February 25, 2019
Brian Hickey/PhillyVoice
After their Montgomery County real estate listing went viral, Vince Marie and Priscilla Costa posed at the sex swing in the basement that doubles as a naughty Airbnb draw.
Twas but two weeks ago when a real estate listing in the tony Maple Glen nook of Montgomery County was the focus of “OMG, did you see this?” pearl-clutching giggles and deep-seated curiosity.
That’s what happens when the sales pitch includes photos of what the Realtor called a “sexual oasis” but which took on a “sex dungeon” life of its own for observers.
When that story broke on February 8, nobody knew much about those who were selling the property, though.
That changed a few days later when Vince Marie and Priscilla Costa sat down with PhillyVoice to talk about themselves, the curious basement of the home they’d listed for $750,000, and the onslaught of attention that followed. (If you haven’t already, or would like to get reacquainted with the couple, you can see video of some of that interview via this link.)
On Monday, we checked back in with Marie and Realtor Melissa Leonard of Coldwell Banker Preferred in Blue Bell for an update on what’s happened since the world was introduced to the “50 Shades of Maple Glen” property.
For her part, Leonard said she thinks all that attention was a net positive, but the process of selling the property “has been so slow.”
“The weather hurt us because some showings were canceled,” she said. “People who saw it liked it, but we haven’t had any offers.”
Perhaps the price is too high – not that the owners intend to ever lower it – but the past two weeks haven’t brought any pressure to sell. Bookings for the home on Airbnb – you can rent the entire house or the property sans access to the basement via the MaisonXS, or “Sexy House” listing – have picked up, they said.
“Nothing to report other than that there are interested parties. No offers made yet,” Marie shared on Monday morning. “The Airbnb side of things are great as we were hoping to get eyes and ears on it.”
Despite some initial shaming and harsh judgment over the listing, he said that “communities of all sorts have been amazingly supportive.”
He acknowledged that the attention “could be a deterrent” for some potential buyers, but said the house had been on the market for a year before he and his late wife purchased it in 2010.
“There’s always someone who this house fits perfectly. We’re in no rush to sell: asking price or highest bidder.” – Vince Marie, owner
“There’s always someone who this house fits perfectly,” he said. “We’re entertaining and studying different options currently. We’re in no rush to sell: asking price or highest bidder.”
In the days since their home went viral, Marie and Costa have started uploading videos to the “Maison XS” YouTube page as well.
Titled #MXSLove, there are four so far – none shorter than 25 minutes – and the couple aims to “educate, enlighten and continue the conversation that this started.”
The first one is billed as “giving an unfiltered glimpse into the backstory of how MXS came to be.” Other episodes delve into their relationship and lives; talking to a friend about “sexuality, openness, relationships, among many other topics” and offering a tour of the basement itself and its various amenities. (You can check them out – after seeing this requisite warning regarding language and content – via this link.)
“Everyone has been positive and encouraging in our efforts to be educated on various topics that we ourselves are ignorant about but thirsty to understand,” Marie said. “Stop for a second and think. Learn. Smile because maybe now you understand from what you learned. This is how we start to tolerate, respect, and love each other regardless of who one is or into.”
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