1115 Southard Street, Key West - PRICE REDUCED

"A thing of beauty is a joy forever. Its loveliness increases; it will never Pass into nothingness."

                                                                                                                                       John Keats

I first wrote about 1115 Southard Street in Key West back in March.  I was genuinely taken by this beautiful house. Take look at the same house in the black and white photo below which was taken in 1965.  This home is an example of a Key West eyebrow style home. The roof eaves extend out over the porch protecting the second floor windows from rain or wind. In the days before air conditioning, residents had to rely on natural ventilation and trees to provide cooling. When you think about it, eyebrows really don't keep wind or rain out of your eyes - it's the eyelids, but that's not as romantic sounding.

I searched the Historic Sanborn Fire Maps and learned it appeared in the 1889 Map when it was then numbered 514 Southard Street. The house number changed to 1115 Southard Street on the 1899 Map. The Sanborn Map also identified the lane behind this house as Barracks Lane which was renamed Stump Lane on the 1899 Map.

I dug down into my old shoebox and found the above aerial photo taken of the area where I identified 1115 Southard Street. Study the photo and you may recognize the tall building at the corner. That is the Armory. The Army Barracks was located across the street to the right. The houses in the foreground are in The Meadows Area of modern day Key West.

I paused at the front door and felt a sense of anticipation before entering this home. The house exterior is strikingly handsome. The grounds are very well maintained. In fact the yard maintenance guys where clipping and blowing when I saw the property.

I have written before that every eyebrow house I have been inside is different from the rest. This is as good an example of a variation as any I have seen. Though varied in size, eyebrow houses were typically built with a center staircase rising to the second floor where there would have been two bedrooms on either side. Downstairs there would have been Dade County Pine walls on either side of the staircase with bedrooms or sitting rooms followed by a kitchen in the rear. In many instances the kitchen might have been an addition to the house.

As soon as I entered this house I recognized the renovations would have been made in the 1980s. The interior first floor Dade Pine walls were removed. Additions were made to the east and west sides of the house where a bit of space was added but more importantly that space introduced ambient daytime light. This type of addition would never be allowed by our Historic Architectural Review Commission (HARC). They put the kibosh on just about anything innovative. Saltillo tile floors were a big deal in decorating four decades ago - not so much now. The original ceiling was replaced by a new wood ceiling. The wood theme is carried throughout the house.

The renovation architecture is interesting.  But it's dated. That does not mean it is bad. It means a buyer who wants either a more historic looking home or a home with current contemporary features will have to renovate.

The staircase to the second floor was relocated to the backside of the living room wall where the sofa is located. The staircase lands directly into the master suite which includes the bedroom, a niched study, closets, bathroom, and exit to the glorious private roof top deck. The architect who designed this house did a damned good job. A dormer lifted and extended the back end of the second floor. (Modern day HARC would never allow this. And that's a shame. Note the original roof line was captured and noted in the built-in closets which have an ascending line that bisects the new from the old. The past is preserved.)

I stood on the second floor deck and took in the view which I found so charming. The old house next door looks delightfully deplorable. It will be offered for sale some day. It sits on  a huge L-shaped lot with access on Southard Street as well as Stump Lane (as does 1115 Southard). It will sell for way over a million dollars. In the meantime (which could be ten years or longer), the house will just sit there exuding its potential.

The house has 1400 square feet of interior living space under air plus covered porches, decks, and patios. The two guest bedrooms have baths, one of which is in the cute cottage at the rear. A gate at the rear opens out to Stump Lane. The 4,939 square foot lot measures 50.3' X 97.5'. The pool is both sunny and enormous by Old Town standards. 

The asking price on 1115 Southard Street, Key West, was just reduced to $1,000,000. CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and 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.

What to Order for Lunch in Paris

I was watching something on television the other day which reminded me of a real life incident that occurred in April 1992. My partner and I were in Paris walking around the Sorbonne. It was lunch time. We found a quaint little restaurant that dated back eons. We went inside. The place was packed, dark, and charming as all get-out. We stayed.

Our waitress appeared. As I recall these many years later she was probably in her 30s, but more than her age, I remember that she had hairy legs and unshaven armpits which reeked.  She spoke only French. We only spoke American. I used my pocket sized French-English translation book to order my selection: beef salad. I remember exactly what I ordered.

I am pretty sure we had some wine while we awaited our meals. Then they arrived. I don't recall what my partner ordered but I remember almost gagging when my bowl was placed in front of me. You see my beef salad closely resembled what we fed Gertrude our German Shepherd every night: ALPO. Our dog got a mix of kibbles and a whole can of little ALPO meatballs in a gravy. She loved it. I did not eat my lunch.  I drank it!

