1016 James Street - Old Town - Key West

Just listed, but not by me, 1016 James Street in Old Town Key West.  I have written about this historic property on several occasions - first, when it was for sale and later as it was being renovated.  Today I write about the stunning renovation of a classic Key West eyebrow house that has a new lease on life. This home received the Old Island Restoration Foundation Ceramic Star in 2013.

To appreciate the current, we ought to take a quick look back at the past. I checked the Sanborn Fire Maps for Key West and found what I believe to be this same property placed on the 1889 Sanborn Fire Map. (The house numbers on many houses were different then. But the placement is the same as where this house is located today.)  I then dug into the old shoebox and found two older photos that show the house in the 1930s and in 1965.

The above photo was taken by members of the WPA during the Great Depression. The pic looks eastward toward the old pineapple cannery. That is the current location for Manley De Boer Lumber Company.  I decided to photograph the same view some seventy years later - see below.

The photo above with the old Ford was taken in 1965.  The house looked just fine in this photo.

The above photo was taken in 2010 just before the renovation began.  The house was lifted up to the sky, a new foundation was poured, and the house was brought back to the ground as the renovation process began.

 Today this property is as pretty as it can be. It is the type of property would-be second home owners dream of owning. Here is the best part: this home has been rented for several months as a vacation rental and now has a track record that a potential new owner could look to if he or she wanted to continue renting the property for income to help defray some of the cost of home ownership.  1016 James Street is offered for sale at $925,000.  CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet and to view listing photos.

This house was re-designed for modern day living.  The back end of the house now opens to a newly built rear covered loggia that overlooks the pool and rear courtyard. There is even off street parking located on Thompson Lane to the rear. (This is in addition to the off street parking at the west front of the house.) I actually drove prospective buyers past this house last week. My buyers were considering the purchase of a "fixer".  I shared some "before" photos of this property. My buyers were incredulous when they saw how beautifully this home turned out.

The two guest bedrooms are located on the second floor. They share one bath.  The master bedroom is located at ground level. French doors in the master bedroom open out to the rear for an early morning or late evening dip in a pool.  The tiny falling down shack at the rear of the property was converted into a mini-cottage. A new wood fence was added. A portion of the rear was carved out to create a second off street parking spot accessed of Thompson Lane. CLICK HERE to view more photos of this property.

Please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule a private showing of this wonderful Key West home. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.  Let me help you find your place in Paradise.   

506 Elizabeth St - Key West - A Buying Opportunity

I have written a couple of times about the very well located and very well built 1292 sq ft two story legal duplex at 506 Elizabeth Street in Key West.  I am surprised, really surprised, nobody has bought this place as of yet.  The property was listed on May 17th - or after the great majority of second home buyers had left the island and returned up north where they live in the cold for half the year. 

The house was built in the 1890s and is currently configured as a legal duplex. However, by opening a door in the front hallway the two residences can easily become one again. I found an old black and white photo of the house as it sat when photographed in 1965. I took a similar photograph that shows how the house looks today. The architectural detail has been preserved if not improved by fresh paint and shutters.

The house sits about 100 feet south of Fleming Street on a 50' x 28' lot  and across the Monroe County Public Library. There is a good sized rear deck located off the first floor bedroom. There is space there for a hot tub or spa. Both the main level and second floor apartments have wonderful covered front porches for people watching.   The large blue house next door to the south is nearly finished after three years of construction. A narrow driveway next to 506 Elizabeth Street leads to a parking lot for the owners of condominiums located on Fleming Street.

The listing Realtor describes 506 Elizabeth Street this way:

"2 Story Home Located In The Historic District Of Old Town; 2 Blocks From Duval and; All The Shops & Restaurants The City Has To Offer! Each Floor Has A Full Bath W/Laundry Facilities, A Kitchen, Bedroom and; Living Room. At This Moment A Legal Duplex Witch Could Be Restored Into A Single Family Residence. Covered Porches Add To The Wonderful Outdoor Living Space." 

Both units have Dade County Pine walls, ceilings and floors. The main level wood walls have been covered in most areas but the Dade Pine is still existent underneath and could be exposed again if a new owner prefers the historic look.  Dade County Pine walls are the distinctive architectural feature on the second floor where years of paint have been removed to show off the rich deep grain and color of the native wood.

