1221 Grinnell Street Unit #A Key West - Just Listed

Just Listed by Preferred Properties Key West, that is where I work but this is not my listing, 1221 Grinnell Street Unit A. The listing Realtor describes this home thus:

"Bright spacious and clean! This rare three-bedroom, two and a half bath townhome in Grinnell Gardens has long windows on three walls for lots of sunlight. Both the front porch and second floor balcony overlook the shared swimming pool. French doors open from the dining room to the sunny private enclosed rear deck. The assigned parking space is right next to the rear deck gate which allows for private entry to the home. This well-maintained residence has just been freshened with new paint and new flooring upstairs."

The Grinnell Gardens compound was built new in 1990. The architectural style of the town homes is reminiscent of the grand conch houses in Old Town except they were built new and have many conveniences built in as opposed to cobbled together - you know what I mean, conveniences like real closets, bathrooms, spacious kitchens, air conditioning that is "out of sight" and not hanging on a wall. The town homes share a community pool and gardens. I know a lot of potential buyers want a place of their own and have never thought of living in a compound. I "get" the resistance argument. But there is also a group of potential buyers that do not mind having nearby neighbors that live in close proximity who will keep an eye on the place when the owners are not in residence. Compound living may not be for everyone, but it is easy peasy with others. 

This home is located at the southwest corner of the compound. The porch provides a cool resting space just off the living room. When you enter the home you'll see a built-in bookcase. The downstairs guest bath is tucked away nearby.

Like many other homes in Old Town, doors to this home open out to the front porch and rear deck which expands the living area immensely. You'll find doors open in January to bright sunny skies while your friends and relatives up north in America are often driving through slushy snow or on streets with black ice. Here, you can sit on the rear deck and drink your morning coffee in your skivvies and have a cocktail on the front porch at sunset with your sweetie.

There are three bedrooms located on the second floor. The master suite is at the front of the home. It has French doors that open out to the front porch that has semi-secluded views of the pool (you can see out but because of the height of the house and the palm trees, people at the pool can't see you).  The porch runs the length of the home and provides plenty of space to really enjoy the deck area. The bedroom is extra large as well.

Bedrooms numbers two and three are located at the backside of the house. A prior owner divided the space into two separate rooms. One is larger than the other. The larger room has a queen bed and chest. Windows on two sides give this room a cheery feel. The bit smaller room has been outfitted with bunk beds that work just fine for visiting grand kids or nieces and nephews or brothers-in-law that you want to enjoy your home no longer than three days.

The community pool is bright and sunny most of the day. A couple of other units have private pools. In all the years I have shown these homes I can only recall a couple of times actually seeing anybody laying by the pool. But it sure is a nice amenity to have. CLICK HERE to view more PHOTOS I took.

CLICK MAP to see 1221 Grinnell Street. This property is located just a few blocks from the Atlantic Ocean and only five blocks to upper Duval Street. The shops, gyms, yoga studios, and the World Famous Faustos Grocery are located a couple of blocks east on White Street.

CLICK HERE to see the mls listing info and view more photos. 1221 Grinnell Street which is offered at $795,000 or $586 per sq ft for this 1360 sq ft home. The home sits on a fee simple lot of 1769 sq ft. The lot includes a spacious and sunny rear deck with gate that opens out to the parking space for this unit. Pets are permitted.

If you would like to schedule a visit to see this terrific home, please call 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, Florida.

221 Petronia Street, Key West, Florida - Bank Owned Buying Opportunity

I'll bet you have walked or driven by the new Bank Owned listing at 221 Petronia Street in Key West and thought something like "that could really be something if they fixed it up".  Well now is your opportunity to be the one that does the "fixing". This property is all sealed up and cannot be viewed because it has fire damage. If you look at the last two photos above you will see fire damage at the rear on both the first and second floors.

