Historical California Seminary With 57 Bedrooms and a Private Barber Shop Hits the Market for Just $1

A "one of a kind" 57-bedroom property in California has come on the market for the bargain price of just $1—offering a visionary homebuyer the chance to transform a historical former seminary into an extravagant single-family home.

The enormous 40,500-square-foot dwelling, located in Cupertino and known as the Maryknoll Seminary, was built in 1926 as a "residence for seminary prep students attending St. Joseph's seminary across the street," according to the listing.

It was later "transitioned into a bucolic haven for missioners who have completed their careers," the description adds.

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

For the prospective buyers who are able to see past the property's original use, the historical structure offers a prime opportunity to create a unique residence—albeit with some significant renovations.

The property has already piqued the interest of many a house hunter on social media, where its $1 price tag caused quite the stir on Reddit. It sparked further interest when the listing was quickly updated to warn prospective buyers that they would need to contact listing agency Sequoia Realty Services to receive the updated ask.

It is highly unlikely that the 99-year-old property would have sold for the initial $1 asking price. However, it is far from the first time that a home has been listed for such a low sum.

The $1 listing has become an increasingly popular marketing strategy in recent months, with listing agents using the headline-grabbing price to draw attention to the dwelling, often knowing full well that the property will sell for far more.

Agent Brendan Da Silva, who is based in New Jersey, previously revealed to Realtor.com® that the $1 listing had worked wonders for his properties.

It has helped sellers who are unsure of their property's true value to avoid putting a home on the market for an unreasonable price, he explained.

"I always find myself arguing with sellers over what is the correct price to list at—usually the seller's fear of underlisting it," he said. "This proves that's not possible."

Da Silva has listed several properties in the Newark area for $1 and has ultimately received hundreds of phone calls from potential buyers offering far more than the initial ask.

While he conceded that this surge of interest creates something of a hectic situation for the listing agent and his team, he said it is a strategy that has always achieved exactly what it was meant to: getting eyeballs on the listing.

"I knew it would trigger insanity," he said. "The buyers have been split between confused, $1 bids, and a lot of serious attention. Managing was nearly impossible; we began reviewing comps over the phone with buyers."

It is unclear whether that was the intent with the Cupertino property. However, the results speak for themselves, with a Reddit post dedicated to the former seminary earning virality, with many a commenter joking that they were going to "swoop in and offer $2" to secure the home.

Others called attention to the seminary's tower, which had been damaged by the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989. The listing does make clear that "seismic remediation and upgrades" were completed after the earthquake.

Though significant structural and aesthetic upgrades would need to be made in order to transform the property into a private dwelling, the description notes that there are incredible bones for a would-be fixer upper to work with.

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

"Redesigned in 1976 as a retirement home, today the structure’s beige-pink stucco walls, variegated terra cotta floors and handsome interior woodwork is beautifully maintained and preserved."

While the seminary currently boasts 57 bedrooms—along with 53 bathrooms—it's likely that any move to breathe new life into the property as a private residence would involve several of those spaces being combined to create larger rooms with more lavish amenities, including walk-in closets or dressing rooms.

Outside, the property features beautiful gardens that are the result of "more than seven decades of careful grooming and renewal."

"Spring bursts forth with magenta bougainvillea, climbing rosebuds and colorful flower beds of pansies, primroses and canna lilies," the listing says.

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

However, after the 1989 earthquake severely damaged several of the school buildings "beyond repair," the decision was taken to close the college in 1991. It was later demolished—leaving only the Maryknoll Seminary as a lasting reminder of the property's previous use.

While the property is being largely marketed as a potential private residence, the listing does note that it could well be put toward other uses, including as a "family compound" or a development, should a prospective buyer wish to explore other options for the land.

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

"In 1923, the Catholic Church purchased the Snyder Ranch and in 1926 constructed Saint Joseph's Seminary and the Maryknoll Seminary," the website states.

"St. Joseph's was badly 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 130 acres in 1977 and another 35 acres in 1981 from St. Joseph's Seminary. The county park improvements were constructed in the early 1980s, with additional improvements completed in 1993."