Top 10 Housing Development Fails

[@dagnation9397]

My grandparents bought a lot in CA City. The main reason (IMHO) that the city did not get built out and settled is that there is not enough water for a city with 50,000+ home lots. If there was enough water for housing, there would already be farms. Every other irrigatable desert in CA has farms. Our family estate (all 1/8th acre) is 5-10 miles from the nearest water main, and there is no plan to extend it out any time soon. 60 years later, no water, no power, no paved road, no hardwire internet service/phone/cable.... We pay $165 a year in taxes and fees. We got an offer on the land that was about the same amount it was purchased for. Yeah they were scammed. If they had just bought AT&T stock with that money instead....

[@krisstopher8259]

absolutely horrible. sounds like china. it happens on a mega scale over there. you won't believe this but they got 3 BILLION unbuilt/unfinished/dangerous apartments, the number might even be the finished ones that are dangerous and unliveable. entire cities completely empty, big cities too. they have even invested in africa so they got ghost cities over there too. no one gets their money back, NO ONE EVER! it's all a f-ing scam!

[@Wabu1]

I have good news they dropped the extra $146 per parcel so your taxes are going down.

[@justdevorah7473]

Cal City defintely has farming now. A lot of indoor farming given the type of crops not doing well in windy areas.

[@fresagrus4490]

I appreciate you putting a list of the content in the description, so we can see if it is something we already know or not related. Thank you for that and for the video!

[@louislamonte334]

Very interesting and well-researched. You should do a whole video of the numerous developments in Florida in the 1920's. This was the big Florida land boom during the mid 1920's where lots were sold that were literally swampland under water!

[@seanthe100]

All of that land is developed now. Florida was just ranked fastest growing state of 2024 again

[@donovangleason8260]

I just sold my parents lot in California City. They were told that LA was moving LAX to Lancaster. If you find and old Thomas Guide, you’ll see the outlines of LAX to be built north of Lancaster.

[@ralphramirez1979]

I'm 66 my aunt bought in California city in the sixties. Worth the same. She could have bought in orange county same price. They put her on the wrong bus. 😢

[@carlyprice4101]

Lax in Lancaster 😂 Lancaster is out there and awful California City is crazy no where. You drive in the middle of nowhere and then you keep driving in the desert. Ugh

[@rockland2]

There was a development in the SF East Bay area in the 1990’s where bunch of condos were built right off the freeway where I-680 and Ca-17 met. They got halfway through the project and realized that a freeway rerouting went right through the development. When they originally built the freeway most traffic was headed to San Francisco so the south bound left lanes of I-680 continued on to Ca 17, but as the Silicon Valley grew most southbound traffic went towards San Jose so everyone in the two left lanes would have to merge right to continue on the freeway, so in the 90’s the state started the correction after the condo project was already half done. They had to demolish three or four huge condos to make room for the realignment. It was quite the sight to see!

[@Georgewilliamherbert]

680 and 17/880 never meet. Did you mean the 280 to 17/880 junction or something else?

[@elwoodblues9613]

One corner has Valley Fair, and now Santana Row. Compared to that, where was this project?

[@jwfinley7808]

Sounds like a scam to me. Duh like the didnt know??

[@rockland2]

@@Georgewilliamherbert my bad, I lived in Dublin and Castro Valley for a decade before moving to Los Angeles, 17 was turned into 880, I don’t know how I could have forgotten that and confused it with highway 24! It was the junction of highway 24 and 680 that was rebuilt. I’m originally from Sacramento so when I first moved to the Bay Area I would have to travel through that construction a lot, as time went on I traveled it less than less, but that’s not an excuse for confusing highway 24 for highway 17, I guess I’m getting old! lol When heading south on 680 the condos were built on the right side of the freeway, I guess that would be west side.

[@Iconoclasher]

I drove through California City a few months ago. Not too bad. It's livable. The most exciting thing to do there when you visit is leave. 😂

[@JL-sm6cg]

LOL You're telling me. I spent a night there at the Best Western. Their main drag...well...I've been in sketchy neighborhoods in LA better than that.

[@Lorne-u2h]

Wasteland Weekend is there. We've visited often!

[@Rhaspun]

Some one there won a large lottery winning a few years ago. It was about $200 million.

[@12bucklemyshoes101]

You should do top 10 public housing fails

[@BuildingTales]

That's a good idea, ill start doing some research!

