1409 Truman Avenue, Key West - Incredible Bank Owned Property

Buyers looking for a great value in Key West should take a serious look at 1409 Truman Avenue. This 1932 square foot two story Eyebrow House sits on a 3213 square foot lot and overlooks Bayview Park across the street.Property records suggest it was originally built circa 1889. It was substantially renovated in 2005 but it could use a new coat of paint and replacement of kitchen appliances and counter-tops.  I did not see any large dollar items that need attention. MY old shoebox contained the black and white photo below showing the house in 1965 when an exterior stairway led to the second floor which I assume was used as apartments then. That stairway no longer exists and the current second floor is the master bedroom and en suite bath.

I am a big fan of Eyebrow Houses. This is different from any other I have been inside. The central front door opens into a formal entry hall that leads to the back of the home where the living area is located. There are two bedrooms with private baths on either side at the front of the house. The stairway ascends to the second floor master suite.

As this is an historic Key West home, it is not surprising that the walls and floors are of Dade County Pine throughout the house. Both first floor bedrooms are fairly good sized and each has a private bath. There is a guest bath located at the end of the entry hall.

The open concept living area at the back of the home includes a niche for dining, kitchen, and living are with multiple French doors that open out to the covered rear deck and swim spa. We just start our official fall season. All those leaves will be off the tree within two weeks and brand new green leaves will appear immediately thereafter. We do not have a dormant season. Notice the blue tarp-covered swim spa. I did not remove the tarp to take a look but a new buyer can do that during a home inspection. The spa may have been added instead of a swimming pool because much of the rear yard is covered with tree roots. Our Tree Commission has rules directing the types of trees which may and may not be removed to add a pool.  Since spas are not pools, some owners elect to add spas which do not require city approval.

The staircase lands on a well lit landing where daytime light floods the area. Double doors open into the master bedroom with high pitched ceiling that runs the length of the house. The spaces are divide to provide a large bedroom area, a dressing or sitting area, and large bathroom with dual vanity sinks, soaking bathtub, shower, and private toilet. You can see window unit air conditioners in several windows. The house does have central A/C.  It may be that the A/C stopped working properly and the exiting owner or tenant preferred to use cheap Home Depot units than to pay for a costly repair of the whole house system. A home inspection will tell the prospective buyer the cost to fix the system if it is in need of repair. The good thing is the house does have central air.

1409 Truman Avenue is a lovely old Key West home. It sits high across the street from the tennis courts at Bayview Park - the city's largest park. Workers are busy decorating the park for the upcoming Christmas holiday. The little village of small houses is being erected. Various events are held at the park throughout the year. It's all quite civilized.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet on 1409 Truman Avenue Key West now offered at the reduced price of $774,900. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to set up a private showing. The house does not need repaint nor the counter-tops replaced. It would just look better and feel fresher. Take a look and judge for yourself. This is somebodies dream home. I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

1026 Whitehead Street, Key West - Renovation Potential

During Realtor caravan a couple of days ago I got to see 1026 Whitehead Street, Key West. We were dropped of the caravan bus in front of the old stone church next door which is also for sale but which is owned by a different seller. After I exited the church I made my way to this property and went inside.

The interior has been gutted which is beneficial to a potential buyer. First, a buyer can see the exact condition of the structure and determine what to save and use as part of the renovation. Second, a lot of the hard work and cost of removal has been absorbed.

The bedroom (two above) and kitchen (directly above) are located at the rear end of the house on either side of the large opening where the new living area would be located. The seller has HARC (Historic Architectural Review Commission) architect plans that will convey with the purchase. A new owner may choose to use those plans or may use them as a basis to revise what was approved. The plans themselves have expired and would need re-approval but the cost of drafting has been paid.

The 920 sq ft house sits on an irregular 2318 sq ft lot which measures 43.29' wide by 52,25' deep. Note the existing garage at the front of the wide lot. A new owner could keep that garage, take it down, and perhaps add a pool to the north side yard which abuts the back side of the old church building.

I found a couple of photos I took four years ago of the property next door to the south. The photo above shows the roof condition of 1026 Whitehead. I checked property records to determine when it was added but could not verify the date. Still, the roof looks to be relatively new and in good condition from what I can see.

I searched the Historic Sanborn Fire Maps to see if I could determine when this house was actually built. The Monroe County Property Appraiser has the date at 1926. The 1899 - 1912 Maps show two houses at the location as 1018 and 1020 Whitehead but they are smaller in size which makes me think they were razed and that the existing house was actually built after 1912. Those maps are accurate as to what existed at the time prepared.

