{"id":3584,"date":"2021-09-28T09:12:36","date_gmt":"2021-09-28T13:12:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/?p=3584"},"modified":"2021-09-28T16:19:54","modified_gmt":"2021-09-28T20:19:54","slug":"18-weird-but-true-real-estate-facts-stories","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/18-weird-but-true-real-estate-facts-stories\/","title":{"rendered":"18 Weird but True Real Estate Facts &#038; Stories"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>There&#8217;s nothing more refreshing during your long day than sitting with a great batch of interesting and odd real estate facts and stories.  We love to pass real estate related stories around the office that are off-beat, interesting and funny.  This our list of 18 weirdest and most interesting real estate facts and stories!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 ez-toc-wrap-left counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">In this Article:<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/18-weird-but-true-real-estate-facts-stories\/#1_The_Most_Expensive_Listing_In_America_Sold_At_Foreclosure_Auction\" >1. The Most Expensive Listing In America Sold At Foreclosure Auction!<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/18-weird-but-true-real-estate-facts-stories\/#2_Thats_One_Huge_Treehouse\" >2. That\u2019s One Huge Treehouse!<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/18-weird-but-true-real-estate-facts-stories\/#3_Thats_One_Huge_Pile_Of_Treehouse_Ashes\" >3. That\u2019s One Huge Pile Of Treehouse Ashes!<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/18-weird-but-true-real-estate-facts-stories\/#4_Breaking_Bad_Pizza_Toss\" >4. Breaking Bad Pizza Toss!<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/18-weird-but-true-real-estate-facts-stories\/#5_Get_Yourself_Some_Secret_Passages\" >5. Get Yourself Some Secret Passages!<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/18-weird-but-true-real-estate-facts-stories\/#6_Empire_State_Landlord_Blues\" >6. Empire State Landlord Blues<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/18-weird-but-true-real-estate-facts-stories\/#7_Buy_ye_Castles_On_The_Cheap\" >7. Buy ye\u2019 Castles On The Cheap!<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/18-weird-but-true-real-estate-facts-stories\/#8_Your_Open_House_Helps_Agents_More_Than_It_Helps_You_Usually\" >8. Your Open House Helps Agents More Than It Helps You Usually<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/18-weird-but-true-real-estate-facts-stories\/#9_Freshly_Baked_Cookies_Scent_Doesnt_Sell_Houses\" >9. Freshly Baked Cookies Scent Doesn\u2019t Sell Houses!<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/18-weird-but-true-real-estate-facts-stories\/#10_Town_Built_on_Million_Year_Old_Meteor\" >10. Town Built on Million Year Old Meteor<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/18-weird-but-true-real-estate-facts-stories\/#11_Vintage_Mail-Order_Houses_Go_Way_Back\" >11. Vintage Mail-Order Houses Go Way Back<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/18-weird-but-true-real-estate-facts-stories\/#13_Theres_No_Such_Thing_As_Old_or_Vintage_Homes_In_Tokyo\" >13. There\u2019s No Such Thing As Old or Vintage Homes In Tokyo<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/18-weird-but-true-real-estate-facts-stories\/#14_Sellers_Are_Watching_Listening_To_You\" >14. Sellers Are Watching &amp; Listening To You!<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/18-weird-but-true-real-estate-facts-stories\/#15_Thats_A_Famous_Cliff\" >15. That\u2019s A Famous Cliff!<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/18-weird-but-true-real-estate-facts-stories\/#16_Are_You_A_Member_Of_The_Red_Door_Club\" >16. Are You A Member Of The Red Door Club?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/18-weird-but-true-real-estate-facts-stories\/#17_Doorknobs_Arent_As_Germ-Ridden_As_You_Might_Think\" >17. Doorknobs Aren\u2019t As Germ-Ridden As You Might Think!<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-17\" href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/18-weird-but-true-real-estate-facts-stories\/#18_A_Guy_Bought_A_Home_For_A_Paperclip\" >18. A Guy Bought A Home For A Paperclip!<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_The_Most_Expensive_Listing_In_America_Sold_At_Foreclosure_Auction\"><\/span>1. The Most Expensive Listing In America Sold At Foreclosure Auction!<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The most expensive listing in the United States, a 157-acre plot of land in Beverly Hills listed for $1 billion, <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"actually sold for a mere fraction of that price ($100,000) at a foreclosure auction (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.townandcountrymag.com\/leisure\/real-estate\/a25893737\/most-expensive-real-estate-in-world-beverly-hills\/\" target=\"_blank\">actually sold for a mere fraction of that price ($100,000) at a foreclosure auction<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The views extend to Malibu, where Hard Rock Caf\u00e9 co-founder Peter Morton\u2019s oceanfront house, designed by Richard Meier, recently sold for $110 million, the most ever for a home in Los Angeles County. Closer by, there are the Bel Air estate owned by late Univision chairman Jerrold Perenchio, the priciest home listing ever in the U.S. at $245 million, and the 100,000-square-foot gigamansion built on spec and called &#8220;the One&#8221; was asking $1 billion when listed.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once asking $1 billion, The Mountain in Beverly Hills sold to its lender for $100,000\u2013far less than the $200 million said to be outstanding on the property.