This Flipper Buys A $400,000 House Sight Unseen Then Finds Forced Entry, Lights On Inside, And A Garage Shelf Of Coffee Cans They Hoped Held Cash

“Hello. Anybody home?” Not the words you expect to say when you walk into a house you own. But that is exactly what one house flipper asked after spotting a bathroom door cracked open and a light on inside a $400,000 property that had never been visited before.

A house flipper video cover beside a stock photo of a brick house with a white front door.

The tour comes from the YouTube channel Jesse Stolz, in a 22 minute video called “I bought a $400K flip house… something is off about this place.” The buyer bought the house without seeing it, and the first walk-through turned into something between a renovation estimate and a mystery.

Signs That Someone Else Had Been Here

Before even going in, the buyer had a worry. The city, the buyer says, has a pretty serious homeless problem, so a property that visually appears vacant is not a comfort. Armed with nothing but a small pocket knife, the buyer approached the home, which sits way up on a hill. It is a split entry home with three foot eaves and a big covered front porch.

The outside tells the first part of the story. There was a lot of debris in the driveway and the grass was getting long, which suggests the house had been empty for a while. Then came the worrying parts. The buyer saw clear signs of forced entry, and not in only one spot. One window leads into the basement, and a corner window had been blocked off with plywood. The buyer’s gut said break-in, though the buyer is careful to say that cannot be proven.

Then there were the lights. Lights were on in the dining room, and more were on over the back patio, with all the shades pulled. The buyer even spotted a wire running to the house and could not tell if it was live. In the backyard, a table held what could be a weapon. The buyer admits it was probably just a yard tool, but called it creepy given the situation.

A Hidden Staircase And A Private Backyard

It was not all bad. The backyard is private, and the buyer found a hidden staircase leading up to an upper terrace with bird feeders and benches. It was a showpiece in its day, according to the buyer, with a shed up there as well. Along the way were ripped screen doors and more boarded up windows, again with lights on behind them.

The Coffee Can Treasure Hunt

The garage was where the mood changed. It was packed with stuff that reminded the buyer of a grandparent’s garage: fishing nets, old school tools like bottle jacks, jars of nails and screws, and a whole shelf of coffee cans.

That got the buyer thinking. The buyer had heard stories of old-timers putting all their cash in coffee cans, and wondered if the previous owner had just left them on a shelf in the garage. “Could be my lucky day,” the buyer said, and started popping lids.

The first can was completely empty. So was the second. Then came the Maxwell House can, which the buyer thought could be the one, the one that might “push me right into retirement.” It was another dud. Unfortunately, the coffee cans were a complete disappointment.

The buyer also noticed that there had been some kind of leak from upstairs at some point. It looked like it had been fixed, but the drywall was never repaired.

The Numbers

The tour wrapped up without any unexpected guests. Still, the buyer says there were signs that someone had been there not long ago, maybe a couple of days, maybe even hours.

Then it was time for math. The buyer paid $400,000 for the house. After walking it, the buyer thinks the renovation budget could be anywhere from $80,000 to maybe $100,000. That would put the total at $480,000 to $500,000. On the back end, the buyer thinks the house could sell for around $600,000, which the buyer calls conservative.

The more the buyer walked the property, the more the buyer liked it, especially the architecture and the backyard. In the end, the buyer says it is still undecided whether to keep it and do the work or sell it to another investor.

What To Do If A Vacant Property Looks Lived In

You do not have to be a flipper to run into this. Maybe you inherited a house, are checking on a family property or are looking at a foreclosure. These are common sense steps worth keeping in mind.

Do not go in alone if something looks wrong. Signs of forced entry, lights on in a house that should be empty and drawn shades are all good reasons to bring someone with you or call the police.
Tell someone where you are. A quick text with the address before you go in is easy insurance.
Secure the property quickly. Once you own a vacant house, fix broken windows and doors and change the locks as soon as you can.
Ask your insurance agent about vacant homes. Many standard policies limit coverage when a house is empty, so it is worth a phone call.
Do not count on hidden treasure. The coffee cans were empty here, and a good renovation budget should not rely on finding cash on a shelf.
Run the numbers before you decide. The buyer here worked out a purchase price, a renovation range and a conservative sale price before deciding whether to keep or sell.

The creator never did find any cash, or any guests. What the buyer did find was a house with good bones, a great backyard and a creepy first impression.

Willow and Hearth