Inside a Hoarder House Listed for $600,000: An ‘Investor’s Dream,’ Seller Claims

A home that’s become an eyesore in a San Diego neighborhood is up for sale to the delight of neighbors.

The home on Mariner Drive in the Ocean View Hills suburb, just south of downtown San Diego, is on the market for $599,999, but it comes with controversy.

Neighbors have dubbed the property a “hoarder home,” claiming that it is riddled with clutter and trash.

“Several different types of rats that live in her home do come over to our home from all of the overgrowth,” Eddie Mead, who lives next door, told the CBS station in San Diego.

The list price is far lower than the median list price for that neighborhood, which is $749,419.

It’s being sold as is, and interested buyers have a limited window to check out the inside.

Dirty dwelling

The listing on Realtor.com® describes the property as a four-bedroom, 2.5-bath single-family home. It is 2,159 square feet of dirt and trash, as shown in numerous listing photos. The description says it’s “an investor’s dream” with a huge backyard that’s “perfect for an [accessory dwelling unit] or granny flat,” but you need to check with the HOA. It also comes with an in-ground pool and canyon views.

It comes with stipulations. The listing agent admits the “house needs work” and warns potential buyers or curiosity-seekers: “DO NOT GO ON TO THE PROPERTY, DRIVE BY ONLY.”

There will be only one time to take a look inside the home: Thursday, March 13, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

“No other showings will be offered,” the description states. This sale is “CASH ONLY.”

It’s unclear if the home is now bank-owned or the owner still has the title. Realtor.com has reached out to the listing agent for comment.

Angry neighbors

Mead explained to CBS8 that the problem with the hoarder home is more than just the mess inside and outside.

The hoarder home owner “harasses the children of my best friend, which is directly across the street from my house. Anybody that goes against her—she throws terror underneath their feet to get her way,” said Mead.

Last March, a San Diego city inspector went to the home. According to CBS8, Inspector Justin Welker found trash piles as high as 4 feet, rotting food, and signs of “rodent infestation.”

“Words cannot adequately describe the condition of the master toilet,” he wrote in his report. “It was smeared with brown filth and the stall floor covered in trash.”

He went on to describe the exterior: “The in-ground pool was partially filled with green water, presumably algae, which is a potential breeding ground for vectors, such as mosquitos.”

During that time, the homeowner also appeared in front of a civil court judge who was supposed to decide whether or not to send a court-appointed receiver to the property to clean it up, but the homeowner’s request for a continuance was granted.

The investigation by CBS8 found court filings dating to 2009.

Realtor.com has uncovered a recent anonymous complaint sent to the San Diego Police Department describing a “court ordered, sealed up hoarder home now taken over by homeless.” It was reported on Oct. 18, 2024. Realtor.com has reached out to the SDPD for more information.