The Small World of Ronny Bailey - New Exhibit at Key West Customs House

 Have you ever wondered what the history and architecture of Key West looks like through the eyes of a native?  Ronny Bailey, a 5th generation Conch, recreates local landmarks and houses from locally salvaged materials and adds whimsical details that help bring old Key West to life.

If you are in Key West of Friday, October 10th you are invited to the Opening reception at the Key West Customs House, 281 Front Street at 6:00 PM. The exhibit will run through February 4, 2015.

I have written about Ronny Bailey in several blogs. You gotta see his work up close and personal to take in all the detail.
The house below at 900 Frances Street was shrunk to fit on the counter in our real estate office. This was the very first time I saw any of Ronny Bailey's work. I was captivated. Ronny always models his works on recreating miniature versions of real buildings. He then adds a bit of whimsy that reflects his love of life and his love of Key West.

The next time I ran in to Ronny he brought me his then recently completed piece on 113 Petronia Street which is an old cigar maker cottage in the Bahama Village section of Key West. The piece included an old fashioned Maytag wringer washer (my mom had one when I was growing up - that shows you how old I am), a dog house on the front porch, and a rusted roof. Ronny told me he fashioned and painted wood pieces to create the illusion of rusted metal.

Ronny brought over his depiction of the Northwest Passage Lighthouse in the back of his truck. Look carefully you'll see sharks and other sea creatures in the water below. 

One of my favorite pieces Ronny did was 718 Eaton Street. I had a friend who lived in a second floor apartment at the rear of this beautiful home about fifteen years ago. I never got to go inside the main part of the house which was featured in the Cuba Gooding Jr. movie "A Murder of Crows". The house has got to be one of the most photographed homes on the Island of Key West. The gingerbread trim of the real house is replicated in Ronny's rendition where he includes details like the old metal mailbox and the family pet sleeping on the second floor front balcony.On each of Ronny's pieces you will see three words which are the watchwords of his life: Joy, Peace, and Love.

One day Ronny showed up at my office with his depiction of the Old Town Bakery in the back of his pickup truck. That's gotta be one of my favorite places in town. The building is so old and beat down. The food inside is incredible. There is always a small line of people waiting for a danish or a sandwich. They make the best of of both. However, the little old baker and interior is not related to the current day reality of the actual bakery.

Ronny was a contractor for years. Today instead of building new houses or repairing old house, he tinkers with pieces of wood and creates small art installations that depict miniature versions of real Key West cottages, homes, and commercial businesses. He has also done paintings and now offers lithographs of some pieces.

In April 2013 Ronny dropped by my office with a special commissioned piece of the house at 513 Fleming Street. It is located adjacent to the Faustos Food Palace next door to the west. The house was previously part of the Louise Maloney Hospital - hence the nurses on the second floor front balcony. Note the watchwords under the skylight in the entry hall. 

Ronny paid artistic tribute to the one story house at 608 William Street. That place was recently completely renovated and expanded. Thank goodness Ronny captured the house before it got redone I love the new place.  Don't get me wrong. But the old place and Ronny's rendition have a special place in my old heart.

In September 2013 Ronny parked his pickup truck across the street from our office. He had his then newest piece, a depiction of the Ernest Hemingway House, in the back of the truck. He posed with the piece which is shown just below. The little figure on the front porch is Papa himself complete with fishing pole at his side. When you look through the screen door into the house you'll see a dog resting on the floor. Dogs, cats, and chickens are found is most of Ronny's pieces. They are everywhere on the Island. They might as well be in the artwork as well.

In February 2014 Ronny and I drove his pickup truck over to 207 Julia Street so I could photograph the miniature house with the real house in the background. Ronny went to the front door where he knocked on the door to ask permission to take photos of the house whereupon I perched the miniature house atop a Waste Management trash can to create a stable base for photographing the two houses. I moved the camera around and caught a side view as if photographing the house looking west on Julia Street.

CLICK HERE  to view the Ronny Bailey Collection as photographed at the Customs House in October 2014.  Owners of various pieces lent their miniature homes for the event.

I have taken several pictures of Ronny over the past few years. This guy always has a smile on his face. If you are in town this weekend or later during the year, drop by the Customs House and take a look at the art this man has created. He is a one-of-a-kind folk artist.  I can only think the pieces he has created of old Key West will continue to appreciate in value over the years. You may not be able to afford an actual cigar makers cottage, but I am sure a lot of my readers can afford one that Ronny Bailey has created.

44 Kingfisher Lane - Key West - Bank Owned

Just Listed - 44 Kingfisher Lane, Key West.  This 780 sq ft two story cottage two bedroom cottage is ready for immediate occupancy.  This BANK OWNED property surprised me with all of the upgrades it has including first floor travertine marble floors, crown molding, and custom cabinets in the kitchen and living room. There are new impact wind resistant windows throughout the house. The exterior Hardiboard siding helps make this a home-safe-home and a place that will be less expensive to insure year over year.  Whats-more the house is nestled away at the far back side of the Kingfisher Lane cul de sac at the Key West Golf Club Community. The house is located out of view but just to the right side as viewed in the aerial photo below.

When I stepped inside the front door of this new listing I immediately knew the home had been lovingly maintained by the former owner. Everything was and is first rate in this place.  All of the homes are laid out pretty much the same. You enter into the home with the kitchen on one side and the stairway to the second floor opposite the entry door. The living area is located at the rear where French doors open out to the rear deck. A half-bath is located under the stairway. This home has a bonus feature of built in storage under the stairs plus custom cabinets in the living area.

There are two bedrooms on the second floor each of which has a vaulted ceiling.  The front bedroom has a laundry closet (pictured below). The master bedroom has built-in chest of drawers. The four windows in the master bedroom give this space the feel of being in a tree house that overlooks the fourth hole at the golf course. I snapped a photo of the golf course shortly after a brief rainstorm.

