The $1 list price is a real attention grabber, but the comically candid description of “the world’s cheapest home”—on the market in Pontiac, MI—steals the show.
As we’ve seen in the past, humor can save the day when trying to sell a woebegone home.
This listing reads, in part: “Priced at a mind-boggling $1 (yes, you read that right), this home is not just a house—it’s a ticket to the real estate adventure of a lifetime. Step inside and experience the thrilling rollercoaster of emotions as you discover every nook and cranny that’s begging for your creative touch.”
The price and description are the brainchild of listing agent Chris Hubel, with Good Company.
“It’s kind of my personality wrapped up into a listing description,” he says. “I’m somebody who believes in being your authentic self and not putting on a suit and tie if that’s not who you are. I essentially call out flaws in properties and just kind of make it a more comical approach to real estate, and it seems to work pretty well for me.”
The listing doesn’t tiptoe around many of home’s bright red flags:
“Let’s talk about the unique features that make this place stand out—like the avant-garde floor hole art installation conveniently located next to the furnace. Who needs a traditional open-concept layout when you can have an open floor plan thanks to an authentic, unfiltered glimpse into the crawl space?”
Whoa! What?
Hubel explains: “I’m assuming the hot water heater just had a leak, so [the seller] cut out the subfloor and then never replaced it before listing it.”
Time to renovate
The 724-square-foot, two-bedroom, one-bath home was built in 1956. And it might go without saying, but there are some rather obvious issues within that compact space.
Hubel says the hardwood floors are salvageable, but the home needs about $30,000 to $40,000 worth of work.
“It needs a new kitchen, needs a new bathroom, needs some drywall, needs paint, needs a furnace, needs a hot water heater; but the bones are pretty solid,” he says, noting that once the work is finished, a savvy investor could flip it for about $120,000. “In the grand scheme of things, it’s not a teardown. It’s not a terrible home.”
The description includes this gem to address an iffy roof:
It “might have seen better days, but hey, it’s not leaking yet—it’s just keeping you on your toes, providing an unexpected shower of excitement when you least expect it.”
$1 price tag?!
Hubel says he’s wanted to price a home at a single buck for a while. This fixer-upper provided the ideal opportunity, because it’s owned by one of his longtime clients, who generally does remodeling work herself.
She’s had the place as an investment property since 1994 but opted against putting any more effort into the home.
“It has been vacant for quite a while and obviously has fallen into disrepair,” Hubel explains. “With this one, she just kind of ran out of time and patience, so wanted to list it. After seeing the condition, it was kind of a perfect opportunity to ask her if I could go this route with it.”
Now facing a deluge of interest, he clearly chose the right path to a sale.
“We have over 100 offers, and I have received about 4,500 phone calls in the past few days,” he says, adding that the best offers are in the $40,000 to $50,000 range. “I knew that it was going to be big. I didn’t realize it would be this big. I figured it would be kind of the talk of Michigan, but I didn’t expect it to go as far as it did.”
Offers on the house are due Aug. 23.
As the listing puts it, “Don’t just buy a house—buy an experience. Act now before someone else grabs this one-of-a-kind opportunity to own a slice of Pontiac awesomeness.”
This story was originally published on Realtor.com, a real estate and rentals site. In addition to homes for sale, you can find rentals like Scottsdale apartments, Austin apartments, Tampa apartments, and more.
Hubel says the area is experiencing a bit of a renaissance.
“I’m a pretty big proponent of Pontiac,” he admits. “I live in Pontiac myself, and it’s an urban area that is just starting to come back, and that’s kind of why I moved there. Things are happening here, and I think a lot of investors’ eyes may be open to the city, where they weren’t before.”
Real Estate – Latest NYC, US & Celebrity News New York Post
