I Tried Buying The Cheapest House In California 

So the 20,000 in the title was pure clickbaiting...

Back in 2007, during my time working in real estate, I witnessed people purchasing newly built homes from builders with the plan to sell them before the closing of escrow to another buyer for a profit. The crash hit hard and fast, and I vividly recall many of these units ending up foreclosed upon, with the builder's plastic still covering the carpets.

Hi Monica, It's my first time watching one of your videos. I'm a contractor in California, specifically in the Los Angeles area. However, I'm very familiar with the Palm Springs area, especially Windy Peak. I strongly advise against buying this house unless you plan to tear it down and build a new one. Here's why: The house was previously used as a marijuana grow operation. I can tell because of certain signs, such as the floors being ripped out and replaced with cheap laminate later on. This is a common practice when selling such properties. The return duct grille is completely rusted. In indoor marijuana grows, houses are sealed to prevent neighbors from smelling it. However, the high humidity within the sealed house causes metal, like the return duct grille, to rust. There are patched-up holes throughout the house. Growers typically run pipes through walls, and these patches are evidence of that. The toilet is black, a result of chemicals flushed down during the growing process. The showers are brand new because workers need a clean place to shower due to the high humidity and pollen from the plants. Most of these workers are Russian, Armenian, and Ukrainian women who are accustomed to cleanliness. Now, the reason I strongly discourage buying this house is that it's been infested with dangerous mold. No amount of lime or mediation will fix this. Marijuana grows create a humid and hot environment, perfect for breeding dangerous pathogens. I'm surprised the seller didn't disclose this information.

If you are worried about wind, don’t get rid of trees-they act as a buffer for your property that redirects and slows the wind up and over to make it a really nice space, if anything, plant more-and shrubs, strategically. -an architect

it saddens me that this house is 229,000 the worlds gone mad.

Honestly speaking about the real estate situation. The industry has driven home prices too high for most families. The solution is for prices to align with family budgets, even if it means a market correction. The wisest thing that should be on everyone mind currently should be to invest in different streams of income that doesn't depend on the govt.

It’s not JUST the wind, it’s the yearly sandstorms and dust clouds that fill your house and batter your plants and fill the pool. It’s the windiest place out there hence the windmills, PLUS the neighbors can be very sketchy/methy. But hey, it’s affordable , if you don’t mind dusting all the time go for it!

They have been saying windy point was an up and coming neighborhood since I was a kid, and I'm now 73. I got a mobile home in a own your own land park in South Palm Springs for $120.000 back in 2013, and they are now selling for the mid 300s. There are also vacant lots for sale.

So it's not a $20,000 house lol that was the reason I clicked You got me

This Housing market collapse might end up being a part of us for a very long time. With inflation currently at about 9%, my primary concern is how to maximize my savings/retirement fund of about $300k which has been sitting duck since forever with zero to no gains.

the home across the street belongs to Dani Daze, a fellow creator/interior designer. She designed the Trixie Motel!

Great video! For 2023, it’s hard to nail down specific predictions in the housing market because it’s not yet clear how quickly or how much the Federal Reserve can bring down inflation and borrowing costs without tanking buyer demand for everything from homes to stocks.

Hey Monica - I LIVE in Windy Point! My house was the one in the video that was “kind of fixed up.” - the little white one with the bright orange accents. Yeah, it’s windy here. Sometimes bad. But it’s kind of seasonal… worst in Jan - early May and hardly at all in the summer/fall. Bought my place in 2010. You do NOT want to know what I paid. Ridiculous. But it’s a great how to buy a pool home for all cash (when you don’t have any) and be mortgage free story if you’re interested. We were very innovative, to say the least. Lemme know how to get in touch and I’d be happy to share!

I think I bought the cheapest house in Southern California. It was back in 2015. Well, actually it’s a 600 square foot cabin on a .75 acre lot. Located in Landers, close to the Joshua Tree area. At an altitude of 3300 feet, on any given day the temperature is 10 degrees cooler than Palm Springs. It needed a lot of work but I was able to do all the work myself. I think I counted 4 cars passing by today. Great area to escape the rat race. Home Depot and Walmart just 12 miles down a back road. Food and supplies - me be happy!