Besides making windstorm insurance rates much more affordable, wind impact resistant windows and glass panel doors do not require a handyman to button them up in the event of a storm. And they always allow the owner to look outside and see what's going on instead of having to peek through openings in shutters.  CLICK HERE to view more photos I took of 44 Kingfisher Lane.

 The Key West Golf Club Community has two pools, a fitness center, and block after block of beautifully maintained homes many of which overlook some part of the golf course or the interior gardens within the development. The golf course is public so no membership is required. In less than two months homeowners here will start to decorate their homes for Christmas. This place always looks great during the holidays. I've had several potential buyers say something like "I don't play golf." Well, you don't need to play golf to enjoy the views and live the near country club lifestyle at one of the most affordable prices in Key West based on a price per sq ft basis. 44 Kingfisher Lane is offered at just $319,900 or $410 per sq ft. CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet on this bank owned property. Keep in mind you can move in and not have to fix anything. 

After you have done your homework looking at photos and mls listing details, please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to set up a private showing of this little doozy.  I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. Let me help you find your place in Paradise.

414 Louisa Street - Key West - Old Town fixer

414 Louisa Street is a totally renovated cigar maker's cottage that has been lovingly renovated by the current owners who added lots of personal touches to make this a home sweet home. I wrote about this property late last year soon after it was listed for sale. I showed the house a couple of days ago and decided it was time to give this place an updated blog in light of other recent sales in the same block.

 Upon arrival you will notice the house has off street parking and inviting front porch that sits behind a white picket fence. When you pass the entry threshold you will see a gleaming entry that leads to the back of the house where the living area is located. Up front there are two bedrooms each with en-suite baths. A ship's ladder extends to an attic loft that's the perfect perch for pre-teens, teens, and college age kids.  The laundry closet is also located in the entry hallway.

 

 

The pocket doors retract and reveal the spa-like master bath with Jacuzzi tub with waterfall and designer fixtures.  There's a TV mounted on the wall so the two of you can enjoy your favorite programs while soaking in the tub.

 

French doors at the rear open to the covered rear patio and swimming pool. There's an outdoor shower around the corner as well.  CLICK HERE to view more photos of this home.

I think 414 Louisa Street could make an excellent vacation rental. The house is located one-half block off upper Duval Street near La Te Da. Visitors will love the location for its convenience and quiet location.

Four much larger homes sold in the past two years on this one block. They include 408 Louisa Street (immediately above) that sold for $1,250,000 in April 2013; 410 Louisa Street that sold for $1,327,500 in August 2014; 411 Louisa Street that sold for $1,350,000 in May 2014. 411 Louisa is undergoing significant renovation at this time. 416 Louisa Street (immediately below) is under construction and is also under contract. The list price on 416 Louisa Street is $1,499,000. I think when prospective buyers consider the prices paid by other buyers for houses in the same block see the other sales, they may appreciate the value of both the location and the significantly lower price.

414 Louisa Street is offered for sale at $799,000. It is a two/two with pool and parking. CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet. Then if interested in seeing this property please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642.

1724 Rose Street - Key West, Florida

The listing Realtor describes aptly describes 1724 Rose Street in Key West this way:

"Opportunity knocks! This home sits on a very large corner lot near the beaches & White Street Pier. The house needs work but has a great floor plan that opens to the spacious, private rear yard. There is an open floor plan with the kitchen, Florida room & dining room all opening to each other and to the outdoors. The master bedroom en suite also opens to the outdoors. Two more guest rooms share a bath. There is a lot of space inside and out on a large corner lot in a great location."

Click GOOGLE MAP for an aerial view of this location and its proximity to the beaches. This is a suburban neighborhood where many of the 1950s vintage homes have been updated and or expanded or new houses placed on the large lots that are the norm for this area.  1724 Rose Street is a large corner lot 79' X 100' or 7932 sq ft.  The existing three bedroom two bath house has 1518 sq ft of living space under air conditioning. Now this is not the typical cigar maker cottage or Grand Conch house that I write about. Instead, this is a property that may appeal to a local looking for a place that can be renovated and made back into a nice single family home in a good neighborhood. Or maybe the property will appeal to a buyer who wants a large lot with a house that is priced so affordably that it could be torn down and a new house built and still be priced less than other new construction in the area.

A concrete block privacy fence separates the house from the street. The front door sits maybe twenty feet from the fence. The east and west side yards provide similar separation from Josephine street to the east and the adjacent home to the west. The back yard is extra large and probably has a thirty foot separation between the house and the back fence, In other word, the space is immense and offers all kinds of development possibilities.

The inside of the house has a big open living area with plenty of space for informal living. Multiple sets of doors open out to the semi-covered loggia on the side and rear of the house. The kitchen obviously is dated and reflects a design of another generation. The floors appear to be Cuban tiles.  The master bedroom also has glass panel doors that open out to the rear. That bedroom has an en-suite bath. The two other bedrooms share a bath. If the house were to be renovated, there is plenty of space to reconfigure room spaces and usages. 

A new owner might consider taking down the existing structure all together and building a new house that would be elevated to current flood elevation levels. The new house would likely have hardiboard siding and use wind impact glass windows which would make insurance rates much more affordable.  A new owner might even elect to put a modular home on the lot which could significantly reduce construction costs. I am confident a new owner would add a pool. I understand most pool companies are pricing new pools around $30,000 to $35,0000 as a starting price.  CLICK HERE to view more photos I took of this property.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datsheet on 1724 Rose Street. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule a private showing of this property.  I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. Let me help you find your place in Paradise.