In this slow real estate market, some realtors are thinking outside the box to get their house to sell.
Take 218 Bogert Ave., for example.
This three-bedroom, three-bathroom home in West Lansing has been on and off the market four times since 2023 without selling.
The living room.
It was first listed for $1,599,000, but after a month on the market, owners took it down. They then performed a couple of upgrades in the house, like painting the kitchen cabinets, and re-listed it for $1,698,000.
But, it still didn’t sell.
A bedroom.
Most recently, it was listed again for $1,888,000. But still, you guessed it: no bites.
A bathroom.
Now, the realtors have opted to list 218 Bogert Ave. for just $1, hoping maybe they’ll get lucky and spark a bidding war that will get the owners closer to their desired selling price.
A bedroom.
It does seem a bit strange that the involved parties have had to resort to an auction-style sale, as it’s not like the former asking price was unreasonably high for what you’re getting with the home.
The basement family room.
It sold for $1,525,000 in 2023, and now the average price for a house in this neighbourhood is over $2 million.
In fact, nearby 284 Bogert Ave., which is essentially the same house and lot size, sold for $2 million in 2022. It is now listed for an even greater $2.1 million.
The dining room and kitchen.
Also, it’s not like 218 Bogert Ave. is a dud of a house.
The basement.
It has a recently upgraded roof and windows from 2019, and the basement has also been waterproofed.
The open concpet main floor.
On the main floor, you have a nice open concept layout with bright principal rooms.
New windows were installed in 2019.
The staging is doing a lot of the lifting in creating an open and airy space, but it wouldn’t be hard to re-create. 
The kitchen.
The kitchen, while not massive, has plenty of storage and newer stainless steel appliances.
The den.
There’s also a bedroom or den on the main floor that could be a great home office. 
The primary bedroom.
Upstairs, you have the three bedrooms, and they’re pretty typical as far as bedrooms go. 
Another bathroom.
The primary bedroom unfortunately doesn’t have an ensuite, and admittedly, the main bathroom upstairs is not the most spacious.
The basement kitchen.
The basement has great potential to be a rental unit, though, as it has a separate entrance, a bedroom, family room, bathroom and a second kitchen.
The backyard and back deck.
The big selling point of this home likely lies in its land value. The property is a spacious 50 x 110 foot lot, which means there’s plenty of room to expand, build or even separate the lot into two.
The kitchen and dining room both open to the backyard.
But perhaps the reason it’s not selling is because when you think of a house worth almost $2 million, 218 Bogert Ave. is quite… average.
The backyard.
And who wants to spend almost $2 million on just okay?
