1307 Elizabeth Street, Key West - Short Sale - Buying Opportunity

Buyers seeking a "fixer" that does not look like it needs all that much fixed should take notice of this new short sale located at 1307 Elizabeth Street, Key West. The house looks as though the owner walked away. Palm fronds are scattered all over the driveway and bricked side and back yards. I sold another house on this block three years ago and happened to snap a photo of 1307 Elizabeth Street as it appeared then. See below. It fits in nicely with the other lovely homes on this one block stretch between United Street to the north and South Street to the south. Simonton Street is one-half block away and Duval Street is one block further west. You could not ask for a better located in Old Town - it's close to the action but not a part of it.

A previous MLS listing provided a bit of history of this former cigar maker cottage which was allegedly made in the Bahamas and floated to Key West in the 1880s for use of workers at the nearby Gato Cigar factory. In the 1920ss it was used as a bakery. I checked the Monroe County Property Appraiser records and learned the house was significantly remodeled in 1996.

The black and white photo from 1965 shows the original cigar maker cottage together with an addition at the rear. The 1996 renovation added a second addition which is where the kitchen and dining area are now located. This room is a step down from the main living level and has a shed roof. The bedroom is located at the front of the house followed by the bathroom. All rooms have vaulted ceilings except the kitchen. The interiors are modern and do not have any historic character. Not being negative. Just pointing out what exists. A new side entrance on the north side opens into the living room. The old front porch is now a place for sitting outside off the bedroom.

The renovated house has 812 square feet of living space under air that sits on a lot measuring 40' wide by 81' deep. There is off street parking in front and a washer and dryer located in the shed at the rear. It appears that all of the windows are shuttered including the clerestory windows in the living area at the rear. The north side yard and back area are brick pavers.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and listing photos. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to discuss. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. This will go quickly, at least as far as contract negotiation.

Hey! Paula! - 3707 Paula Avenue, Key West That Is

Readers who have been waiting for a really nice home to move into need look no further than 3707 Paula Avenue in the new town area of Key West. I was really taken by how nicely this home was updated. And it has a legal one bedroom apartment with a separate entrance.

The record Hey Paula dates back to 1963. That's the same year this home was built. The old house doesn't look like so many others who have been updated by weekend warriors. Instead, this home was thoughtfully brought into the 21st century with design elements that will be practical for decades to come.

The 1200 square foot main house has two bedrooms and two baths. There is also a legal accessory unit with about 247 square feet of living space that is as neat and clean as the main house. Updated features in the main house include new windows, new floors, large baseboards, trim, new lighting and fans,  new designer kitchen and stainless steel appliances.

The guest cottage is legal and would probably rent in the $1500 per month range. It has separate electric, gas, and laundry. It has a private entry so as to not interfere with the home owner. The income should pay all of the home owner's insurances, taxes, and maintenance.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and listing photos. 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. This is worth looking at. It is looks so much better than the average mid century update. 

Key West Pre-Valentine's Day Open Houses

“This town ain’t big, but its big enough for two Open Houses.”

1413 Von Phister Street is a brand new three bedroom home with 1924 sq ft of living space, pool, and a white picket fence. Offered at $1,549,000. Open 12 to 2 PM.

409 Grinnell Street was built circa 1885 and was awarded a coveted Ceramic Star for Historic Preservation in 2014. This four bedroom home with beautiful new pool with waterfall also has a white picket fence and a great Old Town location.  Offered at $1,275,000. Open 12 to 2 PM.

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620 Ashe Street, Key West - Price Reduced

I wrote about 620 Ashe Street located in the Historic District of Key West in 2011 in a Projects of Key West post. I monitored progress over many months as the original house was lifted into the air so that new piers and other structural changes could be made.

It was not until this past week during Realtor caravan that I actually got to see the inside.  I was impressed.  So were the other Realtors who commented on the clean interiors and the welcoming pool and landscaping.

The interior of this home looks nothing like the original house and that is just fine by me. The interiors of most of our older houses feature small one purpose rooms. This home was expanded at the rear by attaching a saw tooth addition. The new house has 1908 square feet of living space plus first and second floor front porches, rear first floor deck and second floor deck off the master bedroom that includes a hot tube and wonderful views of this quiet Old Town neighborhood. There is a formal entry hall that contains a classic staircase to the second floor. One of three bedrooms is located at the front left of the house. The living room, kitchen and dining area follow at the rear. The covered lanai is just incredible. It has a gas fireplace - imagine a fireplace in Key West. The pool sits in a garden that wraps around the side of the home. I found the outdoor shower - a must in Key West.
This seller was also the owner of the house who restored it. They created the all new room configuration .  Everything just seemed so well done.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and listing photos on 620 Ashe Street now offered for sale at $1,949,000. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-7666-2642, to schedule a private showing. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

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744 Windsor Lane, Key West

A hidden tropical paradise awaits behind the hand-carved Indonesian teak doors of 744 Windsor Lane. This extraordinary property presents an unassuming visage to the world: it looks like two classic Key West cottages joined together, and so it is. But once inside, prepare to be amazed. Behind the teak doors lies a secret interior courtyard with ponds and waterfalls and a multitude of exquisite plants. Gently rising blond stone steps lift above the water to a second grand entrance, and a second surprise: a home of enormous open spaces, clean modernist lines, and walls of windows overlooking a quarter-acre of manicured tropical splendor. An enormous lanai, an outdoor kitchen, and a cabana bath accompany one of the largest pools in Key West in this private oasis known to just a few. An ideal home for entertaining, this 6 bedroom, 7 bath modernist masterpiece can graciously host family holiday gatherings, elegant cocktail parties, or even a fundraising gala with scores of guests. A truly unique property in the heart of Old Town, fully updated and offered in superb condition at $5.75 million. 

The two black & white photos above show 744 and 748 Windsor Lane, Key West, as they appeared in 1965.  A couple of decades later restaurateurs Phillip and Antonia (the creators of Antonia's Restaurant on Duval Street) joined the two houses together to create one large home with extensive gardens. The current owners recently completed a total restoration of the property. Craig Reynolds, Key West's premier landscape architect, designed the new gardens and Mark Harris supervised the installation. The buildings were updated and revamped including the installation of new formal living room, new west wing master bath, new whole house generator, new impact windows and doors except the historic facade, new decking, interior and exterior painting by Nippers, new lighting, and so on.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and listing photos for 744 Windsor Lane, Key West, Florida.  Please contact me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to schedule a private showing. I share this listing with Cory Held and Jeffrey Grosky. (Qualified buyers only.) I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.