Things We Saw Today: What Even Is This House on Zillow?

Looking at homes on Zillow—even if they are wildly out of your price range and even your location—has become something of a pastime for people during the pandemic. There was even an SNL sketch to that end. Alongside your typical listings, however, there are occasionally properties that reveal themselves to have quirky features, like, say, a jail, or a giant mosaic of David Bowie, or underwater scuba tunnels. And so there are entire social media accounts and groups that are dedicated to showing weird places as discovered on Zillow and other real estate apps.

Hence the Twitter account @zillowgonewild, which lists its purpose as sharing “The best (worst) of Zillow lol.” I often enjoy the account’s findings, but today there was a house so head-scratching, so over the top, that I had to feature it here.

The 8-bed, 10-bath mansion is for sale for $1,347,000 in Texas. It has “decorative/high ceilings,” a pool, and … a giant model train set/highway/town in the backyard, complete with its own ski lift??

Strangely enough, the Zillow listing text doesn’t mention this feature about the house. “Stunning residence located at the prestigious Rancho Viejo Country Club. One of a kind! Huge lot (1.1 acres) with spectacular resaca views! Elegance, comfort, entertainment, privacy, and relaxation perfectly describe this true piece of paradise.” The listing does mention the “14 Cantera stone natural gas fire columns around the pool,” which is also an element that exists at this house.

One of a kind is right! Let’s look closer.

That is quite the pool area. But wait, there’s more. We can’t forget about the huge model train mini-suburban world complete with ski lift and false snow, and … what appears to be a giant glowing statue of Jesus atop his own fake snowy mountain.

It’s really the ski lift that got me, though I have to marvel at what seems to be the original homeowner’s considerable appreciation for SpaceX. And while I am befuddled by the backyard set up in this house, I would love to see this bizarre model town in action. Since there is a playground beside the train tracks, I’d like to think—hope—that this is all an extremely elaborate play space for some lucky kids. Still wondering about the ski lift and the statue, though.

(via Zillow Gone Wild on Twitter, image: Chris Goodwin/Pexels)

Here are some other things we saw today:

• Apple TV will feature a documentary called Who Are You, Charlie Brown? about Peanuts and their creator Charles Schulz. (via Deadline)
• Republicans across the country are STILL trying to challenge and overturn the 2020 election results. Seems normal! (via NBC News)
• NASA is sending missions to Venus! Mars is so over. (via The Atlantic)
• Pajiba says that The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It is bad in “a concerning way.” (via Pajiba)
• I love this: “How UFOs Went From a Conspiracy Theory to a Serious Government Inquiry” (via NPR)

And finally, our new favorite supergroup The Linda Lindas performed “Racist, Sexist Boy” on Jimmy Kimmel Live.

It’s Friday at last! What did you see today?

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Kaila Hale-Stern

Kaila Hale-Stern (she/her) is a content director, editor, and writer who has been working in digital media for more than fifteen years. She started at TMS in 2016. She loves to write about TV—especially science fiction, fantasy, and mystery shows—and movies, with an emphasis on Marvel. Talk to her about fandom, queer representation, and Captain Kirk. Kaila has written for io9, Gizmodo, New York Magazine, The Awl, Wired, Cosmopolitan, and once published a Harlequin novel you'll never find.

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