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"850\" height=\"520\" src=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/beverly_hills.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3591\" srcset=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/beverly_hills.jpg 850w, https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/beverly_hills-300x184.jpg 300w, https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/beverly_hills-768x470.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_Thats_One_Huge_Treehouse\"><\/span>2. That\u2019s One Huge Treehouse!<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The <a href=\"http:\/\/www.bitrebels.com\/design\/the-worlds-largest-treehouse-a-mansion-in-a-tree\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">world\u2019s largest treehouse<\/a> has over 80 rooms, 10 floors and has taken the builder over 19 years to build. Landscaper Horace Burgess bought the land outside Crossville in the early 90s. Burgess became ordained as a minister and began working on the project after he said God told him to build him a treehouse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It took him about 19 years to build it with salvaged woods scraps and recycled metal. The structure spanned across several trees and was a tourist destination until the fire marshal deemed it a public safety hazard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Burgess put the property up for sale in 2018.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.realtor.com\/realestateandhomes-detail\/Beehive-Ln_Crossville_TN_38571_M83292-51655\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Realtor.com<\/a>, it was originally listed for $1.5 million.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"850\" height=\"478\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/HSeMYHcIFkI\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Thats_One_Huge_Pile_Of_Treehouse_Ashes\"><\/span>3. That\u2019s One Huge Pile Of Treehouse Ashes!<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The World\u2019s Largest Treehouse Burned to the Ground in Less Than 15 Minutes in 2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Glenn Clark, the most recent owner of the property, told <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wbir.com\/article\/news\/local\/famous-ministers-treehouse-in-crossville-suddenly-burns-to-the-ground\/51-58e7b861-8244-48cb-b632-d828ec925b2c\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">local television station WBIR<\/a> that he had no intention of tearing the treehouse down, had no idea what caused the fire, and was upset about its destruction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s a good story about the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.atlasobscura.com\/articles\/ministers-treehouse\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Life and Fiery Death of the World&#8217;s Biggest Treehouse<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_Breaking_Bad_Pizza_Toss\"><\/span>4. Breaking Bad Pizza Toss!<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Fans of the hit TV show \u201cBreaking Bad\u201d continue to drive by and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.com.au\/entry\/breaking-bad-pizza-roof_us_56339e04e4b0631799122426\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">throw pizzas onto the roof<\/a> of building featured as Walter White\u2019s house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve had pizzas on our roof. We\u2019ve had pizzas on our driveway; pizzas until we\u2019re sick of looking at pizzas,\u201d Fran Padilla told <a href=\"http:\/\/www.npr.org\/2015\/03\/12\/392590057\/breaking-bad-homeowner-tired-of-pizzas-on-the-roof\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">NPR<\/a> in March.&nbsp;Later in the interview she added, \u201cI\u2019ll sit outside with a shotgun in a rocking chair. You know, like Granny from \u2018Beverly Hillbillies.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/videos\/entertainment\/2017\/10\/13\/breaking-bad-house-pizza-fence-jr-orig.cnn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"780\" height=\"438\" src=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/breaking-bad-pizza-toss.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3595\" srcset=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/breaking-bad-pizza-toss.jpg 780w, https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/breaking-bad-pizza-toss-300x168.jpg 300w, https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/breaking-bad-pizza-toss-768x431.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"5_Get_Yourself_Some_Secret_Passages\"><\/span>5. Get Yourself Some Secret Passages!<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s a company that specializes in <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/cS5II_LavsQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">building secret rooms and hidden passageways<\/a> (one requires a chess board played in a certain combination to unlock)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Based out of Gilbert, Arizona, Creative Home Engineering was started in 2003 by Steve Humble, a mechanical engineer who left the medical device industry to start the company. Now the company has installed over 1,000 secret passageways around the world, and we\u2019re pretty jealous of every one of their customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"6_Empire_State_Landlord_Blues\"><\/span>6. Empire State Landlord Blues<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Empire State Building makes more money <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Empire_State_Building\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">from ticket sales<\/a> for its observation decks than it does from renting office space. How much more? If you have a NYTimes.com password, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2011\/12\/25\/nyregion\/empire-state-building-observation-decks-generate-startling-profits.