818 Carsten Lane, Key West, Florida

They don't make Key West cottages any cuter or more perfect than 818 Carsten Lane.  If they did or if they could, everybody would own one. But they don't.  Some places are so special that there is only one. And this is that one!

I found an old photo of 818 Carsten Lane taken fifty years ago. The house was dramatically updated a few years ago. Today the place is picture perfect down to the replica mailbox out front that greets guests as they approach this smart two bedroom two bath cottage style home. The listing Realtor, not me, describes this home as a:

"Delightful cottage on coveted Old Town Key West Lane. Behind the white picket fence a beautiful front porch welcomes you to to this perfectly appointed home. Dade County Pine floors, walls and ceilings throughout the original home that opens up to a fabulous addition with vaulted ceilings. A wall of glass doors fold open to enjoy a covered patio overlooking tropical gardens and views of the heated pool. The kitchen boasts custom cabinetry that has been built around Haitian Art, granite counters and high end appliances. Offered furnished so you could start enjoying this home immediately. It truly doesn't get more charming than this!"

The side hall leads past the bedrooms which are located at the front of the house. The kitchen in located midway in the house. It's adorable. It's so cute you'd hate to cook for fear of messing up the cuteness.  You'll immediately notice the Dade County Pine walls and ceiling. The original wood floors, high baseboards, and crisply painted white woodwork add so much character to this place. The kitchen and living room are a new addition to the home.

The great room was added to the rear of the original house. It has a vaulted ceiling and French doors that open out to the rear covered deck and pool area beyond. There are clean and neat side yards on both sides of this house. The fence at the rear abuts Carey Lane which I think is the cutest little lane in town. I mention this because the owners on that lane and the abutting properties on Carsten Lane are all cute cottage style homes.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet and listing photos of 818 Carsten Lane. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule a private showing of this delightful home.  Remember this home is offered fully furnished. That means you really can just bring your toothbrush and jammies and start living the Key West lifestyle you have dreamed about. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

846 Olivia Street, Key West

The listing Realtor describes the house at 846 Olivia Street as:

"Unique property located on beautifully landscaped corner lot in the heart of Old Town. Built in 1908, this original tobacco barn boasts 3 bedrooms/3 full baths. Enter through the hand carved Brazilian mahogany door into a 20 x 30' great room with 9 ft ceilings, crown molding and Dade County Pine. 1st floor pantry with sink and entrances on both Olivia & Packer with large porches & plans in place to connect the two. Fenced yard with a bricked area for bikes, scooters, grill & 1 Off Street Parking Space. An insulated steel roof tops off the large 2nd floor and an outdoor private balcony overlooks a lush tropical yard with security lighting both front & back. Recently appraised above asking price."

I looked in my old shoe box and found a photo of the property that dates back to 1965. I took a couple of exterior photos from both the Packer Street side (same as the black and white photo above) as well as the Olivia Street view. The architectural character of the old tobacco barn remain pretty much intact. The old shed-lie warp-around porch remains. The porch at adds so much genuine character to this old house that we are starting to see disappear from newer renovations that make some places all spiffy-perfect. If you look up to the top photo (and the interior photos below) you will also see this house window unit air conditioners. The windows themselves are

This home was previously used as a duplex. This owner discontinued that use and incorporated the space into the main floor living area which now quiet large. There is a bedroom and bath on the main floor just on the back side of the stairway which the current owner also replaced,The former staircase was downright scary.  I mention this because if you saw this house when it was listed a few years ago, it is totally different now. It is a better home!

Google Map CLICK HERE shows the location which is across the street from the Key West cemetery. You will note the location is an easy walk to Duval Street - about five to seven minutes from this location. Most of the gyms and yoga studios are within a few minutes walk or bike ride as well. Seven Fish Restaurant is building a new building one block south at the corner of Packer and Truman. If you're a foodie; it may be your nirvana. There is a very obvious and quiet positive feature of being located across he street from the cemetery and it is not that the neighbors are quiet. They are, but that's not the point. The vast open space over the cemetery bathes the nearby houses with sunshine and breezes often not possible in more congested Old Town locations.The change in skies can be amazing. You can't see the changes when you are in an area with three story houses or trees blocking your views. I personally think the views are wonderful. I took a photo from inside the front door looking across Olivia Street toward the cemetery. This will be your view. I took another photo from outside the front door looking east down Olivia Street.

There are a couple of things a new owner might do to tweak this place just a bit. They include replacement of the older aluminum windows, replacement of window unit air conditioners with a mini-split system, and refine the garden area. There is not room for a pool. You could add a hot tub or maybe create a koi pond or add some other water feature on the back side of the property.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet and more listing photos. (Photos used by permission of Doug Mayberry Real Estate.) Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to arrange a private showing of this home. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. Let me help you find your place in Paradise.

