True Tales of Key West Real Estate in the Times of Covid 19 No. 16

Sine there isn't much real estate being offered for sale or being sold these days, I decided to look through my old shoebox photos of buildings or events that readers might find of interest. This story really happened several years ago at the Bank of America branch located about fifty feet or so west of my office. 

 The building at 510 Southard Street, Key West has long been a bank building. The black and white photos were taken in the 1960s when the building housed First Federal Savings. I don't know when the ownership or signage of the building changed to Bank of America.  In fact Bank of America vacated that space about three years ago.  It is up for lease now and I am not a part of that.

I took the above photo this afternoon. I added a graphic to show where two ATM machines used to be located. The bank entrance was twenty feet or so to the west where the bikes are located in the photo. The wrought iron gate has been in that location for years. It is a passageway to the paring lot in the rear. The gates has been locked ince the bank vacated the building.

Several years ago I was headed two blocks west to the Bobby Shop to get my haircut. Just as I approached the Bank of America ATM machines I noticed a set of keys was inside the lock to one of the machines  Thinking that was odd even for Key West I went inside the bank and saw there were several people standing in line waiting to transact business. 

I passed everybody and went ot the head of the line. A young male bank teller looked at me with a sneer ready to tell me to go to the rear. But I stopped him before his rebuke and told him the keys to the money machine were ready to be swooped. He threw up his hands and raced for the door. I left and got my haircut. I assume all the money was still in the machine. I wonder if the bank manager ever heard about that day. 

True Tales of Key West Real Estate in the Times of Covid 19 - No. Fourteen

This is a true story

I recently held an open house. I arrived at my listing about fifteen minutes before it was to begin. A couple driving a street legal golf cart was parked in front waiting for me to arrive. I asked them to wait five minutes so I could turn on the lights and get organized. I met the owner inside who agreed to turn on the lights on the second floor while I set up the first floor. The golf cart couple could not control themselves and entered before I was ready. Others quickly followed. It was crazy. People started asking questions. I never got a chance to go upstairs. The owner had departed. Everything was supposed to be just fine. 

My broker came by around 12;30 to take to a look-see. She looked around the first floor; went out to the pool; came back inside nodded her approval, and went upstairs. A few minutes later she came up to me said something like "The man in the shower scared me."

I asked what man? Had one of my open house attendees jumped into the shower to try it out? Or worse? I ran upstairs. I got up there as fast I could. I went into the front bedroom which has an en-suite bath and shut the door (visible in the top photo) only to find this:

I can't say that I screamed but it gave me a jolt. I immediately realized it was not real. But I also knew it appeared real at first glance. Real enough to scare a rational person. I started to move it out of view but then thought the owners put it there for a reason. I decided to leave it.

 

Shortly thereafter a fellow Realtor arrived and took a look around the first floor then began a Facetime tour of the home. Several minutes later she came up to ask a couple of questions but first said  "That man in the bathroom almost gave her a heart attack".  I apologized again. After that I warned people not to be frightened. I still heard a couple screams and then laughs.

 

A two hour open house turned into a three and one-hour marathon. The owner returned and explained the "man" was a cardboard cutout of his son in character as Tom Sawyer. His drama teacher made cutouts of the characters. Dad kept Tom as a remembrance and planned to have him in the guest bedroom as a  surprise for his now grown son who would be home for Christmas. 

 

The house went under contract immediately and to the agent who did the Facetime video. The owner relocated Tom to a bedroom corner during the home inspection.

True Tales of Key West Real Estate in the Times of Covid 19 - No Twelve

 

This really happened. Sometime in the early 2000's. I was working as an agent at Prudential Knight Real Estate at 336 Duval Street Key West. I had floor duty that day. A woman beyond middle age came inside and asked to look around the building. She said she grew up in the property which was once the Key West school house and later was a single family home. Later it became a real estate office. I walked her through the property and then we went out back where there are six very valuable parking spaces. She pointed to the northwest corner of the lot. She paused. Hesitated. And then recalled the most dreadful remembrance of having lived there. The out house in the northwest corner.

She told how horrible it was anytime. She mentioned the unbearable smell, the heat and the rain but it was especially scary at night. All by herself. In the dark. She said she ran back inside of the house as quickly as possible.