 

Second Floor Apartment

The main level kitchen now has 21st Century cabinets, stainless steel appliances, granite counter tops, and designer flair. The second floor kitchen is more 'old school' and utilitarian. The second floor kitchen is marked by a shiny tin ceiling.

The main level bedroom has ample closets for storage. A door at the rear opens out to the rear deck area that is fenced and which provides quality outdoor living area.  There is room for a hot tub in this space. (No permit is required as a hot tub is portable and can be removed.)  The main floor apartment might rent for $1800 per month or more on an annual basis.

The bedroom on the second level is quite spacious. The hallway is extra large and provides workspace for a home office. 

506 Elizabeth Street just might be the answer to the dreams of many would-be second home buyers in Key West. As a legal duplex a new owner could retain one apartment for personal use and rent the second one either as full time or possibly as vacation rental. (I think the first floor unit with the addition of a hot tub on the private rear deck could work well as a vacation rental.)  But either unit likely could be rented for enough money to probably pay the annual taxes, insurance, and maintenance costs on the building.  I think the second floor unit could rent for $2,000 per month or more on an annual lease.

The listing agent suggests that this property could be easily converted to single family. I agree. The photo below shows an interior door from the lower unit which opens into the stairway to the second floor. Remove the doors and the second floor and first become one home. I would remover the kitchen on the second floor and convert that space into a third bedroom with access of the adjacent room. The front room would have use of the existing bath.  It would be that simple; that cheap; and very effective. CLICK HERE to view more photos I took.

You could not ask for a better location.  All of the wonders of Duval Street and the more relaxing elements of the Historic Key West Seaport are within a five minute walk from 506 Elizabeth Street. People from around the world go to the nearby Sarabeth's for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  You could be there in just a couple of minutes. The Tropic Cinema is one of the best small movie theaters in the US. You could be there in five minutes by foot. If you are gay and want a place to swim with the boys, you could walk five blocks down Fleming Street go to the Island House.  If you are straight you could instead go over to Dante's at the foot of Caroline Street. Think about saving $150 per month on a pool service and instead spending that much money at a place like the Island House or Dante's on food and beverages. You'll probably have more fun with the boys and girls than you would in your own backyard.  

CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet and listing photos. 506 Elizabeth Street is offered at $699,000.  I realize there are properties that have pools and off street parking and many other features on many buyers' wish lists. I will bet you that they do not as good a location as this or that they will cost a lot more than this, or if they cost less that they will require extensive (and expensive) renovation which means in the long run they will cost more. 

Please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule a private showing of 506 Elizabeth Street which I consider to be a buying opportunity. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. Let me help you find your place in Paradise.

He was My President

During the summer of 1963 I got to go on the best vacation of my life: a summer trip to Europe with seventeen other kids from my school district and two chaperons. We did the grand tour for six weeks. There were many memorable stops and events. I got drunk for the very first time at the Moulin Rouge in Paris where I saw a couple of nearly naked women except for pasties. We ran wild in the rainy streets of Salzburg, and we swam in the Mediterranean west of Rome. But it was in Berlin that two events became etched in my memory card.

Kennedy motorcade in Berlin 1963

On June 26th 1963 three other kids and I left our group to see if we could get a glimpse of President John F. Kennedy. He spoke at two different locations on his famous trip to Berlin. He gave his "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech at the Schöneberg Rathaus (City Hall) in Berlin. We went to the other location, the Free University of Berlin. We got to our location to get a good view of the Presidential motorcade. We stood in the hot sun for what seemed like an eternity. The longer we waited, the more people arrived. By the time the motorcade arrived the sidewalks were crowded with Germans. As he approached the crowds roared with applause. The limousine got near and I raised my camera above the assholes that had crowded in front of me to catch a better view of My President. I as so excited to see him that I took four very blurry photos. But more than the photos I remember the adulation the German people had for Our President. So many of the people who lined that section had brought American flags. And they screamed in delight of the man who symbolized America. It was a feeling I will never forget. Equally amazing was the reaction of my often bunk-mate, Bill Phillips. He was a waspish little Republican if there ever was one. We lived only a few blocks apart. He, like me, was Irish and freckled, and as I later found out, gay. Only his family was Republican and anti anything Democrat. How surprised I was to see Bill scream and yell for Kennedy. He's retired now and lives in the California with his partner of over 32 years. I wonder if he is still a Republican.

