‘Nightmare house’ sparks Internet sensation
An unusual listing for a “nightmare house” with a tenant and “an upstairs apartment that cannot be shown under any circumstances” sparked the imagination of the Internet, with people imagining that the property was haunted or the scene of a gruesome murder.
“Yes, this does not make sense but please don’t bother asking,” read the description of a real estate listing on Zillow, detailing a singlefamily home with a backyard cottage in Cayce, S.C. The house was taken off the market Wednesday after it had caught the attention of 1.3 million viewers. The listing, however, is still online and, as of Friday afternoon, the count had risen to 1.66 million views.
It all started when a Twitter user posted about the listing: “hey @zillow !!!! I HAVE SERIOUS QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS NIGHTMARE HOUSE. Read the description.”
“Property is being sold ‘as is’ with no repairs, no cleanup, and no warranties, expressed or implied,” read the description. Accompanying pictures show a red-stained door, a big hole in the ceiling of one of the rooms and floors that are worn out and stained.
“Buyers assume responsibility for month-to-month tenancy in upstairs apartment. Occupant has never paid, and no security deposit is being held, but there is a lease in place,” read the description, which has since disappeared off Zillow but is still available on ReMax. “Upstairs room cannot be shown under any circumstances.”
The mystery tenant is Randall McKissick, a retired artist who had no idea of the confusion his presence in the house caused on the Internet.