4 Fletcher Ln, Key West, Florida

4 Fletcher Lane is one of those charming houses many would-be buyers dream of owning but don't because they don't know the lane exists. Fletcher Lane is located between Margaret and Grinnell Streets and accessed off Eaton Street. The nearest remarkable landmark is the Old Town Bakery.  That's a blessing and a curse as Mr. Monk would say.

 "X" always marks the "spot" on treasure maps and so it is that "X" marks the spot where you will find 4 Fletcher Lane on the 1899 Historic Sanborn Fire Map, for it truly is a treasure. I looked in my old shoebox and found the black and white photo below taken more than half a century ago which shows original house at 4 Fletcher Lane before it was renovated and expanded. The Monroe County Property Appraiser records show the property was significantly renovated between 1990 to 1996 when a two story addition and pool were added. Note the house still sits at an angle to front of the lot. The current house has 1556 sq ft of living space and sits on a surprisingly large L-shaped lot of 4,866 sq ft.

Even though the road to this little gem is gravel, the parking space is bricked. The formal entry is now located mid-way toward the rear where a little covered porch opens into the living area.

The entry door is visible at the far rear of the above photo. Note the beams and right angle of the original roof line just east of the door. There are two bedrooms located just to the right which is the original cottage. There were ribbons hanging on door way to warn of the lower than normal height of each door opening.  Shorter guests and children won't have any issues with either first floor bedroom.

I stood in the library for several minutes just ogling the space. It is just too sweet for words. There are bookshelves with books placed not for decorative affect but by happenstance. There were little and large objets d'art all over the room. The floors in the library, living room, and kitchen are painted. The ceiling is coffered. Clerestory windows are located above multiple sets of French doors which frame the library, living room, and even the kitchen.  Surely this addition was built before the windstorm insurance underwriters got to mess with creativity in the Key West.

There are two good sized bedrooms each with vaulted ceilings located on the second floor.  The wood floors, walls, and ceiling are punctuated by the crisp white French doors which open out to little decks overlooking the garden and pool below.

A mature Gumbo Limbo tree reigns over the garden area much of which is a wood deck. Imagine walking down the lane to buy some fresh pastries at the bakery, returning home to drink coffee and maybe read or write a book under the shade of that magnificent tree.  Or to do nothing. 

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet on 4 Fletcher Lane Key West, Florida now offered at$1,150,000 or just $722 per sq ft,  Then 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.

16 Kingfisher Lane, Key West Golf Club Community - Just Listed

Just Listed by Preferred Properties 16 King Fisher Lane in the Key West Golf Club Community. This 900 square foot town home is adorable and affordable - priced at just $485,000.

The listing Realtor describes the home this way:

"New, new, new! There are so many new additions to this beautiful 2 bedroom 2 bathroom townhouse located in the Key West Golf Course. This pristine unit has an amazing view of the green as well as sunsets right from your back porch. If you have a pet, there is plenty of room outside to enjoy the sunshine and salt air. Move right in and enjoy everything this space has to offer along with the gated security, 2 swimming pools and club house all at the golf course."

I have sold many town homes and single family homes at the Key West Golf Club. I continue to believe these are among the best values in Key West based on construction, size, location, amenities, and price. Some potential buyers resist even looking citing the fact they don't play golf. There are no rules in life that you have to play golf to enjoy the sunset views over the course nor that you must swim in either of the two pools or use the community gym or watch butterflies in the butterfly garden.

The smaller of the two pools is located within a five minute walk of 16 Kingfisher Lane which is near the security gate where all incoming traffic is monitored. The larger pool, butterfly garden, and community center is located a couple of blocks into the community. 

HOA fees are395 per month and include common area and pool maintenance (the streets and grounds are very well maintained), basic cable, and security.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet on 16 Kingfisher Lane Key West 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. I'll drive you there.

That Was the Year That Was in Key West Real Estate - 2019

Pardon my delay in posting some of the best deals in Key West for the past year.  My hand was injured which prevented me from typing and doing daily chores. I am back and ready to roll. 

