606 Grinnel Street, Key West

Just Listed, but not by me, 606 Grinnell Street in Old Town Key West. When you view the home from the street you would probably never suspect the place is actually a two story legal duplex. I checked the Historic Sanborn Fire Maps to see if I could determine the approximate date this home was built. The 1889 map did not show any homes in this area but the surrounding blocks were thoroughly built out.  This leads me to conclude houses were on  this block and other surrounding blocks in 1889 but were omitted from map placement for some reason.. The house did appear on the 1892 map.. I the dug through my old shoe box and found a couple of photos of the home taken about fifty years ago. They show the house before the house was totally renovated and enlarged to add the rear addition and inclusion of the second floor attic space into the renovated structure.

The photos demonstrate that the front facade has pretty much stayed pretty much the same over the decades. The historic metal shingles still exist (or were replaced with like-kind). The old scuttle on the roof is still there. Scuttles were used before we had air conditioning to allow hot air to rise through the house and escape into the heavens. The color photo below shows the expansion of the old house and the newer addition. A small pool is at the rear. An agent in my office lives nearby. He told me watch as this house was taken almost to the ground and entirely rebuilt. A decorative railing replaced the basic original one. There are new doors and windows throughout the house. Inside, the floors are level and rooms divided into livable spaces the way we live today.

The front porch looks out to one of the best blocks in Old Town. This is because the Conch Trains and Trolley Cars can't maneuver the turn at the end of the street where Grinnell terminates at the Key West cemetery. Because of this there is much less traffic from all other sources as well. You'll still see tourists pedaling past on rented bikes and see neighbors walking their dogs to the doggie park at the end of the block, but the noise level will be greatly reduced compared to many other places.

Both the first floor and second floor apartments are tenant occupied. The first floor tenants use the front room as an office. A hallway leads to the rear addition where the great room includes the kitchen, living, and dining areas in one large space. French doors at the rear open out to the rear covered porch that looks out to the private pool at the rear.

The child's playhouse at the rear belongs to the tenant and is not included in the purchase of this home. Perhaps the new owner can create something similar for that special child or grand child. 

The second floor apartment is accessed via side entrance. The main living area of the apartment is quite large and provides shared living, dining, and kitchen spaces.The bedroom is located at the front. 

Double doors open out to the second floor covered balcony. This balcony provides a lot of quality outdoor living space many apartments in Old Town do not have. One of the reasons people move to Key West is to enjoy our wonderful climate. Whoever lives in this apartment will be able to enjoy the great outdoors in style. CLICK HERE to view more photos I recently took of this property.

Many potential buyers seeking a second home in Key West want a place they can rent out to help cover some of the costs of home ownership. A new owner of this property could keep one unit for him or her self and rent out the other. The downstairs unit would rent for more money because it has use of the pool. Rental income from the upper level unit ought to pay all insurances, taxes, and maintenance costs.  Either way, a new owner keep one unit for personal use and rent the other.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet and listing photos on 606 Grinnell Street which is offered for sale at $1,200,000. 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.

634 Louisa Street #3, Key West

634 Louisa Street Unit #3 is a buying opportunity for the frugal buyer who wants a place that is move-in ready, priced below market for similar properties in Old Town Key West, and is economical to maintain and insure on a long term basis. 

The listing Realtor, not me, describes this 756 sq ft two story condo unit this way:

"Spacious one bedroom home with a bonus room that can function as a den and guest room. Newer construction that has very affordable insurances due to it meeting strict building regulations and being located in an X flood zone, just steps away from upper Duval street. Property may be sold furnished to create a turn key buying opportunity. Very private backyard with delightful jacuzzi and tropical landscaping."

