From the outside, it seemed like this quaint, little Toronto home was completely normal. Moreover, it was bang in the middle of a very unassuming street. Most of the houses looked identical and nothing stood out like a sore thumb. Those who lived closeby claimed that not many had ever seen the inside of 148 Jane Street. In fact, most believed that the same family had lived there for the last 50+ years, at least. Everything seemed dull until a real estate team got a strange phone call…

Long before they entered the world of real estate, Gladys and Carla were sisters and knew each other very well. Eventually, though, they decided to join forces professionally and developed a successful working relationship. One sister handled closings while the other worked to find new clients. Over the years, the sisters have established themselves as extremely sought-after real estate agents. One day came though that completely turned their lives upside down. It all started when the phone started ringing…

Gladys and Carla have been experienced real estate agents for a while now and thought they had seen everything that the housing world had to offer. On one typical day, the dynamic duo were convinced that it would be just another day at the office. However, everything changed when they suddenly received a phone call from a mysterious individual. In no time at all, the person made a unique offer and it didn’t take long before what they had to say piqued the pair’s interest…

The person who called Gladys and Carla went by the name of Joyce. Despite sounding hesitant, Joyce told the sisters that she was considering putting her house up for sale. It was clear that she was conflicted but was ultimately open to the idea. Joyce simply called the first company she found online and asked the sisters if they could come and inspect the home. Surely enough though, they were in store for a big surprise…

There was no denying that Gladys and Carla had seen some crazy things over the years. They had seen some truly horrific homes and managed to work magic out of them. When Joyce called them, they didn’t know what all the fuss was about and were convinced they could help her. However, as soon as they turned up at her house and began inspecting the place, many twists and turns started coming their way. They simply weren’t prepared…

While people usually get excited when they get in touch with a real estate agent, it was clear that Joyce didn’t sound this way. She had an apprehensive tone in her voice when she contacted Gladys and Carla and there was a good reason why. The sisters began to assume that the woman was keeping a secret from them. They were determined to find out what she was hiding, but it was far beyond their wildest dreams…

At first, the sisters were worried after Joyce mentioned that she had lived in the same house for the last 70 years. Their worries only got greater when she said that she hadn’t updated the place during that time period. They only had one kitchen remodeling and that was many decades ago. After seeing a lot of horror shows in houses over the years, the sisters were fearing the worst. However, this wouldn’t stop them from being surprised…

More often than not, homeowners hide negative things about their houses such as leaks and mold. The more secrets they can successfully hide from real estate agents, the higher the value of the home might end up being. However, this wasn’t a normal kind of transaction that the sisters were dealing with. It became increasingly clear that Joyce was hiding a very big secret. In fact, it was something that Gladys and Carla had never experienced in their many years in the industry…

As the inspection date got close, the sisters got increasingly worried about what they might find in Joyce’s home. At 96 years of age, Joyce had lived at home for such a long time and Gladys and Carla were convinced that they would find a house that was in complete disrepair. When they walked through the door though, they ended up discovering something completely different. They knocked on the door and nothing could prepare them for what they were about to see…

As Joyce opened the front door to let the sisters in, Gladys and Carla couldn’t believe what they were seeing. Having first seen the unassuming exterior of the house, all they were expecting was more of the same. However, the interior of the home was anything but decrepit. The front hallway completely blew them away as they could never have expected to see this upon entering Joyce’s home. And yet, they were about to see a ton of other surprises…

One thing was for sure – it appeared that whatever was inside Joyce’s home had, as advertised, not been changed for years. It was as if Gladys and Carlia had stepped into some strange time machine that had taken them back to the early 20th century. Prior to entering, they had assumed they’d be able to sell the house for a good price. Now though, it looked more like they were sitting on an absolute goldmine. The shocks just kept on coming…

The first thing that Gladys and Carla expected from Joyce’s house was that it would be in a terrible condition, full of dust and broken items. Then there was the second option, which was to expect a completely ordinary house, one that looked just like what was on the outside. And yet, the interior of the house was neither of these things. The third option was something from another world and the more that they inspected, the more surprises came…

As they were in the thick of inspecting Joyce’s home, the sisters couldn’t believe what they were seeing. After just a few minutes, Gladys and Carla knew that they could sell this for a lot more than they had expected. It was clear that Joyce maintained her home really well over the years and had worked hard to maintain the ’40s feel of the home. Some of the rooms had brightly colored wallpaper and each room seemed to have its own identity…

