820 Carsten Lane, Key West - Old Town Surprise

When I started this blog eight years ago I realized that one of the things that draws people to Key West is the simple way we spend our lives. If you watch any of those reality tv shows about million dollar listings in Beverly Hills or New York you get to see houses for people that live the fast life, the showy life, the I'm very important life. While I amdit I watch those shows, I don't aspire to live in those places. Life in the slow lane is fine with me.

Just listed, but not by me, is 820 Carsten Lane located on one of the cute little lanes that dot our island home. The lane is located on the back side of the old Harris School on Southard Street. The lane runs from Margaret Street to the east to William Street on the west - just one block. There's a dogleg bend in the road about midway through.  The Historic Key West Seaport is a short walk to the north. Duval Street is four blocks west. The cemetery is around the corner to the rear. Near everything but not there.

I found an old black and white photo of the property taken fifty years ago. It shows the simple construction of the original house to be a long wooden box. I checked the Property Appraiser records and learned that numerous improvements and additions to the structure were made in 1996-1999. A pool was added later. The Property Appraiser records show the house was built in 1908 and sits on a 32' X 86' lot. The reconfigured house is laid out a bit different than what you'd find in Peoria, but were not in Peoria. The entrance is now located mid-way on the right side of the house. The old front room is now the main floor bedroom. The living area is in the center of the house and the kitchen is at the rear.

French doors open into the living area which like the front bedroom has a vaulted ceiling. Original Dade County Pine walls have been painted white and present a subtle juxtaposition to the stained wood floors. Skylights were added that bring in additional light.

The front porch railing is visible through the front bedroom window. The original door now opens out to the porch where you could sit and watch the occasional neighbor or tourist walk down the lane.  While the room is not huge, the vaulted ceiling transforms this space into something much larger than actually exists. It works.

The kitchen and bath/closet area complete the back third of the interior portion of this house. The photo shows a gas stove. You have no idea how many potential buyers want a gas stove. Serious! 

I would imagine that most owners would probably use the covered outdoor living area as the primary living space throughout most of the year. The gate at the rear of the yard opens onto Carey Lane, a little dead end lane with some of the most precious cottage homes in Key West.

The second floor tree house bedroom and bath are accessed via an exterior stairway. A small balcony provides a view of the pool and grounds below. The bedroom space is just magical. I took the photos in mid-afternoon. The sun filtered through the tress as I looked down to the pool and I thought I should buy this place. But I already have a house and don't need another one. So I'm staying put and maybe some reader will call me up and say "Show me that tree house!" CLICK HERE to see more photos I took.
820 Carsten Lane is offered at $849,000. 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 of this really unique home on one located on one of the slow lanes in Key West. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

1405 Washington Street, Key West

I dug down inside the old shoebox and found a photo of 1405 Washington Street that was taken in 1980 after the house was moved from its original location on Simonton Street. You can tell from the outset that the roof was replaced and a dormer added in front. A new addition was added to the rear of the property which today gives the current house1574 sq ft of living space. The house sits on a 53' X 94' lot (4945 sq ft) lot on a great street just a couple of blocks east of White Street and six blocks from the Atlantic Ocean. 

This house is laid out differently than most. The original home is now divided into the two main level bedroom spaces. The addition at the rear is now the main entry into the home. The combined living room, dining area, and kitchen are located in the rear addition. The master bedroom is located on the second floor. A sunny pool, spa and rear deck complete this home which the listing Realtor describes this way:

"In the heart of the Casa Marina neighborhood, this charming island home is perfect for entertaining and relaxing in the quintessential Key West lifestyle. Enjoy the ambience of the open and airy cathedral living, dining and kitchen areas which lead you to the sensational large deck, pool, spa and tropical gardens. There are two bedrooms conveniently located on one level adjacent to the front porches. The second floor master suite has a private entrance with breathtaking views of the surrounding treetops. This a remarkable property, in a prime location, also includes off-street covered parking and is walled for complete privacy."

The two main level bedrooms offer sleeping space for family or guests. The share first floor bath. The larger bedroom has access to the original front porch. The off street arking is adjacent to the front right.

Dormers were added to the original cottage where windows were added to provide light to this cozy boardroom. A full bath is located at the far end of the room. Closets are tucked under the eaves. The result is a cozy and comfortable master suite.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet and all listing photos. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to set up a private showing of this home. This is one of the few homes in the Casa Marina Area priced as affordable as this. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

812 Johnson Ln, Key West - Come On-A My Open House

I am holding an OPEN HOUSE today between 12:00 to 2:00 at 812 Johnson Lane and I would love for my Dear Readers and tourists alike to come up and see me and this wonderful Key West cottage.  The location is near perfect - a quiet little lane located three blocks from Duval Street and three to four blocks from most of the gyms and yoga studios in Key West. A buyer who is looking for a quiet location near the action but not so close to be bothered by the noise will love this place.

