I don't think the owner has the funds to hire anyone to do repairs or be physically able to do it herself. She did say she's had some serious health problems and couldn't afford to continue living in the house herself which is why she rented it out and moved to another state. I imagine she probably had visions of one day having the house paid off and retiring to live in her dream home, and now it's trashed, which would break your heart.

In addition, if the previous dweller (not a tenant as there was no lease and no rent paid) did not pay rent for months/years, she would be thousands of dollars out of pocket, in addition to having several liens on the property including one for $38,000 from a roofer who was hired by the previous dweller without the owner's knowledge to replace the roof, which was then not paid for.

From the Slate interview:

It seems sorta crazy to spend $600,000 on a house you wouldn’t even want to go in. Who’s the right buyer for this house?

An investor who’s gonna fix it up and resell it to somebody who will live there. The 600K covers the mortgage that she’s behind on and the liens that are on the house.

If this house is in good condition, what does it sell for, in this neighborhood?

Realistically, 700. So is it a wise investment? Don’t ask me that.

So the buyer needs to be adventurous.

Yes! And quite frankly I was hoping that people would come out of the woodwork that wanted to help. Obviously this has gone viral. I haven’t seen any of it because I’ve been out all day.

~~~

So they’re asking for 600 because they have to. While they hope for a GoFundMe.

I agree with Mtn. Surely there is enough equity in the home to get a loan and make the repairs. I would also be suing the property manager.

The whole Broadmoor area is in a "landslide area". It has one little strip that is stable. It's an upscale area. Plenty of local folks think the area is highly desirable. Seriously. It's going to sell.....quickly.....to a flipper I assume. There are plenty of people who will be interested in it.

texanjana, in one of the articles I read, supposedly the owner was doing a rent-to-own with a tenant for TEN years. It sounds like she isn't very financially savvy.

Agree with those who have pointed out all the damage can be repaired. The smells too; a good professional remediation company will get all the flooring surfaces up, then clean/disinfect then have a qualified painter go at it using appropriate priming and painting materials.

That house still has all its kitchen cabinets for example; I've seen foreclosed houses in which people literally ripped out entire kitchens and bathrooms and then vandals finished the job by pulling as much copper piping/wiring as possible to sell. This house is nowhere near that level.

I actually inherited a hoarder friend's house that all the neighbors solemnly assured me was a tear down. He had smoked unfiltered cigarettes inside for 30+ years, owned multiple dogs he refused to train to go outside to eliminate, and had ignored a roof leak leading to a partial roof collapse.

Almost a decade later it's a lovely house that we've been renting for extra income for years. Including to one tenant who we suspect deliberately pulled open a water hose to the toilet which then flooded the entire house with standing water for 24+ hours (found out later she couldn't pay rent and wanted out). That was fun; full floor rip out, walls needing new drywall....but guess what, it's all fixable.

So there's definitely something going on behind the scenes, perhaps nothing more than an overwhelmed person letting her emotions explode, hence the ridiculous "listing" verbiage. Or could be games behind the scenes with the legal system and/or insurance company.

Some smart buyer should get in there, complete their due diligence and get themselves a deal in a hot market!

“Surely there is enough equity in the home to get a loan and make the repairs.”

Per Zillow the house was bought in 2001 for $212K. This does not conflict with the timeline in the story. “The 600K covers the mortgage that she’s behind on and the liens that are on the house.” Who wants to loan her money?

From the article (Slate) that Jinx linked. Now we know why the listing was written the way it was.

You’re an author, so you must admit there is real drama here.

Real drama! I have all the emails! She doesn’t scare me.

Tell me about the books you write.

Steamy romances. Paranormal romances.

Happy endings?

Always happy endings.

What’s the happy ending for this house?

Oh, you’re good. It was a beautiful house. The happy ending is that the owner is made whole, and someone restores it, and a family moves in. That’s all I want.

Apparently, she’s gotten multiple cash offers since the story broke.

Hope it works out for her.

runninginplace......I agree....ALL FIXABLE! And no where as bad as homes I've looked at to buy. No....I'm not buying in that area of town.....lol

I had to wear a mask and sign a dislaimer for mold in one I looked at. Another had blood ALL over everything in it....as the owners two sons had beat him up. The owner lived, but never wanted to return.

DH had to saw out an in floor P-trap in a basement that was clogged & smelled in one home we purchased. One house we actually purchased smelled like someone or something had died. They'd put lime in the crawl space then put a tarp over it(lime disolves bone), all the windows were open to show the home. ☺

It will sell!

"(lime disolves bone)" Not always. Often lime preserves the body a murderer wanted to dissolve better than just burying it in dirt would have done.

