How Much is That Doggie in the Window? The Sad Saga of Mike Vick's Former Home

I'm starting to think that potential buyers of the former site of the dog fighting house of horrors are just the kind of folks who buy star maps out here in Los Angeles to find and stalk celebrities. Why else would seven people show up for an auction of the property and not bring money?

Currently in prison for violating federal laws related to operating and funding a dog fighting ring in Virginia, Michael Vick sold the headquarters for that endeavor shortly after he was indicted in 2007. Thus it is unlikely that interested parties think they'll be contributing to Vick's rehabilitation and the war chest he's going to need to get back on his feet. But maybe I'm wrong. Perhaps like many news items we learn about, we just scratch the surface and are susceptible to speculation or facts that are just plain wrong. If that is true then I understand why they wouldn't show up at all for an auction of his former home and property.

But that doesn't get to the heart of the question I pose. Let's run down a few facts. The property includes a home with more than 4,600 square feet on more than 15 acres of property. There is a full-size basketball court and other buildings on the property that during Vick's ownership housed dogs used in the illegal activities.

The owner purchased the property for about $450,000 a bit more than a year ago and promptly spent $50,000 to rehab the place and remove the obvious traces of sickening scenes we all saw in photos. The Surry County Virginia tax assessors have valued the property at about $750,000 and the owner put it up for sale shortly after his rehab was done. It was listed at $1,000,000 and he turned down an offer for the assessed value.

Finally, an auction was set up for last week at which the minimum bid was announced at $590,000. Buyers were told to bring a cashier's check in the amount of $20,000. As auctioneer Tim Dudley said:

The buyers who came were interested. They just didn't show us they were qualified."

What is my question? Did they think if no one bid on the property the current owner would pull names out of a hat and give it away as if it were Extreme Makeover Home Edition?

Even if the buildings that served as kennels are more than someone can stand to look at, they can be torn down with the money saved from getting a home and land valued at three quarters of a million dollars for less than $600,000. I know I must be missing something.

Comments

[CinCinHeyBeepBeep]

Altho I doubt $50k could erase any signs of Vick's occupation and activities on the property, this buyer obviously wanted to trade on the value of Vick's name & notoriety. No wonder he didn't get his million!!

[Angelia]

I live a few miles from this house in a very rural area. Not many people with money and it is a long way away from anything.
The strangest part for me is the fact that Smithfield Meat Packing Plant is only a few miles away and huge trucks full of hogs pass here to the be slaughtered every day.
It is also strange that three major sports stars with legal problems are from this (Tidewater) Virginia.

[sportsd]

Angelia: thanks for the perspective from the geographic location. Who else besides Vick's brother Marcus is from Tidewater? I'd love to know.

Paula Duffy

[Angelia]

Allen Iverson, not in much trouble lately, but had plenty in the past and the latest
Plaxico Burress.

[RedneckDem]

The real idiot is the guy who bought it and then turned down $250,000 profit due to greed and now may make zilch after all is said and done. It's fine to speculate, but never turn down a decent profit, even if it is the first offer.

[sportsd]

RedneckDem: after reading the comment above yours I now understand that it's an out of the way location and that was precisely what Vick and his family/ friends wanted so that they could operate their business in private. For that area you are absolutely right about taking the money and running since it's not like a glamor neighborhood. I guess the owner didn't anticipate the housing meltdown.

Paula Duffy

[RedneckDem]

I live right down the road and its not as far out of the way as one may think, the house just had the privacy of acreage and the house was in the middle of the 22 acres.

It's not a bad area, very diverse, with several small cities with very different demographics. All located on the coast and in, or on, the Chesapeake Bay, which is beautiful!

[Avildsen]

You're not missing a thing - Some people just can't take their eyes off a car wreck.

[sportsd]

yeah, you're right. As I said, it's the "star maps" people.

[AuntieTapTap]

Ppppppfffff what a score a million dollar hom for almost have the price??? Geez I wish i could at least cough up the 20 grand!

[sportsd]

Auntie TapTap: I agree that for most of us it's out of the realm of possibility. But for folks that want to spend that kind of money, a bargain is always a bargain, just on a bigger scale than ours.

Paula Duffy