A few months after being toppled by a towering pine tree, a Monrovia home — or what’s left of it — is up for grabs for $499,999.
The humble bungalow created headlines when it was crushed by a tree in May with two tenants and two dogs inside. No one was hurt, but the tree took out their car, a fence and most of the roof.
What’s left of the property looks like a post-apocalyptic set piece complete with missing walls, loose cables and no ceilings. Some would call it unsalvageable; Listing agent Kevin Wheeler joked that it’s an “open floor plan.”
According to the listing, the home has one bedroom and one bathroom in 645 square feet, but those are based on measurements taken before it was destroyed. Wheeler said the electricity is out, but the pipes are still working.
The back door, through which the tenants escaped after the tree fell, is still standing.
Monrovia Rules state that demolitions on properties older than 50 years require a review. But because the house was destroyed by an act of God, no overhaul is required, according to Wheeler. So house hunters can buy what’s left of the home and fix it up without having to deal with some of the red tape typically required in remodeling.
“There’s been a lot of interest so far because demand is so high and inventory, especially at this price, is so low,” Wheeler said.
He added that several people tracked down the homeowner with low offers to buy the house days after it was torn down.
“They were trying to buy it for $250,000 or $300,000,” he said. “But market comparisons for similar properties in Monrovia put the value at $500,000.”