1619 Rose Street, Key West - Just Listed

Just Listed, but not by me, 1619 Rose Street in Key West, Florida. I was invited to preview this lovely mid-century home that has been recently totally renovated for 21st Century living. I have shown similar homes in this same area (and sold two nearby homes of the same original design). They did not look anything like this. And that means if you are a looker, you must really take a look at this home.

According to the Monroe County Property Appraiser records, the house is 1610 square feet of living space and sits on a 6100 sq ft lot (61' X 100'). There are three bedrooms and two bathrooms. Numbers mean nothing when you see the house in person. A large privacy fence blocks viewing the house from the street. The front yard is  minimally landscaped which means less work for the homeowner or gardener. I was truly awed when I first entered the house. Every design element suggested "new", "modern", "clean", and "efficient".  Where other houses of this era have small, boxy rooms, this living area of this home has been opened to allow movement from living space to living space without having to move through hallways which take up potentially valuable living space.

There is an abundance of cabinets and counter-tops in the new kitchen as well as down lights and under cabinet lights.  What the photos don't reveal is that the sliding doors disappear completely into the walls creating a seamless transition from the interior living area to the outdoor space. 

The current owners use the front guest bedroom as a media room. Notice the black cabinet recessed into the wall that was formerly a closet. Today that space provides all varieties of media devices and storage. The barely visible hall leads to the rear guest bedroom which the current owners use as a home office where there a a Murphy Bed system that includes a desk. The Murphy bed system conveys with the house.

I could write an entire blog about the master bedroom, but I'll try to keep my comments to a minimum. The double opaque doors near the dining area open into the bedroom which is minus part of a wall. The bathroom is just plain elegant.  You'll notice the cabinets appear to float. The tile wall at the rear wraps around the corner where you will find the two person shower. Part of the framing of the original house was removed and re-framed to allow the addition of a a transom window in the shower which introduces light into the space. The end wall of the shower is actually an opaque glass door which adds more light into the space. The transom effect carries on into the garage that was transformed into a new super-closet and wine storage area. I told the owners Imelda would be jealous. Finally, look backup to the first picture above of the bedroom area. Another set of sliders open out to the outdoor area.

The owners use the outdoor space all year around. The covered area provides protection from the sun or rain. The table is the perfect place to dine alone or with friends among the garden filled with specimen orchids, many of which convey with the property. There are a lot of little things the owners added that were totally unique to what I have ever seen in a home in Key West that will convey including a living vertical garden that acts as a bit of privacy barrier from the home next door to the west. It is so damned cute. (Photo below)

Not shown in the photos is the east orchid garden and additional covered storage areas. And also not included in the square footage of the house is the storage shed at the far side of the rear garden where large chaise lounge provides a perfect perch to admire the orchids and sip a glass of wine.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and listing photos of 1619 Rose Street. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to set up a private showing of this incredible home that is located within walking distance to either Smathers Beach of Higgs Beach or the private pool where no bathing suit is required.I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

Flipping or Building New in Key West - Be Aware of Lipstick on a Pig

This past Sunday I watched several episodes of house flipping tv show. I thought the woman had horrible taste in design that was only exceeded by her cheapness. Today's blog is not about that show, but about what a lot of people do in Key West when they renovate or build new.  They buy and build as cheap as they can but sell at market price. I think they think the buying public is none the wiser.

I have told this little story a couple of times in this blog. I remember it well. One New Year's Eve day maybe a decade ago I showed a recently renovated home located at the end of a picturesque Old Town lane. The lane dead-ended at this property. The listing broker was also the owner and also the guy who remodeled this house. I could tell he took a lot of short cuts in the renovation of the house just by standing and looking around. He had converted a former garage into a bedroom. He put tiles on what used to be the garage floor and enclosed the garage door opening. The floor sloped to one side and there was a large step-up into the main entry hall. Standing in the entry hall, I looked back at the new double wood door entry. I could see two things: light coming in under both doors and also that the doors were not even on the underside. When we moved to the kitchen there was only one light, a gaudy chandelier complimented by  black granite counter tops, and a shiny brass or gold kitchen faucet. I specifically remember calling out the absurdity of the chandelier which looked okay during the daytime. I said something like "How are you supposed to cook by this at night?"

This same real estate agent-developer had renovated a large apartment house in Old Town and converted it into five or six condos. They all shared the same black granite and gaudy brass faucets. Those cheap condos were competitively priced to a much better conversion a block to the south. I cringed every time I showed one of those cheap condos. I would always point out the flaws to my buyers, most of whom were shopping by price.

