Another $125,000 Knocked Off Ferris Bueller House

The famous Highland Park home featured in the 1986 Movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off just went back on the market a month ago at a reduced price of $1.5 MM and already the price has been reduced another $125,000. Apparently there is just not enough interest in this classic home.
My last post on this house had a few details on it along with a link to previous posts: Now You Can Buy The Ferris Bueller House For Only $1.5 MM – Probably Less I just noticed a couple of things about the listing that I think provide a clue as to what the problem is. There is a note by the listing agent that says “a very unique magical home on the ravines for a very special buyer who appreciates this architecture!” That is code for “not everyone likes this style.”
No doubt that the cantilevering of the house and garage over the ravine is a key architectural element that should be a major draw. And the floor to ceiling and wall to wall windows create an amazingly cool environment – like living in a tree house. The problem is that as you look through the slideshow below you get a clear sense of what it really means to live in this house. It has kind of a stark, cold, commercial feel to it – like an old office building. It’s basically a series of boxes strung together. My first thought was shipping containers. This is especially evident in the second photo of the slideshow.

Check out Dennis Rodkin’s take on Why the Ferris Bueller house is so hard to sell. He has some interesting insights. My guess is that this house is going to keep on getting price chopped until it sells. That’s what realtors do. No magic there.
If you want to keep up to date on the Chicago real estate market, get an insider’s view of the seamy underbelly of the real estate industry, or you just think I’m the next Kurt Vonnegut you can Subscribe to Getting Real by Email. Please be sure to verify your email address when you receive the verification notice.

Leave a Reply