808 Shavers Lane, Key West - Just Listed

Just Listed, but not by me, 808 Shavers Lane, Key West. This 1400 square foot home sits behind a white picket fence which when opened provides off street parking for two cars. That's unremarkable in most towns, but in Key West it is quite a fete.  Look at the crisp Greek Revival style architecture. There are front and rear two story porches. You'd think this is one of the historic Conch Houses for which Key West is famous. Neigh, it was actually built in 1999 along with two adjacent homes. In fact the builder made this house a bit larger, increased the main floor ceiling height to nine feet, and created two mater suites which I will discuss later. 

 I searched my old shoebox and identified what I believe to be 808 Shavers Lane in the above black and white photograph taken half a century ago.  I added the check mark to show the property. The house with the man on the front porch definitely was 818 Shavers Lane. There was a small one level cottage in between. All three buildings were in bad condition and were razed. The three new houses look nothing like the old.

In his book The Streets of Key West author J. Willis Burke wrote "Shavers Lane, between Whitehead and Duval, is named for a black resident of the area"..."in what was called Jungle Town in less racially sensitive times". (You think!) Today this area is now recognized as being an easy stroll to the shops and sights of Duval Street and the nearby restaurants on Petronia Street including Blue Heaven, Firefly, and Santiago's Bodega. Fort Zachary Taylor Beach and State Park and the Key West amphitheater are also within easy walking distance. 

The current owner updated the most of the house including replacing drywall, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, new porcelain tile floors on the main level, new kitchen cabinets and appliances. new pool systems, as well as impact glass windows on main level side. All other windows and doors have approved shutters which make the house qualify for a 30% discount on wind insurance. The house is located in the X Flood Zone so flood insurance will not be required by a mortgage lender. The house has Hardiplank siding. The entire exterior was just painted and looks sharp as a tack.

The house has a formal entry with what I like to call a drama wall - in this floor tiles attached to the wall which look like old stressed pine boards. The drama wall is repeated in the nearby first floor guest bath. The kitchen opens into the great room where the south wall has grass cloth wallpaper. Note the crown molding and recessed lighting. Glass sliders at the rear of the living area open out to the covered rear deck and pool. The grounds are both irrigated and lighted at night.

This home sits higher than the houses on either side. The builder was going to keep this place for himself. (I like those houses. They are always better than the rest. In this instance this house has nine foot ceilings on the first floor. The second floor has two master suites while the adjacent houses have a larger master and two smaller bedrooms in front.

The front bedroom has dual doors which open out to the covered front porch. There are three closets in this bedroom along with a sitting or desk area. Note both bedrooms have vaulted ceilings. This adds so much to these rooms. If you have looked at many genuine older houses in Old Town you know some have claustrophobic sized bedrooms. That's not the case here.

The current owner added wood shutters to semi-enclose the second floor porch and added floor tiles which created a cool sitting area. I snapped a pic of a property down on nearby Petronia Street as well as pic of the pool.

Whether you are coming or going, this a place you would be proud to call home. And if you are looking for a second home that you could rent to help pay part of the cost to purchase, this could be a good investment. The house next door rents for $12,000 to $13,000 per month during season. The owner has been advised a full time rental should generate about $100,000 in gross rent.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and listing photos of 808 Shavers Lane offered offered for sale at $1,295,000. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to schedule a showing. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

3222 Riviera Drive, Key West - Bank Owned - Incredible Buying Opportunity

Just Listed (but not by me) 3222 Riviera Drive, Key West. This home is new to the market this week which means few people have seen it yet. It is a Bank Owned property located on the Riviera Canal. This is a big property - 3,165 square feet of living space situated on an 8,020 square foot corner lot. Best of all, it is offered at just $1,190,000 which I think makes it an incredible buying opportunity.

Tall palms and mature landscaping frame the lot. A brick path leads to the front entry hall which opens into the living room. Multiple sets of glass panel doors open out to the side and rear allowing sun shine into the house during the daytime. The living room opens into the great room and kitchen.
All of the rooms except the master bedroom have high quality and properly installed travertine marble floors.

The kitchen has a large Wolf range, SubZero refrigerator, separate ice maker, dishwasher, coffee maker, warming drawer, and microwave. The cabinets are very high-end. This is definitely not the kind of kitchen you would expect to find in a house priced this low in Key West. There is a built-in niche for a kitchen computer. A glass panel door opens out to a gated courtyard which leads to the carport. Readers up north in America may not appreciate the fact that a house has a carport. You would if you lived here and owned an expensive car that got baked in the Key West sun every day. The house had new air conditioning, doors, shutters, and roof added in 2006.

There are two good sized bedrooms on the main level. That is important.  A family with teens or an agent parent will find these rooms offer real living space. These bedrooms share a bath. There is also a guest bath located just off the great room.

The 682 square foot master bedroom and bath (that is larger than almost every two bedroom Shipyard condo) is located on the second floor. Glass panel doors open out to a private deck which overlooks the pool and guest cottage below. I might change out the curtains! It is, however, the view of the Riviera Canal and mangroves to the south which makes the view so special. So many of the homes in Old Town are cloistered among tall houses and trees offering smidgens of sunlight and not all that much privacy.

