1020 Southard Street, Key West - The Gingergreadman House

Just Listed:  The Gingerbreadman House located at 1020 Southard Street in Key West, Florida. Look at the spandrels (the cutouts between the posts which resemble tiny gingerbreadmen) on this unique wrap-around front porch. The house is so precious - the whimsical facade exudes charm. It has to be one of the most photographed homes in Key West. This premier property arguably is located on the best block in Key West amid equally beautiful and totally unique homes. The house next door to the west was the featured in Architectural Digest a few years back.

The listing Realtor describes 1020 Southard Street this way:

"Historic ''Gingerbread'' home with covered wrap around porch. On the main floor there are 2 en-suite master bedrooms. A long windowed foyer reveals the very elegant Living/dining area with a gourmet kitchen and vanishing pocket doors to the covered loggia, heated pool and separate guest cottage. Upstairs is a very large sitting room /office, and breakfast bar leading to en suite master bedroom with dual closets and terrace. Two laundry locations, one up and one down. Topped off with a rolling gate and off street parking."

I remember having been inside 1020 Southard Street in the very early 2000s when the former owners were in the process of renovation.  I had met Todd, one of the owners, at Club Body Tech - a gym that no longer exists. Todd told me that he and his partner were doing a substantial renovation and invited me over to take a look. Later that morning I went over to take a look. I was really impressed by the attention to detail throughout the home. I will point out specific features in due course. Understand the kitchen is the heart of this home:  it is big, open, and inviting. It is functional and elegant without being posh. The owners told me they found a custom cabinet maker in Ohio who created the kitchens in each of the homes they renovated in Key West. They renovated several Key West homes over the years and did three more houses after this one. I sold the last house on Love Lane a few years ago. Those owners love their home immensely.

1020 Southard Street Key West  in 1965

I looked inside my old shoebox and found the above photo taken in 1965.  You will notice a dormer which extends off the roof. Look carefully or you might miss the adjacent scuttle. Before electricity and air conditioning were introduced to houses here, scuttles were used as natural cooling elements in these old houses which allowed warm air to arise through the house and flow outside. You will also notice a plumbing stack on the side of the dormer. Unlike most of the continental USA, Key West does not freeze - never. So exterior plumbing pipes and stacks were used in olden days to provide plumbing when homes were updated. Also notice the louvered doors and windows. These elements allowed sunlight and air to flow into the interior but at the same time provided privacy. Finally, look at concrete porch which abruptly ended next to the front door. The more recent renovations include the expanded front porch, a larger rear addition, an expanded second floor with rear porch, a new pool and pool house. The addition of the little gingerbreadmen spandrels was the icing on the cake.

This home a a tasteful formal entry. The entry hall leads to the great room at the rear. The stair case leads up to the master suite which occupies the entire second floor. Two guest bedrooms are located just to the left of the front entry hall. Finally, the ever useful powder room is also located near the staircase.

The renovated home now has two bedrooms on the main level each with en-suite bath.  Should there come a time when the owner finds climbing the stairs to be a problem, either of these bedrooms would make a really comfortable master suite. There is a second doorway off the east wrap-around porch where guests can enter the home late at night without waking up the household. Anew owner who plans to write the next great American novel need only step across the entry hall into the office.

The first two photos above show the entry hall as it leads toward the great room. The office is located to the left in these photos but to the right when you walk through the house. The kitchen then appears:it is nothing short of amazing. The attention to detail is evident in every direction and in every nook and cranny.  Note the slopping lines of the kitchen and living areas. The old house was updated without compromising the integrity of what had been built before.

The kitchen includes custom cabinets complimented by Multibat French satin nickel hardware, hinges and locks, granite counter tops, striking granite, and Viking Appliances including 10 burner Viking range with double ovens. The bathrooms also have the same custom cabinetry, granite, and hardware.  Doors in the living area seem to open then disappear to reveal the loggia, tropical gardens, pool, and the pool house which has a small kitchen and half bath.

The master suite occupies the entire second floor and includes a sitting with a wet bar.  Two steps lead into the bedroom area which includes large closets on either side, the master en-suite bath plus laundry room.  French doors at the rear lead to the rear balcony which overlooks the pool and garden below.

