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.

24 Arbutus Drive, Key West - Bank Owned Home on the Water

Just Listed, but not by me, is a Bank Owned home located at 24 Arbutus Drive in Key West, Florida. This 1832 sq ft home was built in 1964 which sits on a 6,000 sq ft (60' X 100') canal lot in the Key West suburb known as Key Haven.  I found an aerial photo taken by Cory McDonald in 1968 to which I have add an arrow to point out this house. More telling in the photo is the relative newness of all of the houses located there and the lack of trees.

I found the aerial photo below which was taken 19 years later (1987) which shows 24 Arbutus Drive from a different angle. In this photo you can see that the subdivision has more homes and more trees. I point out the addition of more trees for good reason. If you are a follower of my blog you have probably seen a lot of photos of Key West that were taken around fifty years ago. Perhaps you have noticed that there was a relative scarcity of trees in Key West at that time. I think it was the "discovery" of Key West in the 1970s that led to the renovation of the houses in Old Town which included the addition of pools and tropical gardens. In the forty or so years that followed, the island has become lush with vegetation. When I went to the Key Haven house to take photos I could not help but remember how much that area has "greened up" since I first saw Key Haven 20 some years ago.

The aerial photos also help us understand the lure Key Haven. In talking to long time Key West residents I learned that the younger generation of locals moved out to Key Haven as the older homes in the Old Town and Casa Marina areas were being purchased by out of area buyers looking for second homes. Most of the Key Haven houses are located on man made canals that provide relatively quick ocean access for boaters. These houses were also modern in construction and built for families as opposed to the cigar maker cottages that make up part of the Key West housing stock. Today many of the original homes have been expanded in various ways. Some have what I can "pop tops" while others have additions to the rear or side. The house at 24 Arbutus Lane appears to have had a carport enclosed for more interior space.  Just below you will find photos I just took of this home. I can report this house has been freshly painted in neutral tones. New floor tiles have been added in some areas of the house. The kitchen and baths have new counter-tops and new cabinet facings. There are new wall unit air conditioners throughout the house. Also, it appeared to me that the roof was replaced. (I did not get up there to verify, but the metal flashing on the sides is certainly new.)

This home has a screened patio overlooking the canal plus a large area for the kids and the pets to play. There is a dock that needs a little TLC to make it usable. The view is pretty neat. CLICK HERE to see all the photos I took of this home.

 I think this home would appeal to both a family looking for clean, affordable housing in the Key West area as well as a second home buyer who wants a Key West address but does not need to be located in Old Town. You can buy so much more of a home if you get out of the core area. This is worth a look.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet on 24 Arbutus Drive which is a Bank Owned property that is offered for sale at $549,900. 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. Let me help you find your home in Paradise.

812 Johnson Lane - Key West - Easter Sunday Open House

If you are in Key West and are out and about this Easter Sunday after church or after brunch, stop by my Open House at 812 Johnson Lane in Old Town Key West. I have put a GOOGLE MAP just below so that you can find me. This home will be visible to all between 12:00 to 2:00 PM.

812 Johnson Lane is located three blocks from Duval Street and about one-half block north of Truman Avenue on a single block that begins at Windsor Lane and ends at Packer Street. Most of the cottage style houses on this block date back to the beginning of the twentieth century. Several of the cottages have been renovated including one across the street that merited a Ceramic Star several years ago. This is a quiet little lane near everything, and 812 Johnson Lane is a bright little star on this street.

The front cottage was totally renovated in 2014. All interiors were gutted and replaced. Today there are two new large bedrooms with ample closet space, recessed lighting, crown molding, and new floors. There's a new travertine marble bath and a cute new kitchen complete with new cabinetry, granite counter-tops, and stainless steel appliances. The house is laid out with two bedrooms up front off the main hallway. The open living area is at the rear where beveled glass doors open out to the covered rear porch that overlooks the heated pool that is 5' deep. I mention the depth because size matters to some people.

 

The covered porch looks not only provides shelter from the sun but also provides a comfortable and protected space for poolside dining. You'll be surprised at how much time we Key Westers spend outside - that's a big part of the reason many of left our lives in the frozen north.

There is a second cottage at the far side of the pool. The owner obtained permission to add a bath and laundry to the cottage. There is also an outdoor shower on the back side of the cottage. The lot extends 117 feet from Johnson Lane to the rear property line. That's deep for a property in Old Town. When you look up to the sky you can actually see the sky and sunshine. There are nice trees on the neighboring houses which the neighbors get to take care of. Here, the owner gets to take care of tanning. This property would make an excellent vacation rental!

812 Johnson Lane is offered at $769,000. Please stop by and see me or CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet on this really cute two cottage buying opportunity. Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642. I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.