A three-bedroom townhouse in Philadelphia has gone viral on the Internet for its daring photographs and one very strange detail.
Buyers looking for a home in Philadelphia may be surprised by the property’s $50,000 price tag, but there’s one odd detail to keep in mind.
The 932-square-foot, one-bathroom property comes with a squatter that any buyer must take responsibility for. according to the list.
Images promoting the property are equally peculiar, with police officers visible among abandoned rooms filled with clutter and damaged ceilings.
“This is an actively occupied property,” the listing reads.
Disturbing images of $50,000 Philadelphia property show police officer
The listing adds: ‘Buyer is responsible for everything in the home, including the occupant.’
Anyone still interested in purchasing the property will have to do so even without seeing it.
“Visits cannot be organised under any circumstances. Only vehicles are allowed,” the ominous notice says.
‘Approach the house and squat at your own risk; the seller assumes no responsibility.’
Despite these details, the 1915 property, which also has an unfinished basement and no heating or cooling source, has still garnered interest, according to real estate agent Larry Levin.
He said he had received calls from interested buyers.
On average, homes in Philadelphia
‘They weigh the risk against the purchase price to renew it without seeing it’, He told Realtor.com.
‘They run the numbers and determine whether they think it’s a worthwhile acquisition cost to offset the risk.’
Levin explained that the photographs of the abandoned property were taken by the owner once he decided to sell the house.
The house is in poor condition, as shown in the listing photos.
The alarming images show cracked ceilings and debris in several rooms.
Any buyer would consider a complete gutting before the place is habitable.
The property currently has no heating or cooling source.
“She went there to check it out and discovered the squatter and called the police.”
Levin, who works for Realty Mark Huntingdon Valley, explained that the squatter situation is actually “quite common in Philadelphia.”
Evicting a squatter from a property that they have occupied, without a lease or documentation, can lead to a lengthy legal process.
Evicting a squatter can take between “four and twelve months” and cost between “7,000 and 12,000 dollars,” he explained.
The listing has gone viral, with users commenting on the unusual setup on Reddit.
One person joked: “So the buyer is responsible for feeding the squatter? Kind of like a pet that comes with the house?”
Another user added: “In today’s economy, this is a steal, literally.”