1019 Elgin Lane, Key West - Bank Owned Fixer-Upper

Just Listed 1019 Elgin Lane Key West. This is a Bank Owned property located in a desirable Old Town location near the Historic Seaport. 

I searched the historic Sanborn Fire Maps and found this house shown on the 1889 map (when it was then designated as 909 1/2). Hidalgo Lane was the name of the two block long "alley" that runs from White Street to Grinnell Street. That name was later changed to Elgin Lane. Today most of the homes on the lane have been updated. This is a property where a renovation of sorts was started but that was abandoned some time after 2007. The listing Realtor says "... home needs a total restoration. Concrete footings are new and the interior is gutted " in anticipation of major remodeling. 

I found an old photo of the property taken half a century ago. Compare that black and white photo with the color photo I recently took. The original front porch is missing. The original house was typically utilitarian for its time. It may be that the front porch was added to give the original house some character. A new owner may get the chance to breath new life into this old house.

The Monroe County Property Appraiser records show the house as being 1438 sq ft divided between two floors.  The lot itself is smallish. It measures 42' X 32' or 1348.80 sq ft.  There is room for off street parking or a small garden. As much as you might like to have an off street parking spot, I'll bet you would more prefer to have a garden and outdoor living area because this is Key West!

 

This property was historically used as a legal duplex. I personally think the space would be better used as a single family residence. (But Im'm not going to be the buyer so what I think does not really matter.) The front and west side of the property are visible from Elgin Lane. I would imagine a Key West architect would have a field day creating a second floor bedroom area with vaulted ceiling.

The two above photos show the rear addition that would become an integral part of the living area. A new owner could create a great new living space using this big box platform. It is my understand that as long as the new owner uses the existing building foot print and makes no additions that he or she could recreate the interiors in the manner they wish (consistent with building code) and could replace  siding and windows with materials that meet our Historic Architectural guidelines. I would think that would include the addition of a deck or porches that are code compliant.  I mention this because this house is built right to the lot line. A good architect or general contractor can explain the rules and possibities with a prospective buyer far better than I can. My job is to alert buyers to the possibilities that this property has to offer.

1019 Elgin Lane is offered for sale at $295,000. CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet on this property. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 for more information. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

1010 - 1012 Olivia Street, Key West - The Beginning of the End

Local folk artist Ronny Bailey stopped by my office last week to show me (and my Dear Readers) his latest work a special commission of the two houses at 1010 and 1012 Olivia Street in Key West.  The owner of these houses wanted to capture the essence of these houses as they now exist because like much of old Key West, they are about to get renovated. I took a lot of photos of Ronny's art which you can see if you CLICK HERE.

If you look carefully you will seethe word "peace" printed on the wood floor in the photo above.  Ronny always includes the words love, peace, and joy in each piece he creates. He is a religious and loving person. This is how he sees life and how he relates to others. You meet this man and you immediately understand his ethos.

Ronny told me he salvaged wood from the actual houses to create these miniatures. The "metal" roofs are actually wood that he has painted to resemble metal. He carved the chickens on the front porch. Ronnie ripped a larger piece of wood to create the "plywood" floors on the front porches. The front door at 1012 Olivia Street has a screen door. Ronny had a piece of wire screen he had saved from another house from years before. He added a coat of paint to it to reduce the size of the screen to fit into the tiny door. It looked amazingly correct.Look closely at the second floor window on 1010 Olivia (three above). There you will see a hole in the window.  These are all little details that make up the story of old house like this. Ronny Bailey's art can be seen at local shows in Key West. He does prints of various pieces for folks that are not prepared to pay the cost of a major installation. No matter what you buy, you will always love it and cherish it for it shows the true beauty of our old homes.

CLICK HERE to see more photos of the two real houses. These will appear in at least one future blog as the renovation of these two iconic cottages take place.  Several years ago the owner of prior owner of the abutting property on Watson  Street told me that 1012 Olivia Street used to be a house of ill repute. He called it something else that's more descriptive.

I checked the historic Sanborn Fire Maps to see if I could determine when these houses were built. This area was entirely omitted in the earliest map which dates back to 1889. I did find both houses on the 1892 map but at that time they were identified as 922 and 924 Olivia Street. The addresses were respectfully changed to 1010 and 1012 Olivia in the 1889 map. The 1889 map showed a vacant lot next to 1012  Olivia. That vacant spot still exists. But the street does not show on that map. It wasn't until the 1912 map that Peerless Court (later named Watson Street) appeared on the map. In fact the street did not exist at all until that time. There were houses interspersed on the extra large block bounded by Frances on the east, Grinnell on the west, Olivia to the north, and Division Street (Truman Avenue) to the south.

I talked with Ronny about the coming renovation of these two old decrepit houses. I guess you can't blame an owner for wanting to fix up an old house and make it look nice - maybe even to sell it. The thing is if we keep fixing all the old houses there won't be any of the character left in our town except the derelicts that sit on Duval Street performing tricks or outright begging for money. This is the beginning of the end.