25 Sea Lore Lane, Key West - Price Reduction on Waterfront Home

The newly announced price reduction of 25 Sea Lore Lane on Shark Island Key is something for bargain shoppers to consider. Now the new price of $899,000 is still outside the reach of many would be buyers, but it is bargain as far as I am concerned because of the size, price per square foot, and highly desired location of this once elegant home. I say once elegant for two simple reasons. First the house is now 22 years old and is a victim of the passage of time and the change in what is popular in kitchen and bath design and style. Second, the house is Bank Owned and needs some sprucing up which I will discuss later.

Shark Key in 1997 before most of  homes were built

Shark Key is a small island which extends off US 1 into Florida Bay on the Gulf of Mexico side of the Florida Keys. Shark Key is a gated community with 74 waterfront lots about half of which are actually built. There is a large swimming lagoon, tennis courts, and community center surrounded by lush tropical foliage, flowering trees, and magnificent specimen palms. Most of the homes on this island sanctuary are large villas compared to the small cigar maker cottages and conch homes located about seven miles down the road in Key West. After passing the gated entrance the single lane roadway spits into two roads which pass on either side of a large lagoon. Sea Lore Lane is located on the east side of the lagoon. Click GOOGLE MAP for an aerial perspective. Use the toggle switch to move around the area to view the other homes in the area. You will see the community center, tennis courts, and sandy swim beach located about six houses north of 25 Sea Lore Lane.

The listing Broker describes this Bank Owned waterfront home this way:

"Wonderful location, facing the Easterly breezes in this unique and upscale gated, waterfront community. Shark Key is a peninsula jotting out from US-Hi Way 1 into the Gulf of Mexico. Enjoy the gorgeous sunrises and romantic moon rises with star filled nights from your private deck & heated pool. Tropical, mature landscaping all around home provides privacy and pleasant views from every window. For your vehicles there is a brick paved driveway, 3 car garage, and plenty of additional off street parking. A spacious Clubhouse with kitchen, tables & chairs and wide wrap around, covered decks facing the waterfront is available to residents. Enjoy the covered picnic area by the Swimming Lagoon, it is a beautiful setting. The two tennis courts are adjacent to Clubhouse. Shark Key is located 11 miles from down town Key West, it's the best of two worlds, a private island bursting with tropical landscaping, lagoon, beautiful waterfront homes and a short drive to Key West." 

I had the opportunity to show this home to potential buyers soon after it was listed. While it did not meet their needs, it may be of interest to someone reading this blog. The 3023 sq ft home is situated on a large 14,968 sq ft lot over looking the open waters of Florida Bay. The house has 4 bedrooms and three baths. The master bedroom is located on the first floor next to the living area and shares part of the deck that looks out to open water. The view is ever changing with the passage of time and weather fronts.

Front entry proceeds to the great room. Sliding doors open out to the covered deck.

Pool views from the great room with open water to the rear

Dining area located adjacent to the living area with kitchen in foreground

Master suite located behind the mirrored wall

The great room, kitchen-dining area, and the master suite are all located on the east side of the home where each area has great water viewing opportunities.  The deck traverses the entire back side of the home. About half the deck is covered while the remaining spaces provide areas for sunbathing or entertaining. 

There are three tiki huts on the grounds with two located near water's edge and one in the front off the gated private entry. The tiki huts add to the tropical allure of this home. I am confident this once grand home can be easily be restored to its former self. The interiors will need painted, the decks will need some sprucing up, and the landscaping will need some judicious pruning. But when the work is done, the inside and the outside will look just great.

This is a really big house by Key West standards.  It will provide a new owner with four good sized bedrooms to meet the needs of a real family with growing kids. The first floor guest room would make a great living space for an older parent living with the family. That bedroom is located above the two are garage and is set off by itself which provides additional privacy. The kitchen is really large and will provide abundant work space for food preparation and clean-up. The outdoor area will give adults and children alternate places to enjoy their time outside.

As the listing broker pointed out, this is a gated community of exclusive waterfront homes which share the usage of the private swimming lagoon, tennis courts, and clubhouse. There is a key pad operated gated entry. The beautiful private roadway is maintained by the home owner association. The monthly hoa fees are $400 and cover common area maintenance, security, and management.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet and listing photos of 25 Sea Lore Lane on Shark Key which is offered at just $899,000. Other active listings on Shark Key run from $1,775,000 to $2,995,000. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to schedule a private showing of this bank owned home.  I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. This truly is a buying opportunity.   

3513 Sunrise Drive, Key West

I know that when most prospective buyers start to think about buying a second home or maybe a primary home in Key West, they first think about finding a place in Old Town or maybe the swank Casa Marina Area. That's usually because they have never ventured out to see other parts of town and did not know the kinds of properties available. Today's featured property is located on the same street where Jimmy Buffet used to live. Click GOOGLE MAP for an aerial perspective of this newly listed home located at 3513 Sunrise Drive, Key West. Use the Google toggle switch to take a street walk of the area.