711 Olivia Street, Key West - A Perfect Renovation

Just Listed, but not be me, 711 Olivia Street, Key West which the listing Realtor describes this way:

"Don's miss out on this incredible opportunity to own a newly restored masterpiece located in the heart of Old Town Key West. This property is nestled on quiet & quaint Olivia St., with close proximity to Duval St., many shops, restaurants and galleries just steps away. The property has been meticulously renovated with luxury finishes throughout with a key west coastal flair. Enter the main house and you will find a designer kitchen with a seamless flow to living /dining area. Space is designed with cool beach colors to create a relaxing yet luxurious ambiance. Main House features a second floor master suite with luxurious walk in shower, double vanities, stunning cabinetry and ample closet space. Find your way to the pool through double glass doors and relax in outdoor oasis. Private Patio, stunning Pool and Waterfall...what more could you ask for and if that's not enough, the newly built guest house is completely separate from the main house, perfect for guests and extended family. Designed with living and sleeping quarters, this space opens up to the pool and patio area resulting in the perfect Old Town Compound. One Off Street Parking and Located in X-Flood Zone."

 I wrote about this same property in mid October 2017 just as Key West began to recover from Hurricane Irma. This house was not damaged by the storm, but it was one of the first houses to be offered for sale as our little town started to recover. There were a couple of months where we all wondered how the folks up north would react to the misleading media reports that suggested Key West was as badly damaged by the storm as other nearby Keys. Be late December we knew visitors would be returning in bigger numbers than before.  CLICK HERE to read what I wrote then about 711 Olivia Street. Then compare what I suggested with what this new owner created and now offers for sale.

The original house was gutted on the inside. The staircase was removed and reversed going in the opposite direction. The ceiling in the sawtooth addition at the rear was vaulted.  I often tell prospective buyers that all houses are just boxes and that they need to let their imagination go and dream of what they could do with a particular box. What surprised me was the complete perfection this new owner brought to this project. They nailed it!

The original house had several one-purpose rooms, each very small. Original interior walls and floors were removed as were windows, HVAC, etc. I was stunned at how large and open the entire living space now feels. The kitchen is quite large and has a lot of upper and lower cabinet space and counter space. There is a good-sized peninsula with bar seating on the back side.  Two French doors open to the back and right rear yards.

As best as I can remember there were four rooms on the first floor. The living room was on the left and a bedroom on the right. Both were tiny. The bathroom was located right rear and the kitchen was on the left rear in the sawtooth addition. The first thing you saw upon entering the old house was a tiny stairway to the second floor which had a bedroom. Today you enter into a small foyer which immediately turns to the right and leads through the living room toward the dining area and then the kitchen. A doorway in the back of the kitchen now leads to the guest bedroom with an adjacent bath. The builder saved some of the original Dade County Pine walls in both the bedroom and the new living room. The rest of the walls are drywall painted in coastal colors. New interior floors flow from room to room giving uniformity of look and function. So many of our old houses have sagging floors and often at various heights. Just about every other item in this house has been replaced except for exterior siding, the front porch, and the roof.

The open staircase leads to the second floor master suite. I had a vague recollection of a cramped ceiling and wondered how that could have been fixed. Well I was delighted to see that the old interiors were guttered.  The windows at the front dormer were previously shuttered. The newly renovated space includes new open windows framed by closets on either side, a sitting bench with built-in drawers. A full walk-in closet is on the back side of the bedroom. The bathroom is surprisingly large and includes a double sink vanity, large shower, and separate toilet plus more built in storage under the eaves. 

If you look back up at the old black and white photo of 711 Olivia Street you will see an adjacent two story house. That photo was taken in 1965. The old house was razed and concrete block garage with interior plumbing was added. That garage created the opportunity for redevelopment. The new owner took down the garage and built a new structure that is now a surprisingly large guest cottage with living room, wet bar, sleeping area and bathroom. Wind impact resistant sliding doors open out to the pool and water feature which are surrounded by Trex decking. The whole yard is now surrounded by new fencing which also creates defined areas separating the house and cottage from the street and nearby Galveston Lane.  CLICK HERE to view the photos I took of the renovation of the eyebrow house to the rear at 845 Galveston Lane which includes many photos of 711 Olivia before it was previously offered for sale.

The original house had 1248 square feet of living space. The renovated home and guest cottage now have 1504 square feet of living space situated on a 3550 sq ft corner lot. The cottage would be the perfect place for your mother-in-law to stay when she comes to town. It's all on one level - no steps. She can keep her box of wine in the mini-fridge and watch her programs without having to go inside the main house except for meals. A gate at the side even allows her to slip away without having to make her absence known. CLICK HERE to view photos I took during the renovation. I never imagined it could look as awesome as it does. This is a really great house.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and listing photos on 711 Olivia Street, Key West now offered for sale at the sum of $1,795,000. 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.