I retired in California Bought a home in TX for $23k cash. 400sqft. Love it so much

omg this is hilarious because I stayed at Windy Point for Coachella this year and the first night was HORRIBLE. The wind was so loud none of us could sleep the whole night. It literally sounded like the house was going to blow away. So I personally would not ever buy in Windy Point lmao

My good friend bought a house years ago outside of Palm Springs near the mountains like this house (maybe closer and higher) She only lasted about a year there. It was spectacular, beautiful, but also incredibly intense to the point of being unnerving at times. A strong wall around the property would be a big help. Some severe weather systems blow out of those mountains, and they can happen real fast. I've hiked up there.

Congratulations on the new home. So fun to watch you and Erich working together. Loved the mention of the Palm Springs lot. Good luck and can't wait to watch more as you settle into the new house.

Congratulations on owning a home in Cali!!! We just got our first Cali home and in this economy, it feels like a miracle.💸💸💸

Great video Monica and congrats on the new home! SO exciting, congrats and hope the process all goes well for you!

It's crazy to me that someone would need a dryer in the desert. In Australia we typically don't have them, and anyway it's so much nicer to air dry clothes especially in the sun

Questions about a house like this: 1. How far away are those mountains. Is there landslide danger? 2. Where does the water come from? Private well? What's the water quality, both bacteria and sulfates? 3. Is there a septic tank? what shape is it in? 4. How many neighbors are drug dealers? (You're only 5 minutes from Palm Springs.) 5. Check the climate year round, not just on three days. 6. Visit on a Saturday night. How many loud parties are going on? 6. Good for you for spotting the bad roof and bad sewer lines. I'm glad you didn't buy this house.

Definitely been showing lately the work and renewed passion you have for your content recently! Love it!!!!

Aaah, I love this video so much!! Palm Springs is such a dream. So excited to see your new place!

Monica, since its so windy you should consider a vertical wind turbine to reduce costs vs your sister only getting solar on her palm spring property.

My family and I use to live on Skyview Drive in Windy point and yes it is strong winds all year long. We moved to Yucca valley and had much better views with mostly all lots being 5 acres.

enjoyed this video, fantastic job at capturing midcentury architecture, love to watch you and your sis in vlogs such great personalities.

This was a awesome video, thank you for sharing! Congrats on the new house, can’t wait to see more. 👍🏻💛

We considered Desert Hot Springs, and it hit the highs on our budget. Bought a home in NW AZ for 280k with an even better view that you see in this video.

I was born and raised in the Palm Springs area so I looked this place up.... it's actually considered part of Palm Springs. And yes it's always very windy there because it is situated at the start of the Coachella Valley where the mountains are close together. It's the reason there are so many windmills close by cuz that is the windiest part of the Coachella Valley. I would not have bought that house so it's good that you didn't buy it!

About 40 years ago I lived in Cabazon, which is nearby. It was windy ALL THE TIME. One day I got up and looked across the street and saw my neighbor's house completely covered in tumbleweeds, blocking the garage and front door.

Soooo grateful for this video! Thank you so much. ❤

I’m so excited for you and the new house! Can’t wait to see it! Hope all goes well. Good job Monica and Jason!!!

Congrats on the new home! I can’t wait to see videos on it! Loved this video by the way - thanks for taking us along on the journey!

Eeeee!!! So excited for you😊 Well that’s it Shelby is def moving back to Cali!!! You’ll be there, your folks and she loves it there! It’ll be fun for y’all to be together again!

