4 Gecko Lane, Key West - A Rare Tropical Paradise

4 Gecko Lane is one of my all time favorite properties in Key West. I think I saw it the very first time in 2003 soon after it was listed for sale. It was at that time a one-of-a-kind property where two houses were made into one. A few other people copied the concept but the original remains the best. The property even appeared in Vanity Fair Magazine in the mid 1980s just after the initial renovations were being completed. Let's look at some photos to see why this home is so special.

Gecko Lane is one of those Slow Lanes of Key West that I muse about. The lane is located on the north side of Eaton Street between Margaret and William Streets. If you blink while riding your bike or car, you will miss it. That is why locations like this are so sought after. They are hidden gems. Upon arrival at the front gate you enter a courtyard of what looks like three buildings separated by a large pool. As you move inward you see beautiful wood decks frame the pool as a piece of art. The gazebo at the side "connects" the master bedroom cottage with the main house.

At first look you may think the property is rather confirmed. But you would be mistaken. The lot is actually quite large - 6,312 square feet. The lot is an irregular  rectangle  that measures 161' X 45'. There is a huge yard at the rear for parking access off Roberts Lane. And there are several garden areas, patio, and outdoor shower. It's not so small after all.

Once you step inside the main living area you will be awed by the simplicity of design. Dade County Pine is framed by crisp white trim, baseboards, and crown molding. One of the two guest bedrooms is located just off the living area which has an adjacent bath. 

A second guest bedroom is located on the second level. I find these spaces just special for brothers-in-law. I think grandchildren would love this space. Kids did privacy and unique spaces.

There is lovely patio opposite the kitchen with a portion of the garden in view just beyond. Tropical foliage envelopes the entire lot.

Even though the master bedroom has a cathedral ceiling, the area is quite cozy and romantic. Imagine opening the door for a late night dip before going to bed. The master bath has two sinks, lots of storage, a marble bath, and separate WC. If you are like me, you will prefer the outdoor shower. There is nothing like showering under swaying palms or starry nights - especially when people up north are freezing in the cold of winter.

I searched the Historic Sanborn Fire Maps to try to determine when the cottages were built. The county tax records suggest the houses were built in 1925. But the 1912 Sanborn Fire Map shows both cottages existing as of that date. The lane was little more than a walkway and was not given a name of record. I added arrows to show Roberts Lane which has a gate leading to the rear undeveloped lot at 4 Gecko Lane. Roberts Lane exists onto Caroline Street. The Key West Seaport begins there. Duval Street is a five minute walk from Caroline or Eaton Street. Nothing is far away and almost anything is possible. CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and lots of photos of 4 Gecko Lane, Key West offered for sale at $1,499,000. Make sure to read the listing details as this house has been significantly updated. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to schedule a private showing. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

1616 Atlantic Boulevard No 20, Key West - On the Ocean

Casa Caselles is a town home community of just twenty ocean front units. 1616 Atlantic Boulevard Unit No. 20 is a really special three level unit two bedroom unit that has been recently updated with a new kitchen, baths, custom wood cabinetry, plantation shutters, and a private heated pool.This home is contemporary in design and offers superior interior amenities and finishes.

 

This home has a welcoming covered entry adjacent to the covered parking. The private heated pool and courtyard are located on the far side of the stairway.

The main floor living area is an open concept plan with beautiful built-in cabinetry and marble floors that continue out to the four balconies. The focal point of the kitchen/dining area is the huge granite topped island with seating area for a large party. The clean modern feel is continued with top-of-the-line stainless steel appliances, Shaker style cabinets and a striking contemporary chandelier.

Upstairs are two large bedroom suites with abundant natural light. Notice the large plank floors. The master bedroom has an unique dressing area with built-in cabinets, a stunning spa bath with jetted tub and a walk-in closet. The guest suite is equally as luxurious with a large shower and walk-in closet. This town home has been updated with impact resistant doors and a generator. Casa Caselles is a beautifully maintained, gated oceanfront enclave of 20 town homes with a stunning waterfront pool with open water views. 

At Christmas they decorate the twin palms big red bows. That is cool in and of itself. My customers are just awed when they see the pool. It is so big and sunny. It is the perfect spot to get that enviable Key West tan.

That's the White Street Pier in the background where our annual Fourth of July Fireworks are shot off. There are nature preserves on either side of Casa Caselles. 

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet for more information on 1616 Atlantic Boulevard No. 20 offered for sale at $1,480,000. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to schedule a private showing. I am a buyers agent at Preferred Properties Key West, the listing brokerage for this unit. If buy this unit now, it will be your home by Christmas.