It seemed like each room was better than the last one that Gladys and Carla had inspected. By the time the inspection had come to an end, the sisters were convinced that this was the most pristine home they had ever seen. They realized that the house reflected Joyce’s life and identity and this is why she was so reluctant to contact anyone about it. However, there was one thing that the sisters knew might be a challenge moving forward…

Seeing that Joyce had decorated the home with a very feminine style, this could lower the number of people who might be interested in purchasing the home. There were a lot of purple and pink motifs across the house, which would probably not appeal to a lot of people. The sisters knew that it might cut deep into the sales to redecorate the entire home. It turns out though that all it took was one key room to save the house…

After seeing so many pink and purple rooms around the house, the sisters were lost for words once again when they went down into the basement. Against all the odds, Joyce’s house had a man-cave down there! It was the last thing Gladys and Carla expected to find down there. They believe that it was the space that Joyce’s husband would use from time to time. With a bar, wood paneling and plenty of other masculine amenities, the sisters were now onto something special…

After everything they had been amazed by, the sisters were sure that they’d also be impressed by the backyard. Maybe Joyce had some sort of secret garden back there. However, that couldn’t have been further from the truth. Ultimately, the backyard brought Gladys and Carla back down to reality. It felt just like the front of the house, except with some more grass and a shed. And yet, the biggest discoveries of the home were still yet to come…

Despite having a good idea about how they felt about the home, the sisters knew that they needed an actual inspector to come along and give the home a legitimate appraisal. Although they were confident that the house was still in good condition after all of these years, they knew that an inspector would be able to unearth any underlying problems hiding beneath the surface. Needless to say, Carla and Gladys were worried about what the inspector might find…

The sisters were understandably worried that the inspector might discover some deal-breaking problems with the house. On that fateful day, the inspector perused the home and left no stone unturned. What was only a couple of hours seemed like an eternity to Carla and Gladys. Nevertheless, they need not have worried as it turns out that the house was basically pristine. According to the inspector, the place had been the same for the last 70+ years. All they had to do now was put a price on it…

As soon as the inspection was over and they had an idea of what exactly they were putting on the market, Gladys and Carla were ready to come up with an appropriate price for the house. After a few houses of evaluating and making sure all of their details were covered, they came to an agreement of how much they thought the house was worth. They came up with the following asking price: $699,000! It didn’t take long before a bidding war was underway…

In just a matter of time, the sisters’ listing could be found in many newspapers and websites and word got around very quickly. It seemed like all sorts of people, even those who weren’t interested in moving house, were interested in the place. The house became a huge story and captured the attention of the local community, and beyond. Although people were amazed that the place was virtually untouched, they soon learned that Joyce had made one change…

Although many were amazed by how untouched the house had been since the ’40s, they soon learned that there was one feature that had been modified over the years. It turns out that Joyce had actually renovated the kitchen about two decades after moving into the place. Apparently, she wanted to replace certain appliances with modern versions. So while the rest of the house hadn’t been touched since the ’40s, the kitchen hadn’t been touched since the ’60s, which is still very impressive.

Despite people’s interest in the home, many wondered why Joyce would want to part ways with such an incredible time capsule. Why sacrifice something that she had kept untouched for over 70 years? The reason was actually pretty sensible. Joyce was ready to retire and wanted to be taken care of during the golden years of her life. It seemed like a justifiable reason, but it must have been difficult to say goodbye to her home. So what’s next?

When Joyce and her husband moved into the home in 1942, it was a very different time. Things have changed a lot in the ensuing 70 years. So one question that everyone has about Joyce’s house is whether the new owners will keep it as the time capsule it was, or whether they’ll want to renovate and modernize the place. While the new owners will obviously have the right to do whatever they want with the place, many want the following to happen…

Many believe that whoever ends up buying Joyce’s house should honor the fact that it has been virtually untouched for the last 70+ years. The best way to do that would be to convert it into a museum, specifically harking back to the ’40s. Unless the purchaser is willing to live in this home and keep it the way it is, many believe this is a good way of preserving the historical quality of the house. Whatever the case, some speedbumps were sure to come…

One detail about the listing that could have proved to dissuade a number of potential buyers was in regards to beautiful furniture in Joyce’s house. It turns out that none of it would be included in the sale, which was bound to disappoint a number of people. The reason for this was that Joyce’s daughter wanted to hang onto the furniture after probably having a lot of sentimental connection to it. This was something that customers were simply going to have to accept.