I've come to realize that the key to amassing wealth lies in making sound investments. I purchased my first home at the age of 21 for $87,000 and sold it for $197,000. My second home, acquired for $170,000, was later sold for $320,000, and my third property, purchased at $300,000, fetched $589,000, with buyers covering all closing costs and expenses. Not reaching a million before retirement feels like an unfulfilled goal.-

Fascinating video. We are buying properties in the nearby area of joshua tree, and we see a very similar pattern. You are competing against people who are bidding up properties way past what they're actually worth. I keep saying I will not compete with a dumb buyer to make a bad purchase. I think you made the right decision. It's also california, where we have the most real estate investors in the country, and tons of people with a crapton of money. They don't care about value, they just toss money into things. Anyway, I look forward to seeing what you purchased!

A great video! I can’t wait to watch the next one.

There are areas of the Coachella Valley that are usually windy and have many sand storms. I have a friend who used to live in that area. When I visited, the wind was so loud, I couldn't sleep at night.

Goddamn, when $200k is the cheapest house in Cali, new housing desperately needs to be built everywhere to meet demand. Absolutely insane that state/town legislatures have let it get this bad.

Congratulations 🎉 can't wait to see your new place!

Hey came from Google seen your video being put out there and fell in love. Your so detailed, genuine and informative thank you loves

You 100% got the house cause you had your good luck sweater from Jason on! (I think lol). Congratulations you 2! Can't wait to see more of the house 😍

Windy point is the ghetto of Palm Springs lol. Oh and by the way, it’s really windy out there.

I live in the valley. It's incredibly windy when the season shifts due to the temperature difference between the top of the mountain and the valley floor. When the mountains are snowcapped (particularly San Jacinto) and the desert is warm it keeps the valley cool. When the wind stops, that's when we start getting heat waves. You learn to appreciate it.

Excited to see the new house!!

Bars on the windows is a Very Bad Sign..... Rule #1: Location, Location, Location...

So happy for you Monica

Congratulations ❤ can’t wait to see the house!!

Love love love your videos. Also just want to say that you are great at speaking without it sounding scripted. I love that. Makes it so much more pleasant to listen to. 😊😊

When it’s windy in “Windy Point” your car will be sand blasted of all it’s paint!

What a great find Monica. 👌🏼Congratulations to you and Jason. 🎉🎉🎉

Great video! Congratulations on your new house!

Congratulations to me it’s amazing that I just bought my first landed property few days ago, I feel so happy for myself and my accomplishments so far. I’m so happy I made good decisions about my finances that changed me forever❤️

Well, how fun is that! Looking for a cheap home to buy and end up buying a better one. Seems to me that Windy Point is aptly named. Most likely from the winds coming off the mountains nearby. Looking forward to seeing your new place. Congrats!

What a great idea for a channel you have here! Brilliant and fun!

I looked at that house 7 years ago and couldn't find a realtor who had any information. There was nothing burned at that time. Very strange area out there at night, and there are some real oddballs living out there..!! Basically you'd be all alone, and I mean alone. I was going to start a Fat Farm with running/walking paths up to the mountains.., and of course it does have a Palm Springs mailing address..(chuckle)..!!

I love these kind of videos! Agreed the realtor seems really cool 💕 Ps, so happy for you two!

Excited to see the new house!

Congrats Monica and Jason! Looking forward to the tour of your new home.👀💓

Congrats on your new home! 🤗 Things happen for a reason and it looks like the first home it wasnt meant to be.

The one across the street is a famous house used for photo shoots! I actually used it once with the team I was on for a retail shoot a few years ago. I recognized the tiny town as soon as you drove up! It’s basically Palm Springs 😂

Update, the house sold again on 12/28/2023 for 445,000. Zillow estimate currently at 460,000.

So happy for you and Jason! 🖤

Love u monica. Ur videos always make my day. God bless u ❤

This was such a great video!! I've never heard of Windy Point until today. Can't wait to see the new home!! 😍

I think planting large trees around the perimeter of the property would also help cut down the wind😎

Good find Monica and Jason , Good Times Ahead .) QC

One photo looked liked termite damage. It may need to be torn down and start all over building from scratch.

If you wanna be successful, you must take responsibility for your emotions, not place the blame on others. In addition to make you feel more guilty about your faults, pointing the finger at others will only serve to increase your sense of personal accountability. There's always a risk in every investment, yet people still invest and succeed. You must look outward if you wanna be successful in life.