Key West Real Estate Throwback Thursday No. 4

From October 14, 2016 (Just Before Fantasy Fest)

Key West Horror Story No. 5

A few years ago I represented a buyer who found me via my blog. He lived up north in New York City and was looking to buy a cute Key West cottage where he planned to move. He came to town on several visits to find that perfect place. This was during that terrible time soon after the Great Recession.  Many buyers lost faith in our economy and believed we would never be as good as we once were. I know he expected prices would be lower than they were. He quickly learned he couldn't afford as much house as he thought.

This particular buyer was self-employed. He lived from project to project. He would get paid a lot of money upon the completion of each project. But there was no steady income for the times in between. I hooked him up with a local lender who figured out a way to get him approved for a mortgage. We started looking in areas other than Old Town where prices were lower. We found such a place in Mid Town.

The particular house was an estate sale. The previous owner had passed away. The man was single and died alone except for his dog. His body wasn't discovered for quite some time. The body of his large dog was found as well. The dog apparently survived for a while after the owner passed. You can figure out what happened.

The deceased had two male siblings who lived in the northeast. They engaged a local real estate agent who was a stay-at-home-mom and part-time agent. She told me the place was a mess when she first saw it and offered to fix it up for the far-away brothers. She hired local contractors to do some repairs, install new bathrooms including plumbing and tile installation, painting, and so on. She purchased new kitchen cabinets, appliances, light fixtures, fans, etc. The place looked as next to new as a fifty year old house could look. She was a real estate agent mind you, not a licensed contractor. 

The finished house was priced the equivalent of a fixer house in Old Town except it was already fixed. My buyer was willing to forgo the cuteness in favor of the up to date renovation at an affordable price.  He made an offer. We negotiated the price a bit and put the place under contract.

I was a bit concerned that the agent had done a lot of work which may or may not have been permitted. I included a couple of safe guards in the contract which later proved useful when the renovations she  authorized did not pass final building inspection. The brothers had to come out of pocket to bring the sub-standard work up to meet building code. 

I totally sympathized with the situation those brothers went through. Losing a family member is never easy. Losing a family member in such a harsh way is awful. But then having to pay for something twice compounds the loss even more.

Added September 2020. The original agent is out there still selling houses to the unsuspecting. I should have filed a complaint with the Key West board. I did not. I should have.

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

 

Spontaneous Gathering at the Passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
 

Karen Komments on September Sales in Key West

 

I have been spending too much time on TWITTER and INSTAGRAM over the past six months. My business has been slower than I would like, but better than I expected. I decided to do a quick comparison of Single Family Home Sale in Key West for the first 15 days of September from 2017 thru 2020. 

Remember Key West was hit by Hurricane IRMA on September 10 2017 and that Puerto Rico was devastated by MARIA a week later. The  entire country watched countless hours of television coverage of both storms. Key West missed the devastation that destroyed so many homes only a few miles to the north. Not much else happened in Key West for the month of September 2017 which is the starting point of my inquiry.

Single Family Homes SOLD    YEAR    Number   Avg Price    Avg Price Per Sq Ft

                                                     2017        1               $680,000     $267

                                                     2018        15             $1,119          $731

                                                     2019        9                $955            $587

                                                     2020        12              $973            $613

All of these numbers relate back at least a month earlier than September of the year and more likely relate back two months or longer. Labor Day 2017 fell on Monday September 4th. Nobody I know works on the Friday before Labor Day Weekend. Hurricane Irma had been churning around in the Atlantic for the couple of weeks prior. It was predicted to hit somewhere in south Florida on Sunday September 10. About half of the locals evacuated. I stayed in Key West. I saw no use fleeing north along with 20,000,000 other Floridians. Almost all businesses including title companies and real estate closing attorneys closed. Most bars and liquor stores stayed open. Hurricane Irma made actual landfall on Sunday morning September 10th. Key West was without water or electricity for a least the follow week. That explains why there was only one closing during that fifteen day time period.

While the national media painted a bleak portrayal of Hurricane Irma damage to the Florida Keys, when tourists returned to Key West they saw a different reality. Town was spared significant damage. Sales picked up throughout 2018 including three high end sales that closed in early September 2018 which explains the higher average sales price.

There were only nine closings in same time period solds in 2019 - three less than 2018. Both the average sold price and sold price per square foot were down as compared to 2018. 

The year 2020 is probably the worst year of most of our lives. Most of us, no matter where we live, have been cooped up inside our homes for over half this year. Tourists were kicked out of the Keys during in March during our busiest time of the year. But the buyers came back as soon as the gates were opened. They started to buy houses once again. The closings for the first two weeks in September reflect an optimistic outlook for the future. There are 55 current contingent or pending single family homes shown in the Key West MLS with an average listing price of $1,084,940. I believe this reflects an optimism about the future of Key West. What happens in the national real economy will prove the correctness of my belief.  

I will stop right here and not going to become a Karen. There are enough of them.

Gary Thomas, Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. 305-766-2642. Representing buyers and sellers.  And an occasional Karen.