We spent three or four days in Berlin. We took a bus ride into East Berlin which had been walled off to keep its citizens from escaping to the west. We saw buildings that had been bombed into rubble years earlier during World War II. There were blocks and blocks of destroyed buildings more than two decades after the war had ended.  I remember that bus ride quite well. I can still see the blue sky which sharply contrasted with the blah new buildings. There were few trees. And certainly there were no bill boards nor colorful signs.  The landscape was so blah and devoid of color. It was like watching an episode of  The Twilight Zone. Only it was real.

I think it was the same night we went to a movie theater on the Kurfürstendamm. We watched To Kill a Mockingbird but we listened to it in German. No matter what language we heard, the story was so easy to understand. The imagery as I said before is etched into my memory. The images of 1930s south. Of poverty and of privilege. Of Scout and Jem and Boo Radley. Of Atticus Finch defending an innocent black man accused of violating a white girl. Of intolerance and prejudice. Of a lynch mob.



Four months later I walked into the Lakewood High School cafeteria just around 11:30 when I picked my my lunch and headed toward my normal table. Before I could set my tray down Dennis Becker said "Gary, President Kennedy has been shot!"  "What? You're joking."  No, it is true or words to that affect. He told me as much as he knew. I put my tray down and walked back into the hallway looking around as other students walked the halls oblivious to what was unfolding. I then went to the student store to see if someone had a transistor radio so that maybe I could verify what Dennis had said. There was a radio, and there was confirmation. He had been shot

I went back to the cafeteria and sat there in disbelief.  I could not eat my meal. How could this be?  At some time during the afternoon, I don't recall exactly when, a voice came over the school loud speaker system that announced that the President had died and said classes would continue until normal closing time. We were trapped in school until 3:15 when classes let out.

I lived with my dad in an apartment a few blocks from school. As soon as I got home I saw The Denver Post outside our front door. It confirmed what I already knew. I kept that paper as a remembrance of that day. I went inside and turned on the television.  I watched the black and white images of the scenes from Dallas earlier that day. I remember calling my dad and discussing what had happened. He stayed at work until his normal quitting time - 9:00 PM. I sat there in that apartment by myself not understanding how in the world this could have happened. I remember waking up on Saturday morning thinking the day before had been a bad dream. But, sadly, it wasn't.

Two days later I was watching the ongoing and unending coverage of everything. A television camera was in the basement of the police department where Lee Harvey Oswald was supposed to be transferred to another facility. I thought to myself this is the most stupid thing imaginable. Someone on the street will rush the truck and kill Oswald.  I was wrong. He didn't even make it to the truck. Oswald was shot on live TV. This was like beyond belief. How could this happen in America? How? Why? Like Jem and Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird, my innocence was lost.

Monday came.  The funeral went on all day, or so it seemed. Finally, at the end of the afternoon the President's body was laid to rest at Arlington. It was over.  My older brother and his wife were going bowling that night and asked me to watch their two kids. I agreed but could not understand how anyone could do something so trivial as to bowl on a day like this.

School reopened on Tuesday.  At some point during the day I walked past the school emblem embedded in the floor at the front door of the school. As I passed I heard one of the jocks on the football team say, and I will never forget his words until the last day of my life, "You know what John-John got for his birthday?  A jack-in-the-box." The other guy laughed, and I cringed.  Maybe you can excuse this idiocy to this kid's youth. But I am not one to forgive this kind of behavior.

Sometime between the sixth and seventh grade (1959-1960) I decided that instead of being an architect (which I thought would be fun except that I am horrible at math), I would become a cinema photographer. As I watched history unfold on television, magazines, and newspapers of the next three years, I decided to become an attorney, like Kennedy. President Kennedy made a huge impact on many of the young people of my generation.  I think our country became a better country because of him. We started movement away from the racial divide. We headed up into space, which as a bi-product made possible all of the gadgets that now rule our lives. We stood up to and later defeated Communist Russia in the Cold War. America helped save the world from the Nazis during World War II, but it was Kennedy who made many people in many different lands love our country as never before.

For those few moments I got to see Kennedy drive down the street in West Berlin, I will be forever grateful.  He was my President.

1327 White Street - Key West, Florida

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 mls datasheet and listing photos.  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.