- [Narrator] Everyone
dreams of owning a mansion, but in reality, it's a dream most of us will
never be able to afford, or is it? If you know where to look, you'd be surprised about
the incredible mansions you could get on the cheap and even more surprised by why not even millionaires
want to buy them. From domineering castles
with creepy pasts, to haunting homes suspiciously
available for free, let's take a tour of
some incredible mansions no one wants to buy for any price.
(upbeat ambient music) $0, with a catch. They say that nothing in
this world comes free, and when something seems
just too good to be true, it usually is. In May, 2019 bargain
hunters were astounded when a listing for an impressive
seeming four bedroom home on Craigslist went viral
for touting a $0 price tag, but there was a catch. The seemingly good-willed seller
behind this insane offering was Barb. Kochlin, the owner of the property
in Jordan, Minnesota who inherited it from
her grandmother, Gail. No one lived in the house,
even when it was owned by Gail, and in 2002, the elderly woman
made the bizarre decision to relocate the property
from the middle of town to the side of the highway. Moving a house is a Herculean task and requires a lot of resources. Relocated properties are usually
lifted from under the sills with a jacking system
and a network of beams to keep the structure in one piece. Gail's reasons for moving the
house were never revealed, but it remained abandoned on the side of the highway for 15 years, until the property fell
into Barb's hands in 2017 following Gail's passing. The mini mansions interior
is completely empty, except for the remnants of
decor from days gone by. Just one glance at those
bright orange countertops and cork back splashes enough to tell you that this place needs a significant overhaul
when it comes to decoration. Having originally planned to renovate the mansion into
a two-story apartment complex, Barb hit a bump in the
road when pitching her idea to Jordan City Planning Committee, to turn 508 Broadway into
an apartment building, Barb would need to provide
ample parking for residence. The problem was that the land the property stood on was
zoned for commercial use, meaning that if someone
wanted to live in the house in its current location, they'd have to apply to
change the land zoning law, which is a long inexpensive process. By April, 2019, Barb had been given an ultimatum
by the local government, move the house from the
side of the highway, or see it demolished. As a part of her family's history, Barb was determined to save 508 Broadway, but after finding out the costly nature of relocating the property, she decided to list the house for $0 in hope someone else would
take care of the moving part. As you can imagine this
sort of literal house move doesn't come cheaply and upping and moving
homes to new locations can cost as much as $200,000. In addition to the cost of the move, Barb estimated that renovating the home would cost around $150,000,
total link to an investment that could cost as much as $350,000. Hardly the $0 of the listing price. That being said, $350,000 is actually
around a $100,000 less than the median house price in the area. So it could still be a sound investment for anyone bold enough
to undertake the work. While things were looking
up for Barb in June, 2019 when she was approached
by a property developer, there's been no update on the
future of the house since. Thankfully it looks
like this highway house is still standing in the very same spot and was still sporting it for
sale sign in September, 2021. So the only question is, are you up to the task? Ann Starrett Mansion. They say that home is where the heart is, but sadly, this next mansion has struggled to capture any buyer's
heart for many years. Located in the historic town
of Port Townsend, Washington, this 1899 beauty was a true labor of love
for George Starrett, who built a house for his adored wife Ann. Dubbed the Ann Starrett Mansion, the 5,796 square foot
property has 11 bedrooms and nine bathrooms set over two stories. The crowning tribute to Ann
is the eight sided dove tower at the mansions entrance that incases and ornate spiral staircase. On the dome ceiling is a solar calendar designed by renowned New
York artist, George Chapman, who used Ann Starretts likeness
to depict the four seasons and the four virtues,
prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance, George and Ann fully enjoyed
their beautiful mansion and live there all their married life, passing ownership of the
property to their descendants who continued to live
there until the 1980s, the Starrett family seat
found new caretakers in Bob and Edil Sokol who bought the house in 1986 and turned it into a boutique hotel. After a successful stand as hoteliers, the Sokos put the Starrett
Mansion on the market in 2009, but in the 13 years, since then, the mansion has been relisted a surprising seven times to no a veil. While it might seem surprising
that a mansion this beautiful would have no interest buyers, some theorized that what lies within the
mansion isn't so pretty. Locals believe the Starrett house is haunted by its previous residents, including Ann and George who have allegedly been cited
by staff and guests alike. But a loved up ghost couple isn't the only thing new
owners could be dealing with, deemed to be the most interactive of the spirits at Starrett House, the ghost of the family nanny is reported to keep a
close eye on house guests. The most popular stories
are those of critical guests receiving a ghostly smack on the head after complaining about
their stay at the house. Currently the 11 bedroom property is listed for a price of $1,500,000, which is a bargain compared with this five bed four bath mansion situated just an eight minute
walk away for 1.3 million. Beautiful as it looks, no one's too keen to shack up with Ann Starrett Mansions
past or ghostly present, however real those alleged
ghosts may or may not be. But considering that
57% of people in the US believe in the existence of ghosts, it's no wonder that haunted houses sit on the market for so long. With that in mind, this