My sister owned a house. She renovated the walk in basement to a one bedroom suite for herself and rented the main floor to a single dad with 2 teen daughters. I knew from the get-go there would be trouble because after he moved in (he had only paid the damage deposit at this point) she had to ask him for the rent. He asked her to drive him to the bank as he didn't have a car. Off to the bank she goes. He comes out and gives a sob story about the girls going back to school needing supplies blah blah, and "will you take less for rent?" She said NO. His bills were not her problem. So he reaches in envelope 1 and takes money out to put in envelope 2 and hands envelope 2 to her thinking she was a pushover and would say yes. The following month he gives her 3 months rent in advance. She was elated. He's a good guy, right? Wrong. Four months later: no rent. The fifth month: no rent. The sixth month: no rent. She serves an eviction notice. He refuses to move. She has her ex come help her with the guy. The guy punches her ex in the face throwing him down the flight of stairs to the landing. She goes to court to have the sheriffs department evict him. I think it took another 2 or 3 months. He leaves, but left a bunch of stuff behind so she put it on the back deck. He calls the landlord tenant act and they tell her if anything is damaged, she has to pay to replace it. Never mind she's not gotten rent in MONTHS. She brings it all back inside. Not only did he leave his things behind he destroyed every single kitchen cabinet, and bathroom cabinet. Put a fist through every single wall in the house. Broke all the mirrors. Poured something on the living room carpet that went through the underlay and into the subfloor. He destroyed the whole main floor and it was beautiful with a terrific view of the Fraser Valley from the living room window. I think it cost her well over $10,000 to fix it all up. She put the house up for sale and refused to ever rent again.

Good grief! We've had investment properties for years, and this makes me realize how fortunate we've been.

One of my co-workers invested in a house for rental... second tenant used the place to cook meth. After FINALLY getting them evicted (apparently not simple or quick even when criminal activity is happening?) the entire house was considered a biohazard - they had to remove and replace all of the walls, ceilings, cabinets and flooring - anything that wasn't impermeable to the vapors (like tile), IIRC.

When we moved to CA during the beginning of the recession in 1979, we weren't sure that we would stay; we hired an agent to rent the house for us. He rented to a couple without stable jobs, who didn't pay rent after the second month. They also used one of the bedrooms as the pen for their dog, and broke the all of the vintage porcelain handles in the bath. We fired him of course, and after finally getting that couple out (but it doesn't seem to me that it was a prolonged process back then) , rented to my young B-i-L and his new wife. Fortunately they took good care of the place, and stayed for a couple of years. We sold the house after that since it was clear we weren't going to return.

Heck, I even - or perhaps especially - treat my Airbnb accommodations better than if they were my very own. I'm going to leave the place clean, even if I've paid a cleaning fee. (The last time this happened, the owner messaged me and said that if we'd like to come back, he'd give us a free night because we had left the place so spotless. We are taking him up on that.)

It takes a very small person to disrespect the property of another, when it's been offered to them as a home, even a temporary one.

DH had tenants from hell (much the same as above) before we were together, and I had 3 tenant experiences -- one good and two, while not vindictive vandals, did not pay rent at the end of the term, were dishonest, and damaged the home. One killed most of my landscaping. The other dripped bleach on the new carpets and gouged the wood floors. I have no desire to have rental properties. I do hope the woman with the home in the story gets a satisfactory sale. I have done post-tenant clean ups and a whole house reno after a bitter divorce (almost as bad as a vindictive tenant or squatter) and my sister helped her friend deal with a long distance clean up after her father died in the house and numerous cats had been living there uncontrolled. They ripped out carpet, treated and UV sanitized everything, and had no trouble selling as-is. I'm not sure if the cleaning service or the flipper than bought the house did the work, but only two small areas of the second story subfloor had to be replaced - a few square feet total. The house in CO wouldn't intimidate me -- the slide area might.

Did you see what they did? They painted the kitchen PURPLE! Yep teardown.

I don't see much damage, remove the flooring, add new paint and flooring. Yes, there's more to do, but nothing unfixable. The listing was good in that it discussed and displayed all the bad to exclude people who can't see past the superficial. I'd consider it in a heartbeat, I'd get a very good inspection to see if pipes and electrical are damaged, make offer, do a quick repair and relist...

Since most of the damage is repairable I did wonder if it was an attempt to receive money from people helping out the poor woman. I lived across the street from a couple who did do remediation where people had died and not found for a long time. While it might need the walls removed and redone the most she ever had to do was deep clean and put pans of coffee grounds to absorb any lingering smells. The chemicals and methods she used removed most of the funk although sometimes in really messy situations the floor would need to be removed.