903 Southard Street is very successful monthly vacation rental with two bedrooms, one bath, a private pool, and an incredible location just a short stroll to Duval or the Historic Seaport. I remember showing the house a few years ago and asking the guest how she liked the house. She said she "loved" it. Vacationers return year after year to places they enjoy. This house sold for $715,000 or $1,204 per sq ft.

533 Petronia Street is located on a tight one-way street just one half block off of Duval Street. The house needed updating. There was an existing smaller cottage at the rear of the large lot. The lot was burdened by a diseased old tree which the owners were able to remove. HARC approved moving the house forward on the lot to the same setback as neighboring houses. This is one of several fixer properties I selected to be among the best values this year. The price of renovated homes in Old Town has risen to $1000 per square feet and sometimes higher.  Many buyers are purchasing the few remaining fixers and putting new money in to creating their perfect dream home.

721 Love Lane sold in just one day on the market and for good reason. The 2/2 house had a pool, covered off street parking, and is located on one of the most popular little lanes in Old Town. Two other houses sold on Love Lane this year, both well over $1 million each. 721 Love Lane sold for $875,000.

710 Bakers Lane sat on the market for a long time - 115 days. I wrote about soon after it was listed and showed it a couple of times. I liked the location but told my buyers it was over-priced. It wasn't until nearby 533 Petronia Street closed that the owner reduced the asking price which then attracted buyers. The front house was gutted and most of the rear building taken down. The entire property is being renovated. This property sold for $745,000.

1101 Fleming Street sold in one day on the market repeating the same market reaction from 2013 when it was previously offered for sale. Good locations and charm work wonders. The house is small and has no parking. But the two bedrooms, two baths, and pool were a steal at just $854,000.

523 Elizabeth Street was placed in the MLS "For Statistical Purposes" after it sold for $1,000,000. I wrote about this house several years ago when it was listed for sale by several successful listing agents who were never able to get the previous owner to get a deal done. It will be interesting to see what happens to the very well located property.

511 Frances Street is located on one of the best streets in Key West where there are numerous multi-million dollar homes. Although the house looks old, it was actually built new in 1983. It has a large sunny pool, off street parking, and 1743 sq ft of living space on one level. This is the kind of property so many buyers dream of owning. That is why it got snapped up after 11 days on the market.

3222 Riviera Drive was one of the very best deals of the year. It was a bank owned property located on the Riviera Canal. This is prime real estate location.  The house had been very well maintained, had a guest house, sunny pool, covered off street parking, great street appeal, and boat dock. It sold in just 16 days for $1,225,000 or $35,000 over asking price.

 If the cute as can be conch cottage appears atypical for the Casa Marina Area, it is. It was moved from Old Town to its Casa location half a century ago. The previous owner took down messy trees and added a stunning pool and updated the interior. 1122 Von Phister sold at $1,170,000 or $782 per sq ft.

614 Grinnell Street sold on listing day at full asking price of $1,575,000 or $1,060 per sq ft. The seller was an agent in my office. The agent was shocked at the speed of the transaction. The new owner gutted the house, ripped out the pool and is doing a huge renovation. A smaller cottage a few doors to the north is also under renovation. Such is the value of a great Old Town location.

 1100 Flagler Avenue was a former home of author Judy Blume.  A "For Statistical Purposes" MLS listing announced the sale of this Casa Marina Area home which sold for $4,500,000 or $1,286 per sq ft - record amount in the Casa Marina Area on a price per sq ft basis. Cory Held and Laurie McChesney of Preferred Properties put this deal together. 

Town is full of people. A lot houses are being shown. A few houses are going under contract. Many homes are having price adjustments. I have heard all of the statements or complaints buyers make about, room size, layout, condition. The "I don't like .....!" "Insurance is so expensive!" "Is Key West going to sink?" There is always an excuse to not do something. There are other people who buy places here; take their power suits and cocktail dresses off and put on shorts and t-shirts and live a very comfortable life in the moment. Give me a call.  I sell houses to rich people. 

The Time I Saw Martin Luther King

I don't know what it is about old white men (I am one), but I'll bet they look at the picture of Andy, Barney, Opie, and Aunt Bea and recall that time as the "good old days". Well, I guess, I agree to part of that. I still watch the reruns - they are on TV everyday.  The Andy Griffith Show began in 1960 and reflected life in Mayberry, North Carolina, a fictional town with very nice white folks.