Great video, thank you!

Hi! Enjoyed this. I am an architectural home designer. That first house, I think I would suggest enclose the present carport to be another Bedroom. It already has a roof. Then add a new prefab. metal carport canopy roof cover - to the other side of of house front. Follow the butterfly rooflines. Preserve the cool mid century architectural vibe. Re-paint the home something bright and fun. The more BR’s that are listed on paper, will boost the home sellable value quickly. Carports are easy targets for this. Sell it, and then do it again with another carport style home. Ps site walls will buffer that wind. Hang some some chimes. Cheers!

I love your real estate videos. Just an idea…but what about auction houses?? That would be interesting to learn about

You do such a great job editing your videos!! I love your channel and I always look forward to your content!

Can’t wait for the new vid ❤

i love really warm weather and have wanted to live in the palm springs area during the summer to avoid our sometimes coastal summer fog this would be a great way to do this thank you very much for this presentation

Congratulations to both of you!

Congrats on buying the new house! Can't wait to see it. You and Shelby are doing well to own multiple houses already at your age

Can you make more videos on your journey as an agent? Like why did you choose this career over insurance or tech sales? Pros and cons of being an agent? How much a 3rd or 2nd-year agent makes?

Great video Monica :)- Kudos to you and Jason!!!! New to the video and I enjoy your content!!

Congrats to you both!!!

Wow‼️ Congrats! 🎉

Smart and adorable. I bet her parents are so proud!

The cheap old house had a lot of character but definitely needed a lot of work to be done. I'm excited to see the house you did end up buying though!

Great video Monica !

Great Video, Monica!!

GIANT Wind Turbines next door . . . . Monica: "I WONDER if this place is 'windy' all the time" -- LOL :)

Congrats on the new home, that is awesome. My cousin recently got married in Palm Springs and we were able to visit for the weekend. I definitely see the appeal. Looking forward to more videos on the new place!

Very insightful on how you estimated buying this property or not, thanks for the video!!

Can’t wait to see your new house!

Have you given any thought to your water recycling & storage plans? I worry that the palm desert & joshua tree will be dry year round soon, lots of dry wells in that area too.

good thing about a cheap fixer like that in cali is its so dry so you never have to worry about moisture damage which is what totally destroys abandoned homes everywhere else. dry weather preserved it for your reno. something like this is the only way i would ever consider moving to cali

New subscriber I love your video and I learned a lot things about this

So excited!!!

I LOVE THE HOUSE !!! I love houses from that era! Wish you all the best. Sad to just flip it and make things cost so much more.

I looked at that house online and liked it but that subdivision failed in the 1960's because of the wind and that it was too far sway from town. Nevertheless, I;ll bet that many of those old MCM homes were designed by the architects that did the subdivisions in town. It was seedy when I lived in the desert but it looks like there's some investment going on as South Palm Springs is becoming unaffordable. I love the breezeblock! Desert Hot Springs needs to pull itself up too...

Can’t wait to see the new house!

So you have a good comp at $455 and then some “other comps” at $405 and $350. Somehow for you that equates to you could get $500 if you’re lucky. This is some next level real estate agent valuation. You should look into getting your real estate license.

Windy Point is in the Banning Pass in the valley between Mt San Jacinto and San Gorgonio Mountains. This valley is around 500 feet above sea level and the surrounding mountains are roughly 10,000 feet. This forms a natural wind tunnel and is the reason windmills were introduced to the area 100 years ago. It is adjacent to the wind farm with 5000 plus windmills. Yes it is windy and prone to sandstorms. The best properties are close to natural wind breaks so do your research and check the weather conditions. I’ve seen sandstorms lat three or more days where you do not want to go outside.

I’m sure it is pretty over there, but it just looks so dry I can’t see the beauty in the mountains. I’m too use to the trees in the south eastern states. But as far as location and proximity to things, it is great! And you got the beach near by so that is a def win! :-)