1106 Georgia Street, Key West - The Golden Heron House

People from all over the world come to Key West for many reasons including its old homes and buildings. They love to walk and bike around various neighborhoods where they can see homes from a different era most of which have been restored and preserved and some which desperately need help. Many of these visitors dream about owning a place in Key West. The new listing at 1106 Georgia Street might just be that place for someone reading today's blog.

I dug into my old shoebox and found the black and white aerial photo taken in 1918 which I added an arrow identifying the location of 1106 Georgia Street. Today the large parcel of vacant ground is Bayview Park,  The broad street under the text was then known as Division Street. Today it is Truman Avenue. Much has changed in the hundred years since that photo was taken. The one time grocery at the corner of Georgia and Virginia Street is now a house. And it is now offered for sale at $1,639,000.

Among the striking features of this building is the wrap-around awning which extends out over the public sidewalk - note the dotted yellowish line framing the lot. I also found the black and white photo of the building in 1965. Both the exterior and interior of this property were used as sets in The Rose Tattoo movie filmed in Key West in 1955.  The main floor was a grocery (see also the Sanborn Map above which shows the building as a grocery). The Georgia Street awning was partially enclosed to make the space more private and provides a comfy sitting place to watch the comings and goings in the neighborhood. Tennessee Williams, the author of The Rose Tattoo, lived a couple of blocks to the south and east. This was his neighborhood.

Etched glass French doors open into this one-of-a-kind home with open-air living room (immediately above) located off the main entry. The 2587 sq ft home has five bedrooms, three and one-half baths, two kitchens, and a grotto like pool.  This place is just too cool for words. It has a history of being used as a monthly vacation rental. In fact, a customer of mine has stayed there before. His family loved it.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and to view the striking listing photos of 1106 Georgia Street. Then 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. This home will be on Open House Sunday November 18 from 12 to 3. Drop by and tell the Karen Lane, the listing Realtor, that you read about the property my blog. She would love to have you take a look.

My logo is an image of Tennessee Williams home on nearby Duncan Street. Williams wrote The Rose Tattoo. This is a neat neighborhood filled with interesting buildings and stories.

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.