Historic California Seminary with 57 bedrooms and private barbershop is on the market for just $1

A “one-of-a-kind” 57-bedroom property in California has hit the market for the bargain price of just $1, giving a visionary homebuyer the chance to transform a historic former seminary into an extravagant single-family home.

The enormous 40,500 square meter home, based in Cupertino and known as Maryknoll Seminary, was built in 1926 as a “residence for seminary-preparatory students attending St. Joseph’s Seminary across the street,” according to the listing.

It was later “transformed into a rural retreat for missionaries completing their careers,” the description adds.

As such, the interior features unique amenities rarely found in a traditional family home, including a chapel and vestry, a commercial kitchen, administrative offices, a laundry room, a barber shop, a woodworking shop, meeting rooms and a maintenance shop.

For potential buyers who can look past the property’s original use, the historic structure offers an excellent opportunity to create a unique home, albeit with some major renovations.

The property has already piqued the interest of many a house hunter on social media, where its $1 price tag caused quite a stir on Reddit. It sparked even more interest when the listing was quickly updated to alert potential buyers to contact the listing agency Sequoia Real Estate Services to receive the updated query.

It is highly unlikely that the 99-year-old property would have sold for the initial asking price of $1. However, this is far from the first time that a home has been put on the market for such a low amount.

The $1 listing has become an increasingly popular marketing strategy in recent months, with agents using the eye-catching price to draw attention to the home, often knowing the home will sell for much more.

Intermediary Brendan da Silvawhich is based in New Jersey, was previously revealed Realtor.com® that the $1 offer had done wonders for his property.

It has helped sellers who are unsure of the true value of their property avoid putting a house on the market for an unreasonable price, he explains.

“I always argue with sellers about what is the right price to advertise, usually out of the seller’s fear of underselling the price,” he said. “This proves that this is not possible.”

Da Silva listed several properties in the Newark area for sale for $1 and ultimately received hundreds of calls from potential buyers offering far more than originally asked.

While he admitted that this wave of interest creates a hectic situation for the listing agent and his team, he said it is a strategy that has always achieved exactly what was intended: getting attention for the listing.

“I knew it would lead to madness,” he said. “The buyers were divided between confused $1 bids and a lot of serious attention. Controlling was almost impossible; we started reviewing the comps with buyers over the phone.”

It is unclear whether that was the intention with the Cupertino building. However, the results speak for themselves, with a Reddit post dedicated to the former seminary gaining virality, with many commenters joking that they would “swoop in and offer $2” to secure the house.

Others drew attention to the seminary’s tower, which was damaged by the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. The listing makes it clear that “seismic remediation and upgrades” were completed after the earthquake.

While significant structural and aesthetic improvements are needed to transform the property into a private home, the description notes that there are incredible bones for a potential fixer-upper to work with.

“An architectural mix of Mission/Asian/Baroque and Romanesque styles, the building’s towers and wings, connected by arcades and interior corridors, create a mini-village with strong flavors of Spain, Italy and the Orient,” it says.

“The building was redesigned in 1976 as a retirement home and today the beige-pink stucco walls, colorful terracotta floors and beautiful interior woodwork are beautifully maintained and preserved.”

Although the seminary currently boasts 57 bedrooms – along with 53 bathrooms – it is likely that any move to revitalize the property as a private residence will involve combining some of these spaces to create larger rooms with more luxurious amenities, including walk-in closets or dressing rooms.

Outside, the property features beautiful gardens that are the result of “more than seventy years of careful care and renewal”.

“Spring explodes with magenta bougainvillea, climbing rosebuds and colorful flower beds of violets, primroses and canna lilies,” the listing says.

According to the St. Joseph’s College website, construction of the seminary began in 1924, after the building was dedicated to provide more space for incoming students.

However, after the 1989 earthquake severely damaged some of the school buildings “irreparably”, the decision was made in 1991 to close the college. It was later demolished, leaving only the Maryknoll Seminary as a lasting reminder of the property’s previous use.

Although the property is largely marketed as a potential private residence, the listing remains do Please note that it could well be used for other purposes, for example as a ‘family complex’ or as a property development, should a potential buyer wish to explore other options for the land.

The property is part of the Rancho San Antonio Preserve, which consists of a huge tract of land that was sold by St. Joseph’s to the Santa Clara County Parks Department in 1977 and 1981, according to the website.

“In 1923, the Catholic Church purchased the Snyder Ranch and in 1926 built Saint Joseph’s Seminary and Maryknoll Seminary,” it said. website states.

St. Joseph’s was severely damaged in the 1989 earthquake and was subsequently demolished. The Maryknoll Seminary, with its oriental motif, stands east of the park across Cristo Rey Drive.

“The Santa Clara County Parks Department purchased 300 acres from St. Joseph’s Seminary in 1977 and an additional 80 acres in 1981. Improvements to the county park were constructed in the early 1980s and additional improvements were completed in 1993.”