[@andrewgates8158]

Mardini greens

[@elwoodblues9613]

How can you limit this to only ten? 🤔

[@johnkeith2450]

Which ones are not?

[@jacknasty6940]

Caprini greens

[@pcatful]

That ‘Burj” project in Turkey is just scary surreal. Who would think that anyone would want to live in that horribly bizarre place?

[@BuildingTales]

Yea seems like a lot of very odd choices were made with that project

[@Mizz.Person]

Totally creepy, on a good day!

[@nancygermain6924]

Interesting channel, enjoyed the two I’ve watched so far. Thanks.

[@BuildingTales]

Thanks! Glad you're enjoying it so far!

[@04EbonyLTD]

I've watched your rehab of Detroit vids and now this one, so you have a new subscriber here.

[@rojopo65]

How did so many of these developments get to the point of being marketed or built without all the permit and soil testing even being completed. I live in Savannah, GA, and we can't build an outhouse without soil borings, complete land investigations and an assortment of other boring and lengthy steps. And don't even mention the word swamp! It truly amazes me.

[@carlyprice4101]

Trumps administration killed the preservation of the mash. All those new expensive development off of President st is unbelievable. You know lots of politicians got paid off for those permits. I wonder if they made sure that they put foundation on the bed rock. I’m guessing sinking will eventually happen like on Florida.

[@Mizz.Person]

Great video! Subbed!

[@geraldpatterson3903]

Sunny Hills, Florida between Panama City and Chipley is another colossal bust. Heck, the lots are cheap today but homeowners insurance is next to impossible to get.

[@StevieinSF]

California City is in the Antelope Valley, which has always struggled with crime and weirdo's hiding out. Best to steer clear of it.

[@BuildingTales]

Seems like it would be a fascinating place to check out, but I can imagine there are some characters out in a place like that!

[@mikeference2332]

Great informal video.

[@BuildingTales]

Thanks!

[@Orangewood76]

I lived in Kingman when they tried that Silverado development. It was preposterous even during the bubble. Kingman's a dirtly little wide spot off the interstate, without much there. Silverado is 25 miles away outside of town and the meager infrastructure that exists.

[@BuildingTales]

It is definitely odd some of these developments are sooo far out from everything... its hard to believe anyone really thought the plan would pan out

[@GamingBren]

Well Kingman’s getting a slight improvement due to the new free-flowing interchange they just started building between US-95/Future I-11 and I-40

[@Orangewood76]

Anything that helps folks go straight through. 😆

[@marknicolich5789]

even better you can still buy those trashed "houses" only $200,000 owner may carry with 50% down 🤣🤣

[@Greatdome99]

i remember the TV commercials in LA: "You'll be sittin' pretty--in California City!"

[@vincentrockel1149]

The common denominator is that some people had too much money but not enough brains to figure out that their ideas were dumb.

[@thefaceofthecentury]

Great video. Instantly subscribed!

[@coyotetrips]

There are certainly lots more that could be added to the list, like Christmas Valley in Oregon.

[@BuildingTales]

I wasn't familiar with that one, but it definitely sounds like something that should have made the list!

[@ChristopherHyde-d1y]

Interesting video, I thought of one builder of interest, The Erpenbecks of Cincinnati, Ohio. Now that is a wild story.

[@iworkout6912]

It seems now that most of the large housing projects are in two states, Florida and Nevada. I know the most about Nevada. I guess its trying to build near Las Vegas, yet take advantage of the growth to that area. Coyote Springs, Nevada, is a master-planned community built around a golf course, and several developments in the Pahrump, NV area. Calvada comes to mind, along with others. The idea was communities being somewhat close to Las Vegas, and providing all the business you would find in Vegas. Coyote Springs was planned to have 250K residents about 55 miles north of Vegas. But...water was the issue and several permits have been denied about the water usage in such a large community. The golf course was built along with a club house, and has been noted as being a fine course. not much was built as far a housing was ever built.

[@jlh9910]

nice video.. its stuning how many shawdow plats are out there.. another florida one is Lehigh acres.. Also if you google Lucerne CA you can see 6k lots above the city with dirt roads popped in during the 60s and virtually no homes were built the subdivision was platted in the 1920s .. the lots used to get traded around in tax sales but I dont think the tax collector will sell them anymore.

