There's no way to dress it up: this place in Northridge is a wreck, and anybody with eyes knows it. The listing agent knows it too, which is why the first sentence of the copy says simply, "Ugly house!", just in case the first photo of a stout house fully obscured by dead leaves, overgrown landscaping, and a driveway that appears to be dirt doesn't make the point. Dubbed a "Contractor's Special" (and the more wishful "Flipper's Delight"), interior shots of the house reveal it to be a great candidate for at least some intense rehabilitation (if not total demolition). The frankness of the listing has no doubt gotten more eyes on the place than it otherwise would have. The New York Post reports that in the 11 days since it hit the market, the 1,276-square-foot house has been viewed 123,900 times.
It's not all bad news with this place, though. There's also mention of the three-bedroom, two-bathroom house's solid location at the end of a cul de sac in what the listing refers to as "a well maintained neighborhood." In case you didn't get the picture, the listing spells it out: "This is truly the worst home in the best neighborhood." It's that location that probably propels the house to ask a whole $475,000—and that's cash only, folks. According to Redfin, the median list price for houses in this part of Northridge over the last 90 days is $676,444.
· 16652 Itasca St., Northridge, CA 91343 [Redfin]
· Realtor uses reverse psychology to sell 'worst home in best neighborhood' [NYP]