A Cape Cod cottage that barely fits the edge of an ocean bluff has traded hands for the bargain price of $100,000 — less than two months after being on the market for double that amount.
The property at 153 Brownell Road in Eastham, MA, was put on the market in September for $239,000 and immediately drew attention from house hunters due to its proximity to a steeply sloping hillside.
On the surface, this deal sounds like a dream come true for anyone looking for their perfect beach home and, to an extent, it is, especially given that the median listing price in Eastham was $69,869,500 as of September 2025.
Yet owning the property reportedly comes with a ticking clock due to the risk of the house falling victim to coastal erosion.
Listing AgentJack SullivanWilliam Ravis Real Estate – of Harwich Port, previously revealed the true extent of the threat in an interview with Realtor.com®, admitting that about 60 feet of land separating the house had disappeared into the water in the five years since it was last sold.
“When the seller bought the property, his house had 75 feet of frontage, and now he has 16 feet of bluff frontage from his house,” he revealed.
However, he insisted that the buyer would have eight years to enjoy the house If Weather was not a major problem.
“It’s priced just under appraised value,” Sullivan said. “The house itself is great. It’s a shame. The seller stayed full-time for five years, so if the weather stays calm you might get a year or eight years.”
Yet the ever-increasing threat of the property’s possible collapse into the sea has not deterred potential buyers – quite the opposite, in fact. Within days of listing the home, Sullivan revealed he had received two solid offers, both from “current or retired builders.”
Dubbed the “Outermost Home”, the grey-toned residence was described as offering the buyer “the opportunity to live with the sea as your nearest neighbour”.
Offering views of the Atlantic Ocean, the cozy cottage was built in 1956 and sold as is. It includes only 972 square feet of living space. However, the modern interior has laminate flooring, radiant heat and a wood-burning stove.
According to the listing, there is also “room to relax, garden, or simply sit with your morning coffee and take in the sights and sounds of the ocean.”
It is currently unclear who bought the property or if they plan to make any significant structural changes to extend the life of the residence, which boasts incredible ocean views and unparalleled proximity to the beach.
Either way, the seller has made a huge splash on the house, which he bought just five years ago for $450,000.
Meanwhile, a neighboring property owner faces a similarly bleak outlook when it comes to selling his home, 157 Brownell Road, which was initially listed in October for $199,000. The price was reduced to just $99,000 a few weeks later.
Even if the seller, David Mottgets that full demand, he also faces a big loss on his investment, the house he bought two years ago for $395,000.
At the time, he was open about his decision to buy a house with such a short shelf life that, while he knew it was risky to buy a house just 25 feet from a bluff, he wanted to take advantage of its proximity to the ocean, even if only for a short time.
“Life is too short, and I just said to myself: ‘Let’s just see what happens,'” he told Bloomberg.
It may well be that the decision to offer such a significant discount is related to pressure from local town boards to make updates to the property that officials say will reduce the risk of the house falling off the cliff.
According to the Provincetown Independent, Eastham’s Board of Health and its Conservation Commission have accused Mott of failing to respond to repeated notices asking it to “take steps to ensure that the structure does not endanger the public.”
The key issues are related to the home’s septic system and leaching field, which officials believe is at serious risk of exposing the mountain face, especially after a brutal winter storm in December 2024 caused further erosion of the bluff.
A letter sent to Mott by local officials on December 13, 2024, seen by Azad, urged him to take swift action.
“We urgently ask that you act now. No action will be costly and will cause significant environmental impacts and render your property impermeable when sewage is discharged or water is not available,” the letter said.
Despite these warnings, Mott has failed to take any action to update the property, officials say.
As a result of this inaction, he has been slapped with a daily fine of $300, the outlet reports.
“We suggested to him a number of different scenarios that he could do in the short term.” Eastham Health DirectorHilary Greenberg Lemosreportedly told the board at a meeting in April. “The longer he waits, the more dangerous the situation will be.”
However, Mott has outplayed officials, insisting that issues with the property’s security date back to its previous owners.
“There were things that were kept from me as a new buyer,” he told The Independent. “It all seems to have fallen on me, but these issues should have been addressed by the previous owners.”
He also claimed that he had tried to deal with shifting the property to Leaching Field, but said he was unable to carry out the plan as officials did not respond to his pleas for help.
Its list of residential tips on the dangers associated with a home advises interested parties not to “walk on the property without permission,” while also noting that the home must be met by the buyer upon taking ownership of the home.
“According to the Town of Eastham, the Well and Litchfield need to be relocated,” it read. “Conservation requires an Engineer Plan for Reconstruction Protocol on file. Buyers are responsible for complying with all orders of conditions to closing.”
Still, the listing makes sure to point out the many benefits of living so close to the ocean, urging potential buyers to “imagine being so far east that you’re one of the first to see the sunrise every morning!”
In contrast, the neighboring home’s listing drew attention to a number of updates that have been made in the five years since it was last sold, including several “eco-conscious” renovations.
“This house is environmentally conscious and turnkey,” he noted, before listing various upgrades: installation of solar panels in 2022; New insulation, flooring, radiant heat, and charging station addition in 2021. An Overview of Septic Systems in 2020 And upgrade to the well in 2025.