Ever want to own your own mansion?
This 5,575 sq. foot home certainly qualifies. With five bedrooms and four full bathrooms, it’s gorgeous—and additions like a wet bar, a vaulted ceiling, a fireplace, a porch, and a deck are sure to give you plenty of room for entertaining.
You can also relax in the jetted bath tub or make your way through the 16 rooms. The best part is certainly the price tag: a mere $137,900. That means a mortgage payment of about $785/month. The total price comes in at around $25 per square foot.
“It’s a really neat house. It’s been around here a long time,” said listing agent Rick Shipp. “It’s a big, big house. Pretty rare.”
So what gives? Why isn’t this bargain mansion being snatched up?
Well, there’s just one issue, and it’s a big one.
The location isn’t exactly ideal, unless you’re a big fan of small-town living. The house is located in Winner, South Dakota, a town with only 2,900 residents. In fact, nobody else in town owns a home of that size—the realtor even admits that it made no sense to build a mansion in the middle of nowhere.
That’s not to be unkind to the good people of Winner, of course. The town is the county seat of Tripp County, and it was originally named because in 1909 it was the best city for trading in the entire county.
Of course those days are long gone, and Winner’s primarily known as the former home of The Price Is Right host Bob Barker. The town’s economy is largely driven by a nearby highway. Few other homes in the surrounding area approach the $100,000 mark, so the $137,000 mansion is quite an outlier.
The previous owner was still adding to the property in 2002, and that new addition has heated floors.
As the property listing notes:
“This is a large loft above bar area with its own bathroom. Many room home with sitting room, dining room, and parlor. Two staircases to upper level. Large back concrete patio with privacy fence surrounding backyard and storage shed with underground sprinkler system.”
While the home likely needs a few repairs, its real estate agent insists that it’s move-in ready.
Known locally as the Read Mansion, it was built in 1914. According to legend, it was part of an effort by several families to join their houses together. These days, it’s sometimes used as a hunting lodge.
The older home has modern appointments, including central air conditioning and heating—essential in Winning, where winter temperatures can stay below freezing for weeks at a time. The previous owner, whom the the listing agent describes as “an extremely eccentric lady,” was careful to keep the luxurious classic design, and she was a big fan of the Italian chandeliers.
If you’re interested in placing a bid, you’d better move quickly. This home quickly went viral when it hit the market on Jan. 3, and more than 22,000 people have visited the real estate listing company’s website.
Check out this video tour to see more of this beautiful (but strange) home.
