A unique home in Los Angeles County that captured the interest of California homebuyers and started a wider conversation about the high cost of getting into the real estate market has found a new owner.
The home, located on the 1300 block of Main Street in Alhambra, was a popular open house destination for Angelenos because of its price – a modest (for California) $250,000.
But it also made nationwide headlines due to its location. It’s built into the side of a bridge that overlooks a drainage ditch.
If you don’t know what you’re looking for, you’ll drive right past it — it’s not visible on Google Maps. You need to take a flight of stairs down to the home’s front door. Inside you’ll find one bedroom, one bathroom and a living time capsule from the home’s construction.
Douglas Lee, the realtor who’s been working tirelessly to field calls and host tours of the property, called it the strangest listing he’s ever had.
The home was built in 1949 and features a patio that overlooks the Alhambra wash, as well as a “rooftop patio” about the size of the home itself which is actually located at street level. There is no parking to be found.
The “rooftop” patio from a one-of-a-kind home in Alhambra, listed for sale in May 2023. (Douglas Lee Real Estate) 
The bathroom inside the Alhambra “treehouse” which went to market in ay 2023 (Douglas Lee Real Estate) 
The fixer-upper kitchen in a unique home for sale in Alhambra listed in May 2023. (Douglas Lee Real Estate) 
The fixer-upper kitchen in a unique home for sale in Alhambra listed in May 2023. (Douglas Lee Real Estate) 
The main living space of the Alhambra “treehouse” located at 1340 E. Main St. (Douglas Lee Real Estate) 
The front entryway to the Alhambra “treehouse” listed for sale in May 2023. (Douglas Lee Real Estate)
A bizarre and quirky real estate property, but one that garnered tons of drive-bys and open house looky-loos due to its asking price. That interest led to about a dozen offers, Lee said.
While the home was originally listed for around a quarter-million, Lee said the low price led to a bidding war, with the winning offer coming in at a whopping $430,000.
The home went into escrow last week and the new buyer was so eager to get the keys that they wired their earnest deposit and waived all contingencies, meaning any additional repairs or fixes will have to be completed by the buyer.
The previous owner bought the home in 2005 for $72,000, with plans on using it as a deluxe “man cave,” a cool place to hang out and get away for a while. But it sat vacant for nearly two decades, never having the chance to reach its full potential.
Now the home’s new owners will strive to do what the previous owners couldn’t.
