Real Estate Facts

Manhattan Island was purchased by Dutch colonial governor Peter Minuit from the Lenape people in 1626 for trade goods valued at 60 guilders—roughly $1,000-$1,150 in today's money, not the commonly cited $24.

A couple from Bristol who had trouble selling their house, found out they had an original Banksy on their wall, and received twice the asking price by selling the painting with a house attached.

In 1965, French lawyer André-François Raffray agreed to pay 90-year-old Jeanne Calment a monthly fee for her apartment in Arles — he'd get it when she died. Calment lived to 122 years and 164 days, becoming the oldest verified person in history. Raffray died in 1995 at age 77, having paid more than double the apartment's value. His widow was legally required to keep paying until Calment finally died in 1997.

In 2006, developers offered 84-year-old Edith Macefield $1 million for the tiny Seattle house she had bought for $3,750 in 1952. She said no. So they built a five-story shopping complex around it. During construction, the site superintendent started checking on her, bringing groceries, driving her to appointments. When Edith died in 2008, she left the house to him.