It’s amazing to think that Joyce, now approaching 100 years of age, has lived in the same house since she was 24. Every aspect of the house seems to tell a specific chapter in the book that is Joyce’s life. One of those chapters pertains to her master bedroom, which she has slept in over the last 70+ years. Despite the fact that many decades have come and gone, it still looks as pristine as ever. But wait, there’s so much more…

Every aspect of Joyce’s taste seems to be a designer’s dream come true. “I like soft colors, and I like things to match and flow well together,” she said in an interview with The Daily Mail. “I prefer tone-to-tone to bright colors.” Her passion for bright colors can be found in even the smaller details of her home, especially in the bathroom. Not only do the gold accents stand out, but so do the towels, bath mat, and even the toilet seat cover.

Every part of Joyce’s special home seems to be laden with meticulous detail. From the two bathrooms and three bedrooms to the many fireplaces dotted around the house, the furnishings are very much from a bygone era, with layers of future decades peppered in throughout. While every room seems to have its own unique color scheme, there is no room that sticks out too much. They all seem to complement each other very well. But that’s not all…

While everything in Joyce’s home appears to be very old and from another period in time, there are plenty of modern conveniences that are hidden in plain sight. Take the laundry room, for example, which is fully equipped and has all the essentials to ensure that your clothes are always clean. They might be old, but the shiny cabinets look as good as new. Even this room shows just how much time and effort Joyce put into the home from day one.

When Joyce had that important phone call with Carla and Gladys at the beginning of this entire process, it was clear that she was unsure about how she felt about selling her house. She knew it would be very difficult to say goodbye but felt like it was possibly the right thing to do. With so many relics and memories that she always wants to hold onto, Joyce was on the verge of selling the house and moving on with her life.

While the interior of the house was certainly the major selling point, that doesn’t mean that there weren’t other great things going for it. For a start, it was in a great neighborhood that many people would dream of living in. Seeing that prices have been rising in recent times here, it’s not exactly easy to find a home in these parts. That’s why Carla and Gladys knew they had hit the jackpot with this home.

After working in real estate for so long, Carla and Gladys had built up the experience to sell many homes in Joyce’s neighborhood for high prices. And it looked like her house wasn’t going to be any different. After everything was said and done, they worked out that the house could be worth a whopping $968,000. They just needed to make sure that it was in immaculate shape and that Joyce was 100% committed to selling.

The three women made sure to have a full dialogue after the inspection to ensure that they were all on the same page. Carla and Gladys couldn’t believe though that Joyce was so sure about what direction to take this process in. While many individuals in her position might have continued to be hesitant about selling, Joyce ultimately felt like it was the right thing to do. But did everything go according to plan in the end?

Ultimately, the deal went through and Joyce ended up selling the house before finally moving on with her life. After working in real estate in Toronto for the last three decades, Gladys and Carla had never experienced a house quite like this before. Having worked through many houses in this part of the world, they never saw and probably never will see again a home quite like Joyce’s. This was truly a once in a lifetime opportunity.

The sudden and abnormally cold temperatures that hit Texas left everybody shocked. Local volunteers usually rescue a few sea turtles every year from minor cold snaps, but this year, thousands have been washing up on the shores, stunned by the freezing temperatures. Volunteers are working around the clock and have rescued over 2000 sea turtles so far.

Endangered Green Sea Turtles

Among the species that roam and live in Laguna Madre in Texas are green sea turtles. As reptiles, they can’t regulate their body temperature. The waters around South Padre Island and Laguna Madre are usually warm enough for the turtles, but when the cold front hit, thousands of them were left cold-shocked. Anyone in the area that sees a cold-shocked turtle is advised to report it so that the turtle can be rescued and rehabilitated.

These Reptiles Can’t Handle Cold Weather

When the water temperature is below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, the sea turtles begin experiencing hypothermia and can no longer swim. That makes them float up to the surface where they are in danger of predators, boat collisions, and the currents. Many of them end up frozen on the shore. The volunteers from the non-profit Sea Turtle Inc. along with Texas Fish and Wildlife have been taking the washed-up sea turtles to their facilities to warm them up and keep them safe until warmer weather returns.

The Texas Turtle Rescue Continues Against Many Obstacles

Sea Turtle Inc. quickly ran out of room for turtle rehabilitation because of the staggering number of turtles that have been affected by this sudden cold front. South Padre Island’s convention center is being used as a temporary shelter for the turtles, although space is quickly running low. Additional problems arose due to the power outages that are affecting large parts of Texas. The power was knocked out at Sea Turtle Inc. making it impossible to properly heat the five large tanks they use for keeping the turtles warm.