Home, home on the waves?
A shocking, now-viral video shows a four-bedroom, three-bathroom oceanfront home in the Outer Banks of North Carolina being swept away into the open sea in the snap of a finger.
Since last week, the footage, captured by Cape Hatteras National Seashore Park Service (NPSOBX), has amassed more than 14 million views.
Believe it or not, NPSOBX said this home wasn’t alone in its misfortune.
“Cape Hatteras National Seashore (Seashore) has confirmed that an unoccupied house at 24265 Ocean Drive, Rodanthe, N.C. collapsed this afternoon,” the NPSOBX tweeted with a video of the destruction. “This is the second unoccupied house collapse of the day at the Seashore.”
The Post has obtained photos of inside the home, which most recently sold in 2020 for $275,000 and had been up for rent at the time, records show. According to Zillow, the home was worth $381,000 before its destruction.
Spanning 1,440 square-feet, the previous, and suprisingly very honest, listing notes that the home was damaged from storms in 2019, but several repairs were completed in July following a home inspection.
“This area experiences ocean over wash which requires sand removal but the home is priced accordingly,” the listing noted. “It’s not a bad trade off when enjoying such amazing views of the beach.”
Unless of course, the house gets completely washed away.
Formerly called, Chez Scov ll, the listing then adds: “Chez Scov ll is late getting back into the 2020 rental season but has been popular with guests in the past.”
Features of the now-demolished home included a top-level open floorplan with vaulted ceilings in the dining area and family room, and came with a separate laundry room. All four bedrooms are on the second floor.
Comments, jokes, and memes have since flooded social media.
“Zillow be like: New House Boat for first time buyers. Clear views of the ocean. Can be relocated at short notice. Comes with ropes at additional cost. $400,000,” one Twitter user joked.
“Imagine how happy the hermit crab that gets the house will be,” another person quipped.
“And that’s what you need to know about housing market crisis 2022,” another said.
The National Park Service manages 75 miles of the Outer Banks’ coastline as part of Cape Hatteras National Seashore, which saw a record high 4 million visitors last year.
“That does not happen often, but we expect that it will happen more often in the future now that there are more homes that are in this very challenging position right up against the Atlantic Ocean,” David Hallac, the superintendent of the National Parks of Eastern North Carolina told USA Today.
“Outside of the handful of homes, we have thousands of vacation rental homes that offer safe and enjoyable experiences for visitors every single year, every single season,” Lee Nettles, executive director of the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau, added.
