610 Griffin Lane, Key West - Stunning Update of an Old Town Charmer!

 The listing Realtor describes the new listing at 610 Griffin Lane this way:

"Nestled in the heart of Old Town tucked away on a sweet, quiet lane, you will find this completely charming oasis consisting of a main house with 2 bedrooms and 2 baths, guest house with living area, loft bedroom and bath, and even a third house which could serve as a bedroom, office, or studio. Thoughtfully restored with an eye to detail and comfort, the cottages' porches overlook a delightful courtyard with native landscaping and a refreshing heated cocktail pool. The kitchen is completely renovated with stainless appliances and quartz countertop, and the bathrooms are evocative of a peaceful spa experience. This rare property is truly a haven in paradise. One off-street parking space completes this Old Town compound." 

 I found an old black and white photo of this property that was taken in 1965. Everything on the inside and most of the outside is new. The listing realtor says the house dates back to 1901.  It doesn't look that old - not by a long shot.

The front porch was opened up and steps relocated to the west end of the porch.  A bricked path was added which winds its way to the west where two additional cottages are located. There is a large court yard surrounded by various tropical plantings and trees. The rear area just stuns a first time visitor, it's that charming. It's the kind of place that immediately makes you say to yourself "I wish I could live here!" 

There are two recently (but not newly) constructed cottages at the rear. Both have been thoroughly updated by the current owner.  I unilaterally decided to call the smaller cottage a writer's cottage because it has no bath. It's perfectly adorable for just about any use including a spare bedroom, artist studio, gym or yoga studio, or a place where one could write the great American novel. The outdoor shower can be partially seen through the window in the photo above.  A guest would have to use the bathroom in the larger two story building or one of the bathrooms in the main house. CLICK HERE to view more photos I took of this really charming property.

The original house has been updated as well. The kitchen is all new and features beautiful cabinets, stainless steel appliances, and quartz counter tops.The kitchen doorway opens out to the cocktail pool which you'll see shortly. The kitchen floors are new porcelain tiles. The wood floors in the house are original to the home and have been refinished.

There are two porches that open from the the living and kitchen areas. The front porch runs the length of the house from the front gate and the courtyard side covered porch provides both sitting and outdoor dining space.

There are two good sized bedrooms and baths in the main house. And there is separation between the rooms so the other occupants can't listen to bickering or anything else. That's an important part of any home, whether it is permanent housing or a space that is used as a vacation rental. People want privacy. This property provides it.

The French doors visible in the photo second above open out to cistern that was converted into a cocktail pool. No diving allowed unless you want to crack your noggin. The space is smallish, but there is a pool and a place to sun.  If you want to be near people and lots of semi-naked bodies, Dante's is located just a couple of blocks to the north. Five Brothers Deli is one-half block away on the corner of Southard at Grinnell Street. Duval Street is a five minute walk to the west.  

CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet and listing photos of 610 Griffin Lane which is offered for sale at $1,495,000. This is a 1600 sq ft property with three bedrooms, three baths, an outdoor shower, cocktail pool, and one off street parking spot.  Please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to set up a private showing. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. You're gonna fall in love with this one!

714 Olivia St #4, Key West - Bank Owned with Transient License

There is a new Bank Owned listing at 714 Olivia Street, Unit #4 in Old Town Key West that is something to cheer about - the reason is it has a very valuable Transient Rental License and is affordably priced.  The listing Realtor describes this property this way:

"Cottage style condominium with a transient license in Old Town Key West. The one level cottage has vaulted ceilings, tile floors, open floor plan and french doors in the living room and bedroom that open onto porches. The condo is being sold furnished. The Colony Condominium is a small community with a large beautiful pool and off street parking."

This is one of nine units total. Some of the units share a 'common wall' with an adjacent property. This his an historic property that was updated and expanded just a bit when the property was turned into condominiums. 

The deck at the front of the house looks off to the pool and the winding bricked sidewalk which leads to  the front entry.  There is also a private rear deck accessed off the kitchen were you might have a grill or lounge chairs for more private chilling or entertaining.

