16224 SAWGRASS CIRCLE: THE HOUSE THAT HALLOWEEN FORGOT Rated R for Renovation. Investors, flippers, and people who look at a property like this and say, “Oh, I can fix that”...Welcome to your next horror movie. You know that scene in a horror movie where the main character walks into an abandoned house and says, “Hello? Is anyone here?” That's basically your first showing. Except instead of a ghost, there's deferred maintenance. And instead of a demon, there's a contractor waiting for your call. The front porch is innocent enough. Give it a good scrub, add some plants, maybe a couple of rocking chairs and suddenly she's giving “charming Carrollwood home in a rom com” instead of “location of the opening scene in a true crime documentary.” Now to the back porch. This is where the movie changes genres. It appears to have had a serious disagreement with gravity and the flooring appears to have buckled. It looks like it may have survived a small hurricane, a séance, and a family reunion. Proceed with caution. Then there's the fencing. It looks like a jack-o-lantern after Halloween when half the teeth have fallen out. But it's not haunted! Well, probably not. Inside, there is apparent water damage and possible mold in the downstairs half bath because apparently this house wanted to make sure investors had at least one legitimate reason to wear protective gear. The whole place has that eerie vibe of a house that has been vacant for a while and then briefly hosted a very aggressive episode of CSI. But underneath all the creepy vibes, there is actually a good house. With the right renovation, this kitchen could go from “1980s witness protection program” to “wow, who designed this?” Imagine beautiful cabinets, new countertops, updated lighting and a layout designed for entertaining. That's the magic of drywall and a good contractor. Upstairs, all of the bedrooms are together, creating a practical separation between the living spaces and sleeping quarters. Please put down your garlic and crucifix for later, the primary bedroom is generously sized and comes with a very large ensuite. There is enough room in there to create something seriously impressive. A bathroom so nice that nobody would ever suspect what the house looked like before? That's the goal! This isn't a “paint the walls and change the light fixtures” kind of property. This house needs a full exorcism. But once the demons of deferred maintenance have been removed, there is a lot to work with: Large rooms, Functional floor plan, Large kitchen, Huge potential entertaining space, Spacious primary suite, Large lots and a location in established Carrollwood that buyers actually want. You can't renovate the location. But you can renovate everything else. Ignore the creepy vibes, the fence with its missing teeth, the back porch that appears to have lost a fight with gravity, the half bath that is currently auditioning for The Last of Us. Look past all of it because underneath this horror show, there's a pretty good house trying to get out. This one is for the seasoned investor who knows the difference between “run away” and “run the numbers.” Bring your contractor! Bring your vision! Bring your spreadsheets! And maybe bring a priest too. Come for the haunted house. Stay for the ARV. Happy Halloween, investors. Your next project is waiting!