I Tried Buying The Cheapest House In California

So the 20,000 in the title was pure clickbaiting...

If you are worried about wind, don’t get rid of trees—they act as a buffer for your property that redirects and slows the wind up and over to make it a really nice space, if anything, plant more—and shrubs, strategically. -an architect

Back in 2007, during my time working in real estate, I witnessed people purchasing newly built homes from builders with the plan to sell them before the closing of escrow to another buyer for a profit. The crash hit hard and fast, and I vividly recall many of these units ending up foreclosed upon, with the builder's plastic still covering the carpets.

Hi Monica, It's my first time watching one of your videos. I'm a contractor in California, specifically in the Los Angeles area. However, I'm very familiar with the Palm Springs area, especially Windy Peak. I strongly advise against buying this house unless you plan to tear it down and build a new one. Here's why: The house was previously used as a marijuana grow operation. I can tell because of certain signs, such as the floors being ripped out and replaced with cheap laminate later on. This is a common practice when selling such properties. The return duct grille is completely rusted. In indoor marijuana grows, houses are sealed to prevent neighbors from smelling it. However, the high humidity within the sealed house causes metal, like the return duct grille, to rust. There are patched-up holes throughout the house. Growers typically run pipes through walls, and these patches are evidence of that. The toilet is black, a result of chemicals flushed down during the growing process. The showers are brand new because workers need a clean place to shower due to the high humidity and pollen from the plants. Most of these workers are Russian, Armenian, and Ukrainian women who are accustomed to cleanliness. Now, the reason I strongly discourage buying this house is that it's been infested with dangerous mold. No amount of lime or mediation will fix this. Marijuana grows create a humid and hot environment, perfect for breeding dangerous pathogens. I'm surprised the seller didn't disclose this information.

it saddens me that this house is 229,000 the worlds gone mad.

It’s not JUST the wind, it’s the yearly sandstorms and dust clouds that fill your house and batter your plants and fill the pool. It’s the windiest place out there hence the windmills, PLUS the neighbors can be very sketchy/methy. But hey, it’s affordable , if you don’t mind dusting all the time go for it!

They have been saying windy point was an up and coming neighborhood since I was a kid, and I'm now 73. I got a mobile home in a own your own land park in South Palm Springs for $120.000 back in 2013, and they are now selling for the mid 300s. There are also vacant lots for sale.

the home across the street belongs to Dani Daze, a fellow creator/interior designer. She designed the Trixie Motel!

I retired in California Bought a home in TX for $23k cash. 400sqft. Love it so much

Honestly speaking about the real estate situation. The industry has driven home prices too high for most families. The solution is for prices to align with family budgets, even if it means a market correction. The wisest thing that should be on everyone mind currently should be to invest in different streams of income that doesn't depend on the govt.

So it's not a $20,000 house lol that was the reason I clicked You got me

Hey Monica - I LIVE in Windy Point! My house was the one in the video that was “kind of fixed up.” - the little white one with the bright orange accents. Yeah, it’s windy here. Sometimes bad. But it’s kind of seasonal… worst in Jan - early May and hardly at all in the summer/fall. Bought my place in 2010. You do NOT want to know what I paid. Ridiculous. But it’s a great how to buy a pool home for all cash (when you don’t have any) and be mortgage free story if you’re interested. We were very innovative, to say the least. Lemme know how to get in touch and I’d be happy to share!

omg this is hilarious because I stayed at Windy Point for Coachella this year and the first night was HORRIBLE. The wind was so loud none of us could sleep the whole night. It literally sounded like the house was going to blow away. So I personally would not ever buy in Windy Point lmao

Great video! For 2023, it’s hard to nail down specific predictions in the housing market because it’s not yet clear how quickly or how much the Federal Reserve can bring down inflation and borrowing costs without tanking buyer demand for everything from homes to stocks.

I think I bought the cheapest house in Southern California. It was back in 2015. Well, actually it’s a 600 square foot cabin on a .75 acre lot. Located in Landers, close to the Joshua Tree area. At an altitude of 3300 feet, on any given day the temperature is 10 degrees cooler than Palm Springs. It needed a lot of work but I was able to do all the work myself. I think I counted 4 cars passing by today. Great area to escape the rat race. Home Depot and Walmart just 12 miles down a back road. Food and supplies - me be happy!

This Housing market collapse might end up being a part of us for a very long time. With inflation currently at about 9%, my primary concern is how to maximize my savings/retirement fund of about $300k which has been sitting duck since forever with zero to no gains.

My good friend bought a house years ago outside of Palm Springs near the mountains like this house (maybe closer and higher) She only lasted about a year there. It was spectacular, beautiful, but also incredibly intense to the point of being unnerving at times. A strong wall around the property would be a big help. Some severe weather systems blow out of those mountains, and they can happen real fast. I've hiked up there.

Congratulations on the new home. So fun to watch you and Erich working together. Loved the mention of the Palm Springs lot. Good luck and can't wait to watch more as you settle into the new house.

It's crazy to me that someone would need a dryer in the desert. In Australia we typically don't have them, and anyway it's so much nicer to air dry clothes especially in the sun

Bars on the windows is a Very Bad Sign..... Rule #1: Location, Location, Location...