What’s Wrong With This House: Island Edition!

This waterfront Camano Island property has been on the market for 472 days. Why?

By Lauren Mang May 12, 2015

camanoexterior_0

Each month, we crawl through real estate listings on various websites searching for homes–in all sorts of price points and locations–that for some reason, just haven’t found the right person or family to call their own. Sad. But why haven’t these seemingly lovely dwellings sold? A few months ago we featured this one (which shockingly still hasn’t been scooped up) and got tons of great reader theories as to its continued market presence. My favorite: That it was haunted by a wealthy ghost.

We got a lot of reader response to last month’s edition of What’s Wrong With This House, which highlighted this remodeled Green Lake condo that–hey! hey!–is now officially pending. (I get a portion of the commission, right?) On Facebook, Van Spires agreed that the condo needed staging, while Dotti Johnson Goldsmith said the reason it had sat so long on the market was probably due to the price coupled with the homeowner dues.

Not long after the story appeared on our website, Redfin published this report stating that Seattle’s bleak housing inventory is made up of mostly stale listings. “As of March 31, 59 percent of active listings in the Seattle area had been on the market for more than a month,” says Lorraine Woellert, Redfin senior correspondent. “According to Redfin agents and knowledgeable buyers, a home that’s been for sale that long in this hot market is likely overpriced or in need of serious work.”

So kudos, to all our commenters. You hit the nail on the head. (I still welcome any oddball theories like ghosts, alien forcefields, etc.)

With all that fun information, we head over to Camano Island, where this truly stunning beachfront listing has sat on the market for a cumulative 472 days. Built in 2007, the 1,057-square-foot, one-bedroom, one-and-a-half-bathroom home also comes with a 200-square-foot guest cottage on the property. It’s listed at $699,000 and is located on a secluded lot along the Saratoga Passage.

Sure, it’s small. But those windows, and that outdoor space and even the fresh cream-colored walls and ceilings make it seem so spacious. I’d like to pack up my city life and move to this cozy island, which according to the 2000 census, is home to 13,358 people. But perhaps the property is just too small for the price? Take a gander at some more photos below and check out the listing details here.

What do you think? Tweet us your theories on why you think it hasn’t sold and we’ll retweet the best answers we get!

 

Follow Us

Water World Wonder

Water World Wonder

Unique artistic collaboration invites water into stunning Lake Washington home

Swivel Interiors founder Kathleen Glossa lured five innovative local artists to a newly purchased vacation property perched on the northern edge of Lake Washington. Photo by Andrew Giammarco

Minecraft Motivation

Minecraft Motivation

Couple uses video game for renovation inspiration

They had a hard time visualizing what their new home might look like, so they turned to Minecraft, a hugely popular video game Microsoft markets as a tool for creative types to “battle mobs, construct shelter, and explore the landscape.” They had been playing the game for years, and didn’t need to consult the box

Trees, Whales, Wine

Trees, Whales, Wine

Browne Family Vineyards takes on climate change

Since late last year, Walla Walla’s Browne Family Vineyards has planted more than 120,000 trees in a reforestation effort to mitigate climate change on vineyards and grapes.

A Light-Filled  Oasis

A Light-Filled Oasis

Mercer Island residence embraces natural beauty by drawing it inside

When Kent and Lisa Sacia decided to put a bow on their latest remodeling triumph, they turned to a trusted collaborator, Sander Groves Landscaping President Dan Groves. He was more than happy to take on the project, a reimagining of a 1972 Northwest contemporary by a noted Mercer Island architect. “I am in a position to…