824 Terry Lane - Key West - A Piece of Heaven

I have often written about life on the slow lanes of Key West. The cottage at 824 Terry Lane is a perfect example of space and time: it is a wonderful embodiment of space and time means nothing if you live here.

The cottage is located at the rear of the Terry Lane Court condo compound (which I will describe later). The house itself is 747 sq ft of living space most of which is on the ground floor. (Lot size is 1131 sq ft.) The front door opens into a small foyer that leads forward into the combined kitchen and living room. The kitchen looks like it is brand new and has beautiful cabinets, stainless steel appliances, and rich granite counter-tops and back splash. 

 The laundry area is concealed behind a door and is located in the kitchen.

The living area is stunning. It is so simple, but so grand at the same time. The space seems expansive because of the vaulted ceiling and French doors that open out to the garden and pool.  A coy nook off to the side has a writer's desk that Ebenezer Scrooge would find charming. The floor are real wood (not like much of the product you see in many homes and condos these days. And the floors are beautiful. The steel stairway leads to the second level open bedroom which is currently used as an office.

A proper powder room is located just off the entry and opposite the entry into the ground floor bedroom. The bright and cheery is quite large and has extra tall ceilings which are made more prominent by the woven thatched ceiling. The bedroom accommodates a king size bed - not something you see in most Key West cottages where space is minimal.  The main bathroom is extra large as well. It is bright and cheerful.

The little compound is composed of six old homes that were originally located on this portion of Terry Lane. Each house is owned in fee simple, just like a traditional house in just about any town anywhere in America. Only here, the owners share a common area that includes the long meandering pool that is located at the rear of the other homes. Each home looks different from the rest. Some are as cute as a button and one was a bank foreclosure last year that still needs some reinvention. But all work in this little piece of heaven. The condo fees are $200 monthly which pays common area and pool maintenance. Each homeowner pays his own home insurance and home maintenance cost.   But all owners share the use of the pool and common areas. See photos below.

I took a couple of photos of the private area (below) for 824 Terry Lane. The space is precious as it can be. Imagine owning this wonderful little spot.

824 Terry Lane is offered at $424,900. CLICK HERE to view the Key West Association of Realtors mls datasheet and listing photos. I took some additional photos which you can see if you CLICK HERE. Better than pushing buttons, why don't you call me, Gary Thomas 305-766-2642 and schedule a private showing of this cute as hell little piece of heaven. I am a buyer agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. You will fall in love with this house. And I dare you to try to find any condo or single family home in Old Town that beats this property by size or amenities for this price. Compare this property to units available at Shipyard or smaller condos in the Old Town area.  I really think this place beats them all.

813 Eaton Street (Rear) - Old Town - Key West

813 Eaton Street (Rear) - Old Town - Key West

The one story house that sits near the end of Caraballo Lane (located north of Eaton between Margaret and William Streets) was built in 1889. I dug into the old shoe box and found a photo taken in 1965 that shows the clean lines of this old house.

813 Eaton Street Rear is near the end of this slow Key West lane

813 Eaton Street (rear) as it appeared in 1965

As it looks in December 2011

I decided to interrupt Christmas Eve festivities in case any house shoppers are looking for a last minute Christmas mark-down. This may be the one you have been waiting for. The asking price was just reduced from $650,000 to $499,000 for this two bed two bath cottage style home located on a large "irregular " lot (91'x54' or 4596 sq ft). I can't say I consider the price to be a bargain, but this house has a lot of the features second home buyers want and now the asking price is in the price range that may make it more attractive.

The listing Realtor is Maya Thomas (no relation to me and she asked that I mention her by linking the mls photos and the virtual tour). She describes the property this way:

"Spectacular lot, incredible location. Quaint wrap around porches frame this whimsical and romantic gingerbread Conch cottage. Papaya, banana, coconut palm, noni, orange and lemon trees. Lovely Old Town neighborhood between William and Margaret. Relaxing retreat just around the corner from the historic seaport, orange and gold sunsets, tall ships, great food, tasty drinks and lively entertainment. Walk or bike to everything fun and interesting. Just 2 blocks to Duval Street art and culture. Excellent location for fun-lovers. Beautiful wood floors, huge side yard, nice sized back yard. Peace and serenity on this private lane is more country than city. Parking too!"

I showed this property a couple of times. I appreciate the value of this location that is near everything and yet seemingly hidden away at the same time. The lot is big enough to accommodate a nice sized sunny pool. There is easy access to install a pool so the cost should not be a big deal.

The house itself has been updated, but I think a new owner will do as most new owners do and that is to do some painting and remodeling to make the space fit the new owners' style. CLICK HERE to view the virtual tour which shows the interior quiet well (let the tour load for about one minute).

If you are looking for a sweet cottage style home located at the end of one of the slow lanes of Key West you might want to take a look at 813 Eaton Street (Rear). I hope you will call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to arrange that showing. I am a buyer's agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West.

