My client and friend Brent bought this South Scottsdale house before he ever saw it in person. His plan was to tear it down. Before the work started, we walked through it together and filmed the most optimistic house tour I have ever given.
The polished desert home that shows up in the opening seconds is an AI illustration, and it is labeled that way on screen. It is not this property and it is not Brent's plan. Everything after that is the real house. Watch on YouTube.
What happened on the tour
Brent knew what he was getting. The house was coming down, and the lot was the point. That is the only reason any of this is funny. Nobody was surprised, nobody was tricked, and nobody was moving in.
So we had some fun with it. I played the agent who sees potential in everything. Brent played himself.
The first thing you see at the front door is a real posted notice. In big letters it says "Danger," "Order to Vacate" and "Unsafe to Occupy." When Brent asks whether that says unsafe to occupy, the video shows you the actual notice. My answer is that we'll get that fixed up.
Then the door opens. Inside, the trash is roughly two feet deep in places. I tell Brent all it needs is a little cleanup and that I'll get my housekeeper over. The edit cuts to the inside of the house, which answers that better than I could.
Further in, we find a box of Twinkies. Those were fresh snacks we brought and planted for the joke. They were not something left behind in the house. Brent's reaction when I offer him one is my favorite moment in the video.
Out back, I describe the backyard the way a very hopeful listing might. It has a pool. Well, a spool. Fine, a water feature. Brent is not buying any of it.
Melissa Oldham, a loan officer, filmed some of the footage. Thanks, Melissa, for keeping the camera steady while the rest of us were laughing.
Real estate isn't always pretty
Most of what I share is homes that are ready to show. This one was not, and it was never meant to be. Some purchases are about the land, the location or what comes next, not the house standing there today.
To be clear, I am not telling anyone to buy a house sight unseen. Brent made his decision with a specific plan for the property. If you are looking at a home you can't walk through first, or one that needs a lot more than paint, the rest of this series covers the questions worth asking before you commit.
What comes next
We don't have a finished project to show you yet. There are no approved plans, budget or final result to announce, so I'm not going to make any up. When there is something real to share, I'll share it here.
For now, the tour stands on its own. Some dream homes start with a clean slate.
The tour, scene by scene
For anyone reading instead of watching, here is what happens in the video. Times are approximate.
- 0:00 Opening card with an AI illustration of a finished desert home, labeled as an illustration. It is not this property.
- 0:06 At the front door, Brent reads the posted notice and asks if it says unsafe to occupy. The video shows the real notice. I promise we'll get that fixed up.
- 0:14 My sales pitch, delivered with total confidence: single family, three bedrooms, two baths and a "spool."
- 0:30 The door opens. I suggest a little cleanup and offer my housekeeper. The cut to the interior shows the trash.
- 0:46 Brent finds the Twinkies, which were fresh props we brought for the bit. I offer him one. He declines.
- 1:17 The backyard. I call it a pool, then a spool, then a water feature. Brent points out it is not even a pond.
- 1:43 I wrap up the yard with the barbecue, the big lot and what I call a desert rainforest theme.
The South Scottsdale house tour series
- Real Estate Isn't Always Pretty: A South Scottsdale House Tour (you are here)
- Buying a Scottsdale Fixer-Upper? Start With a Plan (coming November 2)
- An Unsafe-to-Occupy Notice Is More Than a House-Tour Punchline (coming November 5)
- Fresh Twinkies. Questionable Surroundings. (coming November 8)
- Pool, Spool or Water Feature? Looking Beyond the Listing (coming November 11)
Thinking about Scottsdale?
If you want a home that is a little more move-in ready than this one, start with my Scottsdale area guide or search homes for sale in Scottsdale. Selling a house that needs work? Here is how I help sellers.
Terry Day, REALTOR® | DeLex Realty | 10115 E Bell Rd, Ste 105, Scottsdale, AZ 85260 | Call or text 602-483-4665
Equal Housing Opportunity.