I was thirteen years old in 1960 and remember watching Andy and loving it. I never thought too much about there never (in the beginning) seeing any black characters. I guess they didn't have any black characters (or black actors) in the 1960s. Oh wait, they did have black actors. My mistake. 

I grew up in the western suburbs of Denver in the 1950s. I remember watching another Andy. He was the chubby black man with the cigar in the Amos 'N' Andy TV program. The show took place in Harlem and had the funniest characters and lines. I howled with delight when I watched these guys. I never thought of the show as black stereo-typing. There were no other black characters on TV back in the 1950s that I remember. I would see a black performer on the Ed Sullivan Show or maybe in a movie, but they were few.

There were no black people in my suburb or in my grade school, junior high, or high school.  Blacks were not allowed to live in Jefferson County, Colorado back then. It was the law. Subdivisions had restrictive covenants that disallowed non-whites to live in specific areas. There weren't any Mexicans either - well, one. A boy names Lupe was in my high school. Years later when I was a young gay adult lawyer in Denver, my Realtor told me and my partner that we could not buy a house in the Hilltop area because of restrictive covenants which disallowed non-married single people to buy houses together. This was in the early 1980s. I did not test it. It made me mad as hell. I had always been privileged. Now I was a victim of bias.

During the late fifties I watched the evening news on TV.  Douglas Edwards at CBS was my main source for news. Walter Cronkite replaced Edwards in 1962. The news wasn't any better then than it is now. In fact the news back then really rattled my forming brain as I was disturbed when I saw grainy black and white film of racial violence. Later videotape replaced the film. The violence was delivered to TV more quickly, but it was the same. It was always white government or white protesters assaulting black people or black people marching with signs. Or little black girls getting murdered in Sunday School. That kind of violence.

Two years later in Selma, Alabama this happened. I was in high school and could not imagine cops in Denver beating anybody up with  a baton for marching for Civil Rights. The march was peaceful. It was the government out of control.  America saw this on the nightly news.

Martin Luther King, Jr. became the leading Civil Rights figure of the twentieth century. He gave a voice and a presence that no other person has achieved - before or since. I got a chance to see him in person in Chicago in 1967 at the National Conference on New Politics. I wrote an entire blog about that event CLICK HERE.

On Monday night Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was the speaker at a large old auditorium far away from the Palmer House Hotel where the conference was held. We had heard rumors all day long about some serious threats having been made against Dr. King.  It was feared Stokely Carmichael would disrupt the speech.  Carmichael was the leader of SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee) and was also a part of the NCNP, but he was not supposed to be a part of King's speech.  My buddy and I arrived very early so we could sit up close to the stage. I think we were in the first or second row. I will never forget that night.  The Internet is a repository of all kinds of information.  I found that speech which you can listen to if you CLICK HERE.

The speech lasted about forty minutes. Dr. King referred to his "I Have a Dream" speech.  He spoke of racism, militarism, poverty, the unending War in Viet Nam. The speech I heard was not memorable in itself except that I got to see and hear him and watch up close at the look in his eyes when all hell broke loose at the back of the auditorium. He had been looking around the room as if he was expecting trouble.  About thirty minutes or so into the speech there was a clamor at the rear of the auditorium. I said the hall was old. It had panic doors with glass windows with wire to protect against breakage. The doors had those metal push bars to permit quit exit.  The doors were thrust open and people at the rear made a lot of noise. I looked back but could not see what was going on. I could tell some people tried to force their way inside. But they were forced back and not allowed to enter. That was the end of it.  Dr. King continued with his speech unphased except that he looked grateful that nothing more serious happened.  Of course, we all now what happened a year later.

And after King's death, President Lyndon Johnson got the Congress to enact the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act along with other legislation that established a lot of entitlement programs designed to help the all persons. In 2013 the Supreme Court struck down the coverage formula in the Civil Rights Act as unconstitutional, reasoning that it was no longer responsive to current conditions which made much of the act unenforceable.

During the following fifty years (yes fifty plus years) various politicians and groups have been doing their best to undo what King inspired and what Johnson achieved.