Why it worked
The story is highly unusual and compelling, presenting a bizarre real estate situation with a defiant occupant, which naturally sparks curiosity and encourages sharing.
Summary
A Colorado home is for sale for $215,000, but the buyer is responsible for getting the current resident, Tori McMechan, to leave the property. McMechan has been in a legal battle to keep the home for over 15 years, claiming the bank has refused her payments, and she states she will not leave regardless of who purchases the house.
Product placement
Brut. (appears - a watermark/logo on every slide, does not affect video content)
Zillow (appears - mentioned as the source of the listing, does not affect video content)
Deutsche Bank (appears - mentioned as the bank holding the deed, does not affect video content)
On-screen text
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A Colorado house is for sale with a woman still inside.
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This $215,000 Colorado home is for sale, but there's a catch: Whoever buys it is responsible for getting the woman who currently lives there to leave the property.
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What's special
The property is being sold occupied/sight-unseen/no access. DO NOT DISTURB THE OCCUPANTS. NO SHOWINGS and NO PROPERTY ACCESS for inspections or otherwise. NO TRESPASSING. The Listing Agent does not have access to the property, has never been inside the property, and can not speak to the condition of the property, mechanicals, appliances, or any other contents. The occupants do not pay rent. This is not an income property sale. Buyer assumes the property in its current, unknown, as-is condition with the occupants in place. Buyer will be responsible for obtaining possession of the property upon closing. All other information in this listing is based on public records and a previous expired MLS listing - the information has not been verified and may not be accurate. All offers must be submitted by the buyer's agent using the online offer management system.
According to a Zillow listing which has recently gone viral, "the property is being sold occupied," and buyers will have to purchase the home sight unseen as to "not disturb the occupants." The listing explicitly states that there will be "no showings" and "no property access for inspections or otherwise."
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The current resident, Tori McMechan, has lived in the foreclosed home since her husband, James, purchased the property in 2006. James McMechan died in 2010 in a “one-vehicle crash shortly after he threatened several Nunn town board members with a knife,” according to local police.
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The woman says she has been in a legal battle to keep the home for years, stating, “This is the last thing that my husband bought for me before he passed.” The property has been at the center of foreclosure proceedings for over 15 years.
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Court documents show that the deed is with Deutsche Bank, and that the loan went into default around 2010. McMechan alleges that the bank has refused to speak with her or accept payments because her husband's name was on the loan.
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A Colorado Court of Appeals ruled in 2025 that the woman's claims did not amount to a legal reason to prevent the sale. McMechan says she will stay in the home regardless of who purchases it, including if she is formally evicted. She told 9News, “They can come on in, but I'm not leaving.”