seller in Clifton, Tennessee decided to quell superstitions when they listed this property in 2015 with a especially made "Not Haunted" for sale sign. It's unknown why the owners
deem these measures necessary to sell this five bedroom lot, but for the low, low price of $99,950, that not haunted edition only serves to make me more suspicious. Nope, no ghost here, totally not haunted. (cartoon swoosh)
Foreclosing Fortress. While for most folks, the
idea of living in a castle exists only in the realms of imagination, the reality of this next property turned out to be nothing short
of a real estate nightmare. Businessman Christopher Mark was the mind behind this
one of a kind property based on the fairy castles from
his daughter's story books. Complete with a moat and towers raising 126 feet into the sky, this gothic creation took a
staggering seven years to build between 2001 and 2008. Dubbed "Chrismark Castle", the property is nestled within
75 acres of sprawling forest and the decor inside transports visitors back in time with its medieval design. There are nine bedrooms and 10 bathrooms all fit for royalty. As well as 12 fireplaces
and wooden floors and doors built with over 25 different
types of luxurious hardwoods. So what's the catch? You'd think somewhere as magical as this would have plenty of billionaire buyers banging down the door,
however, this wonderland has been sitting on the market since 2014, with an asking price of an out
of this world, $60 million. Why you might think that the only reason no buyers have chosen to start a chapter at Chrismark Castle is that
extortionate price tag. There's a lot more to it than that. Turns out the current owner's private life is far from a fairytale. In 2008, it was reported that Christopher was using the mansion
to conceal a suspicious quote, unquote "modeling agency" that reportedly listed women for hire at $125 from the castle. This sketchy venture followed
with a messy public divorce from his wife alongside the untimely death of a camel living on
the exotic animal refuge on the property, and Christopher also reportedly
put his new girlfriend Marina and the child they had
together out on the street, refusing to have anything to do with them besides the basic monthly minimum
in child support payments. Given that Chris's castle is associated with all of this morally
questionable behavior it cast a Gothic darkness over what may have been a charming home, turning into something altogether quite sinister and unnerving. The room and the basement
dedicated to pole dancing and other activities
involving binding and cages doesn't exactly help the pure
and innocent image either. While there may be no
go sit Chrismark Castle, it's safe to assume that there
are plenty of dark secrets. (cartoon swoosh)
$1,000 home. Everyone loves a good home makeover, and some say you can't put a price on
the result of hard work, but in 2020, this three bed,
two bath Victorian era property was listed for just $1,000. The catch is that this authentic property is completely abandoned, and
despite its charming exterior, the insides are incomplete disarray. Located in Syracuse, New York, the 2056 square foot
house was built in 1890 and features rounded rooms
with ornate plastered ceilings that harken back to the 19th century world in which they were constructed. There's a formal dining
room and living parlor that could be fit for a
very la di da tea party, given a bit of TLC, well, a lot of TLC. Whoever does end up
partying with that $1000 will have a lot of crumbling
foundations on their hands that will need to undergo
a complete reconstruction. That amount of labor won't come cheap. And the property's listing claims that it will require
around $200,000 in renovations to restore it to its former glory. Considering the average house in Syracuse is worth around $153,000,
this one 1K fixer upper isn't quite the bargain it might seem. While fixer uppers like this are always going to be
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Peterson's Folly. Let's be honest, the whole point of buying
a mansion is to show off, and the larger you can go, the better. But this next mansion just goes to show that you can have too
much of a good thing. This over the top 14 floor
residents in Hampshire, England was constructed in the
1880s by wealthy landowner Andrew Turton Peterson. Known as a bit of an eccentric, Andrew developed a keen
interest for spiritualism and communicating with
people from beyond the grave. One spirit Andrew
claimed to have contacted was the renowned 17th
century English architect, Sir Christopher Wren, who
apparently instructed him to build a large concrete tower, which was pretty odd considering that Wren never
used concrete in his designs, but who says people's
tastes can't change, right? And so Andrew did as he was told, known as a "folly", large towers like this were pretty popular in the 18th and 19th centuries and were built solely for decoration to be admired by rich homeowners nearby. While it looked pretty,
or at least interesting, from the outside, the concrete monolith was home to little more than
stairs and pigeons until 1973. When the tower came under new ownership, the grade two listed building
was bought by Paul Atkins for just $5,000 who renovated
part of the property into a tall skinny mansion for
a cool $1 million investment. Paul first turned the
tower into a boutique hotel with en suite bedrooms, each taking up an entire
floor in the twig like tower before offering the property up for sale more than four decades later. First listed in 2016, the property is conservatively described as a four bed detached house, despite standing at 220
feet and housing 320 steps. If the thought of climbing
all those stairs every day wasn't enough to put buyers off, then paying the two and a half
million dollar asking price is sure to sour the deal even further. Not only that, but the new owner had
best be shock resistant, considering the folly has been struck by lightning
(thunder strikes) at least 10 times in its history. With more than five years on
the market under its belt, let's hope that this historic
structure finds a new owner before mother nature smites it down to rubble.
