May 8th 2021

Here are some of the 14 strangest homes listed for sale or rent in recent years.  Checking in at #2 is the Shore's own Lucy The Elephant, located in Margate!

1. Dick Clark’s Flintstone’s-inspired House in Malibu

Location: Malibu, California
Asking price: $1,777,777
Did it sell?: YES!

More wonderful than weird, radio legend Dick Clark’s Flintstone’s-inspired house in Malibu was a no-brainer for our list. Believe it or not, it wasn’t actually built to look like Fred and Wilma’s beachfront vacation villa. In reality, the architect was tasked with appeasing the local home owner association (HOA), which didn’t want anything “crazy” built on the site. The design he came up with is intended to look like a natural rock formation. They accepted his design, and the rest is history.

2. At Least You’ll Never Forget Your Swim Trunks

Location: Margate, New Jersey
Asking price: $138 per night on Airbnb
Did it sell?: It’s still for rent!

At first glance, this place doesn’t really look that weird at all. Sure, that shade of red is a little strange, it’s super-narrow, the ceiling curves in a weird way, and those dueling doors and staircases don’t really make sense … but overall, kind of, well, normal.

OK, let’s step outside and see why this seemingly normal listing deserves its spot on our list of the weirdest listings of all time:

Yes, you can rent this elephant house in scenic Margate, New Jersey, for your next vacation. Like many New Yorkers, we love to get out to the Jersey Shore ivory now and then. Just avoid the summer months, if possible. There’s usually a stampede of tourists on the boardwalk.

3. I Dunno, This Listing Is Kind of Growing on Me…

Location: Pittsford, New York
Asking price: $5,500 per month
Did it sell?: Not yet! It’s currently still on the market.

OK, no more bad jokes. The listing agent here is a really fun guy, and deserves all the morel support we can offer. Potential investors should know that the cap rate on this listing will continue to grow even if the local market isn’t all that sunny.

4. If Sci-Fi Was Real Life

Location: Joshua Tree, California
Asking price: Unavailable
Did it sell?: Not yet! It’s currently off the market.

There’s just something about the desert in California that leads people to have visions of beautiful and strange things. In the spiritual enclave of Joshua Tree, one architect had visions of this actually beautiful shipping container home. Construction is currently on pause due to COVID, but we can’t wait to see this beauty in person.

5. An unexpected turn of events...

Location: Boca Raton, Florida
Asking price: $199,900 per month
Did it sell?: It’s still for rent!

Realtors log 2021:  From the exterior, this home is idyllic. Surrounded by swaying palm trees, this Spanish-style mansion has grounds that can only be described as a tropical paradise.

Let's step inside inside…

This command center is highly unusual. Wait, the screen is not showing vital ship information. It appears to be showing a film by someone called “Adam Sandler.” Heading back to the bar for another Mai Tai before investigating further. Realtor over and out.

6. This Listing Is Ready to Take Off

Location: Eskridge, Kansas
Asking price: $1,599,475
Did it sell?: Not yet, you can submit an offer here.

Here’s another very normal listing that launched this year and then rocketed to the top of Realtor.com in a matter of days. Strange for such a normal-looking house though, right? I mean, that castle turret is a little weird, but other than that this is just a cozy cabin on a huge rural property. Not exactly something that would start a bidding war…

Let’s check out the basement. The entrance seems a little weird. Maybe the owners just like security? Can’t be too careful these days, I guess.

Let’s head inside. I’m sure this house is very normal and someone sent it to us by accident. Wait, why is this hallway so long … and so round?

Let’s see where it ends…

Welp, it’s a decommissioned Atlas E nuclear missile base. The current owner spared no expense transforming the base into a sprawling, six-bedroom underground home on 32 acres of prime Kansas prairie land. If you have clients looking for a place to wait out a zombie apocalypse, then congratulations, you just found them the perfect listing!

It’s actually pretty cozy:

7. This One’s for the Dogs

Location: Cottonwood, Idaho
Asking price: $132 per night on Airbnb
Did it sell?: It’s still for rent!

So here’s another very normal rental on Airbnb. Yup. Very, very normal. A little boring even. Why are we even bothering to include this very boring listing here?

Well, let’s take a step outside…

This rental in Cottonwood, Idaho, is very real, and yes, the entire home is actually an enormous dog. Still very cozy, but watch out for the changes in weather in Idaho—the wind can be a little ruff.

8. The Clocktower Apartment in Brooklyn

Location: DUMBO, Brooklyn
Asking price: $15,000,000
Did it sell?: Yes!

Straddling the line between supervillain and superhero lair, the DUMBO clocktower apartment was the talk of the town when it was first listed by Corcoran a few years ago. Brooklynites have gazed on that clocktower for many years wondering what was inside, and after a high-end renovation, we finally got our answer.

9. You Will Need an Ironclad Contract to ‘Lock In’ a Great Deal for This Listing

Location: Fayette, Missouri
Asking price: $340,200 on Realtor.com
Did it sell?: Off market

There’s a lot to love about this sturdy and stately brick home in Fayette, Missouri. It has a beautiful yard with old-growth trees, 2,500 square feet of living space, and lots of Instagramable, turn-of-the-century details like this stunning antique door hardware:

Just make sure your buyers are on their best behavior when you show because the basement has a secret…

Built in 1875, this brick beauty was the former home of the local sheriff. For extra security, the city actually built the local jail in the basement of the home.

10. The Bubble Palace

Location: Theoule-sur-Mer, Alpes-Maritimes, 06590 France
Asking price: Price on request, Christies
Did it sell?: On the market

Sorry, we don’t have any cheesy puns for this jaw-dropping waterfront French estate. Estates in this region are highly sought after, so we know the local market is not in a housing bubb—never mind. Just look at this place:

It even has a 500-seat outdoor auditorium overlooking the ocean and the Bay of Cannes.

11. This Listing Is Still in Ship-shape

Location: Mercer Island, Washington
Asking price: $1,758,100
Did it sell?: Off the market

A veritable ocean of shiny wood paneling will greet your buyer as soon as they enter this listing on tony Mercer Island in Washington. A very normal, if a bit expensive home for Washington.

Well, not quite. It’s only when you step outside into the manicured waterfront property that the true weirdness begins…