[@BuildingTales]

Thanks! and appreciate the suggestion, I'll definitely look into it!

[@elwoodblues9613]

I've seen some of these for sale. Nice, too (Nice is the town next to Lucerne). Then there's the Kono Tayee development, which has a paved road and appears to be intended for high-end houses. But how many people who can afford these lots and construction of big houses on steeply sloped lots would live in Lake County CA?

[@jlh9910]

@@elwoodblues9613 my family developed a lot of Nice all the lots Next to Hillside honda we owned the property where the park is down by the lake . And we bought most of the vacant lots from the old developer at kono Tayee so the few houses that were built up top were clients of ours that bought the lots from us. But your right the majority of the lots at kono Tayee are too steep to be financially feasible . Lots of history for my family there.. but as you state lake county just never took off like other areas of CA.

[@humanlifeforce]

The development in Kingman Arizona was doomed to fail. The area is to spread out and very few resources. I have seen that dead development . Crazy.

[@DeaconG1959]

Well, you hit on two places I'm very familiar with, Philly and Palm Bay! The Compound is no joke...if you're behind is down there when the sun goes down, good luck getting BCSO to come get you. When they get around to completing the St. John's Heritage Parkway down there (which is already several years behind schedule), then the Compound will be more desirable for development.

[@jeffjay2323]

There were subdivisions being built all over the country when the crash happened. Many of since been completed by new developers. What i find most interesting is how the new developers offered a different type of housing then what was originally planned. So you may have a subdivision with half larger homes and half starter homes. or half single-family homes, the newer one's townhomes.

[@williamlloyd3769]

Usually pass by California City on the way to the nearby Willow Springs International Raceway

[@Gwen-x6d]

This whole thing is just nutty.

[@aaronbuckel2337]

Look at Salton City California

[@michaeldowson6988]

Strip mine lifestyle? I can see why some people would accept the notion of life on Mars now.

[@nobodysbusiness4130]

California Valley is another interesting place that seemed to be mapped out, dirt roads put in, named streets, etc. Some actually live there today. It’s about an hour drive to civilization. In the last 10+ years several large solar farms were installed.

[@jerrywood4508]

Yay! I guessed California City would be number one!

[@BuildingTales]

Good call!!

[@ChristiesThisnThat]

Great video!

[@VanillaMacaron551]

Japanese money flooded Australia in the 1980s. One of many big projects was a thing called a "Multi-Function Polis" that was planned for near Adelaide in South Australia. Never went ahead but used up many acres of newsprint back in the day. "Location, location, location" is the oldest real estate truism - am I right in thinking the failed projects in this video were all on sub-prime land, miles from anywhere?

[@Bobrogers99]

I think you're right about location. To be viable, a development needs to have access to water, sewer, electricity, and nowadays high-speed internet. It also needs to be convenient to employment opportunities and commercial centers. Most of these developments lack one or more of the necessities.

[@SavageScientist]

great video i subscribed

[@BuildingTales]

Thanks, Appreciate it!

[@randy6350]

Interesting video thanks.

[@BuildingTales]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@mattcolver1]

Ascaya should be a success. There are very few areas in the Las Vegas area that have views since LV is mostly built in the bottom of the valley. I frequently flew into Vegas and drove a rental car south to a vacation home I owned in Bullhead City, Az. I would drive past all the lots they were preparing for Ascaya. I always thought that if I ever decide to live in the LV metro that's where I would live. When I was serious about moving to LV and looked into the cost it was way over my budget. I think if they went from custom homes on expensive lots and went to a standard development it would sell out quickly. Right now the only people who can afford Ascaya are NFL team owners and rock stars. I searched in vain to find a home with a view in LV that was under $1M. I gave up and moved to Ivins, Utah which has wonderful views of red sandstone mountains and cliffs.

[@BuildingTales]

True, It seems like it'll get there eventually.... been a long road for it though!

[@Seriously-m1p]

Yay Branson. Make your place look like every where else!

[@itwasaliens]

How tf is a bunch of concrete boxes in a failed company town a "historic site"?

[@Freddie_Dunning-Kruger_Jr.]

It appears someone is still mowing the grass at the Rotonda?