Yes, things are fixable, but my impression is the the owner does not have the money to fix it up.

Excerpts from the Washington Post article:

"Now, with the house heading toward foreclosure on June 30, Myers, who lives in Arizona and is in remission from cancer, said she’s praying for a miracle."

"But Myers, who has been fighting atrial fibrillation and taking care of her mother."

"Myers said a complaint filed to the Colorado Division of Insurance has not been answered. Foster said she filed a report to police concerning the vandalism at the property. Colorado Springs police Lt. James Sokolik told The Post that the case remains open but is inactive. He said authorities have not been able to contact the former tenant or the property management company."

The MLS listing, according to Zillow, was from June 15 to June 16. I'm guessing it was pulled because it had so many offers. Most title companies will rush a closing, staying late or opening early for a cash sale. I have faith....the market is strong! It usually takes six weeks for a closing to post. For those that want to keep track

It takes a very small person to disrespect the property of another, when it's been offered to them as a home, even a temporary one. But sadly, it happens all too often.

^^^ and yet, just this past week, there have been letters to the editor (in the newspaper) decrying landlords as nothing but "leeches on society" who should be banned!

raee_gw zone 5b-6a Ohio decrying landlords as nothing but "leeches on society"

It's the weirdest sentiment. Many people can only afford to rent. Where would they live if all the landlords went away?

I was reading a thread in my neighborhood FB group where everybody was piling ALL OVER this local landlord, accusing her of being a selfish "property hoarder". Low income housing is getting next to impossible to find anymore. So I suppose that sentiment was supposed to mean that she's selfishly sitting on a decent piece of low income property that somebody could own for their own family. (Yet it turns out that she owns only one house and rents out the other rooms... so joke's on them.)

Also, LOLZ at the real estate description: "A formerly magestic home"....

It's a generic 90s tract home with a purple kitchen and hideous finishes. also, I wonder what the neighborhood is like?

but the rest of the description is solid gold. hats off to the agent for having a sense of humor!

The long-term solution to high rents is to build more apartment buildings. So many people seem to think that rent control is a solution, but it's very much a band-aid on a bigger problem of inadequate supply, and it's a short-term "solution" that actually works against the long-term solution of increasing the housing supply, since rent-control is a disincentive to builders. (Not to say that individual renters don't benefit from that band-aid, but in the long term underbuilding just widens the gap between demand and supply and drives market rents up more, which hits anyone who ever has to move).

Terribly capitalist of me, I know, but this is one point where I diverge sharply from progressives.

I've been on line this morning so only half listening to the radio, but I think I just heard on NPR that this house sold for a half million.

There is a house not too far from here that, some years ago, a handyman/painter murdered the family that he was working for.

I saw last week that the house has gone up for sale and there is some discussion about how what happened there taints the house.

This was quite a number of years ago and I assume that the house has been with the same owner all this time. There was, I think, a father and a son who were not at home at the time.

It is not as if the bodies of the family were decomposing in the house, just that the murders took place there.

It does put an onus on the propery for something like this to happen there.

Murders are supposed to be disclosed at least here. I've heard there is a murder house nearby where the realtor bought it at deep discount and then remodeled and did not disclose. Another realtor was tipped off, but was afraid to turn her in. We research places we buy. You would think that could come back and bite someone in the rear end.

The house listed above has decent potential. I think the cleanup is pretty straight forward. Hopefully, it becomes a loved house.

Fori, I'd rather have purple paint than gray !!!!

Makes me appreciate my tenants at both the rental houses, who keep the houses spotless and beautiful. Two young teachers at one house and a young(ish) divorced mother of two kids in the other. It’s clear they take pride in their home. I should send them a fruit basket or something.

"I should send them a fruit basket or something."

I feel the same way! We only have commercial properties now, but had residential for many years. Not without some problems but none that weren't easily resolved.

Interesting with the taint on a house if someone was murdered would you feel the same way if someone died in the house. If murder/suicide should be disclosed should any deaths also be disclosed?

my DD has a renter, that was the male nanny. His job was to drive the boys to school (one hour away) and back home each school day. In the summer he agreed to do 16 hours yard work a week for his rent. Then came covid, and the non eviction rule. He informed her he would not leave or do yard work. the rule will be lifted on June 30. the place now needs to be gutted. The carpet is covered with grease spots the sheets om the bed are black (from not washing for 15 months, the bucher block counter can not be saved and parts of the bathroom dawers are missing. He has also removed a desk and a few other things. he has also not cleaned the floors in months. It was a cute little guest cottage, and now it is a gut job. He was back ground checked. tryed to claim unemployment, and put an add on face book for someone to share the rent. That is just a few of the things , but I understand what some will do. I never belived a person would do those kind of things, but they do.