The first floor is an efficient mix of living space, kitchen, and dining area. Glass sliders open out to the surprising rear courtyard which has a private hot tub. What looks like a rear gate is just a bit of folly to help create more interest in the space. I think the back yard is really creative for such a small space and a small price by Key West standards. The above photo will help readers understand some of the cost savings built into these units. The exterior of the building has Hardiboard siding. This is a man-made material that is resistant to pests and our climate.Hardiboard siding does not need painted as often as regular wood siding. The windows and doors are impact glass which means both your windstorm and home owner's insurance will be greatly reduced year after year. The property is in the X zone so flood insurance is not necessary. 

This unit was previously rented as a vacation rental, but it could be easily rented as a long term apartment as well. There is a huge housing shortage in Key West. I am confident a new owner could rent this space in a New York minute.

This property is located just one block east of the shops, restaurants, and habitats of upper Duval Street. Neither you nor your renters will need a pool because South Beach is just a couple of blocks away.


CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule a private showing of 634 Louisa Street Unit #3 that is offered for sale at just $499,000. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

---

4 Pinder Lane, Key West - Old Town Treasure

Just Listed by Preferred Properties Key West, that's where I work but this is not my listing, 4 Pinder Lane. This home is a blend of an historic Key West home which was updated with mid-20th Century additions. The original house was built in 1859 and is on the National Registry of Historic Places. The current home has both large and sophisticated public spaces for entertaining and small intimate spaces for normal living. The current owner purchased the home a couple of years ago and tweaked the propertyy in all the right places. Things that went bump in the night don't do that anymore. The house has all new windows, doors, and other essentials. The house has 2657 sq ft of living space situated on an irregular 9887 sq ft lot located at the end of a lane surrounded by some very pricey homes.

The two photos above visually demonstrate the centuries-apart construction. The historic home is on the right. It's as cute and as charming as any dreamer seeking an old historic home could want. There are plenty of small spaces and interesting angles to keep a reader or writer of books occupied. Rockers on the front porch provide a perfect perch for watching the occasional bird that may pass by, but there's little other activity on this lane which dead ends here. The photo immediately above shows the mid-century addition which includes an enclosed breezeway entry into the home. The large structure to the left is the grand living room with huge vaulted ceiling. 

You enter this home through the double glass doors in the first photo above. The living area has an 18' vaulted ceiling with a glass wall of windows and doors that frame the entire room. The design is so comfortable and informal that you immediately feel welcome in this wonderful living space. The newly added doors retract to provide a totally unobstructed view of the pool and gardens. The grounds are totally (but subtly) lit at night.

If you saw this home a couple of years ago, you'll be surprised to see the kitchen has been moved to the front of the house where the old dining room used to be located. The new dining area is now just a couple of steps away on the main living level. The new kitchen has Wolf cooking appliances and a big SubZero refrigerator. There is a nifty counter height informal dining area built in as well. The ground floor guest bedroom is located just off the dining area. Two additional guest bedrooms are located upstairs.

A door at the rear of the guest bedroom opens directly into the first floor bathroom which has a second entrance off the hallway next to the stairway.

The upper level is so inviting that your guests may never leave. Who wouldn't want to curl up and take a nap in such inviting spaces? Nobody that I know. Both the mini-living area and bath are shared on this level. There is even a rooftop sundeck for sun worshipers. CLICK HERE to view more photos of this important property.

The new master suite is located at the rear of the original house. That space was expanded to provide a second vaulted ceiling. You might think the space is too big to be intimate, but you'd be wrong. The space is warm and cozy. When the rear drapes are drawn back you can see into a separate rear yard (not the same yard where the pool is located). A winding brick path leads through the grounds past a little babbling fountain and that ends at a small cottage currently used for storage. There is an immense walk-in closet located off the hallway that leads into the bedroom. The master bath is totally private.

The 43' X 18' pool was resurfaced and the former brick pavers were replaced with new contemporary tiles. The effect almost goes unnoticed because everything so easily blends together. The tiki hut has been outfitted with a new outdoor kitchen. There is even a private poolside bath.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet on 4 Pinder Lane which is offered for sale at $3,295,000. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to set up a private showing on this wonderful Key West home. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.