[@jamesbriskin1299]

Hey Does Lehigh Acres East of Ft Meyrs Fl count? Until the 2000s most neighbourhoods streets didn’t have any homes on their lots

[@gjforeman]

Our parents bought a lot in California City, though we have no idea why. Dad finally sold it several years later at a loss. He'd at least have gotten a laugh to have been a part of the #1 failure on your list.

[@carlyprice4101]

California City is hot already. 🥵 It’s not an oasis , not even close.

[@asteverino8569]

The Florida builders and speculators should study the success of Del Boca Vista, and even the movie "Coconuts " for more sales tips. Otherwise, Florida has a dubious reputation for many things.

[@ericscott5224]

❤ I see what you did there. Don't forget Del Boca Vista Phase 2

[@dittohead7425]

You should research Coyote Springs Nevada... another big master plan fed by small two lane highways...

[@GOPRepubliklan]

I looked at those homes in Kingman (it's technically Golden Valley) in 2008 and they had no utilities. No power, no water, nothing. You would have to have water trucked in and it would have cost $75k to have power lines run from the nearest pole. This was before solar really took off. It would probably be feasible today if you don't use a lot of water but I'm sure those homes are trashed. They were nice though. Got my car stuck trying to get to one, it's literally driving through the raw desert, no real roads.

[@freethebirds3578]

It seems like developers have never heard of water.... Deserts without water or swamplands.\ There's so much more to developing housing than just the land. You can't buy a home here that isn't in an HOA because the city won't build infrastructure.

[@Seriously-m1p]

Yeah! I want to go live in the middle of the desert with a view of Las Vegas……. How twisted are people’s heads?

[@kennixox262]

Ascya is succeeding. Mark Davis built a house. Gene Simmons purchased a house there but sold it after a year in order to return to Beverly Hills. Was just in there a few weeks ago and a large number of custom homes are under construction and or finished. I'm not sure I would call it a failure. However, no far from there in Henderson, there are numerous former chemical industrial sites that are being cleaned up and two sites that still have some nasty stuff. Besides the great views and being in Henderson, I don't see the attraction. A lot of people still think that many homes here in Las Vegas are still abandoned. Hardly. All the homes form the great recession have been built sold and many new areas are bring built. My fear is a downturn in the next year or so. Even with higher prices and interest rates they keep selling. We shall see.

[@runitthru]

What’s missing in most of these is why some of these developments stopped, like the florida ones. You said unsurprisingly this big dream never came to fruition but you don’t say why. Why didn’t it continue?

[@JoeDope00]

Ascaya I would call slow moving instead of failed, the lots are still selling and I lived on the other side of McDonald Highlands and that area is very desirable and the views of Vegas are amazing. There are a lot of brand new $1m plus homes going in to the east of Ascaya that I know are selling quickly and lots of people still moving to Vegas and Ascaya is prime real estate.

[@JPfromCA]

250M in excavation costs so far for 300 lots? They’d have to sell the lots alone for 1M each just to break even.

[@matthewjohnson6360]

If I was to win the power or mega I would think about buying the one in AZ, then build an Earthship home, natural pool and a fishpond, use the overflow from the cisterns. Some of the locations, in the states I could do that.

[@TimEssDub]

I am surprised Lehigh Acres, Florida did not make the list even though it's completely platted.

[@Karmy.]

Also surprised that Greenleaf in Dawsonville, GA didn't make it either

[@BuildingTales]

I guess I'll have to start working on part 2! Appreciate the suggestions!

[@sidneyvandykeii3169]

Soul City? Sounds a lot like modern day South Africa.

[@GamingBren]

Imagine moving into a new home near Boise only for the house to fall apart like that 💀

[@ralphramirez1979]

I'm 66 my aunt bout in cal city in the sixties. Worth the same today. She could of bought in orange county same price. They bused people to both locations. She got on the wrong bus or was put on the cal bus. 😢

[@jKLa]

Then you have places that did eventually get built out or mostly built out, but decades late, and ended up with a much less upscale (or more downscale!) population then originally intended...

[@colormedubious4747]

Why do you classify the "Soul City" founders working with the Nixon Administration as an "unlikely" alliance? Nixon created the Environmental Protection Agency. Under his Administration, the UMTA (predecessor agency of the FTA) funded groovy and funky public transportation demonstration projects such as Detroit's DPM and the Morgantown PRT.