I search in my old shoebox and found the two black and white photos above. The top pic shows 1026 Whitehead as it appeared in 1965. It doesn't vary much from the way the house currently looks. The wood picket addition to the fence obstructs the street view. I think the house would look much better if the pickets were removed. Whitehead Street has changed quite dramatically since the 1947 photo was taken. The street is busy during most of the daytime as tourists make their way to the Hemingway House, the Southernmost Point, or pass by on one of the Conch Trains or Trolley Cars. Around 5:00 PM the tourists head back to their hotels and make way to go to sunset at Mallory Square. This little neighborhood goes back to normal with an occasional car or scooter. Duval Street is just one block to the east.  The new Truman Waterfront Park and Ft. Zach Taylor Beach are a five to seven minute bike ridge to the west. This would be a great location for a Key West getaway cottage.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet on 1026 Whitehead Street offered at $550,000. Then 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.

710 Galveston Lane, Key West - Life on the Slow Lane

 

One of the joys of having lived in Key West during the past twenty-five years has been to watch the restoration of so many of the once neglected homes in Old Town. I learned to recognize the different architectural styles in Old Town and to appreciate the value of location, especially the quiet little lanes, which have an appeal more than I ever imagined.  I also have learned so much about Key West by studying the old photos and the Sanborn Fire Maps. Both have been excellent resources to understand what once was so that we can now appreciate the unique character of our little town.

 710 Galveston Lane, Key West as it looked back in 1965 and as it looks in 2018

Preferred Properties Key West just listed the cute as can be house at 710 Galveston Lane.  The listing Realtor invited me to take a look at this 1218 sq ft vernacular cottage that sits on a 42" X 71.5' (3010 sq ft) lot tucked away on one of the slow lanes of Key West.

I found an aerial photo of the area taken about fifty years ago. I noted the location of 710 Galveston Lane with a check mark. The house sits near the crest of Solares Hill, the highest point in Key West. The house is located in the coveted X Flood Zone. You will see the lane diverts off Windsor Lane where it dog legs to the east at Bill Butler Park and ends two blocks to the south at Olivia Street.  A photographer for the WPA (Works Progress Administration) took several iconic photos of Galveston Lane in the Great Depressions. Times have changed - most of the houses, like this one, have been renovated, expanded, and gentrified. Many of the houses are second homes instead of primary residences. Life on the lane, however, is still pretty quiet. I'm sure all of the residents like that.

I checked the Sanborn Fire Maps to determine when 710 Galveston Lane may have been built. The 1889 Map did not show any structures in the area which I doubt was the case as surrounding areas were all inhabited. The 1892 Map showed the house then identified as 12 Low Lane. The 1899 Map revised the address to 710 Lowe's Lane. (This must have confused locals back then as there was another Lowes Lane located just off the 500 block of Grinnell Street.) The address was revised on the 1912 Map to 710 Galveston Lane. We can therefore conclude 710 Galveston Lane was built prior to 1899. The original house has been updated and enlarged several times over the years. The current owner recently completed a new renovation which included the addition of a pool. The house is in pristine condition and is more cute in person than the great photos suggest.

The owner relocated the main entrance to the rear of the property which is accessed from the gate at the end of the driveway. Guests arrive at the garden and pool area which includes a sunny backyard plus covered sitting and dining area. French doors open into the living area and adjacent kitchen.

This home now has an open concept living area at the rear. Guest can move easily between the indoors and outdoors through French doors throughout much of the year. The cheerful kitchen opens into the living area. There is a cute little powder room next to the staircase that leads to a second floor guest bedroom and private bath. The guest bedroom bath is tucked under the rear dormer - it is so friggin' cute!

The large master bedroom is located at the front of the house. The original front porch is now a private porch off the bedroom. It provides a perfect perch to people watch, although there is not very much traffic on this little lane. The bedroom has an en suite bath and large closet. There is a lot of well planned storage which makes this house is viable as a full time home. However, it could easily become a monthly vacation rental were that to be the aim of a new owner.

I sold the house directly across the lane to a couple from my home state of Colorado. They are near completing the expansion of their home which can be viewed from the front porch of 710 Galveston Lane. Galveston Lane is a cute-as-can-be block of similar little cottages that just keep getting better and better.

Charlies Grocery is located one block to the west of Galveston Lane. The Key West cemetery is one block east of that. The historic seaport is located three blocks to the north and Truman Avenue is three blocks to the south. You can walk just about anywhere in about five minutes. People from all over the world travel for hours to get to Key West. If you lived here, you could be in someplace really special in a matter of minutes. CLICK HERE to view more photos of 710 Galveston Lane Key West.

710 Galveston Lane is offered for sale at $1,090,000 by Preferred Properties Key West. Please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to set up a private showing. CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet for more details on this listing.