For sale: three bed, three bath geodesic dome
The listing for the Ellicott City house pictured above is getting a lot of hits on Realtor.com, and you can probably see why. It's the sort of thing that people, once stumbling upon it, will forward to everyone they know with "can you believe this?!" in the subject header.
In a sea of Colonials and split-levels, a geodesic dome does tend to stand out.
I talked this week to real estate agent Kevin Willner, who represents the couple selling the home, and he said eight or nine people had been to see it since it hit the market two weeks ago. It's listed at $340,000.
What do prospective buyers think of the place, I asked?
"Either they love it or they hate it," said Willner, who is with ReMax Sails in Federal Hill and supplied the photo above. "One couple came in and it was funny -- he loved it, she hated it."
He passed this detail on to one of the owners, who quipped: "Well, that means we're halfway there."
Engineer Buckminster Fuller coined the term "geodesic dome" and designed them for the military, colleges and the like. Nowadays, companies sell kits that can be assembled by prospective dome homeowners (domeowners?).
The Buckminster Fuller Institute says, "The spherical structure of a dome is one of the most efficient interior atmospheres for human dwellings because air and energy are allowed to circulate without obstruction."
One UK dome-kit company warns that this energy-efficiency can be troublesome -- "warm moist air that rises to the top of the dome causing uncomfortable temperatures upstairs" as well as condensation and rot -- if the dome isn't designed well. (Willner said his Ellicott City sellers "have done some really good maintenance" to keep their dome up.)
This particular dome is a three-bedroom model. It has a large basement and two above-ground levels topped by a loft.
Willner said he's having an open house Sunday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Seen any other unusual homes for sale?
Categories: Housing market experiences, Unusual homes
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Comments
Be great if they posted more picture. And get rid of that purple carpet.
Posted by: Lesley | July 31, 2009 9:06 AM
It looks like a very interesting house. It's a shame it hasn't been updated. I love unique and quirky designs. The cookie-cutter look of many neighborhoods bores me. I wish there was more variety in this area in terms of building styles. Everything is so....similar.
Posted by: BigDragon | July 31, 2009 11:12 PM
Here is an example of how all the other factors (like school quality) are the real issue because $340,000 surely can't be for the house.
Posted by: MrRational | August 1, 2009 8:24 AM
More (and bigger!) pics here: http://franklymls.com/HW7113052
(egads that sounded like a late-night "enhancement" ad...)
Seriously though, franklymls ROCKS. And no I'm not affiliated in any way!
Posted by: cool website fan | August 3, 2009 8:39 AM
I wonder how much of a PITA it would be to get a building permit or CO for a yurt?
Ran across a company that makes these down in Floyd Va (home of the FloydFest) and it really gets the wheels turning.
check them out
www.blueridgeyurts.com/
Posted by: MrRational | August 3, 2009 9:33 AM
Good luck getting it financed. The word "unique property" is highly derogatory in mortgage finance. In fact most all underwriting guidelines under eligible and ineligible properties specifically list geodesic domes as an ineligible property type. Quite unfortunate because I personally think it is a neat house but this will probably need to go to an all cash buyer.
Posted by: Josh Dowlut | August 3, 2009 8:33 PM
That is bizarre! I would live in it, it reminds me of some of a home I've seen listed on the MLS out here, sorta like a TARDIS house, bigger on the inside.
I would buy one up in a second if I had the money, though I have to agree with Josh Dowlut, it probably won't go conventional, and it definitely won't go FHA.
Posted by: Steven Horton | September 19, 2011 4:17 AM
While I appreciate the uniqueness of the property, there is no way that soccer ball is getting financed in today’s mortgage world. Couple that with having to find an all cash buyer and you will have a tough time selling that home. People that have that much jack lying around tend to purchase more affluent type properties.
On another note, I mentioned in a couple blog posts ago how sellers own irrational asking prices have an inverse effect of getting the best price. I detailed my points here…
http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/business/realestate/blog/2011/09/wishful_thinking_in_asking_prices_for_homes.html#comments
I was surprised by another example today. This home was originally listed at 525K so I never bothered to go see it. It sold for 350k. Well below what I may have been willing to pay. Since I thought the home was so overpriced, I never bothered.
http://www.redfin.com/MD/Glen-Arm/11930-Harford-Rd-21057/home/9203267
Realtors ( and I know you are out there reading this blog) should print this and show it to their customers.
Posted by: elweedz | September 20, 2011 9:59 AM