[@kcindc5539]

I went to WVU and loved the PRT. It was a clever transportation solution when it began operation in 1976 that exists to this day

[@colormedubious4747]

@@kcindc5539 I have visited it several times to photograph it. I even got a tour of the control room. The staff was welcoming, kind, and SUPER helpful. Would visit again. Would recommend it to a friend.

[@fresagrus4490]

The political spectrum has shifted so much to the right that Nixon is kind of progressive now

[@NotsoFree_StateofFlorida]

Soul Tech 1 purchased by the correctional institute. The irony !!!

[@stephen_dmg2003]

i live near the compound. it's creepy as shit lol, florida has always been scammy

[@BuildingTales]

Is it trespassing to go on it or is it public?

[@kitbaxter7805]

How do you find these plces?

[@BuildingTales]

I’ve been running an IG page for the last few years of failed development projects so at this point I have a pretty big list compiled of all different types… some were ones I researched but most were suggestions that I’ve gotten. It’s been super cool learning about all the different projects and places!

[@EDMistheway]

They built soul city next to a prison??

[@stickynorth]

Cool video. Great choice for California City, CA as the #1 abandoned real estate venture of all time... I'd also add the Chicago Spire as an an honorable mention if only because it created a round cesspool of water on the Chicago waterfront since 2008 thanks to its lack of completion... Two new towers are planned for the site but the tallest is only like 800' compared to the proposed 2000' Spire as before... Salton City, California and Townsend, Ontario are probably good candidates for the list as well... SC, CA was planned for 40,000 people, Townsend, Ontario for around 100,000 to start... The first now has about 5000 people and the latter? A few hundred...

[@BuildingTales]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it! And I appreciate the other ideas too! I definitely think some of those will make it into future videos!

[@Howiefm28496]

Naming the place Concrete City, PA? Seriously 😅

[@cgschow1971]

Don't forget Rio Estates near Albuquerque. Another 1950s land scam targeting east coasters with "western living".

[@BuildingTales]

Also a good one, appreciate the suggestion!

[@LaurenceDay-d2p]

Most of these huge "suburban" developments are just a giant waste of land, increasing pollution and damaging the environment. How about restoring the blighted areas of cities, where land and infrastructure are already available?

[@Culverbenz]

Great videos! Checkout the guy in ponte vedra who built Pineapple homes neighborhood neighborhood. He is currently in Prison

[@jppalm3944]

Never buy in new developments . Never.

[@Seriously-m1p]

“Desert Mansions”……. Yeah boy……… Smfh

[@susiedupuy9532]

Burj Al Babas, Turkey reminded me of a Twilight Zone episode, very weird.

[@BuildingTales]

Very surreal scene for sure!

[@RedbookGereute-bs1xg]

You should have left the Turkish development off the list and used it for an international top 10 list later. 10. Burj Al Babas, Turkey 9. The Colossus of Prora, Germany 8. Sanzhi Pod City, Taiwan 7. A development in Spain 6. A cuty in China ...

[@haweater1555]

Certainly the top international housing development boondoggle are those crazy man-made islands in Dubai.

[@BuildingTales]

Great ideas, appreciate the suggestions!

[@fresagrus4490]

Prora isn't remotely a failure, it has been used for multiple purposes in the past years and literally a touristic attraction

[@christophermyers3758]

Beyond the companies that went bankrupt and thousands of "future homeowners" who suffered economic loses of their retirement, is the vast acreage across the country that has forever been destroyed. Tens of thousands of acres of virgin wetlands, desert landscapes, and hillsides have been RAPED of all wildlife, clean underground water, and vistas once pristine! Some day Mother Earth is going to KARMA on mankind! 🤔😡

[@Geotpf]

California City is 100 miles north of Los Angeles, not east.

[@jukkasarilo7573]

Come to Finland. Lots of land and fresh water. And mad winters and silent people. Who actually speak english well, bu t only if it is necessary.

[@jamesbowen2105]

Water supply...

[@johnconner3600]

Where's china?? Ghost cities everywhere

[@Clux88]

Ascaya has shit loads of homes

[@fasthowto]

Lol

[@Davidbirdman101]

The government could put all these undocumented immigrants in the one in las Vegas. I mean, they're giving free 150,000$ "loans" . Maybe enrich the culture out there.😂😂

[@alwaysskeptical7221]

Great video!

[@BuildingTales]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!