                                       

Throwback Thursday No. 3

From August 4, 2012
HOW GAY WAS MY VILLA?

It's a free world (at least it is here in Key West) where people can be and do just about anything and everything. We all seem to get along. And except for some do-gooders that sit on some public commissions, we all try to stay out of each others "business".

Some places amaze me

One of the really great things about my job as a Realtors is that I get to see inside so many Key West homes. Some places amaze me. Sometimes after I have visited a really incredible home, I go back to my house and feel the need to clean, or paint, or redecorate. Other places sometimes make me feel pity for the sad souls that live in helpless hovels. I have been inside more than enough places that reek of urine but that are inhabited by human beings. I have had to move sideways through rooms filled with years of accumulated trash. And I wonder what in the world is wrong with the people that live there.

This is one of the better (cleaner) views of this house of horror filled with dead animals

I have been in multi-million dollar properties that exude an ambiance most of us can only dream of. But more regularly I get to see some really nice homes that are comfortably decorated with Key West flair. You can't by flair in a store, but you know it when you see it. If you have enough money you can hire someone with flair to decorate your home for you. Many of the chicest of homes in Key West are gay owned have the look and style buyers want.

And there have been a few occasions I have shown houses that are just a gay as gay can get. The most memorable gay house was located in the Meadows area. I showed that house several times a few years back. It had the obligatory statue of David near the pool. There were statuettes, oil paintings, charcoal prints,and etchings of nude and semi-nude males throughout the house and garden. Every square foot had some form of art that paid homage to the naked male figure. After months of not being able to sell the house, the listing Realtor finally persuaded the owner to store some of the artwork off property. A few years later when that same house was for sale again, I actually noticed what terrible shape the house was in. The naughty artwork from before had distracted my attention from the condition of the property itself. But it did the same thing to my potential buyers because nobody was ever interested in seeing that place a second time.

One gay man asked me to look at his house to discuss listing it. That was in 2006 when Key West was in the height of the real estate boom. I might have got the listing had I not told him to take down the huge and virtually nude portrait of himself that hung above French doors leading to the back yard.

There was also that time I was in a really nice home located at the dead end of a Key West lane to discuss listing the house. The owner and I were standing in one of two master baths discussing the features of the house when I spotted it. The DILDO! I lost my voice and the ability to put words together to make a sentence. Decorating with dildos is a no-no.!

I have seen enough mannequins dressed in drag or adorned in leather posed in the corner of a room or next to a window that I don't even take a second look anymore. But my buyers do.

Mannequins are one thing. Slings are another. A couple of years ago I wrote a blog about "The War of the Roses" house. I showed it several times. The name I gave the property was derived from the ordeal the two gay owners were going through in the split of their personal lives and their real estate investments. I had to laugh at the "guest" bedroom that was set up as a dungeon complete with sling. Most of my buyers did find that room very interesting.

A couple of years ago I wrote about a home owned by some gay friends who left town and had placed their house for sale. The place had a long term tenant who himself had several roommates. The renter had turned the place into his own comfortable gay love nest. I say that kindly. The tenant was as sweet as he could be. The place was always immaculate. Let's just say the walls of the master bedroom and master bath were decorated primarily with photos of naked gay porn stars. I think it would be very difficult for a normal straight couple to imagine living in this house because of the huge collection of gay porn photos and other gay decorations throughout the house and near the pool. God, I must sound like some prude!

Call me old fashioned. I grew up in the 1950s when gay decorating was -- different. But what the heck. This is Key West. It is okay to be gay here, and it is okay to decorate your home, condo, or villa anyway you want.

If you are thinking of buying a place in Key West and are looking for a gay Realtor, call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 or contact my by e-mail at kw1101v@aol.com. I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. Living life in Key West is just great. I could care less how you decorate your villa as long as you are happy. However, sometimes it might be a little easier to sell your home if you hide your porn and stow away the dildos.

Key West Real Estate Trivial Pursuit - Part Four

Today's Trivial Pursuit is a No-Brainer because I added the address of the property in the photos.

It is nonetheless interesting to see how one property can change so much over the period of fifty years. When I was a kid I counted my age by quarter and half years. Now it is decades. I have watch Key West change over four decades. It is amazing. Nothing stays the same.

St Mary's Convent before it burned. 1109 Windsor is at the left rear corner.

I remember the garage located at the corners of Windsor Lane, Amelia Street, and Royal Street as shown in the photos above. I was a Realtor at Prudential Knight Gardner Realty in the early 2000's when a fellow agent and her husband bought the Windsor property and the adjacent house at 1117 Royal Street. Both properties were razed and two new houses were completed in 2005.

The garage that once stood at 1109 Windsor Lane now looks like this:

2012

2019

J J Fairbank Construction was the builder. Tom Pope was the architect.

Comments welcomed.