909 Southard Street, Key West Florida - Bank Owned Property in Old Town

Just Listed, but not by me, 909 Southard Street, Key West, Florida. This is a Bank Owned home located on one of the best streets in Old Town.  My dear readers will be the first to see the inside as the listing brokerage does not have many photos available as of the time I write this.

I remembered having been inside this home several years ago, but I couldn't recall what it looked like. I then dug down into my old shoebox and found the above black and white picture taken in 1965. i wasn't around in Key West then. Study the photo and look at the cottages that appear to the right. Several decades that was a little walking lane known as "Bucks Court". Today it is called "Hunts Lane". The lane is nearly invisible as trees have grown all around the place. And the front of 909 Southard Street almost has been eclipsed by trees.

The above set of photos demonstrate that a second floor dormer was added to the original house sometime before 1965 and what it looks like today. They also show the house abuts the walking lane which also means there is a nice separation between this property and the larger house to the east.
The lane is too small for any motor vehicle. The people who live on these small lanes tend to be resourceful and friendly.

According to the Monroe County Property Appraiser records this home has 1194 sq ft of living space that sits on a 42' X 41' (1503 sq ft) lot.  I could not determine when the interior renovations were done. The roof appears to have been added in 1995 and a couple of other permits were made for improvements in the late 1980s. The interiors look to be of that vintage.

The front door enters into the living area which then flows into the kitchen. There is a divider that separates the two areas. Just to the right of the front entry is the first floor bedroom. It is surprisingly large and has French doors at the rear which open out to what used to be a lovely garden. The first floor bath is accessible from both the bedroom and a hall just off the front entry.

The kitchen isn't quite large enough to accommodate the refrigerator which is tucked away in a small addition at the rear. That room also houses the washer and dryer hook-up plus provides access to a half bath. The half bath has an "escape door" out to the street. I don't quite understand the purpose as being for any other purpose. There is another door off to the east side which provides interior access t the small back yard.

The above set of photos show the two second floor bedrooms which were created during a time before our Historic Architectural Review Commission was created. HARC would never allow a dormer this large to be added to a cottage today. That is not to say that the house looks bad. It only means our minders mind what we do with our houses and won't let us do what we want. We must do what they will allow.  CLICK HERE to view all photos of the interior and exterior.

909 Southard Street sits between 5 Brothers to the east and Mangia-Mangia and Michael's to the west. The historic seaport is a couple of blocks to the north and the cemetery is block the the south. Duval Street is a five minute walk to the west. You cannot get lost. You can, however, get your morning coffee and gossip, a cheap meal, an expensive meal, and maybe a deal if you buy this house by using Gary Thomas.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet on 909 Southard Street Key West which is offered for sale at $629,000. Then call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to get you inside before somebody else buys this place. It's not perfect but it is certainly livable and it has a lot going for it. Let's take a look. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

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Beware the Ides of March. Better Yet, Don't Do Dumb Things!

On March 15th of this year I noticed a bank owned listing at the Key West Golf Club community that looked interesting. I contacted the listing agent to ask permission to write about it in my blog. Soon thereafter I drove to the property to take photos. I often lock the front door so that nobody disturbs me, but this time I left it unlocked. I went about my business taking photos and creating a mental image as to features that stood out.  

The second floor front bedroom was both tall and wide. It had a vaulted ceiling and ran the breadth of the house. Unlike a lot of golf course houses, this one did not have a second story front porch. I closed the door and placed my tripod at the far right side to demonstrate the size of this spacious bedroom.  But when I tried to open the door I discovered the door knob lock set had automatically locked the door.

I was trapped. This had happened before at a different location. That time I called an agent in my office who came over to rescue me. However, when I called my office to see if anyone was in who could come help me out, I was told none of the agents were in the office. I was still trapped.

I then thought of Instagram so I posted the above pic there. That did not help.

And then I thought about calling Ken who I had sold a golf course property to. He came over within a couple of minutes and brought a little gadget that pricked the little gizmo that turned the thingamabob that unlocked the lock. Ladies, it's nice to have a man around the house that knows how to use tools.

Free at last, free at last, Thank God Almighty, I was free at last!

I thanked Ken profusely for saving me. 

It wasn't until earlier this morning when I searched Instagram for the photo that I realized this dreadful event occurred on the Ides of March.

1717 South Street, Key West - Bank Owned Fixer-Upper

If you have been hoping to move to Key West and buy a Bank Owned property that you could fix-up and make your home, the new listing new listing 1717 South Street in Key West may be the property you are looking for.  The listing broker, not me, describes this home this way:

"Location, Location, Location! This oversized lot with a privacy fence that currently has a main house with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms and a mother-in-law 1 bedroom with 1 bath. Property has a large pool and back yard great for entertaining."

The house and detached mother-in-law cottage total 1900 sq ft and sit on what used to be a very beautifully landscaped 8531 sq ft lot (93.5' X 94').  The grounds and house are hidden from view behind a tall privacy fence. imagine how beautiful this home once was and could be again.

The house has a pretty impressive formal entry for such a relaxed home. A pergola spans much of the front facade on columns of carved stone. Similar columns are located at the rear where there is an huge pool and gardens.

The master bedroom and bath are located to the left of the living room while the two guest bedrooms and share hall bath are located to the right side of the living room. This arrangement would work well for a family to provide privacy for the parents for a few moments of the day. Note the terrazzo floor  in the original parts of the house.

The kitchen and laundry room are the the target of most new home owners. There is a really sweet rear pergola off the dining room and kitchen. I am sure a creative mind could re-invent this space into something even more magical.

You can clearly see that a portion of the drywall was moved in that area. There are a couple of holes in other rooms were drywall was also removed. The bank owner has treated the house for termites. The dining room and adjacent den have saltillo tile floors. The front entry and the rear garden area also have saltillo tiles.

The garden area must have been breath-taking. It still is to some extent. The pool sits quietly under the canopies of several beautiful trees that have created a little Eden of sorts. I found an old photo of the pool in its glory days. The lush garden could be replanted. The gardens would thrive in no time. CLICK HERE to view more photos I took of this property.

There are two gated entrances for cars. The one on the right is electrically operated. The long driveway terminates where the mother-in-law cottage begins. The rear yard seems boundless from the west border. The former owners created an outdoor kitchen to the south of the what was the den. The pool equipment and A/C are hidden from view on the far side of the outdoor kitchen.

1717 South Street in Key West is offered for sale at the asking price of $749,000 or just $394 per sq ft. CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet. Then please call ma, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to set up a private showing of this remarkable property.  I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. Let me help you find your home in Paradise.