'Why's the phone blowing up?': 100-year-old Iowa home goes viral on HGTV show's Instagram

Kate Kealey, Des Moines Register
This house in Fonda, Iowa recently went viral on the Instagram account @cheapoldhouses. While the Realtor got a surge of interest, the eventual buyer found it another way.
This house in Fonda, Iowa recently went viral on the Instagram account @cheapoldhouses. While the Realtor got a surge of interest, the eventual buyer found it another way.

Epique Realty was flooded with calls regarding a 100-year-old house located in northwestern Iowa, that had been on the market for months.

Holly Brink, managing broker of Epique Realty, couldn't quite figure out what spiked the interest for the Victorian house in rural Fonda, Iowa. Many of the calls were coming from all over the country and the address even started trending in Google searches.

Realtor puzzled by sudden surge of interest in Fonda, Iowa house

The Fonda, Iowa, house also features a butlers pantry for extra storage.
The Fonda, Iowa, house also features a butlers pantry for extra storage.

"Why is the phone blowing up? Where is this ad," Brink recalled thinking to herself while trying to find the source of high demand.

Before the leads started flooding in, the brokerage was getting maybe three to five leads a week. Brink said there were more than 500 leads recently regarding the property. This was just shy of the number of residents who live in Fonda. According to the 2020 Census, the town had just more than 600 residents.

Of those, 386 signed up with their names and phone numbers, while the rest were unknown names.

It turns out the house, located at 604 Queen St., was featured on "Cheap Old Houses" Instagram. A page with over 2.8 million followers and an HGTV show. It wasn't until the Des Moines Register reached out to the brokerage regarding the post that Brink realized the Instagram post may have contributed to the influx of interest.

At first, Brink assumed their Google ads were just working really well. The only odd part was the leads were coming from all over the country.

Abby Goodell, a buyer for Epique Realty, submitted the property to a couple of Instagram and Facebook pages. Goodell doesn't remember receiving a confirmation email that the listing was accepted for the Cheap Old House page, but she was thrilled to see it made their Instagram. The Fonda House post has over 38,000 likes and 700 plus comments.

What makes this house so unique?

The home in Fonda, Iowa has been partially renovated by the previous owner, but much of the original structure is still present. It was recently featured on the Instagram account @cheapoldhouses.
The home in Fonda, Iowa has been partially renovated by the previous owner, but much of the original structure is still present. It was recently featured on the Instagram account @cheapoldhouses.

There is a reason the house is located on Queen Street because it is fit for royalty. It is a five-bedroom house with two bathrooms. It is on an 8,400-square-foot lot and the house is 2,470 square feet. There is a butler's pantry for extra storage. The previous owner purchased the house and did some renovations. New bathroom flooring was installed.

It has stainless steel appliances, intricate woodwork and leaded glass windows. Goodell's favorite part of the house is the wrap-around porch. There are also two staircases, which can be rare in homes, Brink said.

"The whole upstairs is just massive and so is the whole house," Goodell said.

Goodell said there is no other property like this one in the town.

"It is very unique for the area and even within several miles," Goodell said. "There is not a nice Victorian home with five bedrooms, a walk-up attic, a balcony, there is nothing like it nearby at all."

What did 'Cheap Old Houses' say about the Fonda, Iowa house?

A post shared by Cheap Old Houses ™ (@cheapoldhouses)

The house was listed for $139,000, which is slightly higher than "Cheap Old Houses" typically lists, according to the Instagram post. However, they couldn't resist featuring the house because the porch was "just so good!"

Comments on the post thought the asking price was well worth it. Some described it as a "cheap house that is literally move-in ready." Others said the was the epitome of a house with character.

What is the Instagram account 'Cheap Old Houses'?

This home on Fonda, Iowa features an unfinished attic that could serve as a bedroom, office or extra living room. It recently went viral on the Instagram account @cheapoldhouses.
This home on Fonda, Iowa features an unfinished attic that could serve as a bedroom, office or extra living room. It recently went viral on the Instagram account @cheapoldhouses.

Cheap Old Houses scouts out old homes for sale under $130,000 and shares them through social media, a newsletter and now their TV shows. Some of them need more love than others, but the overall intent is to repurpose historic structures that might otherwise be knocked down.

"Cheap Old Houses" also features old school houses, churches and, most recently, a Girl Scout cabin as uniquely affordable renovation projects for those looking for a home.

A few other Iowa homes have been featured recently, including ones in New London and Waterloo, but neither attracted as much online attention as the Fonda house.

Can I buy the Fonda, Iowa, house featured on 'Cheap Old Houses'?

This Fonda, Iowa home, which went viral on the Instagram account @cheapoldhouses, features the original wood work through out.
This Fonda, Iowa home, which went viral on the Instagram account @cheapoldhouses, features the original wood work through out.

There is an offer pending on the house, Brink said. The buyer who put an offer on the house didn't find it through the Cheap Old Houses post. Instead, they found it from a Facebook Market ad, she said.

Kate Kealey is a general assignment reporter for the Register. Reach her at kkealey@registermedia.com or follow her on Twitter at @Kkealey17.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Fonda, Iowa home goes viral after post by 'Cheap Old Houses' Instagram

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