A Neutra-Adjacent Architect's Hillside Home Is $399K

Tucked into the hills of State College, Pennsylvania, sits a mid-century home with genuine architectural pedigree — and a set of front steps Reddit says demand a leg day beforehand.

Designed by a Penn State Professor Who Worked Alongside Neutra

Dutch-born architect Josef Van Der Kar, a longtime Penn State professor who worked into his 90s, designed this hillside retreat during his time on campus. Van Der Kar collaborated with major mid-century figures including Richard Neutra, Buckminster Fuller, and Rudolph Schindler over his career, mostly working on homes in California — including the Rowen House in Pacific Palisades, which sold for $7.5M in 2024 before it was lost in the Palisades Fire.

A Stone Fireplace, an Indoor Garden, and a Whole Lot of Stairs

This 2-bedroom, 2-bath, 2,009-square-foot home is anchored by a stunning stone fireplace and features an indoor garden, a loft space, and a deck that extends the living area into the surrounding trees. It's also generated plenty of Reddit commentary on the vertigo-inducing front steps, the two-story loft "death bench," and a design philosophy one commenter summed up as "make a giant wood deck and put a roof over it."

The Internet Has Thoughts

Naturally, this listing caught the attention of Reddit's r/zillowgonewild community. See what people are saying about it here.

Not immaculate, but the bones have a real pedigree. View the full listing here.