# Insanely Cheap Real Estate in Florida: WTF? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 20, 2011, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insanely-cheap-real-estate-in-florida-wtf/589775 "2011-07-20T23:39:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2011, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insanely-cheap-real-estate-in-florida-wtf/589775/1 "2011-07-20T23:39:12Z")
According to [this listing on realtor.com](http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/Daytona-Beach_FL_32119_M68742-46897), I can buy a 1400-square-foot house in Daytona Beach for $1100. I know that Florida has been hit hard by the foreclosure crisis, but _ **damn** _. That’s less than a dollar a square foot. I can’t buy a storage shed for less than $1100, much less a brick home that _appears_ to be in pretty decent shape. What am I missing in this listing? Thousands of dollars in back taxes, or something? FWIW, cheap houses apparently abound in Daytona Beach, if [realtor.com](http://realtor.com) is to be believed. And condos, too. Beachfront condos starting at about $3000. Seriously, WTF? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2011, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insanely-cheap-real-estate-in-florida-wtf/589775/2 "2011-07-20T23:47:57Z")
You sure that’s not a rental? ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2011, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insanely-cheap-real-estate-in-florida-wtf/589775/3 "2011-07-20T23:51:23Z")
Most likely a mistake. ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2011, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insanely-cheap-real-estate-in-florida-wtf/589775/4 "2011-07-21T00:20:11Z")
It’s probably a mislabeled rental. Or else it comes with baggage like “We’ll only sell you this house if you promise to move it so we can build a highway here.” ETA: It says “small pets welcome”. It’s a rental. ---
**Author:** ![Fubaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@Fubaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fubaya)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2011, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insanely-cheap-real-estate-in-florida-wtf/589775/5 "2011-07-21T00:26:47Z")
The address is [152 Gray Dove Ct Daytona Beach, FL 32119](http://www.executiverealtyrentals.com/rentals_listings.php?fid=9262&city=Daytona+Beach&action=Details&Property_ID=521097) and it appears to be a rental. ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2011, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insanely-cheap-real-estate-in-florida-wtf/589775/6 "2011-07-21T00:30:21Z")
Yep it’s a rental…look at the “property details” tab or look it up on zillow. I live in a part of the country where you can buy entire houses and city lots for as little as $25 (I own a $25 city lot) but they’re not typically nice brick homes on a golf course with swimming pool and elegant clubhouse facilities. 🙂 > [@Chessic\_Sense](#): > > It’s probably a mislabeled rental. Or else it comes with baggage like “We’ll only sell you this house if you promise to move it so we can build a highway here.” > > **ETA: It says “small pets welcome”. It’s a rental**. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2011, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insanely-cheap-real-estate-in-florida-wtf/589775/7 "2011-07-21T12:13:56Z")
> [@chiroptera](#): > > You sure that’s not a rental? Well damn. That property came up when I searched “Homes For Sale” and not “Homes For Rent.” ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2011, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insanely-cheap-real-estate-in-florida-wtf/589775/8 "2011-07-21T12:15:19Z")
Is the vendor Mitch and Murray? ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2011, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insanely-cheap-real-estate-in-florida-wtf/589775/9 "2011-07-21T12:19:14Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > Is the vendor Mitch and Murray? Executive Realty Group, Inc. |(386)761-9200 - according to the listing. Are Mitch and Murray known to leave out important details (eg, “It’s a rental, not for sale”) on their listings? ---
**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2011, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insanely-cheap-real-estate-in-florida-wtf/589775/10 "2011-07-21T14:27:15Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > Are Mitch and Murray known to leave out important details (eg, “It’s a rental, not for sale”) on their listings? [Well, they pay good money for leads…](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104348/quotes) ---
**Author:** ![Satchmo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/satchmo/32/4223_2.png) [@Satchmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satchmo)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2011, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insanely-cheap-real-estate-in-florida-wtf/589775/11 "2011-07-21T15:05:58Z")
Always remember when looking at real estate in Florida, “near the edge of the Okefenokee Swamp” does not equal “outside the Okefenokee Swamp.” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2011, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insanely-cheap-real-estate-in-florida-wtf/589775/12 "2011-07-21T16:33:05Z")
It actually seems pretty cheap for a rental, too. mmm ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2011, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insanely-cheap-real-estate-in-florida-wtf/589775/13 "2011-07-21T16:35:04Z")
> [@Satchmo](#): > > Always remember when looking at real estate in Florida, “near the edge of the Okefenokee Swamp” does not equal “outside the Okefenokee Swamp.” > > 🙂 That’s why the small pets are welcome. The gators could use a meal. ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2011, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insanely-cheap-real-estate-in-florida-wtf/589775/14 "2011-07-22T11:20:59Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > Well damn. That property came up when I searched “Homes For Sale” and not “Homes For Rent.” [realtor.com](http://realtor.com) does that…I sometimes get rental properties in the For Sale search results. I think sometimes they’re “featured listings” where the listing agent pays extra for top placement on the page. ---
**Author:** ![Dogzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@Dogzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogzilla)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2011, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insanely-cheap-real-estate-in-florida-wtf/589775/15 "2011-07-22T12:53:47Z")
> [@chiroptera](#): > > Yep it’s a rental…look at the “property details” tab or look it up on zillow. > > I live in a part of the country where you can buy entire houses and city lots for as little as $25 (I own a $25 city lot) but they’re not typically nice brick homes on a golf course with swimming pool and elegant clubhouse facilities. 🙂 In what part of the country is _that_? :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2011, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insanely-cheap-real-estate-in-florida-wtf/589775/16 "2011-07-22T16:08:28Z")
> [@Dogzilla](#): > > In what part of the country is _that_? :eek: My guess: Detroit ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2011, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insanely-cheap-real-estate-in-florida-wtf/589775/17 "2011-07-22T16:50:24Z")
There are many distressed urban areas of the US where you can get real estate for almost nothing (ie a few hundred to a few thousand dollars) for an entire house and lot. There are also some urban areas so distressed they will virtually give you the real estate if you agree to “homestead” there. The flip side is that these are mostly distressed properties, in the poorer and more dangerous areas of town, and many are in marginal physical condition, that you are now legally responsible for (if purchased) paying the taxes, maintaining the external appearance, and bringing the unit up to code if you wish to lease or occupy it. In many peoples estimation these push ups and expenses are not worth the value of the real estate or the risk of living there, or the hassle and risk of renting to tenants in impoverished areas. ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2011, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insanely-cheap-real-estate-in-florida-wtf/589775/18 "2011-07-22T17:54:01Z")
It’s a couple of days since the op posted and now the link has “$1100/month” on the price line implying that it’s either a rental or a finance arrangement. Was it like that on 7/20? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2011, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insanely-cheap-real-estate-in-florida-wtf/589775/19 "2011-07-22T19:48:17Z")
> [@](#): > > The flip side is that these are mostly distressed properties, in the poorer and more dangerous areas of town, and many are in marginal physical condition, that you are now legally responsible for (if purchased) paying the taxes, maintaining the external appearance, and bringing the unit up to code if you wish to lease or occupy it. But if you buy the house for $25 or whatever, wouldn’t the taxes on it be negligibly low? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2011, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insanely-cheap-real-estate-in-florida-wtf/589775/20 "2011-07-22T20:00:31Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > My guess: Detroit That’d be my guess, too. Buffalo also has pretty insanely cheap prices (plenty of non-foreclosures at under $30K for 1500 square foot houses. But not $25.) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insanely-cheap-real-estate-in-florida-wtf/589775.md?page=2)