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">read the answer here<\/a>, the rest of us will just have to wonder around all day trying to imagine the answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"7_Buy_ye_Castles_On_The_Cheap\"><\/span>7. Buy ye\u2019 Castles On The Cheap!<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>There are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.news.com.au\/finance\/real-estate\/sydney-nsw\/these-10-french-castles-are-cheaper-than-sydney-units\/news-story\/001b1d96b9e9fa99cbdd4d181142d49f\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">castles for sale in France<\/a> that cost less than a two bedroom apartment in Australia or New York, San Francisco, Miami and other US markets. Who says castles are only for Kings &amp; Queens?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.news.com.au\/finance\/real-estate\/sydney-nsw\/these-10-french-castles-are-cheaper-than-sydney-units\/news-story\/001b1d96b9e9fa99cbdd4d181142d49f\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"850\" height=\"567\" src=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/karolyi-castle.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3597\" srcset=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/karolyi-castle.jpg 850w, https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/karolyi-castle-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/karolyi-castle-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/karolyi-castle-345x230.jpg 345w, https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/karolyi-castle-770x513.jpg 770w, https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/karolyi-castle-370x247.jpg 370w, https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/karolyi-castle-440x294.jpg 440w, https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/karolyi-castle-570x380.jpg 570w, https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/karolyi-castle-170x113.jpg 170w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"8_Your_Open_House_Helps_Agents_More_Than_It_Helps_You_Usually\"><\/span>8. Your Open House Helps Agents More Than It Helps You Usually<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Open houses are USUALLY opportunities for agents and brokers to meet new people, learn about their market, and prospect for new opportunities\u2014but they aren&#8217;t good for serious buyers or sellers. If you are an agent, we are talking about the <em>other<\/em> agents open house, not yours!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Open houses might be a better way for an agent to gain more clients than sell your home. \u201cAn open house does not sell the house,\u201d explains Jeff Peterson of <a href=\"https:\/\/excelrealestateconsultants.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Excel Real Estate Consultants<\/a>. \u201cOpen houses are a tool for newer agents, or any agent looking to get more buyer clients. In my 15 years of experience, an open house consists of neighbors that are curious about the pricing or people driving by who stop by on a whim.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"9_Freshly_Baked_Cookies_Scent_Doesnt_Sell_Houses\"><\/span>9. Freshly Baked Cookies Scent Doesn\u2019t Sell Houses!<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Speaking of open houses, who can resist the alluring smell of freshly baked cookies? Turns out many home shoppers can! The old myth that making a house on the market smell like freshly baked chocolate chip cookies will sell your house fast is wrong!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.realtor.com\/advice\/sell\/sneaky-science-of-selling-your-home-revealed\/https:\/\/www.realtor.com\/advice\/sell\/sneaky-science-of-selling-your-home-revealed\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">study<\/a> done by Eric Spangenberg at Washington State University, complex scents like potpourri and cookies can backfire for open houses. Spangenberg also found that shoppers spend 32 percent more in stores with a simple orange scent rather than stores that used a mixture of scents. Another trick is to use the same scent at every open house so return viewers can create a connection with the scent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.realtor.com\/advice\/sell\/sneaky-science-of-selling-your-home-revealed\/https:\/\/www.realtor.com\/advice\/sell\/sneaky-science-of-selling-your-home-revealed\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"850\" height=\"390\" src=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/2cookies-beautiful-woman-holding-smelling-cookies-with-closed-eyes-and-relaxing.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3603\" srcset=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/2cookies-beautiful-woman-holding-smelling-cookies-with-closed-eyes-and-relaxing.jpg 850w, https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/2cookies-beautiful-woman-holding-smelling-cookies-with-closed-eyes-and-relaxing-300x138.jpg 300w, https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/2cookies-beautiful-woman-holding-smelling-cookies-with-closed-eyes-and-relaxing-768x352.