Unit #4 is a one bedroom, one bath condo with 526 sq ft of interior living space. It has a valuable Transient Rental License which permits daily, weekly, or monthly rentals. A new owner is not required to rent the unit at all, but having the viability to rent daily or weekly makes this particular property very valuable in the eyes of many. The condo fees are 1400 per quarter and cover trash, sewer,trash removal, building maintenance and insurance, and common area & pool maintenance.  This property in located in an excellent part of Old Town and could be easily rented throughout most of the year if the new owner wanted to do so.  CLICK HERE to see more photos I took.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet and to learn more info on this unit. Use the drop down menu for more info.  Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to set up a showing on this neat and well located 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.

1309 Grinnell Street - The Casa Marina Area - Key West

JUST LISTED by Preferred Properties Key West, that's where I work but this is not my listing, 1309 Grinnell Street which is located in the Casa Marina Area. This 1724 sq ft home is hidden behind large privacy fence. When you open the gate, you are genuinely surprised to see a lagoon pool and tropical garden upon entering the property. A winding path leads through the bricked terrace and up the steps to the home.

I fished around in my old shoebox and found a photo taken of this house in 1965, see below.  I have included a new color photo that shows the house from about the same angle taken in 2015.  

The aerial photo above was taken in 1930.  I added a white arrow that indicates the location of 1309 Grinnell Street. The house was not built then, but its next door neighbor existed then. The Monroe County Property Appraiser website shows this house was built in 1958.  I think the actual construction may actually have been sometime earlier - probably right after World War II.  I believe the original house was a one story bungalow style house. There are many nearby bungalow style houses located in this immediate area. The second floor addition appears in the 1965 photo so we know it existed as of that date or earlier.

I often speculate about how a house might look like if a new owner did a few things to tweak the exterior a bit. While parts of the Casa Marina Area are now subject to review by our Historic Architectural Review Commission, this house might get a "pass" since it is not a contributing structure and since prior additions totally changed the original view.

I would suggest the creation of a new two story front porch that would overlook the pool. I would replace the T-111 siding with Novelty siding that already exists on the main floor. I would replace the aluminum windows with wood windows to give the house a more traditional home appearance. I would gut the first and second floor interiors and rearrange the room layouts and functionality. The living room, dining area, kitchen, laundry, and a bedroom and full bath are located on the main level.  I think the current configuration is both  dated and also no longer fits the way we live today. The second floor layout is equally outdated and impractical. The second floor landing is way too large. The spaces could be reconfigured to enlarge the bedrooms and perhaps add another bath. Another scenario would be to eliminate one of the existing three upper bedrooms and to reconfigure the space to have just one guest bedroom and to create a larger new master bedroom with en-suite, The new master bedroom would have French doors that open out to the second floor front porch which would overlook the pool. If you take down the existing walls, you can create any new space you want.

CLICK HERE to view more photos I took of the house and yard. According to the Monroe County Property Appraiser the yard is an irregular 4555 sq ft lot (about 43.25' X 92'5'). The house sits to the rear of the lot, and the pool is located up front. There is a good sized deck on the south side of the house. The north side lot is about six feet wide.

A new owner would not have to make any structural changes to this house. It needs existing carpet removed and replaced.  Interiors need to be cleaned and painted. My suggestions are offered only to spark the Reader's imagination as to what they might do if this house were theirs.  A 1960s vintage house located in the next block was a couple of years ago and was featured in Architectural Digest. It was a simple house before it became glamorous. It was recently offered for sale at $2,499,000. Our office sold a similar contemporary renovation in the same block in 2012 for $1,950,000. I think any money spent on this house will ultimately make the house worth much more. Most of the homes in  this area are priced over one million dollars and prices are trending much higher. The Atlantic Ocean and beaches are just a few blocks to the south. Duval Street is a five block walk to the west. Most of the gyms and yoga studios are located within a four block walk to the north or east. You can be in most places you want to go within a matter of minutes. I believe the current "condition" and location make this property worthy of serious consideration.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet on 1309 Grinnell Street that is offered for sale at $675,000. Please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule a private showing.  I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.