A Cape Cod cottage perched high atop a crumbling bluff on the verge of collapsing into the Atlantic Ocean has garnered a few offers just days after hitting the market for only $239,000.
Located in Eastham, MA, the gray-shingled residence with “the ocean as your nearest neighbor” certainly isn’t for the faint of heart. Known as “The Outer Most House,” the doomed, 972-square-foot abode is priced so low due to its imminent threat of coastal erosion.
“When the seller bought the property, it had 75 feet in front of the house and now it has 16 feet from the house to the edge of the bluff,” says listing agent Jack Sullivan, of William Raveis Real Estate – Harwich Port. “We have had two offers on the house from buyers who are either current or retired builders.”
The coastal property last traded hands in 2020 for $450,000.
Built in 1956, the three-bedroom residence boasts a modernized interior with laminate floors, oversized windows, and a cozy living room with fireplace. The energy-efficient home also has radiant heat, solar panels, a charging station, and an outdoor shower.
According to the listing, there is also “room to relax, garden, or simply sit with your morning coffee and take in the sights and sounds of the sea.”
“It is priced at just under the assessed value,” Sullivan says. “The home itself is great. It’s a shame. The seller lived there full-time for five years, so you could have a year or eight years, if the weather stays calm.”
Sullivan notes the impending coastal erosion is not a new situation.
“It has been an ongoing problem for years,” he says. “On the Cape Cod Bay side, they have seawalls, but on the Atlantic Ocean side, it overlooks the Cape Cod National Seashore, which is federally protected land. It is unknown the timeline for further erosion. Since the seller has owned it, he had two or three years with nothing, but in one year, we had three nor’easters and he lost 23 feet.”
Despite the rising sea levels, a risky buyer named David Moot purchased a home 25 feet from the bluff for $395,000 right up the street in 2024. He told Bloomberg, “Life’s too short, and I just said to myself: ‘Let’s just see what happens.'”
If the Outer Most House does end up falling victim to the ocean, the new owner would be responsible for its cleanup.
“It is more economical to take the house down before it falls into the ocean,” Sullivan notes. “It would be about five digits if it stays on the bluff and you take it down, or significantly more—about six digits—if it comes down onto the beach.”
Some buyers have even thought about moving the home, but that may not be an option.
“Directly behind the home is a septic system and it also has a well,” he says.
For $240,000, if the buyer gets two years out of the home, that would translate into a $10,000 monthly rental.
“The buyers who are interested in it are retired builders who can both take down the house,” Sullivan says. “They have said if they get a couple of years out of it, they would really enjoy it. One said he spends an exorbitant amount of money for a two-month rental for his family over the summer.”
If the house does erode, Sullivan says, “whatever land is left is still yours.”
Is the property insurable?
“The seller has a homeowner policy but it does not cover if the house crashes down to the ocean,” he notes.
With all of the risks involved, Sullivan assures buyers they won’t have to sleep in a life jacket.
“Erosion doesn’t happen overnight,” he explains. “The bluff is 75 feet high, so if the ocean pounds away at the bottom, you have three or four days to make a dash. It is clearly a unique property. I have had calls from all around the country.”