The electronically operated driveway gate opens onto bricked parking for two automobiles.  I'll bet the new owners adopt the habit of walking Duval Street or the Historic Seaport both of which are about five minutes. Five Brothers grocery is one block west. Think of all the gas money you'll save not having to drive everywhere.

I searched the Historic Sanborn Fire Maps to try to determine an approximate time when this home was built. The entire area between White Street to Elizabeth Street and located between Southard Street to Division Street (now Truman Avenue) was excluded from the 1882 map. The 1889 map did show a structure on the site. The 1899 map places the current house on this location together with three appurtenant structures (probably sheds which were interspersed behind the house on the large lot). The lot is fairly large for Old Town - 5025 sq ft (50.3' X 100').  

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to set up a private showing of this one-of-a-kind home which is offered by Preferred Properties Key West at $2,495,000.  I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties. I love his house and I know you'll fall madly, deeply in love with it too. 

Things That Go Bump in Key West

Photo take in 600 block of Elizabeth Street in 2007.

Happy Halloween to

All of My Dear Readers!

1126 Stump Lane, Key West - New Lower Price

The Asking Price on 1126 Stump Lane was just reduced to $534,900. That's the least expensive price for a single family home located in Old Town Key West that is move-in ready, come fully furnished, and that does not need to be renovated.

CLICK HERE to take a 3D Tour of 1126 Stump Lane. Use the toggle switch and your mouse to explore this wonderful cottage on one of the slow lanes of Key West.

Please call me Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to schedule an in person private showing of this ideal Key West home. I am the listing agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. 

2619 Guflview Drive, Key West - Waterfront Property

Just Listed, but not by me, 2619 Gulfview Drive located in the Gulf View Point waterfront community in Key West. I got a chance to take some photos of this new listing today. This is a Bank Owned property. That ought to appeal to a lot of potential buyers.  

This planned community was development in 1999 by Pritam Shingh who also developed Truman Annex, the Key West Golf Club Community, Parrot Key Resort, and numerous other communities and resorts in the Florida Keys. Each single family home and town home in this development have direct water views.  Gulfview Point is the crown jewel of the Singh communities.

Each of the residential communities Singh created have the look and feel of small town America. After you pass the gated entry the private drive winds through the friendly neighborhood. 2619 Gulfview Drive is nestled in little alcove at the northwest corner where two homes have incomparable sunset views. 

This particular house is similar in size and layout to the larger homes in The Sanctuary at the Key West Golf Club Community. The home has two story porches at the front and rear of the home which is a modified temple design. The home was built new in 1999 as were the rest of the homes in this community. This home has had only one owner. The first floor opens into a semi-formal entry hall which leads to the great room. The kitchen is on the immediate right.  The guest bath is on the left. The dining area and living area follow. Sets for French doors open out to the covered rear deck. 

Pocket doors disappear into walls to reveal the den or office which could also be used as a fourth bedroom. Remember there is a first floor guest bath. This home looks pretty Plain-Jane compared to many having the same configuration.  I think replacing the tile floors with nice modern wood floors and repainting the interiors would jazz up the interiors big time. The kitchen is nearly 18 years old. It, too, would benefit with a new and updated look.

I sold a town home at the far east end of this development a few years ago. Those owners absolutely loved being able to open the rear gate and walk their dogs along the common area behind the homes.  This water is fairly shallow near shore but opens into navigable water not too far out.  A few owners have added temporary floating docks behind their homes to which they attach the small water craft. 

Just about six weeks ago Key West was impacted by Hurricane Irma. While most of our island homes had no damage, the trees were not so lucky including the trees at Gulfview Point. The trees behind this home and adjoining homes got a haircut during the storm. Those trees will fill back in within a matter of a few months. The privacy trees provide will return as well. I am always taken by the beauty of the Gulf of Mexico waters. If you were the owner of a small watercraft, you could spend sunset on your little boat sipping cocktails just about every night of the year.