(thunder strikes) Carleton Island Villa. The thought of owning a mansion
on a near private island is a dream harbored by many,
but for this next property, things are far from idyllic today. In the late 1800s, businessman
William Ozmun Wyckoff was amassing a great fortune from selling the newly
invented typewriter. After all that hard work,
William needed a break. And in 1894, he said about commissioning
a dream vacation home on the picturesque Carlton
Island in upstate New York. The property was completed in 1895, and despite being a vacation home, William's 15,000 square foot fortress was completed with a
whopping 50 rooms inside. With all that space, as well as an abundance
of waterfront views, things were looking bright for the Wyckoff clan's
next summer vacation, but things didn't end
up so sunny for William as he eerily died in his sleep during his very first
night on Carleton Island. The villa was inherited
by one of William's sons who quickly sold the property following the tanking of
the Wyckoff family fortune during the great depression in the 1920s. The property was sold to energy
company, General Electric, who had intended on using the villa to host employee retreats. But sadly, these plans were soon forgotten
as World War Two unfurled. Decades flew by and the
Carleton Island Villa remained, exposed to the unforgiving elements, as well as numerous
lootings over the years. Eventually the Villa
came under new ownership by a couple living in a
cottage near by the estate who put the mansion on the market in 2012. Despite its colossal size, Wyckoff's mansion was
priced at just $495,000, a mere drop in the ocean compared with what you'd think it must be worth. In fact, in the general surrounding area, $480,000 can only buy a
quaint four bedroom property. So it might seem odd that no one wants to snap up
the 11 bedroom Carlton Villa. However, these days Carlton Island Villa is a ghostly shell of its former self. And some even suspect
that the abandoned ruins are haunted by William Wyckoff himself. Regardless of Willie's ghost, the property is regarded as a money pit and is in dangerous disrepair with all 50 rooms crumbling to pieces. The villas desolate location
also poses a problem to prospective house
flippers as Carlton Island is only accessible by boat. Not only that, but there's no water or
electricity connected to the home, meaning that it would require a lot more than a fresh
lick of paint to restore. In fact, the renovations required to get the house in ship shape condition are estimated to cost
between 10 and $12 million. The new owners would literally have to start from the ground up as the stone foundations of the property have reached a point of
irreversible deterioration and would need to be entirely overhauled. Over 90 years have passed since anyone has lived in the mansion and the Carleton Island
Villa vacation home is still waiting for someone
to pull it out of the darkness and into the sun once again. (cartoon swoosh)
Minxiong House. Located in the countryside, just outside of the city of
Chiayi, Minxiong Ghost House is one of the most
infamously haunted locations in all of Taiwan. Built in 1929, this house was once full of life until at some point in the 1950s, the owners, the Liu family mysteriously upped and left their home behind. The reasons behind the Lou
family's swift departure are shrouded in shadows, but locals believe that
a haunting is to blame. In Taiwanese culture, upwards of 87% of people
reportedly believe in ghosts. And there are many superstitions dictated by a fear of the spirit world. These include beliefs that whistling (whistles softly)
can attract evil spirits and that taking the last bus home could result in being
abducted by a phantom driver. In the case of the Minxiong house, the leading theory is that the Liu's were haunted by the ghost
of a maid they'd mistreated, whose spirit came back to
torment them on a nightly basis. The rumors of the hauntings
left a home without an owner, and it's been set abandoned ever since. These days, the structure
is down to its bare bones and is more of a ruin as opposed to the luxurious
house it once was. And it's not just the
inside that's transformed, the outside of the red brick structure has been completely overtaken by nature, engulfed by twisting vines and branches. Considering its wrecked appearance, no one in their right mind is looking to part with the $474,901 needed to purchase the ruin, let alone shelling out
potentially 100s of 1000s more that would be needed to restore it. It's safe to say this
mansions haunted reputation as well as its problematic price tag will likely follow it to the grave. (cartoon swoosh)
Haunted House on the House! A house with a haunted history is bound to be a tough
sell for any realtor. But one agent out there had a
nifty trick up their sleeve. In March, 2020 residents
of Youngsville, Louisiana got quite the surprise when realtor Sylvia McClain
posted this on Facebook, offering an entire house for free. Sylvia disclosed that whoever took it on would be expected to move and
restore the 1920 structure, which stood on some land
that had been purchased by her neighborhood development firm. The final bill for this house move was set to be in excess of $80,000, but it wasn't the hidden cost
that were putting people off, in fact, the comments were
flooded with interested buyers, but what Sylvia failed to mention were the reports of an
