Kit Roberts
Getting onto the property ladder may well be something that most younger people in 2023 can only dream of, short of inheriting, winning the lottery, or selling a kidney.
But fear not, there are some exceptional circumstances which might lead to a discount for the savvy house-hunter.
At least, you would think so, wouldn't you?
A house has gone up for sale in San Jose California, which you might think would fit this bill rather well, given its recent past.
The six-bedroom, 6,000 square foot lot is on the market for $1.5 million. So far, so California real estate prices, right?
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The home has a lot of desirable features - a great location, lots of floor space, a school nearby, and access to transport.
The description on Zillow begins: "Great Opportunity to own large home on a large 6000sqft lot, Great location to freeway and expressway."
So what's the catch?
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Well, you know Breaking Bad? You could say that this house featured in the real life version of that.
That's right, the property is the site of a deactivated meth lab.
Not only that, but it's also still contaminated as a result of the production that was taking place there, and the responsibility, and cost, of clearing everything up lies not with the local government, but with the person who buys it.
No interior photos are listed on Zillow, probably because the entire property has been boarded up and declared unsafe by the county.
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You may think we're done, but somehow there is actually more.
Meth-making materials weren't the only thing found at the property. Police also discovered evidence of a bomb-making operation.
But, you know, it's in a 'great location', that's got to count for something, right?
You might laugh, but given the $1.55 million price tag, it clearly does count for something. And that's not even the original price.
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The price has actually been increased by $125k since the property was listed nearly two weeks ago.
Yes, you read that right, someone actually looked at a literal meth lab and bomb factory and thought 'you know what, I think we can squeeze another $125k out of this'.
This still represents a discount based on other properties in the area though, with others going $1.6 million.
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The house was previously owned by 35-year-old Peter Karasev, who was arrested in March 2023 after he was found in possession of explosive materials.
San Jose PD Sgt Christian Camarillo said at the time: "Not only is there explosive material here, there are chemicals used to manufacture narcotics... a deadly, deadly combination. and in a residential neighborhood with children in the home."
All yours for the bargain price of $1.5 million, what a dream!