1410 Duncan Street - Key West, Florida

Just listed by Preferred Properties, that's where I work but this is not my listing, 1410 Duncan Street in Key West, Florida.  This home looks as good on the inside as it does on the outside.  It is super clean and super cute. You won't be needing to fix anything before you start living your dream come true.  The interiors have been freshly updated interior which includes a new eat-in kitchen that opens out to the pool. The living area has a built-in media wall. The wood floors and crisp white doors, baseboards, and trim shine and make this place ooze charm. The guest bedroom is located on the main floor. The master bedroom with ensuite bath occupy the entire second floor. There is even an outdoor sky shower with a treetop view of Key West. The home has covered off street parking, a beautiful pool, a white picket fence in front, and lots of charm.

 

 1410 Duncan Street has previously been rented as a vacation rental. The current owner has not rented the property. This property would appeal to a lot of single people and couples who want a charming place in old Key West to spend a month or more.  CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls on this home that is offered for sale at $795,000.

I found an the black and white photo of the house that was taken in 1965.  I took the color photo just below. Don't you wish we could all look that great 49 years later.  The listing Realtor describes this 1492 sq ft house as "Charming immaculate historic 2BR / 2BA 2-story Conch cottage in Old Town Key West on a quiet street that's perfect for the discerning buyer. What better way to enjoy Key West than to relax out on the front covered porch while taking in the island breezes or out on one of the porches off of the living room or bedroom. This beautiful home boasts hardwood floors throughout, French doors, high ceilings and Dade County Pine. The spacious kitchen with stainless steel appliances has a great view of the inviting heated pool with covered deck. The upstairs boasts a large master suite with a wonderful outdoor shower that overlooks the tropical foliage surrounding the property. Property also includes covered off street parking."

After Tennessee Williams discovered Key West he wrote to a friend and said
"This is the most fantastic place that I have been yet in America. It is even more colorful than Frisco, New Orleans or Santa Fe. There are comparatively few tourists and the town is the real stuff. It still belongs to the natives who are known as ‘conks.’ Sponge and deep sea fishing are the main occupations and the houses are mostly clapboard shanties which have weathered gray nets drying on the front porches and great flaming bushes of poinsettia in the yards. This is beginning to sound like very bad travel literature—but I do wish you were here. I am occupying the old servant’s quarters in back of this 90-year old house. It has been converted into an attractive living space with a shower. The rent is $7 a week. I shan’t do anything the next few weeks but swim and lie on the beach until I feel human again. Then I shall learn how to fish. A good fisherman can thumb his nose at all commercial enterprise in the world."

Can you imagine Key West on $7.00 a week or Key West with "comparatively few tourists"?  Ah, for the good ole days!  Tennessee Williams ended up buying the house down the street at 1410 Duncan Street.  He wrote "The Rose Tattoo" which became a movie starring Burt Lancaster and Anna Magnani that was partially filmed in the house next door at 1421 Duncan Street in 1954. That house is now known as in Key West in 1954.  The Rose Tattoo House was in my blog in 2011 CLICK HERE. It is being renovated today.

I took a lot more photos of 1410 Duncan Street which you can see if you CLICK HERE.  After you have looked online, please call me to schedule a private showing or to give you more information.  I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.  This property will sell quickly.  Do not wait.

1301 Newton Street, Key West, Florida

1301 Newton Street is located at the corner of Newton and Florida Streets in the Meadows Area of Key West or two blocks east of Old Town proper. The Monroe County Property Appraiser identifies this home as having been built in 1943. I know that is not right because we were still involved in World War II at that time and houses in the Old Town environs were not being built then. So I searched the Sanborn Fire Maps for Key West and found what I believe to be 1301 Newton Street on the 1892 Sanborn Fire Map. The city had not yet assigned street numbers to each property. To complicate matters the street name for the exact location was then called "Rawson" not Newton. However, the next block to the west was clearly identified as Newton Street.  No matter, I am confident that the house identified today as 1301 Newton Street existed as of 1892.  See the black and white photo below which shows how the house looked in 1965. Compare that with the color photo below.

