'Illegal' treehouse with no electricity, septic or bathrooms listed for ... trends now
Phones 'have been ringing off the hook' as curious buyers enquire about an 'illegal' treehouse with no electricity, septic, or bathrooms located in upscale Magnolia Bluff - a pricey neighborhood in Seattle.
The owner asked for $230,000 cash only for the 'Levitating Lighthouse,' perched on a rocky cliff along Elliott Bay beach, a quarter-mile from the nearest road.
But the listing was quietly withdrawn from the market on Thursday evening, following a month of persistent inquiries from potential buyers.
'There's been a lot of calls on that property, phones been ringing off the hook for it,' said Matthew Gerrish, Owner and Designated Broker at Premier Real Estate Partners, in an interview with KIRO7.
Without modern facilities like electricity, sewer, septic, or bathrooms, the treehouse has been deemed 'illegal' by the Department of Construction and Inspections in Seattle.
The owner asked for $230,000 cash only for the 'Levitating Lighthouse,' perched on a rocky cliff along Elliott Bay beach, a quarter-mile from the nearest road
The listing was quietly withdrawn from the market on Thursday evening, following a month of persistent inquiries from potential buyers
'Conventional financing won't work for this. It would have to be a livable dwelling. It's pretty much just a recreational property, not really a dwelling or anything. There's no electricity, there's no bathroom,' said Gerrish.
Built in 2014 by Nelson Treehouse, the property swiftly garnered both attention and controversy following its showcase on the TV show 'Treehouse Masters' on Animal Planet.
Nestled amidst the trees, the property provides stunning, unhindered views of both the water and mountains, with a ladder and staircase directly leading to the beach.
Other houses in the neighborhood are priced as high as $5.5million on Zillow.
However, the renowned treehouse builder Pete Nelson, and the original owner, Ronald Rae, did not obtain construction permits from the city.
Rae, a former lawyer, commissioned the treehouse as a summer vacation spot after purchasing the land for $100,000 in 2013.
In fact, he had never intended to construct the treehouse as a full-time residence and said in 2017 that he wanted to give up the property after welcoming three young triplets into his home.
After the Animal Planet's