We have really good tenants now, but we have had some awful ones in the past. Thousands of dollars in damage and/or unpaid rent.

Unfortunately, we have to make that money back, so we up the rent for the next tenants.

@maifleur03, Rules vary by state, but in California, any death that has occurred in a house within the last three years has to be disclosed. Also, if a potential buyer asks the question, then a death has to be disclosed no matter how long ago it occurred.

Fun2BHere if that is the rule then any house before the 1920's probably has had a death in it since many never went to the hospital if they could avoid it. How do buyers disclose those are deaths just taken as a given.

Our local station did a "piece" on this house.

Update: Cash offers over the asking price have been received.

The bank is not foreclosing June 30th as previously reported.

KKTV gives an update on local home

Fun2BHere is correct regarding a death in a house in CA. The previous owners of our house both died at home the year before we bought it. They were in their 90's and the wife had been ill when she died at home. Her husband, who was reportedly in fairly good health, died unexpectedly at home a week later. We never asked anything; the realtor just told us. It didn't sway us in the least, other than feeling bad for them...and their son who sold the house to us.

Pretty sure deaths have to be disclosed if a buyer asks, no matter what state you live in.

I subscribe to a listserv where people ask advice on all sorts of things. I recall one woman who posted freaking out because she found out that someone had died in the house she just purchased. Not murdered, just died. I responded pointing out that if a house is old enough, someone probably died in it at some point. And wouldn't you rather die at home than in a hospital, really? I just don't see a peaceful death at home with family as creating bad juju.

I agree, Cawaps, about a peaceful death at home. In Chloebud's case, I'd consider it loving and even romantic. Death itself wouldn't deter me from buying a home. I'm a smudger, though, and wouldn't be deterred by much of any history of a home.

"In Chloebud's case, I'd consider it loving and even romantic."

I actually thInk about them often wishing we'd been able to meet them. They did some really nice things to the house inside and out. I felt a little invasive when we first moved in wondering what they'd think about some changes we've made. The day we moved in we found the nicest note and bottle of champagne from their son (the seller). I still have the note wishing us as many beautiful memories in the house as he has.

I bought my CA home from the daughter of the previous homeowner. Yes, the RE agent had to disclose not just that he had died in the house, but had committed suicide. I learned from the seller that her mother had dementia and was in a care home, and they were running short of funds to pay for the care.

He had a system with the next door neighbor that he would close his kitchen blinds at night and open them in the morning, so the neighbor would know that he was okay. The neighbor found him the morning that he didn't open the blinds.

He had shot himself in the kitchen. When we moved in, although the house had been well cleaned (both after the incident, and by a cleaning service I hired), I found tiny blood splatters still inside one of the cabinets.

No, it didn't bother me other than being sad that circumstances had driven him to that desperate act. His daughter was lovely and I really felt for her in having to deal with it all.

"She used to visit him in his assisted living facility, taking him food and any seasonal fruits from the orchard he has so lovingly cared for."

That's just beyond kind and sweet.

@maifleur03, as a seller, I don't think you can be accountable for what you cannot possibly know like a long-ago natural death in an historic home.

"I should send them a fruit basket or something."

I've had tenants in our rental house for two years who have been great. After they renewed last year I paid to have landscaping improved, and asked my gardener to work directly with them on projects they would enjoy--new sod in the backyard for their little boys etc. This year I was planning to replace the front door which they had also asked about doing, but they are relocating so I won't do it right now. As a landlord I try to be responsive to any problem or issue and this annual 'bonus' of improving the property so that the tenant will benefit seems like a win-win.

As for dying in the house, my friend from whom we inherited the property had cancer and was very determined to die at home; we brought in hospice for him to allow that. It was a sad but natural passing at his place of deepest comfort and security.

I've not disclosed it and won't because it really doesn't seem to be anything that will or should affect anyone else.

Nutsaboutplants, that brought tears to my eyes. What a noble and compassionate gesture 😇.

We really should not be afraid that someone died in the house. Dying at home was the norm in the past.

Somehow, though, when the death is a suicide or murder, we cant help but feel hesitant. it makes no logical sense.

Running, yes that’s how I feel too.

Chloe and ladydi, thats the kind of person my friend is.