Another customer of mine who was a Conch (native Key Wester) purchased a single family home on Stock Island a few years ago. The mid-century one story house was quite large. They created an illegal second unit (rental unit) using the former side door as the new apartment entry door. I was invited over to admire the renovation. As I stood in the new and illegal kitchen, the lady said something about not understanding why it had been so difficult to rent the unit. About the same time she pointed out the light fixture they purchased for $2.98 at Home Depot. She was so proud of that puny little light which may have cost her at least a month's loss of income because the room was so dimly lit. Even poor renters have standards.

Several years ago I wrote a blog about the house owned by a friend from my old gym. His house was located across the street from a half-way house and in an area that had not shared in the rising prices of other areas of Key West. They tried realtor after realtor to sell their house. Finally, one of the reality tv make-over shows offered to help. They painted part of the house and installed some cheap gimmick. It did not work. The house finally sold after the owner left town and reduced the asking price to fit the real value of the less-than- perfect neighborhood.

The flipping tv lady said d something like "I don't care what people think" (about her decorating style).  She should.  And buyers should care even more. They may find odd paint colors and closeout tiles compatible with their lifestyle. But they will have to sell that place someday. After the luster of a has-been tv makeover wears off, the owner may find it difficult to sell a gimmick. In Key West and elsewhere quality endures.

1022 Flagler Avenue, Key West - Just Listed

Just Listed, but not by me, 1022 Flagler Avenue, Key West, Florida. If you are familiar with Key West, but have been away for a few years, you need to know there has been a lot of developed going on. I know one of the things that draws people back to town year after year is the priceless collection of old homes that make up our historic district. The general rule is you can't tear down a house in Old Town.  And there are many restrictions on what you can do to renovate the old homes as well. Restrictions apply in other areas like the Casa Marina and the Meadows. That is why when some houses in those neighborhoods can be razed and a new house built. The brand new home at 1022 Flagler Avenue is perfect example of  new construction in a prime residential neighborhood.

 1022 Flagler Avenue in 1965

 1022 Flagler Avenue in 2016

1022 Flagler Avenue April 2017

The All New 1022 Flagler Avenue, December 2017

Before we see the new, let's look back at the former house that sat on this 5041 sq ft lot. I wrote about the house when it was purchased in April 2016. The original concrete block house was built in 1958. It was a two bedroom house with 1103 sq ft of living space. It had a covered carport and a pool at the rear. It was typical of many homes in the area, but also note there are many larger lots with much larger homes. The trend has been to remodel larger older homes and to razed smaller houses and build larger structures as permitted by code. Prices in the Casa Marina generally sell equal to or higher than the premium homes in the very best locations of Old Town.

The new four bedroom three and one-half bath has 2,000 square feet of interior living space. The architect was Tom Pope, the dean of architects in Old Town. I prided myself in walking into a restoration or new building and being able to distinguish his design from others. But I had to ask the listing agent on this home. The agent allowed me to use professional shot photos that unfortunately make the rooms look a bit beige. The walls are all pure white, the Italian concrete floors are gray; all of the cabinets and closet doors are white; the distressed oak floors are a light brown that compliment the gray toned concrete floors. The owner designed tiles used in the kitchen. They were made in Colombia and compliment the Caesarstone  counter-tops. Other construction materials used throughout the house include opaque entrance doors and privacy doors; tall baseboards; high-end stainless steel fans; and LED lighting.

The main floor bedroom and bath could be used as a master suite later in life when climbing stairs can become difficult. All four bedrooms have Juliet balconies that span the width of the impact glass sliding doors which bring so much light into each room. Italian concrete floors flow seamlessly from the entry foyer on into the space which winds its way through the hall of lighted closets through the double vanity to the shower which has one of those opaque privacy doors I mentioned. This bath doubles as a pool shower. By the way there is a separate pool bathroom.

The wide staircase lands on the mezzanine level where there are two guest bedrooms which share a large bath. Note the floors has changed to distress oak.  The stairs turn and land at the upper or master suite level.

The master suite show the finger-joint fir walls used throughout the house. These walls give a bit of a masculine feel to the rooms. I think the colors used in the hard surfaces and the simplicity of the overall design will work well with an owner who loves minimalism as well as an owner who will bring rich colored furnishings to contrast the simple spaces.

The landscaping around the pool is minimalist. A new owner can finish this off in a way works best for him or her or them. 

 1022 Flagler Avenue has a garage

A couple of months ago I wrote about 1023 Johnson Street (the home located behind 1022 Flagler Avenue). The asking price on that property is $3,495,000. It is under contract and is scheduled to close soon. The house across the street at 1019 Flagler Avenue sold earlier this year at $3,650,000.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet on 1022 Flagler Avenue and then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to set up a private showing of this really beautiful Casa Marina  home offered at $2,395,000. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. I live in the Casa Marina area. I would love to show you why the prices here compete with Old Town - its the location near the ocean and the distance from the madness of Duval Street.