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Ho, Ho, Huh?! The 7 Most Bizarre Real Estate Stories of 2016

No doubt about it, 2016 was one very weird year for real estate. Everywhere we looked, we saw unexpected, odd, and downright freaky ideas and stories about how to buy, sell, renovate, and rent homes. Who would have thought, for instance, that you could dress up like a giant furry animal to sell a house, or that disgusting renters could become an internet sensation, or that the famous “Full House” home would be snapped up by a surprise buyer?

Read on for a roundup of the top real estate stories that shocked and thrilled us in 2016.

Freaky tale No.1: Realtor dons panda suit to sell a home

We raise our eggnog to you, real estate agent who’ll stop at nothing to sell a home! In an effort to get more eyeballs on a Spring, TX, house that had been sitting on the market for three weeks, Realtor® Jessica Arnett tried a more eye-catching publicity stunt: She posed for new listing photos in a panda suit. Each image showed a human-size panda living large in the home: making dinner in the kitchen, lounging in the living room, chilling (to the extent that bears can chill) on the front porch.

Call it creepy or call it cute, it drummed up 12 showings in the first two days and eventually yielded a sale. Hats off to Arnett for the most original sales tactic we’ve seen this year. Odds are it won’t happen again because, as Arnett explained, “That would be stupid.”

Freaky tale No. 2: Homeowners are told they can’t live on their own land

The year’s biggest head-scratcher: While most property owners assume they can live on their own land, a few found there are limits to what “living” really means. In June, after an electrical fire made her house uninhabitable, 70-year-old Marilyn Minor was forced to live in a van on her land, but city officials told her that until her house was brought back up to code, she couldn’t live anywhere on her property at all.

In a similar case in September, Shawnee Chasser—a 65-year-old Floridian who’s been living in a treehouse on her son’s property for 24 years—was told by officials that she couldn’t live there, either.

Experts in both scenarios say it all boils down to safety. If a living situation puts residents in danger, then the government can step in. Even in America!

Freaky tale No. 3: Real estate listings get racier than ever

In yet another envelope-pushing sales tactic, Hollywood real estate firm The Agency created what could well be the steamiest real estate listing yet. The video, posted in April, not only shows off a gorgeous $12.5 million Hollywood Hills home, but it also throws in a scantily clad woman taking a dip in the pool and disrobing completely for a steam shower. Later, clothed once more, she’s seen greeting a mystery visitor at the front door with a kiss.

Not surprisingly, the video went viral, but the home still hasn’t sold. Hmm … maybe sex doesn’t always sell?

Freaky tale No. 4: Landlords fight back against the world’s filthiest tenants

Sure, landlords get a bad rap, but tenants aren’t always models of behavior, either. As proof, look no further than Disgusting Renters. Milton, FL, landlord Craig Morgan launched this Facebook page after the mobile home he rented out was left in shambles by tenants. He wanted a place where he and other landlords could vent and show photos of the damage renters do—leaving behind large piles of garbage, dirt-filled carpets, and bug-infested kitchens.

The page’s popularity took off and currently has over 4,100 followers, proving: a) trashed apartments are major traffic magnets, and b) you can never screen prospective tenants (or roommates) too carefully.

Freaky tale No. 5: Communes make a comeback

Sure, the idea of communal living may conjure up images of hippies singing “Kumbaya,” but today’s communes are different. Also known as intentional communities or eco-friendly villages, they’re a growing niche in the housing market built not so much on peace and love, but a desire for affordable living and a simpler lifestyle. Vegan meal plans are optional.

Freaky tale No. 6: ‘America’s Worst Place to Live’ ain’t so bad

In August 2015, Red Lake Falls, MN, was dubbed “the worst place to live” by Christopher Ingraham in the Washington Post, based on data ranking “natural amenities” such as weather and topography in 3,000 counties across the U.S. But guess what? A year after making this damning proclamation, Ingraham wrote another Post article saying after visiting Red Lake Falls at the behest of local officials (he’d never actually been there), he realized he was wrong. So wrong!

Ingraham moved there for a year and now has nothing but raves about the place. “My relocation to Red Lake Falls has been a humbling reminder of the limitations of numbers,” Ingraham admits. And, oh yeah, maybe try visiting a place before you say it sucks.

Freaky tale No. 7: ‘Full House’ home sells for under asking—to best buyer ever

Finally, the “Full House” home has had one crazy year. In May, fans of the 1987–1995 sitcom swooned when the San Francisco house shown in the opening credits went up for sale for $4.15 million. Then fans gasped when the house sold for under asking price, at $4 million. Then, in December, news surfaced that the person who bought the place was none other than the show’s creator, Jeff Franklin.

As far as happy endings go for a home, we can’t imagine it gets much better than that!

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