In a remarkable turn of events, a Boston home that suffered extensive fire damage was sold within just three days, despite its staggering price tag.
Located at 5 Weyanoke Street in South Dorchester, the property was condemned by city officials following a devastating fire in November 2024. At the time of the blaze, the residence was divided into two separate units.
The dramatic incident saw Boston firefighters heroically rescuing Dominic Lopez, who was perilously hanging from a second-story window in a desperate bid to escape the flames, as reported by WHDH.
“Smoke came. It was probably a minute or something like that, and then I opened up the window and [the firefighters] were pretty much there,” Lopez recounted shortly after the incident.
In the aftermath, crews swiftly boarded up the severely damaged building, which had lost significant portions of its porch and roof, leaving the front facade completely charred.
Rebecca Pearson, who resided in the other unit, described the terrifying scene to the outlet: “The entire front of my house was engulfed, smoking. It looks like they got it out pretty quickly though.”
The blaze was reported to have caused around $1.5 million in damage.
After a long battle with the insurance company, the home, fire-scorched and missing sections of its roof, was put on the market on March 18 for an asking price of $776,000, according to the Boston Globe.
The home at 5 Weyanoke Street in South Dorchester was condemned by the City of Boston after the fire destroyed the building, which was split into two units at the time, in November 2024
The blaze was reported to have caused around $1.5 million in damage
Crews were seen boarding up the home shortly after, as it suffered losing much of its porch and sections of its roof while the front appeared completely charred
After a long battle with the insurance company, the home was put on the market for an asking price of $776,000 and snatched up in three days
After three days, the home went under agreement for the full asking price.
‘This is an indication of the overheated state of the Boston real estate market,’ Ellen Zumbado of Marsh Properties Inc told the Boston Globe.
‘As prices in Back Bay, the South End, Beacon Hill and the Seaport District have risen astronomically, areas that were once affordable have also seen prices rise. Any available property is desirable, even if it looks terrible.’
Zumbado told the outlet that the property will likely be torn down and a new property built in its place, and was even advertised as an opportunity for ‘contractors, developers and builders.’
The property’s listing agent, Anthony Bruno of Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty, told the outlet: ‘Most of the fire damage is in the front part of the property. If someone wants to bring it back, I think it can be done.’
Despite its time listed as uninhabitable, the empty home suffered no vandalism and still contained much of its original elements dating back to when it was first built in 1910, including fireplace mantels and hardwood floors.
The property featured eight bedrooms across two units on a roughly 4,000-square-foot lot as well as two parking spaces, the outlet reported.
Bruno described the once smoldering property as a ‘wonderful opportunity for someone.’
‘Lots of people have expressed interest. It has not sold yet; it is under agreement with a closing in May,’ Bruno told the outlet.
The home was last sold in 2001 for $405,000, according to Realtor.com.