Home Buy Christmas #3 - 1110 Curry Lane - Key West

Would you like to own a home in Key West next year where you and your family or friends could gather for an Old Fashioned Christmas in a house with warmth and character? If so, consider how the listing Realtor describes 1110 Curry Lane:

"This charming home is tucked away on a pleasant, quiet lane in the heart of Old Town. It received the Historic Florida Keys Foundation Preservation Award. It has Dade County Pine walls, reclaimed Georgia heart pine floors with great attention to detail. The open floor plan and mature landscaping create a wonderful indoor/outdoor lifestyle in a lush tropical setting. There are two bedrooms and two baths. Serious cooks will appreciate the kitchen's utility with a commercial range, stainless steel appliances, and soapstone counter and sink. River rock decking surrounds the lagoon pool and waterfall. Private outdoor shower. Off-street parking."

The neighbor to the east

... and the neighbor further to the east

1110 Curry Lane is offered at the price of $799,000 or $700 per sq ft per sq ft for this 1207 sq ft treasure that sits on a 2321 sq ft lot. CLICK HERE to read the details and see listing photos.

If you bought this house you could walk to Duval Street within 5-7 minutes. Same for the Historic Seaport. There are two convenience stores on White Street, just a two minute walk away. You won't hear the noise of Harleys roaring down your street or the clang of a trolley car filled with tourists passing buy snapping photos, because they never get near the house. All manner of motor vehicles pass by the entrance to Curry Lane on a daily basis but normally only people who live on the lane actually drive a vehicle there. You see, life on a slow lane has lots of advantages.

The Studios of Key West (formerly The Armory) on White Street

Corner of Frances and Fleming Streets: two minutes from home

Corner of Grinnell and Southard Streets three minutes from home


If you would like to see 1112 Curry Lane or any other property in Key West, please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642. I am a buyer's agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West.

The neighbor at 1112 Curry Lane is anxious to have a new friend!

1110 Curry Lane - Old Town - Key West

1110 Curry Lane - Old Town - Key West

Curry Lane looking east toward White Street - a world away

The delightful home across from 1110 Curry Lane to the east

The rear entrance to a larger home fronting on Fleming Street (west of 1110 Curry Lane)

The home immediately east of 1110 Curry Lane

For most of us fortunate enough to live in Key West year around, we live life in the slow lane every day. We don't have skyscrapers. We don't have big stores with escalators. There are no Interstate Highways. Our rush hour usually lasts five minutes or so. Many of us transplants have learned to live with less and certainly feel the need to buy less. We are not deprived, but we are content. Our lives are simpler than before. No matter our religious beliefs or our political persuasion, most of us subscribe to the notion of One Human Family. For Key Westers who actually live on a lane, life is more slow and much more quiet.

1110 Curry Lane is an ideal example of the perfect cottage located on a quiet little lane in Old Town Key West. This Old Town gem is tucked away on one of Key West's slow lanes between Frances and White Streets. The cottage has been lovingly restored to maintain the character you would expect in a custom restoration.

The listing Realtor describes 1110 Curry Lane like this:

"This charming home is tucked away on a pleasant, quiet lane in the heart of Old Town. It received the Historic Florida Keys Foundation Preservation Award. It has Dade County Pine walls, reclaimed Georgia heart pine floors with great attention to detail. The open floor plan and mature landscaping create a wonderful indoor/outdoor lifestyle in a lush tropical setting. There are two bedrooms and two baths. Serious cooks will appreciate the kitchen's utility with a commercial range, stainless steel appliances, and soapstone counter and sink. River rock decking surrounds the lagoon pool and waterfall. Private outdoor shower. Off-street parking."

Neighbor-friendly front porch & off-street parking

I have written about 1110 Curry Lane before. It was priced higher then. Today the asking price was reduced to a point where there could be multiple offers just because this place is so cute and so well located that any serious bargain hunter will realize this is kind of property and the price point he or she has been looking for. 1110 Curry Lane is offered at the price of $799,000 or $700 per sq ft per sq ft for this 1207 sq ft treasure that sits on a 2321 sq ft lot. If you bought this house you could walk to Duval within 5-7 minutes. Same for the Historic Seaport. Or your job-if you have one and if it is in Old Town. There are two convenience stores within a two minute walk as well. You won't hear the noise of Harleys roaring down your street or the clang of a trolley car filled with tourists passing buy snapping photos, because they never get near the house. All manner of motor vehicles pass by the entrance to Curry Lane on a daily basis but normally only people who live on the lane actually drive a vehicle there. Even your creditors will have difficulty finding you. You see, life on a slow lane has lots of advantages.

CLICK HERE to checkout the Key West mls datasheet and accompanying photos of this charming cottage. If you are looking for the perfect Key West cottage style home, this may be the place you have been dreaming about. Please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule an appointment to see this hidden gem. I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West. Give me a call and let me show you how slow life can really be in Key West.