A cave home is up for sale on eBay today. The owners of the 17,000 square foot property are being pinched by the mortgage crisis that has caused so many other home owners to stumble. The property was originally purchased on a balloon note and the owners are now struggling to find refinancing so that the balloon can be paid.

Most of the cave homes that I have seen are on a large number of acres and out in the woods. This one is unique because it is located on just around three acres and is just a few hundred yards from major thoroughfares.

The family does not quality for the stimulus relief signed by President Obama on Tuesday so they are auctioning off the home to the highest bidder on eBay. It is a creative way to deal with the tough economic times that many people are now facing.

One of the best things about the cave home is that it has no heating or cooling costs. Nature handles all of that. The initial investment is not even that much for such a sprawling space – the starting bid is only $300,000. The problem may be in getting comparables for an appraisal since there aren’t that many cave homes in the area.