I checked the historic Sanborn Fire Maps and learned that 221 Petronia Street (previously identified as 408 Petronia Street) existed as early as 1889. The adjacent lot, now empty, had a small grocery back in the day. The lot is mostly vacant now except for a bunch of trees.  CLICK HERE to view more photos I took.

The lot and existing structure are zoned HNC-3. This zoning is specifically includes the Bahama Village area and has the stated purpose of  identifying the area as "a City target for redevelopment and revitalization".  The neighbor to the east on Petronia Street is a two story restaurant that was teeming with patrons on Monday when I took photos. Petronia Street has several notable restaurants including Blue Heaven, La Crêperie Key West, and Santiago's Bodega one block to the west. Various small shops related to tourist trade line this street. The neighbor around the corner on Chapman Lane is a single family house.This is the mix of Bahama Village. Since 221 Petronia Street faces the business side, I would assume the City would permit redevelopment of this building (if it can be saved) into a commercial enterprise as oppose to requiring it to be used for residential purposes. That makes sense to me. Of course, I am no 'devloper' and I do not pretend to know what the City would actually do or require. Since buyers are specifically not permitted to enter the property before making an offer, it is difficult to determine the amount of fire damage the building has received. The 1965 black and white photo (below) shows a pretty interesting building. The fate of this building will probably be determined by the extent of structural damage as opposed to smoke and surface damage. It would be a shame to lose a building this interesting.  The color photos above show uninteresting additions at the rear and west side plus an exterior staircase. The mix of the interesting old building, the ugly additions, fire damage, and big lot give this property a lot of possibilities.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet on this property. I understand multiple offers have already been received. Now is the time to act. Please contact me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 if you would like to submit an offer. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. This really is a buying opportunity!

918 Southard Street Unit #111 - Key West - Bank Owned Condo in Old Town

918 Southard Street Unit 111, Key West is a newly listed Bank Owned property that is certainly something to cheer about. This place is as clean as a whistle and ready for a new owner to move in. You'll jump for joy about the location as well. It's located just four blocks from Duval Street and three blocks from the Historic Seaport. Five Brother's Deli is one-half block to the east.That's where you will get your morning cafe con leche. And Michael's is one block to the west. That's where you'll find great steaks.  The unit itself sits near the far end of Griffin Lane on the east side of building. Other houses on the lane are historic Conch houses.

The listing Realtor describes this property as:

"Heart of Old Town 3 Story Condo with 1 Bedroom 2 Bath with Open Loft on the third floor. Wood floors throughout, new Kitchen Cabinets and Appliances. Private Clubhouse and Community Pool. Walking distance to shopping, restaurants, Duval Street and the Historic Seaport."

Let me let you in on a little secret: this place is Da-Bomb! It's much larger than you'd think and nicer than you'd expect for the asking price. Level one has a living area but I would not call it the "living room". It's more like an small family room, den, or study. The bedroom is located at the back of the front floor. There is a full bath that separates the front room from the bedroom. A stairway leads to the second level. 

The main living area is located on the second floor. The kitchen is a bit on the wee side. But it has all the conveniences most second home owners would need and would likely work for most full time residents as well. There is also a full bath on this level. Glass slider doors open out to the second floor deck that overlooks Griffin Lane.

The stairway leads to the biggest surprise of this unit - a third floor open loft that could serve as a second bedroom space. There is no closet on this level, but there is ample room for a bed, dresser, and maybe an armoire.  Skylights on either side of the ceiling provide good daytime light to this space. This space would be good for someone who does not have a lot of overnight guests. 

Southard Square Condominiums have a beautiful gated entry off Southard Street. The community pool and clubhouse are located on the sunny side of the spacious grounds. You'll be getting great tan lines if you lay by this pool. And that's a promise.  CLICK HERE to view more photos that I took of this property.

918 Southard Street Unit #111 is offered for sale at $429,000. CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet on this property. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule personal visit to this listing. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. Let me help you find your place in Paradise.