California home damaged by tree set to sell for $500,000

This California bungalow may be a disaster area, but it still sells for the attractive price of $499,999.

In Monrovia, a property, or what's left of it, is up for sale after a giant pine tree crashed into it in May, leaving the one-bedroom, one-bathroom home looking like something out of a post-apocalyptic movie.

The towering tree shattered the roof, ripped out walls, swept away the tenants' car and turned most of the 645-square-foot house into a complete wreck.

But don't worry, no one was hurt, neither the two tenants nor their two dogs who managed to escape unharmed.

The other victims? A fence and a large quantity of drywall.

Real estate agent Kevin Wheeler of Century 21 Village Realty's Sierra Madre Real Estate told the Los Angeles Times that some considered it “unsalvageable,” joking that he actually considered it “an open floor plan.”

What remains is a messy mix of missing walls, exposed wires and rooms without ceilings.

It has all the charm of a construction site, but don't rule it out just yet.

The plumbing still works, even though the electricity is out. And, oddly enough, the back door, the very one through which the tenants fled when the disaster struck, is still standing.

There is a glimmer of hope for potential buyers.

Because the destruction was deemed an “act of God,” Wheeler said, the city's usual bureaucracy doesn't apply, meaning anyone can raze the place and start fresh without a lengthy review process.

It is a major issue in Monrovia, where properties more than 50 years old typically require a lengthy assessment before any demolition.

And despite the disorder, there is no lack of interest.

“There’s been a lot of interest so far because demand is very high and inventory, especially at this price, is very low,” Wheeler said.

Several bargain hunters have tried to pounce on the property with offers of $250,000 to $300,000, hoping to get a good deal on the damaged home.

But according to Wheeler, they're out of luck: “Market comparisons for similar properties in Monrovia put the value at $500,000.”