812 Johnson Lane is actually two cottages. The front cottage was just totally renovated with two new bedrooms, a new bath, all new stainless steel kitchen, and new air conditioning. if you have been looking at houses in Old Town you know that many homes do not have actual closets or may have tiny rooms that are passed off as bedrooms. This home has two good sized bedrooms with closets. The back cottage can be used as an artist studio, office, or guest bedroom. It has its own bath and there is an outdoor shower as well.  The open living area and kitchen are located at the rear of the main cottage and open out to the covered veranda that looks onto the pool.

There is a lovely pool located between the two cottages. The pool is sunny for most of the day. The lot is actually larger than many pricier houses in more claustrophobic locations in Old Town.  Come take a look. You can see for yourself. The truth is in the big sky! And if you like to sun in the buff, your neighbors can't see you. There are lots of palms - located on neighboring lots. You get the sun and the neighbors get to pay for yard maintenance and tree trimming.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet and listing photos of 812 Johnson Lane which is now offered at $769,000. Then plan to stop on by today's Open House. Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642. I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

1434 Virginia Street, Key West - Bank Owned

Just Listed, but not by me, 1434 Virginia Street which is located across the street from beautiful Bayview Park in Key West. Buyers who are looking for a "project house" or "renovation project" or a "flipper" ought to take a look at this very large property. The listing Realtor describes this Bank Owned property:

"A lovely, large, stately home with good bones, lots of Dade County Pine and Key West character. 2 off street parking spaces are a BIG plus. City records show it as 2 units but will make a very nice, large single family home. It has 3500 sq ft of living area and sits to one side of a 4941 sq ft lot. Plenty of room for a pool. 5Br/5Baths plus many living areas may be reconfigured to new owner's delight. There are rear decks on 2nd and 3rd floors and typical balcony overlooking front yard and the largest park in the City which has tennis courts. This City Park hosts many festivals throughout the year. Central location allows for quick access to Old Town and to New Town shopping centers. Listing price takes into consideration repairs needed."

 It looked to me that the house had been divided into five apartments over the years. The entrances are located at the front, west, and east side of  the house. Three apartments are on the main floor and two on the second floor. Each second floor apartment has an interior stairway with access to the third floor. A talented designer or architect ought to be able develop a design equal to the view. Whatever charm the original house had has been lost due to the fragmentation of the interior space. Let's look at the house the way it exists today.

Each unit has a separate kitchen and bath. The bathroom in this unit is located in what would have been the original hallway. This unit has a sleeping "loft" but the other apartments have separate bedrooms. The view looks directly across the street to Bayview Park.

The door at the far end of the second floor front apartment opens out to the second floor front porch that spans the width of the house. You can see most of Bayview Park from this vantage point. Bayview is the main city park in Key West. There are tennis courts, a baseball field, and an old fashioned pavilion at the east end. You'll notice water in the photo just above. The Key West police building and a fire station are located on the far side of the water and trees. In searching the Sanborn Fire Maps to try to determine when this house was actually built I learned that the road and land immediately adjacent to the park was identified as North Beach Road and that there was a small body of water in that location. That area was later filled and and developed. When I was taking photos I imagined what a sight the owner must have had back in the day before developers had their way. (They always seem to get their way. Don't they!) This property first appeared on the 1912 Sanborn Map but the prior maps did not cover this area. I suspect this house existed prior to 1900.

I found a photo of the old "bathing pool"* or swimming hole located at what is now near the corner of Truman Avenue and Eisenhower Boulevard (previously North Beach Road). North Beach actually was a beach. Developers got the land and put up condos (don't they always!). The historic Division Street (later named Truman Avenue) was extended over the water and became North Roosevelt Boulevard. By 1999 the city added the police and fire station just east of Bayview Park. The section of North Beach Road was then called Pearl Street. The photo above shows the roofs of two large buildings at Horace O'Bryant Middle School. Those buildings are no more and have been replaced with even larger structures. The park still stands amid all the development that has taken place around it in the near 80 years since the kids jumped into the old swimming hole.  wish I could have seen this sweet town back then.

Over the years some prior owner of this property put a rear addition on to the house. Eventually the space extended out past the east side of the house and made this building exceedingly large. There is a roof top deck accessed via two small doors in the attic or loft space off the rear. A wood stairway leads down to the ground three stories below. While the view is pretty incredible, I really think a new owner might take down the entire rear addition. The house is huge without it. This would be the perfect space for a new pool, deck, and garden which could wrap around the rear and east side of the property. Sometimes less is more. This is one of those times.

The middle apartment abuts the front apartment with "loft" sleeping area. There is a warren of rooms on both floors. A renovation of these disconnected rooms could invigorate this old home and give it new purpose. The lot is very large for the Old Town area - 51' X 82' or 4149 sq ft.  Key West has several talented architects and competent builders that know how to fix old houses like this. I think the renovation of this old place could result in a really interesting home with incredible lasting views.
CLICK HERE to view more photos I took of this property. 

1434 Virginia Street is offered for sale at $682,500 or only $195 per sq ft. CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet. 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.

 * Photo The swimming hole in Garrison Bight C 1940s. From the Louise White Collection