If you took the street walk you will already know this home is located on a large corner lot. The lot measures 69' X 137.5' (9487 sq ft) which is enclosed a impressive fencing to ensure total privacy. A stunning tropical garden lays on the opposite side of the fence and wraps three sides of the home. the fourth side is the play area - the poo. The entrance on Sunrise Drive (above) has saltillo tile which continues from the exterior to the interior.

This three bedroom three bath home measures 2329 sq ft of interior living space. This does not include the covered outdoor loggia. The main floor living space is open concept for easy living, but don't let that fool you into thinking the owner cut corners to save on dollars. Nope, everything you done with attention to details. The panache is evident everywhere in this house. Among the features are the recently installed new kitchen. There is a main floor guest bedroom which is used by this owner as an office. Three sets of sliders make the transition from interior to exterior ever so convenient.

Outdoor Kitchen

The loggia and pool area were also updated. Your family and friends will be so impressed with your abode, they might want to come to visit and decide to stay on for an extended visit. To that end, this home has the ideal solution. The main level guest suite is located within the main house but can only be accessed via a side entrance. That gives the guests privacy and the owner the same privacy.

The master suite takes up the entire second floor of this home. You'll notice dark rich wood floors add warmth to this soothing space. There is plenty of storage space and an extra large en-suite bath. But it has to be the covered rear deck that overlooks the pool below that makes this place so special. Imagine waking up in the morning sitting on the deck drinking your coffee and pitying your friends up north in America - those poor souls who have to commute to work on freeways or who have to take trains or subways to their jobs in the freezing cold of winter or the heat of summer.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet on 3513 Sunrise Drive which is offered at $1,695,000. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to schedule a private showing of this beautiful home which offers superior living space in a quite Key West location. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

The Sarah Addison House - 916 Center Street, Key West

I have written about the wondrous creations of Key West folk artist Ronny Bailey on several occasions over the past few years. His work is so simple and pure that others think they can do the same thing. According to Ronny, several former builders such as himself have told Ronny they tried to create similar properties only to give up in utter frustration over how long and tedious the task.

Ronny is a Conch born and bred in Key West. He was a builder by trade until he hung up his tool belt a few years back. He started to fiddle with some old Dade County Pine and created his first piece. When his wife saw what he had created, she exclaimed "I didn't know you could do that!" He replied "Neither did I."  And so began his new career as an artist as older man - a man who pays homage to his native hometown re-creating miniature visions of the small homes and businesses that make Key West such a treasured place. The Sarah Addison house at 916 Center Street is one of his latest creations.

Ronny Bailey told me he reclaimed Dade County Pine from the restoration currently underway at the former Pilot Houses guest house at 414 Simonton Street. (That property will appear in an upcoming blog.) Ronny cut and stripped the pine into a variety of shapes and sizes which he then used to replicate Sarah's house and all the pieces that make this little place a piece of art. Even the the roof is reclaimed Dade County Pine refashioned into a different form.

Ronny shared a written history of the home researched and retold by Sharon Wells. 916 Center Street was the home of Sarah Addison. Monroe County records show that the lot at 916 Center Street was purchased on July 13, 1874 by Sarah Addison a Florida born black woman "with roots in the Bahamas". She paid $175 for the lot. The 1884 "birds eye view" map of Key West shows a 1 1/2 story house located near Division Street (previously known as Rocky Road and now known as Truman Avenue.) The 1885 tax assessment valued the improved lot at $300. On March 18, 1889 Sarah married Joseph Pain (Payne).  The 1887 Bensel Directory noted Jospeh Payne to be a butcher and  "c" for colored. Payne resided in this house until his death in 1912 at age 51. According to Sharon Wells, Sarah Addison Payne lived at 916 Center Street until her death in 1923. Sarah had six children, worked as a cook, and never remarried.   

Sarah, the black cat, the cocky rooster, the rocker, the tea kettle and the coal stove upon which it sits, the ice box and even the kitchen sink were carved or fashioned out of Dade County Pine. You will quickly note that instead of being all bright and looking freshly painted, this house and the personal property and animals show the wear of time and grime.

Ronny removed the back panel so that I could photograph the interior. Ronny took the time to make the inside as perfect as he did the outside. Note the ripped down version of the Dade County Pine interior walls and the simple interior trim.You can click any photo to make it larger. If you click the photo of the icebox, coal stove, and sink you'll see the words PEACE, LOVE, and JOY on shelve over the sink. These are the watchwords of Ronny Bailey's life. You'll find these words on some part of each piece he creates.

I found a photo of 916 Center Street taken in 1965 which was about 70 years after the house was built. I took a photo of the place this morning. Today the house is but a part of a vacation rental conglomerate that services this part of Old Town. Alas, Rocky Road and the stuff of yore is no more. But thanks to Ronny Bailey the little houses and businesses of our past can live long into our futures.

If your are thinking about buying a home or business in Key West, please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 or send me an email at kw1101v@aol.com. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.