other worldly presence that also allegedly resides in the home. Former resident, Dawn Declout claims that it's occupied
by restless spirit often witnessed jangling pots and pans among other creepy
unexplained phenomena. While this might not seem
like a huge deal to everyone, once interested buyers found out about the supposed haunting, most of them probably
withdrew their offers to take the house. Despite the home's ghostly resident, one brave soul did agree to
take the mostly free home and relocated the house
around 20 miles away. But who knows if the ghost
came along for the ride too. If it did it probably won't be long before this moving proper's
back on the market again. While nothing in the world of
real estate truly comes free, you can get your mitts on plenty of amazing free
content here at Be Amazed. (cartoon swoosh)
Why not put an offer in on those like and subscribe buttons? You can even seal the deal
by ringing that bell icon so you're always in the loop when I've got new content on the market. All signs, sealed and delivered, then let's get back to the video. (cartoon swoosh) SK Pierce Mansion. When it comes to mansions,
they say that bigger is better. And while this next property took 100 men, 18 months to build, it's failure to launch comes
down to just one small detail. The elaborate 10 bedroom, 7,000
square foot Gothic mansion was completed in 1875 after being commissioned by
businessmen, Sylvester Pierce. Sylvester worked in
the furniture business, so it's no surprise that the
insides are about as lavish as you can imagine, if not a little eerie, including a steep grand
staircase and lavish furnishings. After Sylvester's death in 1888, the mansion was left to his three sons who bickered over the ownership
of the mansion for years. Eventually the mansion was
turned into a boarding house in an attempt to revitalize the dwindling
Pierce family fortune, but this decision saw
the mansion play host to some very unsavory
activities, illegal gambling, black market trading, frequent visits from women of the night and even some homicides are said to have taken place at the house. By 1965, the Pierce fortune
had all but disappeared and ownership of the mansion was transferred outside of the family. Since then, the houses had quite a few
residents over the years, some of which have reported
some very strange goings on. In 2009, Edwin Gonzales
moved into the property with his partner, Lilian Otero, but the pair were driven
out of the home by 2011 due to alleged paranormal experiences. While Edwin and Lilian lived there, neighbors reported seeing a
little boy in the windows, despite the couple being childless, as well as a dark haired woman who Lilian claims tried to possess her. While all these little anecdotes are creepy to say the least, the couple imparted, their
experience via a book deal, which could make the claim seem a lot more or a lot less believable,
depending on your perspective. Stories like that of Edwin and Lilian are the reason why locals have
dubbed the SK Pierce Mansion "the haunted mansion of the neighborhood". And because of this, not a
soul wanted to live there. Guests of the mansion have reported an alarming amount of paranormal activity from chanting voices,
apparitions and moving furniture. The property sat on the
market for nine years before the seller finally accepted that no one was ever going to buy this ocursed location to live in. Instead they changed tactics and marketed the home
as a haunted attraction. In 2015, Edwin and Lilian
sold Sylvester's old home to Rob and Allison Conti, the owners of haunted attraction
company, Dark Carnival. for a fraction of the mansion's
1.3 million evaluation at just $315,000. Currently guests can
only stay in the property after signing a detailed waiver that prevents them from suing Robert over any paranormal activity
they may experience. How welcoming. (cartoon swoosh) Granot Loma. Homes rented unsellable by
their creepiness are one thing, but there are some houses
out there with price tags that are just too expensive
for buyers to even consider. Dub Granot Loma, This enormous lawn cabin sits
on the shores of Lake Superior in Marquette, Michigan. Touting a private marina
and 5,000 acres of woodland, the 26,000 square foot cabin was listed for a splintering
$40 million in 2015, making it the most expensive
house in the state. While you may think that's extortionate, the home was constructed
in 1923 by financer, Lewis G Kaufman for 5 million, which is the equivalent of
around 82 million today. However, not even billionaires
thought it was a steal, and its listing price and the luxurious log
cabin was chopped down to $20 million in 2017. Since then, it's still not
managed to attract any interest and the price isn't the only thing that
has buyers lost in the woods, despite having been designed
by a staggering 22 architects, the estate has some
pretty dated garish decor and a whole load of
insanely creepy taxidermy. Honestly, you'd have to pay me 20 $million to live in this pet cemetery. Although not that I'd
say no at that price, I could ship over some of
those other haunted homes we've seen with the profit, to
form a cozy, creepy commune. Wonderfully nightmarish for the inner goth in all of us.
(upbeat ambient music) Would you buy any of the
mansions we've seen today? Are there any houses no one wants to buy in your neighborhood? Let me know when the
comments below and as always, thanks for watching.