Today you will see that the house has been renovated to include a second floor addition. The Property Appraiser's records do not show when the second floor addition was added.  I can tell you that I think it would be highly unlikely that a full second floor addition like that would be permitted today. That's not inferring anything negative about this property, but stating the HARC (Historic Architectural Review Commission) guideline against such a drastic redo. The second floor addition added 513 sq ft of living space. The main level now has 828 sq ft of interior living space. CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls data sheet and listing photos.

 The listing Realtor, not me, describes 1301 Newton Street this way:

"The Meadows is one of the most desirable residential neighborhoods in Key West. This renovated 3 bedroom, 2 bath home has an open floor plan downstairs with fine wood floors and a cook's mod kitchen. French doors lead to an outside living/dining deck area with room for a hot tub. Downstairs has 2 bedrooms and full bath. The master suite is upstairs and there are French doors leading to a large and lovely tree-shaded balcony. On-street parking is easy! The lot is 1624 sf making this an extremely low-maintenance home. Neither off-street parking nor a swimming pool are possible. The simplicity and style of this home in this wonderful neighborhood presents an outstanding value. ONE BLOCK STROLL TO OLD TOWN."

The house sits behind a white picket fence. The front gate leads to a small courtyard entrance and pleasant front porch. I had shown this home many years ago. Even though I had reviewed the mls listing before showing this home, I was not prepared for the new more contemporary look this home has. I was really impressed by the openness and clean lines the owners used to make this home more adaptable to the way we live our lives today. The newly added pine floors shine and provide unifying look throughout the first and second floors.

The bright contemporary kitchen is located at the rear.  An innovative breakfast bar does double duty by providing eating space and storage space below.  The large kitchen window provides wonderful daytime light. Abundant nighttime light is also present. I mention nighttime light because too many redos under think the amount of light you need to cook a meal at night. 

There are two bedrooms located on the main floor. The larger of the two is located just off the kitchen. The other bedroom is located at the very front of the home. The main floor bath is quite large.  The laundry is also  laundry room is also located in the bathroom.

The entire second floor is the master suite. A door at the top of the stairs locks this area off from the kids or guests below. The space up here is quite large compared to most homes you'd expect to see in Old Town or Meadows Area homes. The master suite includes a sitting area or office area, large walk-in closet, large bathroom, and second floor deck. 

A set of French doors at the front of the bedroom lead to the second floor front deck that overlooks Newton Street below. The tree shown in the black and white photo at the top of today's blog has grown quite large. It provides natural shading for the house and particularly the deck. This would make the perfect perch for people watching.  

Windows and doors throughout this house have been recently replaced.  The exterior siding has been recently painted.  I did not see any deferred maintenance. Downstairs there is a deck located at the east rear side of the house. A gate from the front provides easy access for using this space for bike or sport storage.  The space is large enough to add a hot tub or outdoor dining.  The rear already provides lots of storage. Everything about this home is very well organized.

This house is in move-in condition.  It does not a pool or parking. There will never be a possibility of adding either. The house offers a lot of qualityy living space in the quiet Meadows Area of Key West. This area is a brief stroll to Old Town.  Most of the gyms and yoga studios are within easy walking distance.  Bayview Park is four blocks to the south. Most of the surrounding properties are single family residences. 

1301 Newton Street is offered for sale at $671,000.  CLICK HERE to view more photos I took of this super clean Meadows Area home and then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule a showing.  I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.  Let me help you find your place in Paradise. 

1100 Angela Street - Key West - Bank Owned Legal Duplex

Attention bargain hunters! I know you are out there. I get emails and phone calls from people that still want to buy a bank owned property in Key West. It's getting more rare to see a bank owned property in Key West, especially in Old Town.  1100 Angela Street in Key West is a Bank Owned legal duplex described by the listing Realtor as:

"Two units, two stories, and two separate driveways make this Old Town corner property too good to miss! Hardwood floors, French doors, skylights, and patio decks with a Jacuzzi complement the street appeal of the main 2/2 Angela side house; the legal 1/1.5 Frances unit can serve as guest quarters or an attractive rental. You will find the Key West Cemetery is a quiet X zone neighbor; this locale is in the heart of historic Old Town Key West and ensures an easy stroll to all downtown amenities, restaurants, and nightlife."