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"10_Town_Built_on_Million_Year_Old_Meteor\"><\/span>10. Town Built on Million Year Old Meteor<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A Bavarian town named <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/N%C3%B6rdlingen\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">N\u00f6rdlingen<\/a> was actually built over <a href=\"https:\/\/www.smithsonianmag.com\/travel\/german-town-contains-millions-diamonds-180961467\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">15-million-year-old meteor<\/a>. An asteroid hit the town over a thousand years ago but, far from being pressured to leave, the locals started building a town on the remaining crater. You can still see the circular layout of the town to this day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"850\" height=\"306\" src=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/N\u00d6RDLINGEN.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3601\" srcset=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/N\u00d6RDLINGEN.jpg 850w, https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/N\u00d6RDLINGEN-300x108.jpg 300w, https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/N\u00d6RDLINGEN-768x276.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px\" \/><figcaption>Photo from: <a href=\"http:\/\/bavaria.by\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"bavaria.by (opens in a new tab)\">bavaria.by<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"11_Vintage_Mail-Order_Houses_Go_Way_Back\"><\/span>11. Vintage Mail-Order Houses Go Way Back<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You might think that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.inman.com\/2019\/05\/14\/amazons-7k-do-it-yourself-tiny-home-goes-viral-sells-out-instantly\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">DIY tiny homes that you order online<\/a>, or the recent <a href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/tiny-house-market-florida\/\" target=\"_blank\">&#8220;Tiny House&#8221; investing gold rush<\/a> are the latest real estate trend, but that\u2019s actually far from the case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the 1900s,<a href=\"http:\/\/www.searsarchives.com\/homes\/1908-1914.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" Sears started featuring a kit for making a house (opens in a new tab)\"> Sears started featuring a kit for making a house<\/a> in its catalogs. The mail-order kit would feature the blueprint and all the pieces you\u2019d need to build a simple house \u2014 many settlers who came to America and bought a plot of land would build this type of simple house on it as they settled into life in the new country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2018\/10\/20\/657770791\/sears-is-fading-but-memories-of-its-mail-order-homes-endure?t=1569571547547\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">According to NPR<\/a>, between 70,000 and 75,000 people ordered houses from Sears this way by 1940. Some experts estimate that about 70 percent of Sears houses are still standing today!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.searsarchives.com\/homes\/1908-1914.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"763\" src=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/1912_0159-1024x763.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3606\" srcset=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/1912_0159-1024x763.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/1912_0159-300x224.jpg 300w, https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/1912_0159-768x572.jpg 768w, https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/1912_0159.jpg 1465w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><figcaption>From: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.searsarchives.com\/homes\/1908-1914.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Sears Archives (opens in a new tab)\">Sears Archives<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"13_Theres_No_Such_Thing_As_Old_or_Vintage_Homes_In_Tokyo\"><\/span>13. There\u2019s No Such Thing As Old or Vintage Homes In Tokyo<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Speaking of Vinatage homes, If you\u2019ve ever dreamed about buying a pre-owned house in Tokyo to save some money, you might have to rethink your plans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Construction is such a bustling industry all over the country that nearly half the homes in Japan are torn down 30 years after being built. In fact, old homes that are typically revered in the west<a href=\"https:\/\/www.rethinktokyo.com\/2018\/03\/07\/why-older-buildings-are-unpopular-japan\/1519929705\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">, are absolutely loathed by Japanese<\/a>!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"14_Sellers_Are_Watching_Listening_To_You\"><\/span>14. Sellers Are Watching &amp; Listening To You!<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Anyone with Wi-Fi now has an easy way to put security camera with microphones into their houses. It\u2019s so common now to see these cameras in people\u2019s home many people don\u2019t even notice them anymore!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Realtor Andrea Morgan says, \u201cMany sellers have in home security and personal assistants (like Alexa) that can hear or record your commentary as you view the home.\u201d She suggests writing down notes and discussing comments for after you leave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Note to self: Next flip, buy <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Blink-Indoor-Wireless-Security-Camera-Add-on\/dp\/B086DL32QX\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>some cheap Blink cams<\/em><\/a><em> to put in the house for showings.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"15_Thats_A_Famous_Cliff\"><\/span>15. That\u2019s A Famous Cliff!