This single family home has 1720 sq ft of living space divided between two floors plus lots of covered porches at the front and rear of the first and second floors. There are three bedrooms, two and one-half baths, the den, and laundry closet both located off the first floor great room. The home needs some TLC but most of the work will be related to clean-up and painting.  The irregular rectangular lot measures 4337 sq ft ( 37.76' X 120.24') located almost at water's edge. The park like setting will surely entice some buyer located up in the soon-to-be frozen north to take notice of this buying opportunity.
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There is a home owner association which requires payment of monthly fees of $371.75 which includes cable television, security, and grounds maintenance. The park-like grounds are meticulously maintained. Pets are permitted with restrictions. CLICK HERE to see more photos which I took.


CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet on 2619 Gulfview Drive offered at the asking price of $821,600 or $477 per sq ft. Compare that price to nearly a $1,000 per sq ft on many homes in the Old Town area. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to set up a private showing. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

1011 Windsor Lane, Key West - Buying Opprotunity

1011 Windsor Lane in Key West, Florida has all the makings of superior renovation project. I recently showed this to a customer seeking that impressive Conch House facade. This place fits that ticket big time. According to the Monroe County Property Appraiser this home was built in 1899. It sits on a large rectangular 5529 sq ft lot (115' X 50') which includes bricked off street parking.  The house is located across the street from St. Mary's Basilica, an Old Town Landmark. Longtime readers know that I like to rummage through my old shoebox to find old time photos of houses. I found a photo of this house, but also of the place next door to the north - see both below.

The above photo shows 1011 Windsor Lane in 1965 or fifty-two years ago. Note the exterior staircase. The original interior stairs were removed to divide the create two separate living units. The property has been a legal two family home since before 1965 but it could be restored to a single family. The exterior staircase still exists. There is no interior staircase at the current time.

This photo shows 1009 Windsor Lane at the same time. Note that it also had an exterior staircase. I don't know when the properties were converted but believe they may have been converted during the World War II era. Many of the larger old homes were either divided or porches enclosed to create additional living spaces for US Military stationed in Key West during the war.  It was not until Key West was re-discovered in the 1970s that some of these war bride housing were taken back to single family status.

The above photo shows 1009 Windsor Lane as it appears in 2017. This home is picture perfect and offers real life proof of how the sister house next door to the south could look after it is completely renovated and restored to single family status.

I feel compelled also to share the above 1920 aerial photo which shows 1011 Windsor Lane and its relationship to St. Mary's across the street and its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean three blocks or so to the south.  Duval Street is a five minute walk to the west. Most of the houses shown in this photo still exist. St. Mary's convent shown in the fire succumbed to fire. The barren spaces at the top are now hotels and houses.  And Key West is still a little island at the end of America.

The upper color photo shows the original entry hall where the staircase would have been located. Many homes like this were modernized by the addition of a thick cardboard like panels held in place by battens. The floors on the main level look to be newer and not original. The first floor is divided into four basic rooms two of which are the entry and dining area plus the kitchen in the rear. The second floor is the same size as the main floor less the kitchen ground floor kitchen. The Property Appraiser shows the living area to be 1731 sq ft.

After looking at the inside we went out back. I immediately walked to the rear of the lot to take in the space. Most lots in Old Town are half the size of this. People still have found ways to get in a pool and some garden area. When I saw this space my reaction was "Wow!"  That nasty old dead for years tree trunk could be removed. There is youngish banyan lurking on the side. I think it can be removed. The existing one story building in the corner could be upgraded to a guest cottage with a kitchen. Remember this property has two legal living units. Converting this building would add real value to the property as a whole.

I have seen similar homes where the old cook shack (small attachment above rear) would be removed and a two story covered porch added. The main level rear of the house would have French doors opening onto the veranda overlooking the pool, garden, and guest cottage. The master bedroom would be located on the second floor rear. It would also have French doors which would open out to the upper deck. Imagine sitting on that deck late in the evening. I think could be quite satisfying.

I snapped a photo from the second floor front porch of St. Mary's. Having the church across the street could be quite a blessing.  That view will never go away.  The people who go there are nice people who primarily go there on Sundays and who do not create a ruckus at night. I find the location rather heavenly myself.

1011 Windsor Lane is offered for sale at $1,299,000.  Almost all things in life are negotiable. I think this property is a real buying opportunity. CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and more listing photos. 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. This could be a really fun project. This is a solid home which primarily needs updated.