A 3-bedroom townhouse in Philadelphia has gone viral online for its wild listing photos and one very strange detail.
Buyers looking for a home in Philly may be taken aback by the property’s $50,000 price tag, but there is one bizarre catch to consider.
The 932-square feet, one-bathroom property comes with a squatter that any buyer must take full responsibility for, according to the listing.
The images marketing the property are equally peculiar, with police officers visible amid the derelict rooms full of clutter and damaged ceilings.
‘This is an active squatter property,’ the listing reads.
Disturbing images of the $50k Philadelphia property show a police officer
The listing adds: ‘Buyer is responsible for everything in the home including the squatter.’
Anyone who might still be interested in purchasing the property will even have to do so sight unseen.
‘No showings can be arranged under any circumstances. Drive by only,’ the ominous listing reads.
‘Approach the home and squatter at your own risk – seller assumes no liability.’
Despite these details the 1915 property, which also has an unfinished basement and no heating or cooling source, has still drawn interest, according to listing agent Larry Levin.
He said he had received calls from interested buyers.
On average, homes in Philadelphia
‘They weigh the risk with the purchase price to renovate it, sight unseen,’ he told Realtor.com.
‘They do the numbers and determine if they think that is a worthwhile acquisition cost to offset the risk.’
Levin explained that the photos of the derelict property were taken by the owner once they had decided to sell the home.
The house is in a state of disrepair, as shown by the listing photos
The alarming images show cracked ceilings and debris in several rooms
Any buyer would be looking at a full gutting before the place would be habitable
The property currently has no heating or cooling source
‘She went there to check on it and discovered the squatter and called the police.’
Levin, who works for Realty Mark Huntingdon Valley, explained that the squatter situation is actually ‘pretty common in Philadelphia.’
Evicting a squatter from a property they have taken over, with no lease and no paperwork, can actually create an lengthy court process.
Evicting a squatter can take between ‘four to twelve months’ and cost between ‘$7,000 and $12,000,’ he explained.
The listing has gone viral, with users discussing the unusual set-up on Reddit.
One person joked: ‘So the buyer is responsible for feeding the squatter? Sort of like a pet that comes with the house?’
Another user added: ‘In today’s economy, this is a steal, literally.’