1100 Angela Street first appeared in the 1899 Historic Sanborn Fire Maps. That block was omitted form the 1892 edition. So the house could have existed even before 1892.  Two houses, attached at the hip, are shown on the map.  I dug down into the old shoebox and found  a black and white photo of the property taken in 1965 that shows how the property looked then. The color photo underneath taken in 2014 shows the property from the same angle.  I am of the opinion the original rear cottage was razed, not renovated. There are new piers under the two story house whereas the main house has historic coral piers.  The interior of the two story house is very contemporary in design.  All interior and exterior construction materials suggest that this part of the structure is only about twenty years old. 

I looked at online building permit records and found that improvements were made to the property in 1997 and 2000. Those improvements include new decks, two hot tubs, and interior renovations. In recent years both units were rented. The front unit was rented as a vacation rental and the rear was a long term rental. Prior to being recently listed as a bank owned property, 1100 Angela Street was offered for sale as a 'short sale'.  Let's just say there was not a lot of enthusiasm by the prior owner to sell and thereby terminate the income stream. A long foreclosure eventually led to this property becoming a bank owned asset. During the long foreclosure process income was taken out of the property, but no improvements or repairs were made. As a result, the house needs painted and cleaned. When you look at the photos I took of the property, you will see deferred maintenance. Some of the French doors need replaced. There is some wood rot, but not a lot of it.

This property is located at the corner of Angela Street at Frances Street opposite the Key West cemetery. The location is notable because Angela Street becomes a one-way street at Frances and ends about 300 feet to the east at White Street. On the opposite side of Frances Street, Angela is a one-way street heading west as it traverses the cemetery.  The point is there is very little traffic on either one-way segment of Angela Street.  Nighttime traffic on Frances is but a trickle, as is the case for most streets in Old Town. And the neighbors to the west, well, let's just say they never make a peep.

The main portion of the house has a combined living/dining/kitchen area with French doors that open out to the side deck and spa.  The living room has a volume ceiling. That extra space really gives this home a special feel.  Whoever designed the kitchen forgot to put the refrigerator in the kitchen.  It is located in a small ante room along with the washer and dryer.

The second floor bedroom and bath are accessed via the spiral staircase.  There is a small deck off the bedroom area which overlooks the hot tub below. The master bedroom is located on the main level. Two sets of French doors open out to the deck and hot tub.  Those doors need replaced. I think the floor tile, as charming as it is, needs to go away as well. This is a nice space. The tile gives it a cold feeling.

The bathroom is located just off the first floor bedroom. It does double duty as a guest bath as well.

A new owner might elect to forgo one of the two off street parking spaces in order to free up some space for the installation of a pool.  I think there is room off either property to create a pool. I personally feel way too much space is presently devoted to a hot tub which may get used a couple of times a year.  But that is just me thinking out loud.

The apartment is configured with the living room, kitchen, and laundry closet on the first floor. Both the living room kitchen open out to a spacious wrap around deck for the apartment.  This would be a very easy place to rent. I expect an owner might get $1800 to $2000 per month for this space. The apartment needs painted but otherwise looks to be in very good condition.  (Some exterior wood needs replaced. But that is easy.)

The bedroom and bath occupy the entire second floor which also includes a good sized closet and a small office area.

CLICK HERE to view a lot more photos I took of 1100 Angela Street.  View the interior and exterior photos and imagine how you might revamp this legal duplex. Perhaps you might decide to make it into a single family house which I see as having a lot of potential. Look at the nearby homes. This is a great Old Town location which is also in the X zone for flood insurance purposes.

Next, CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datsheet and listing photos. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule a private showing of this 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.