ECONOMY & WORK
MONEY 101
NEWS
PERSONAL FINANCE
NET WORTH
About Us Contact Us Privacy Policy Terms of Use DMCA Opt-out of personalized ads
© Copyright 2023 Market Realist. Market Realist is a registered trademark. All Rights Reserved. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.
MARKETREALIST.COM / NEWS

Elderly 'Up' homeowner declines $1 million offer for home, so the mall was forced to build around it

Many have speculated that she was the inspiration for the Disney Pixar movie "Up".
UPDATED OCT 10, 2024
Cover image source: The Edith Macefield House | Wikimedia Commons | Photo by Ben Tesch/originally posted to Flickr
Cover image source: The Edith Macefield House | Wikimedia Commons | Photo by Ben Tesch/originally posted to Flickr

Edith Macefield became a local hero by refusing to leave her house and forcing a big corporation to back down. In 2006, Macefield was approached by high-profile developers who wanted to buy her house to clear space for their mall in Seattle. While all of her neighbors accepted the offer, Macefield stood her ground and turned down nearly $1 million.



 

According to the Seattle Times, Macefield bought the property for $3,750 back in 1952. She lived at the home with her mother Alice, while working as a store manager at Spic 'N' Span Cleaners. Macefield was approached by the developers with an offer for the home which was then 108 years old. Of her 84 years at the time, she had spent 50 in this home.

While the home itself wasn’t worth much its value kept climbing as the developers got desperate for the space. However, Macefield didn't budge even though the offer climbed to $750,000 and finally $1 million. This forced the developers to build the mall around her home with walls on three sides.  



 

Macefield had no hard feelings though. She even befriended Barry Martin, the construction manager of the project, after asking him to drive her to a beauty appointment. Over the years, their friendship grew and when Macefield died in 2008, she left the keys to her home to him. 

Her story drew massive media attention and local support, making the home a landmark called the "Edith Macefield House." While many speculated that she was the inspiration behind Disney's movie "Up", it isn't true as the movie's production began in 2004, before Macefield refused to sell her home. 



 

However, Disney used the house to promote the film at its Seattle premiere in 2009. They put up colorful balloons on the house, which fueled speculation of it being the real-life "Up" house. 



 

Speaking to Fox's Strange Inheritance, Martin shared that he sold the house to a businessman. “She told me to hold out until I got my price. I sold it for $310,000," he said in the interview. He used the money to pay for his children’s college education.

Macefield died in 2008 and the house has mostly sat vacant since. After Martin sold the home, it was reported that in 2018, developers were going to demolish the home. This triggered rallies and protests outside the property after which nothing happened. 



 

Seattle Times recently reported that the current owners of the home, Regency Centers are now looking to lease out the property in hopes of it being restored. The Daily Journal of Commerce said that the lease for the home is priced at about $60,000 per year, excluding triple net lease expenses.

While the house still looks the same from the outside, the report mentioned that it is mostly gutted from the inside. However, there is some hope that a renter or business would restore it to its former glory.

MORE ON MARKET REALIST
While the item received a record-breaking appraisal, a flaw prevented its value from going higher.
3 hours ago
She has starred in classic films such as "Sixteen Candles", "The Lost Boys", and "Twister".
15 hours ago
What is Judy Sheindlin’s salary per episode? Here’s what we know about the TV judge and her new IMDb TV show, ‘Judy Justice.’
1 day ago
Sajak was criticized by fans on the internet but the contestant clarified that it was just for fun.
1 day ago
Danielle Perez had gone viral after talking about the awkward moment on "The Price is Right" on social media.
1 day ago
The singer also got Malone's number but is only focusing on sharing his work with him for now.
2 days ago
The incident did not bring down the woman's excitement as she kept jumping on stage.
2 days ago
The guest had no idea whose face was engraved on the top of the box and how much it cost.
2 days ago
The young entrepreneur saw a common problem kids his age faced and came up with an invention.
3 days ago
It was a gift from the father of his first client to whom he had sold a condo.
3 days ago
The singer wanted to celebrate his journey by sending fans to the place linked to his early days.
3 days ago
Wait till you hear the list of weird prizes that 'Price is Right' gave in the '50s.
4 days ago
The bottled water from the popular retailer has nanoplastic particles more than the firm's limits.
4 days ago
Most of the sharks had concerns about water pressure even though the product impressed them.
4 days ago
The host wanted to be sure about the signature that added a lot of value to the doll and the cards.
5 days ago
The incident took place on a busy Friday night and the staff failed to keep track of the group.
5 days ago
Some users also told her to just sell the car back and take cash for it instead of just paying taxes.
5 days ago
The man was initially convinced that there was a gold nugget inside the rock but he just couldn't crack it.
6 days ago
The question may not have been suggestive but fans read between the lines and interpreted it their way.
6 days ago
Sajak acknowledged that his farewell was robbing the players of time and winning opportunities.
6 days ago