A majestic, two-storey, 5 bed/4 bath/3 car garage home in the quiet town of Colorado Springs, USA was put up for sale/rent online not more than two days ago. From the street, it looks like an idyllic suburban, picket-fence home for a family – until the property agent shared photos of its nightmarish interior. [cue horror music]
The agent, Mimi Foster Feith (Falcon Property Company) posted the ad on Redfin, a US property listing site, on 16 June 2021. The ad lists the 3,598-square-foot home at a price of US590,000, or US164 per square foot. The monthly rent is US2,284 (if anyone’s interested). She’s even planned scheduled tours daily in person or Video Chat.
According to her description, the “home was once the seller’s pride and joy. Now it’s every landlord’s nightmare and needs someone with firm resolve to appreciate its potential.”
She further explains: “This house is not for the faint of heart but for that special person who can see through the rough diamond to the polished gem inside. As you enter, there are soaring ceilings and an open floor plan with a second-floor overlook. You will also notice there is not one surface of the home that has not been enhanced with black spray paint or a swinging hammer – damage done by an angry departing tenant who didn’t want to pay rent.”
Apparently, the owner of the house went out-of-town for many years, leaving behind a property manager to manage the tenancy for the house. Unbeknownst to the owner, things got way out of hand between the manager and the last tenant, resulting in the tenant failing to pay rent and getting evicted.
The disgruntled tenant then defied a court order by returning to the house to do significant damage to the property (more on this later). During her tour, Mimi shared that while a lot of damage to the house was made when the tenant went back to the house, there were several ‘questionable conditions’ which require investigation – like the menagerie of animals the tenant allegedly kept and the complaints from the neighbours.
Still, despite having to put a ‘house of nightmares’ on the market, Mimi seems undaunted, or at least her description shows it. We are impressed by how transparent and un-subtle her pitch is. Upfront and precise. Take it or leave it. Call me only if you’ve got the ballsee the potential for this house. That’s definitely one way to not only get attention but cut to the chase.
Anyway, to really set the stage, she explained how a ‘potential house tour in person’ might feel:
“…don’t let that slow you down. It’s not nearly as daunting as the freezer in the basement that’s full of meat and hasn’t had electricity to it for over a year. So be sure to wear your mask. Not for anyone else’s protection but your own.”
She completes her written pitch by explaining what to expect upstairs and underground [cue further horror music]:
“The upstairs has a catwalk, large master with soaking tub and dual sinks, plus two additional bedrooms and bath – all covered in black spray paint, vulgarities, and other substances which are no longer identifiable. The basement is amazing – or at least it will be once all the debris is cleared out, the floor coverings are replaced, and the obscenities are painted over. The home has AC and a radon mitigation system and sits on a large lot. Oh, and did I mention it’s in the pink of a geological landslide area? Come feast your senses. DO NOT GO ON BACK DECK. DO NOT OPEN FREEZER IN BASEMENT.”
In case you’re wondering, pink on a geological landslide area means the location has a higher incidence or susceptibility of being caught in a landslide (eg. there are hills nearby), which kind of makes it worse, but good to know right?
Oh, did we mention she even posted a video tour? NOTE: Before you press play – there are several disturbing scenes (and expletives written in spray paint on walls, carpet and floor) – viewer discretion is advised.
Other than the fact that Mimi could really do horror videos on the side, we applaud her for doing the best she can to bring attention to the condition of the house and what many agents have to put through to market a less-than-ideal home.
In situations like these, as the tenant may not possibly be able to restore the house back to its original move-in condition, it is up to the owner to find ways to make good the home before leasing or selling it. Alternatively, if he or she has evidence to prove it, he or she can take the property manager to court for negligence and demand restitution.
In Singapore, 99.co has covered several instances of tenants from hell and ways to deal with disgruntled landlords. For property agents, it’s never easy being caught in-between. But taking a cue from the way Mimi sets out to tell the story behind the condition of the house (even putting out a nightmarish video tour with a calm, composed narrative voiceover), we think that’s one way to go – to get attention and really reach out to prospective buyers who are serious about it.
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If you found this article intriguing and interesting, check out our How to evict a troublesome tenant in Singapore and Tenant-Landlord dispute: what to do?
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