A Cape Cod cabin just feet from the edge of an eroding ocean cliff has changed hands for the bargain price of $100,000 — less than two months after it went on the market for more than twice that amount.
Listed for $239,000 in September, the property at 153 Brownell Road in Eastham, Massachusetts, immediately caught the attention of homebuyers who were fascinated and awed by its proximity to the edge of a rapidly crumbling cliff.
On the surface, this deal seems like a dream for anyone who has been searching for the perfect oceanfront home, and to some extent, it is, especially considering the median listing price in Eastham as of September 2025 is $869,500.
However, with the home looming under threat of coastal erosion, the title to the property may already be ticking.
listing agent Jake SullivanHarwich Port’s William Raveis Real Estate previously revealed the true extent of this risk in an interview with Realtor.com®, admitting that in the five years since the last sale, nearly 60 feet of land separating the house from the cliff edge has disappeared into the water.
“When the sellers bought the property, it was 75 feet in front of the house and now it’s 16 feet from the house to the edge of the cliff,” he revealed.
However, he insists buyers have around eight years to enjoy the home if There were no major weather issues.
“It’s priced slightly below the appraised value,” Sullivan said. “The house itself is great. It’s a shame. The seller has lived there full-time for five years, so if the weather stays calm, you could live in it for a year or eight.”
However, the growing threat that the property could collapse into the sea has not deterred potential buyers – in fact, quite the opposite. Within days of listing the home, Sullivan revealed he received two specific offers, both from “current or retired builders.”
Dubbed the “outermost house,” the gray shingle residence is described as offering buyers the opportunity to “live with the ocean as their closest neighbor.”
Built in 1956, this cozy cottage offers panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean and is sold as-is. It has just 972 square feet of living space. However, the modern interior features laminate flooring, radiant heat and a wood-burning stove.
According to the listing, there’s also “space to relax, a garden, or just sit and drink your morning coffee and enjoy the sights and sounds of the ocean.”
It’s unclear who purchased the property or whether they plan to make any major structural changes to extend the life of the home, which boasts incredible ocean views and unparalleled distance to the beach.
Regardless, the home the seller bought five years ago for $450,000 has taken a big hit.
Meanwhile, the owner of a neighboring property faces a similarly bleak outlook when it comes to selling his home at 157 Brownell Road, which was originally listed in October for $199,000. A few weeks later the price dropped to $99,000.
Even if the seller David Muttermet all requirements, he also faced a significant loss on his investment in the home he purchased less than two years ago for $395,000.
At the time, he opened up about his decision to purchase a home with such a short shelf life, revealing that while he knew there were risks in purchasing a home just 25 feet from a cliff, he wanted to take advantage of its proximity to the ocean, even if it was only for a short time.
“Life is too short and I just said to myself: ‘Let’s see what happens,'” he told Bloomberg.
His decision to offer such a deep discount is likely linked to pressure from the local town council to make updates to the property, which officials say will reduce the risk of the house collapsing.
Eastham’s Board of Health and its conservation committee accused Mutter of failing to respond to multiple notices requiring him to “take steps to ensure the building did not endanger the public,” the Provincetown Independent reported.
Key issues at the moment relate to the house’s septic system and leach field, which officials believe are at serious risk of being exposed to the cliff face, especially after a brutal winter storm in December 2024 causes further erosion of the cliff.
The Independent has seen a letter from local officials to Mutter on December 13, 2024, urging him to take swift action.
“We urgently ask that you take immediate action. Failure to act will be costly and have significant environmental impacts, and without sewerage or water, your properties will become uninhabitable,” the letter reads.
Despite those warnings, Moot has taken no action to update the property, officials said.
For this inaction, he was fined a total of $300 per day, the outlet reported.
“We’ve advised him on a number of different options that could be taken in the short term,” Eastham said. Hilary Greenberg-Lemos he reportedly told the board at a meeting in April. “The longer he waits, the more dangerous the situation becomes.”
However, Mutter hit back at officials, insisting safety issues at the property must be traced back to its previous owners.
“As a new buyer, there were things that were hidden from me,” he told The Independent. “It seems like everything is being blamed on me, but these issues should have been addressed by the previous owners.”
He also claimed he had tried to address the relocation of the property’s leach field, but said he was unable to implement the project as officials failed to respond to his requests for assistance.
His home listing hints at the risks involved with the home, advising interested parties not to “walk on the property without permission,” while also noting that there are some outstanding conditions that buyers must meet when taking over ownership of the home.
“According to the Town of Eastham, the well and leach field need to be relocated,” it reads. “Conservation work requires a documented engineering plan for the deconstruction agreement. It is the buyer’s responsibility to comply with all condition orders in order to complete the transaction.”
Still, the listing points out the many advantages of living so close to the ocean, urging potential buyers to “Imagine being so far east and being one of the first to see the sunrise every morning!”
In contrast, the listing for a neighboring house drew attention to the many updates made in the five years since it was last sold, including several “eco-friendly” renovations.
“This home is environmentally conscious and turn-key,” it states, before listing various upgrades: Solar panels installed in 2022; new insulation, flooring, radiant heat and charging stations added in 2021; septic system overhaul in 2020; and oil well upgrades in 2025.