799,000. The listing agent describes the property this way:

"Secluded Oasis just one block off the Ocean and 5 minutes from downtown Key West. As you enter the home you immediately have that wonderful Key West feeling of bringing the indoor living to the outside. The living/dining area leads to the kitchen which opens to the pool and lanai. The master has its own bath and it too opens to the pool. The split floor plan allows you privacy from your guests. In the second bedroom there is also a laundry room. The backyard of this home is outstanding, with a very large pool and wonderful covered area, full bath and wet bar, surrounded by lush tropical landscaping complete with irrigation and great evening lighting. There is one off street parking space."

Like many of the homes in this part of Key West, the large lot (51' x 90') is surrounded by a privacy wall.  The pool area is quite expansive.  It has both sunny and shady areas. And there is a great covered lanai that functions as an extension of the living room.  Both the living room and master bedroom open out to the pool.

 When you feel like some beach action, you'll only need to walk a few blocks to Smathers' Beach where there is almost always something fun going on.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet and to see more photos of 11719 Ashby Street ub Key West. Or, better than that, please give me, Gary Thomas, a call at 305-766-2642 and ask me to arrange a showing. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

826 Eaton Street - Old Town - Key West

Just listed, but not by me, 826 Eaton Street in Key West. This beautiful Old Town cottage is located just a little over one block from the Historic Key West Seaport and within walking distance to many of the quaint little places that make Key West so much fun.

The listing Realtor describes this 1344 sq ft home this way:

"Beautiful Key West cottage located in the heart of old town and just a short stroll to the Harbor and Duval Street. The first floor features 2 generous sized bedrooms, 2 baths and an open living/dining/kitchen with two sets of French doors opening to the pretty backyard with spacious deck for outdoor entertaining and heated pool with water feature. In addition there is a spiral staircase to a large loft which is the third bedroom with sitting/office area. The loft is finished to the same quality as the downstairs with hardwood floors and ample ceiling height. Lots of features today's buyer want are included: Wood floors throughout, Dade County pine walls, granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, central air and outdoor shower."

 I found the above black and white photo of 826 Eaton Street with a note that says the original house was built circa 1874. Compare that to the color photo just above that was taken in 2013. The house looks pretty much the same except the house is now painted yellow, the old mail box has been replaced, and a huge frangipani is planted in the front yard. The inside has certainly been changed, however. The front two rooms are now bedrooms. The combined living room, dining area and kitchen are at the rear. There are two bathrooms on the main floor as well as the laundry area. Upstairs you will find a decent sized loft bedroom that comfortably accommodates two twin beds.

Two sets of French doors open from the living area out to the spacious pool. The pool is located near the rear of the lot and this provides ample outdoor space for sunning, socializing, and cooking on the grill. There is even an outdoor shower off to the side.CLICK HERE to see the Key West mls datasheet on this cute little cottage that is actively (and successfully) used as a vacation rental.

I took more photos which you can see if you CLICK HERE. Or better than looking at photos, please contact me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule a showing of this property for you.  I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

1327 White Street - The Casa Marina District - Key West

If you have been looking for an impressive four bedroom home with a pool, off street parking, and lots of Key West charm, please consider 1327 White Street as an affordable alternative to more highly priced homes of similar age and condition in Old Town.  The listing Realtor describes this 2862 sq ft home this way:

 "Luxury renovation of a historic 1880s three story home. Neighboring the highly coveted Casa Marina District. A perfect combination of every modern luxury a discerning buyer would expect and beautiful 1800s historical architecture. The property features restored Dade County Pine throughout as well as heart pine floors. Crown molding, cathedral ceilings, a spacious master bedroom suite with a walk in closet are just some of the features you will fall in love with. There is a 350 sq ft treetop deck off the third floor with stunning views of the tropical foliage. Sliding glass doors all along the great room open up to the pool and jacuzzi. Perfect for entertaining your guests and family. Spacious floor plan, natural light throughout."

A gracious front porch welcomes guests and provides ample space to sit and watch the world go by. Higg's Beach and Rest Beach are just four blocks to the south. The shops and restaurants of the Key West arts district are three blocks to the north and Duval Street is five minutes by bike to the west.
This house was made for someone that wants a big house with lots of interesting rooms and spaces. This house is the anti-salt box because the geometry of the place is so varied. Look at the photo just above. That proves my point for sure. This home has the appeal of a Queen Anne with a bit of Conch added.  Lots of angles and numerous building materials have blended historic sensibility and current trends together to create a really unique living space. The third floor can be either used as a fifth bedroom or game room. That room provides access to the private roof top deck with commanding tree-top views of the island and the large kidney shaped pool and separate spa below. There are very few homes in Key West that have this kind of view!

 

The front entry hall (viewed in first two photos above) leads to the second and third floor bedrooms. The main level is a gracious reinterpretation of the historic home with modern lighting, new windows and doors, HVAC, and new kitchen appliances and cabinets all of which are highlighted by the crown molding that defines each living space.

The house sits on a large 4678 sq ft (46.75' x 100.08') located five blocks from the Atlantic Ocean. A white picket fence spans the front of the property. A large gate on the right provides access to the large off street parking space. Notice the wooden vine covered trellis to the right in the photo above. The house faces west toward White Street. The southern side yard is quite large. The parking space is located there (as noted above). Multiple sets of French doors open to the rear side yard and back deck and pool area. The pool area is surrounded on three sides by mature specimen palm trees. The pool and spa are quite large, but there is plenty of room left over for outdoor living. There is an existing shed with water that a new owner might want to expand and turn into an outdoor kitchen. That's the trend for high end homes.

1327 White Street is offered at $1,400,000. CLICK HERE to view the Key West Association of Realtors mls data sheet. CLICK HERE to view more photos of this really beautiful Key West property which offers so many of the features buyers seek in a Key West home.  Better yet, please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule a private showing of this beautiful home. I live in the Casa Marina and really love the convenience it offers. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.