Key West Real Estate Sales Report - First Five Months of 2019

I wrote a blog on June 2, 2018 where I compared single family homes sales in the Old Town and Casa Marina areas of Key West for the first five months between 2013 to 2018.  My memory button got June and July confused in 2019 as I thought today would be the anniversary of my prior post. I will therefor use the Wayback machine to bring readers up to date (as of June 1, 2019).

I have written several blogs about my growing pessimism over the declining number of home sales and the continuing escalation of housing prices.  I repeated the process I used in the 2018 blog.

I performed a simple but strict search of single family home sales in the Old Town and Casa Marina areas by number of units sold, average price paid, and price per square foot for the seasonal time period of  January 1 to June 1, 2019.

I assumed that sales prices had risen dramatically but suspected sales would there would be fewer sales in each area in 2018.

CASA MARIA
 

Year

No. of Sales

Avg Sale Price

Price Per Sq Ft

2018                      7             1,413,333                    728
2019                      5             1,362,600                    616

Not only were there fewer sales in 2019, but the average sale price and the price per square foot declined. This can be explained by the fact that three of the five sales were for homes that sold under $1,000,000.  The most expensive house only sold for $2,475,000 or $722 per square foot.

CASA MARINA Current Inventory of Unsold Single Family Homes on the Market
Number            18         Avg List Price $2,146,550    Price Per Sq Ft  $922

OLD TOWN

Year

No. of Sales

Avg Price

Price Per Sq FT

2018                      40                  1,257,904            789
2019                      61                  1,181,536            816

The total number of sales increased but the average sales price decreased. The price per square foot did increase, however. Nineteen of the houses sold were located in the Bahama Village section of Old Town.  Most of those houses were fixers. I sold the least expensive house (above) for $350,000. It is definitely a fixer - if there is any fixing it.  The two highest priced houses in Bahama Village sold for $1,300,000 (new construction in 2008) and $1,732,000 (new construction in 2018 located across the street from public housing). While Old Town may be the preference for buyers seeking a place in Key West, many are opting to find a place they can purchase at a decent price, renovate, and create the house they want rather than buying some prior owners vision.

Twenty-three of the houses sold for more than $1,000,000. Seven of those sold in excess of $2,000,000.  The highest priced home was 101 Admirals Lane in the Truman Annex. It sold for $5,870,000.  

OLD TOWN Current Inventory of Single Family Homes on the Market
Number                   70        Avg List Price $1,877,261        Price Per Sq Ft  $891
I checked the average list price twice. I only used Old Town and did not include the Meadows or Sunset Key. Several of the current Old Town listings have been on the market for over two years. Some of those have challenging locations. Some are over-priced. Some do not have off street parking and buyers are resisting paying over a million dollars for a house without parking. Some are wonderfully renovated and are waiting for buyers with money to return to Key West.

Selling season is over. There have been numerous downward price adjustments since the start of this year. I think it's a good time for buyers with cash to come to Key West to test the market.

Get Off My Lawn!

Key West Horror Story No. 15

This is a true story. A couple of years a customer of mine who I will call "Charlie" had to return to his home town to bury one of his siblings. Both of Charlie's parents had passed during the previous ten years or so. It was up to Charlie and his siblings to bury the first of their brood. There were seven. And then there were six.

Charlie returned to Key West late one night a few days later. The house he bought had a rental cottage at the rear. The tenant's truck was parked on the street. Charlie went to work the next day and life resumed. The following night there was rapping on the front door. Charlie opened the door to find a Key West policeman and another man standing on the front porch. The officer asked if Charlie had seen his tenant. "No." He explained he had been out of town. The officer said the tenant's friend had not seen him and feared something was wrong. Charlie, the officer, and the tenant's friend walked to the cottage at the rear. Charlie knocked on the door and then opened it. He turned on the light and found brain matter and blood on the walls and bed. The tenant's body was on the bed.

The police officer called the fire department. More police arrived. Charlie told me every cop and fireman in Key West must have been standing on the deck when all of a sudden the deck collapsed to the ground. Nobody was hurt.

Charlie said the tenant left a note apologizing for what he had done. He gave is pick-up truck to his friend - his only friend. He had no relatives. The city removed the body. I asked Charlie if there was a funeral. He did not know. Charlie cleaned up the cottage by himself. He said he could never ask someone else to do something so horrible.

A lot of single people move to Key West to find a new life here - to start over. Some buy puppies. Some buy cats. Some spend a lot of time in the bars. Some buy dope. Some pack up their bags and go back home. And some end up like this poor guy. Alone with nothing left to live for.