The canal side of the lot includes a guest cottage with mini-kitchen, bath, and bedroom. (The main house has three bedrooms and two and one-half baths. The guest cottage is a forth bedroom with bath.) This is the perfect place for a teenage boy to rock out or a brother-in-law who won't leave.  You won't have to hear or see them except during feeding time.

The 62 foot sea wall has davits in place. Tall palms, mature tropical foliage (okay, it needs updated), and the guest cottage provide privacy from the watercraft that may pass on their way out to the ocean which is located about eight blocks to the east. That's another feature that makes this house so appealing, especially to readers who have a life and enjoy boating. Easy access to open water and not having to pay for a place to store your boat is a dream-come-true for many. CLICK HERE to view more photos I took of this house.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and really good listing photos of 3222 Riviera Drive, Key West, offered for sale at $1,129,000. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to set up a showing of this home. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. The house is vacant and easy to see. Don't wait. This will not last long. It really is a good buy!

Tales From Key West - Early Arrival

A few weeks ago a fellow agent in my office asked me to show a pocket listing that may be available for purchase but that is not yet on the market. I called the owner and asked if I might be able to show his home later that day at 2:00 PM. He said yes and told me how to get inside when I arrived.  I notified the other agent to meet me promptly at 2:00 and not before.

I arrived at 1:45, went inside, and started to turn on the lights. This particular house is what we call a cigar makers cottage - small single story houses with one or two bedrooms and one bathroom. Other areas of the south call the same homes "shotguns" as the entry hall is located on the side and all rooms are to the opposite - you could shoot a bullet from the front door straight out the back door. This house had been remodeled and had the master bedroom at the rear. An addition was built on the side where the living room was located.

I made may way to the rear by turning on lights in each room along the way. As I neared the bathroom door I heard water running in the shower. I had been mumbling something to myself and then uttered something like "Oh, God!" I looked to my right toward the living room where I saw the owner sitting in his swim shorts typing on his laptop. "Oh, God!", I said again.

At the exact moment I said "On, God!" for the second time the bathroom door slammed - the owners' wife had been taking a shower, heard me calling the Lord's name, got out and shut the door. The owner stood up and glared at me. I turned bright red.  Well, I couldn't see myself turn red but I know it happened. The owner said I had set up the showing for 4:00 PM. I confessed I must have made a mistake and explained the other Realtor and her buyer would be arriving in fifteen minutes. He said he and his wife could leave but it might be a few minutes after 2:00. I went to the front porch and waited for the potential buyer and her agent to arrive. They arrived on time and waited until the all clear was given. They looked but did not buy. Next time I text to confirm my appointment. 

11 Hutchinson Lane #4, Key West - Just Listed

The newly listed two bedroom home at 11 Hutchinson Lane, Key West, will appeal to a tiny few people among the hundreds who dream about buying a place here someday.  And that is because they are the ones who can actually find it. If you do a Google search you can find the location but not actually see the house and that is because it sits behind a gated entrance.  There is nobody to keep out. The fence just keeps what's called "The Hutchinson Lane Hamlet" private for the four homes located there. This home is the largest of the four and it is just 1123 Square Feet.

Hutchinson Lane is located in the Bahama Village section of Old Town. It is two and one-half blocks west of Duval Street and about one and one-half from the new Truman Annex Park. You enter from Emma Street which is a one-way heading east. The lane dead ends at the Hamlet Compound.  I searched my old shoebox and found some rather scary photos that show what the property looked like many years ago before it was renovated. See the two black and white below. Don't fret, most of what was there was taken down and totally rebuilt.

Two small houses were bridged together to make a larger home. We have seen this done in many small homes in town over the years.  I searched the Historic Sanborn Fire Maps from 1889 thru 1912 and could not find the lane even identified. Instead, there were a few tiny cottages and a vast open area between Thomas Street to the east and Emma Street to the west. In current day Key West the house to the rear of 11 Hutchinson Lane #4 is 916 Thomas Street which co-incidentally was listed for sale on the same day as this house but at $1,695,000.

The above photos demonstrate how the two cottages were bridged (or joined together by a new structure at the rear from which the photo immediately above is taken). The master bedroom is the
structure seen from the same photo. 

This set of photos show the living room and master bedroom connection. French doors from both rooms open out to the large sunny deck. Tropical foliage on this site and around the other homes provides privacy for each home which shares the common pool. There are parking spaces for seven cars on the property.

There is a lot of new construction and renovation of older buildings going on in Bahama Village today. This home is located within easy walking distance to South Beach at the end of Duval Street or the much larger beach at Ft Zachary Taylor State Park. The new Truman Annex Park and amphitheater are just a couple of blocks to the west. All of the attractions of Duval are three blocks east. Blue Heaven, Firefly, and Santiago's Bodega are a block to the north. You can be anywhere on foot or bike within a matter of minutes. 

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and listing photos for 11 Hutchinson Lane #4 offered for sale at $965,000. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, buyers agent at Preferred Properties Key West, to show you this property.