627 Southard Street - Old Town - Key West

Location! Location! Location!  Those are the words Buyers, Sellers, and Realtors live by. And the house at 627 Southard Street in Key West certainly has a prime location.  Its nearby neighbors are big expensive homes. It is within easy walking distance to many Old Town favorites like Faustos Food Palace, Sarabeth's, Five Brothers, Michales, etc. Duval Street and the Historic Key West Seaport are only a few minutes away by foot. The house has just been totally renovated and is now offered for sale at the asking price of $1,995,000.

The listing Realtor describes this freshly renovated three bedroom home this way:

"Nestled in the heart of Old Town, within walking or biking distance to everything Key West has to offer, you will find a true gem! This prestigious residence has an accomplished top to bottom renovation. Fine craftsmanship, fine finishes and uncompromised quality. Astonishing reclaimed heart of pine flooring, trey and coffered ceilings, restored Dade County Pine, floor to ceiling doors and windows, antique reproduction hardware, award winning appliances, black walnut kitchen island, security cameras and alarm system. This elegant home is truly a Show Place, make it yours, there is still time to add your own personal touches. Three bedrooms, 3.5 baths, large 12X20 pool with deck, two off street parking spaces."

I wrote about this property a couple of times during recent years. The first time was when it was offered as a short sale. The short sale went nowhere.  Then it became bank owned. I showed it the first day it hit the mls to two different buyers. So did a lot of agents in town. It sold immediately and the current owner was the successful bidder in a best and final offer scenario.

The property main floor had been previously taken down to the studs. The second floor was previously remodeled.  All of the previous remodel was removed. Everything on the inside is new. The end result is a beautiful renovation with lots of high end features and old Key West charm.

 The new renovated property is just beautiful. The front entry hall is so simple and yet it is so beautiful. Much of the house is refinished Dade County Pine. The floors are awesome - real wood, the kind you remember from your grandmother's house only prettier.  There is a guest bed and bath on the main level. Original windows were restored and offer rippled views of the big expensive homes across the street.  The first thing I noticed when I entered the open living area was the coffered ceiling. This architectural feature is amazing. It sets this house apart from so many other homes in Old Town. A bank of French doors span the back wall and  look out to the new pool and deck. The kitchen is in place. The appliances and counter tops will be installed shortly.

The owner  of 627 Southard did a renovation of another house which I blogged about. That completed kitchen is just "killer". Take a peak at it below and imagine something quite similar at 627 Southard Street.

Upstairs you will find a large second bedroom at the front of the house. This bedroom has an en-suite bath. A bonus feature is access to the second floor front porch which will be great for people watching.  Notice the intricate gingerbread peaking through the windows shown below.

The master suite is located at the rear. The master bath has an almost baroque feel about it - quite impressive.  There is a second floor rear balcony that looks down to the pool below. The pool photos were taken a week ago. The pool will be 'shot' next week and will probably be completed within two weeks.  The stairway from the original houses was removed and the new stairway gave the upstairs bedrooms more space, functionality, and an impressive wall architectural feature.

 627 Southard Street would make a great vacation rental. It has the look, the location, and all the amenities sophisticated vacation travelers want. Seriously!

The listing Realtor advises me that the house is racing toward completion. Depending on when an offer is accepted, a new buyer may have time to select certain finishes. CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet.  Better yet 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.

Bank Owned "Fixer" with Huge Upside - Key West

627 Southard Street - Bank Owned - Key West

Just listed, but not by me, 627 Southard Street in Old Town Key West. This property is priced at just $399,000 and it will spark a bidding war because it has so much potential and because of its prime location. The listing Realtor describes the property as:

"Historic Property In Old Town. Prime Location In Need Of Complete Renovation. All Cash Offers Only. Proof Of Funds Required With All Offers."

The original house was built in 1899. I dug into the old shoebox and found the photo below that shows the house as it appeared in 1965. Compare that to the way it looks today. The trim (and that ugly carport are still in place. The trim is great. The carport is not.

627 Southard Street in 1965

627 Southard Street in 2012

The Monroe County Property Appraiser shows this house as having 2010 sq ft of living space divided between two floors. The front has first and second floor front porches for watching the continual people parade as locals and tourists go to and from the various haunts in Key West. There is a main level wrap-around rear deck that has ample room for expansion. The rear yard has plenty of room for a pool. I guesstimate the space between the house and the rear property line to be about 30 feet. The lot is good sized for Old Town: 40'x90' or 3497 sq ft. An ugly car port is currently attached to the house. That should go but the off street parking should definitely stay. (See how nice the next door neighbor's driveway is in a photo below.)


I was in this house several months ago when it became Bank Owned. I took a lot of pics at that time when a prior resident's property remained in the house. Those items are now gone but the pics will give you some idea of the spaces available. CLICK HERE to view the photos. All of the mess in the photos is now gone. And CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet.

The downstairs area has been pretty much stripped to bare walls. Most of the interior is gone. You won't find much "Dade County Pine" here. And if memory serves me right, you won't find interior wiring or plumbing on this floor. That means a new owner can create new living spaces and put electric, plumbing, HVAC where that owner wants. The demolition work on this floor is over. It is pretty much ready for design and execution. The rear end on this level currently has sets of double hung windows that look out to the rear where a new pool would be located. I would put French doors here that would open out to a new expanded deck and pool. I would enlarge the current covered deck area on the east side to expand the outdoor living area.

The trash is gone as is most of the main level interior

The second floor appears to have been renovated in the past decade. There are new bath fixtures, new drywall, and new central air. It might make good sense to demolish all that was done and rebuild anew. This place has been abused. If you look at the photos, you will understand exactly what I mean.
Upon seeing the house earlier today I would suggest a new buyer remove the existing hardwood floors on both levels to get rid of any lingering pet odors.

House of horrors is now empty and ready for new ideas!

627 Southard Street and its neighbor to the immediate east

Neighbor to the immediate west

Neighbor across Southard Street

This property is Bank Owned and Offered at $399,000. It will sell for more than that. Please contact 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 Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West.