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Must-See Structures: The 10 Most Interesting Homes of 2016

2016 was an … interesting year. In the realm of real estate, it was a wild ride.

From a multimillion-dollar apartment with a clock tower to a $1 home that nobody wanted, to a fixer-upper megamansion, to a home built in the 1600s, we uncovered some of the oldest, largest, and weirdest homes for you.

Enjoy our look at 10 of the most interesting homes of 2016.

Oldest home on the market is still for sale (with a price cut)

There’s old—and then there’s this home in Hingham, MA, which according to our research is the oldest home on the market in the country. Built in 1650, the pre-Revolutionary War home was moved in 1735 and had some work done to it almost 300 years ago.

While the home is in need of a little TLC, a buyer with $399,000 will score original period details, including exposed beams, five fireplaces, crown molding, and a piece of American history.

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Time’s up! San Francisco clock tower is off the market

Living in a converted lithograph building in the hip SOMA neighborhood of San Francisco is worth bragging about. But this apartment upped the ante in a major way: a working clock tower inside the penthouse.

The renovated two-bedroom, two-bath home with wraparound decks comes with an extra 1,600 square feet of vertical space that hold the workings of the four-sided clock. Although it was on the market for a jaw-dropping $8.5 million, this landmark property is no longer for sale.

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San Francisco Bay Area home for $1 brought no buyers

Far from multimillion-dollar trophy listings in San Francisco, we venture not so far across the bay where we found this East Bay Victorian in need of an owner.

The old home was marooned in the city of Hercules, which was out of funds to transport the building to a public space and revamp it. So the city asked for private proposals to take it at no cost to the city. A buyer had to prove experience in home removal of this kind, and if his proposal passed muster, he’d pay only a single dollar for the home.

City Planning Director Holly Smyth warned that the building would probably be demolished if no taker was found, and said the pricing ploy was “the last effort to save the building.”

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Texas-size fixer-upper

Perhaps it seemed like a great idea at the time: a sprawling 64,000-square-foot structure in Manvel, TX, envisioned as a medical facility and foster home but abandoned in an unfinished state by the original owners. There are 30 rooms, a pool and spa, and a 30,000-square-foot event space.

Although the vacant property has been dubbed “haunted,” a “disaster,” and a “mystery,” this giant building is really just the biggest fixer-upper we’ve ever seen. It’s still on the market for $3.6 million and recently was named our most popular home of 2016.

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‘Silence of the Lambs’ home sells

Perhaps you watched “Silence of the Lambs” and thought of the serial killer Buffalo Bill’s home: “I’d like to live there.” OK, maybe not. But someone did, because someone bought it.

Admittedly, when you remove the creepy storyline, the house has its charms: A wraparound deck, oak-paneled walls, and pocket doors all add to the character of the century-old home. Plus, the buyer got a discount. Listed for $249,000, the home was sold in June for $195,000.

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This suburban home hides a castle

Inside this Newport, OR, abode is a total surprise: an interior dressed up to look like a castle from a bygone era. The decor was meticulously redone over the years. Regal details included gilded raft beams, walls swathed in silk, and carved wooden doors. This must have appealed to someone with kingly taste—it sold for $400,000. All hail the suburban castle!

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Chill at the Hamptons windmill

The Hamptons bring to mind exclusive, sprawling, and pricey beach retreats. But for those looking for a breath of fresh air, check out the Windmill house. It was a working windmill in the 1880s and was later converted to a guesthouse. The lovely antique has two bedrooms, two baths, 5 acres, and a storied past that may or may not include Marilyn Monroe visiting in the 1950s. That package of pedigree, quaint cottage, and bucolic setting will set you back $8.5 million.

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Boat house in Palm Springs has sailed away

Palm Springs is known for its cool architecture inspired by the desert landscape. A home shaped like a boat seems far-fetched for this locale. But it was actually an ingenious solution for a triangular-shaped lot. Built for race car driver Jim Jeffords in the late 1980s, the sleek design comes to a point, mimicking a ship’s prow. The property floated off the market for $1.8 million in October.

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Not an oxymoron: Luxury shipping container home in San Diego

Shipping containers are practical, pre-fab, and eco-friendly. But stylish? We believe it after viewing this stunner in San Diego. Sold for $670,000 in October, the new construction boasted a sleek design, Pacific Coast views, a roof deck, and lots of oversize windows. The modern home was built mostly off-site and then attached to the foundation. And if you want to move, you could, in theory, pack it up and take it with you.

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Gangster home with Capone ties in Chicago

This home in Chicago is criminally cool. No, really. It once belonged by a bootlegger named George “Babe” Tuffanelli, who worked for notorious gangster Al Capone. He used his earnings to build his dream home, and he wasn’t demure. The well-preserved home from the 1940s includes fireplaces made of marble, well-preserved wood floors, and a now-closed secret tunnel. Our favorite touch is the wraparound wet bar with matching chairs in cow print.

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