<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The location of <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Point_Dume\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Tony Stark\u2019s mansion in Iron Man<\/a> is the same cliff from Planet of the Apes where the Statue of Liberty is sticking out from the sand. <em>You finally really did it. You maniacs! You blew it up!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"850\" height=\"509\" src=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Point_Dume_wikipublicdomain.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3609\" srcset=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Point_Dume_wikipublicdomain.jpg 850w, https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Point_Dume_wikipublicdomain-300x180.jpg 300w, https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Point_Dume_wikipublicdomain-768x460.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"16_Are_You_A_Member_Of_The_Red_Door_Club\"><\/span>16. Are You A Member Of The Red Door Club?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In Scotland homeowners&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/medium.com\/@zricksdotcom\/homeowners-in-scotland-paint-their-front-door-red-in-order-to-signify-that-they-have-paid-off-their-29d53dadd310\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">paint their front doors red&nbsp;<\/a>when they finish paying their mortgages to tell others the good news.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Anyone local who owns a home knows about this custom \u2014 so, next time you\u2019re in Edinburgh, keep an eye out for homeowners who reached this important milestone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"17_Doorknobs_Arent_As_Germ-Ridden_As_You_Might_Think\"><\/span>17. Doorknobs Aren\u2019t As Germ-Ridden As You Might Think!<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Worried about how many people touched that the doorknob? For centuries, doorknobs and knockers made of materials like brass, silver, iron, copper and aluminum \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Oligodynamic_effect\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"these materials kill bacteria and serve as natural self-disinfectants (opens in a new tab)\">these materials kill bacteria and serve as natural self-disinfectants<\/a>. No need to worry about who touched the doorknob on the way to the open house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"850\" height=\"637\" src=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/ancient-italian-door-knockers-and-handles.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3611\" srcset=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/ancient-italian-door-knockers-and-handles.jpg 850w, https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/ancient-italian-door-knockers-and-handles-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/ancient-italian-door-knockers-and-handles-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/ancient-italian-door-knockers-and-handles-501x375.jpg 501w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"18_A_Guy_Bought_A_Home_For_A_Paperclip\"><\/span>18. A Guy Bought A Home For A Paperclip!<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>How do you bargain your way into selling a home for a paper clip? Canadian blogger Kyle McDonald <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"once did just that (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=-o5xzDd32l0\" target=\"_blank\">once did just that<\/a> after making fourteen trades over the course of one year \u2014 first a paper for a pen and then a doorknob and, eventually, a whole house in Saskatchewan. McDonald\u2019s keen bargaining abilities earned him fame around the world!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=-o5xzDd32l0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"720\" height=\"404\" src=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/guy_buys_house_with_a_paperclip.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3613\" srcset=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/guy_buys_house_with_a_paperclip.jpg 720w, https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/guy_buys_house_with_a_paperclip-300x168.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>That&#8217;s our list!  Do you have an interesting, odd, or weird real estate related story you came across or maybe something that happened to you?  Please share in the comments!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There&#8217;s nothing more refreshing during your long day than sitting with a great batch of interesting and odd real estate facts and stories. We love to pass real estate related stories around the office that&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":3615,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,171],"tags":[166,258,74,336,257],"class_list":["post-3584","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-real-estate-investing-articles","category-funny-stuff","tag-funny","tag-interesting","tag-news","tag-odd-story","tag-weird-but-true"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3584","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3584"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3584\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3619,"href":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3584\/revisions\/3619"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3615"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3584"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3584"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3584"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}