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Sonoma County Bargain Cabin Comes With A Catch That Leaves Potential Buyers Gasping

RIO NIDO (KPIX 5) -- A cabin for sale along the Russian River is creating a lot of buzz in the real estate market, and it's not just the low price that has people gasping.

The directions to it are simple. Take River Road to Rio Nido, near Guerneville, and look up - straight up. The cabin, circa 1935, is two stories, has three bedrooms, 1½ baths and a deck with a view to die for. But realtor Milli Cannata says it's the price that is attracting interest from all over the country. The cabin is selling for $99,000.

"My phone has not stopped ringing. I had to clear out my voicemails probably five times in the first day," Cannata said. "My email was crazy, 200 emails. I literally have over 200 people looking at disclosures right now. So, it's been more than I ever expected."

But there is one breathtaking catch, because the only way to access the cabin is by climbing a maze of narrow, rickety staircases - 110 steps in all. At Tuesday's open house, about halfway up the stairs, some people began rethinking their real estate investment options as they tried to catch their breath.

"There's those mountain climbing ropes that they use, that might be an option here," househunter Frank Dias said. "If you had more property you could probably zipline across the river, go to the beach!"

Aside from the stairs, the cabin needs a lot of work including foundation repairs and a new roof, which explains the low price. But Cannata says once it is renovated, the cabin would probably be worth about $450,000.

Of course, there is one other option. "Sitting out here on the deck, I would just have parties and not do anything to it and just hope that my insurance was up to date," said Santa Rosa resident Tamara Blass with a laugh.

Blass said she's not put off by the stairs. In fact, she sees them as a perk.

"I spend a lot of money to have a gym membership," said Blass. "And so this way, you're just getting it as part of your home."

The cabin really sticks out as a bargain in Sonoma County, where the median home price is currently $645,000. As of Tuesday, the cabin had been on the market for about a week and the realtor said they'd received lots of offers, many above asking price. But she said she wants to make sure it goes to someone who knows what they're getting into, or "up" to.

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