Why Was Matt Roloff Selling the Farmhouse — and Can the 'LPBW' Family Mend the Rift?
Updated Nov. 1 2022, 4:29 p.m. ET
Those who have tuned into Little People, Big World are well aware that Roloff Farms has been a focal point in the TLC series. From planning several weddings on the property, to navigating pumpkin season amid a global pandemic, to Amy Roloff selling her portion of the farm to ex-husband Matt Roloff, the farm is the show's hub. So why did Matt want to sell the farmhouse? Let's take a closer look at the big move.
The Roloff farmhouse was previously listed for $4 million.
To clarify, Matt wasn't selling the entire farm; the plan was for Roloff Farms to still be in operation and to still have the highly-anticipated pumpkin season. The Roloff patriarch was only selling off a portion of the farm — including the 5,373-square-foot farmhouse Amy recently sold to him.
According to Luxe Forbes Global Properties, 16.46 acres of the 109-acre Helvetia, Ore., property included:
- 5 bedrooms
- 6 bathrooms
- 9 attached garage spots
- central vacuum
- full appliances
- in-ground jetted tub
- in-ground swimming pool
The property also featured a number of "whimsical installations," according to the listing, including a "full-scale pirate's ship, a western town complete with a jail, bank, sheriff's office, general store, hotel, and blacksmith's shop modeled after Knotts Berry Farm, and a German-inspired medieval castle."
Matt Roloff has since pulled the farmhouse from public sale — and is making it into an AirBnb of sorts!
On. Oct. 21, Matt shared via Instagram that his plans of selling the farmhouse on the open market had changed. "When I put the small side of the farm up for sale I knew large deals like that take a much longer time (i.e. 6-12 months) to complete with no guarantees," he wrote. "What I didn’t expect was how many new business partners and networking connections I would make in the process."
Matt explained that companies had approached him about using the property as a short-term rental ("think AirBnB"). He decided to partner with iTrip Vacations.
He added: "Fees will be determined by demand and seasons. More information will be forthcoming soon … but needless to say we are scrambling hard behind the scenes (plus running the busy pumpkin patch) to convert (re-furnish) the home to be ready for its first guests. At this point … we are not live yet but working [feverously] to get it ready before year end."
Matt encouraged those interested in booking a rental to head to StayAtRoloffFarms.com and sign up to be emailed when reservations are open.
How much did Amy sell her portion of Roloff Farms for?
In June 2019, Amy sold a portion of the farm to Matt for $667,000. She then sold an additional 32.28 acres to him for $975,000 in August 2020. Now, Amy resides with her husband Chris Marek in Hillsboro, Ore. Meanwhile, Matt and his girlfriend Caryn Chandler remain on their portion of Roloff Farms.
Why was Matt Roloff selling the farmhouse?
When the farmhouse was still listed for sale, Matt opened up about why he decided to sell it. "Turning 60 last October really got me thinking. I've owned, created and worked the land for over 32 wonderful years," he told People. "But it's time to lessen my load."
Matt made it clear, however, that he would be retaining the vast majority of the Roloff Farms property.
"Our north side is 16 beautiful acres that are ready for new owners," he told the publication. "Luckily, there are still 93 acres left to continue the Roloff legacy forward! That's a lot of acres for imagination and fun for grandkids to enjoy, and I can't wait to show everyone what's on the new drawing board."
A few days after the farmhouse was listed, Matt took to Instagram to further elaborate on his reasoning for selling a portion of the farm.
"My ultimate hope was that the entire Roloff Farms property would stay in our family for generations to come," he wrote. "Keeping that dream alive at this point in time was just not meant to be. Unfortunately, Roloff Farm farm cannot be legally divided into multiple parcels."
Matt continued: "My twin boys decided not to consider working together toward a possible joint sale. Both of them (along with their growing families) had moved on to other interests and investments ... and even tho a substantial family discount and a 'gift of equity' was offered by both Amy and I ... (and I still owe Amy a bundle of money) ... they decided individually that the timing was not right for them to purchase a part of the farm at this time."
Simply put: Matt decided to sell off this portion of Roloff Farms because Zach and Jeremy weren't interested in jointly acquiring it since they couldn't afford it separately.
"Based on that, turning the big 60 in my cranky old body, [and] the continuing maintenance/demands of the farm, the difficult decision was made so I could take steps toward my retirement goals," Matt concluded. "The GOOD news ... You never know what the future might hold for the 93 uncharted and pristine acres that do remain in the Roloff Family for all to enjoy!"
In Season 23 of Little People, Big World, fans gained more insight into the events leading up to Matt selling the farm house — including reactions from other members of the Roloff family. Zach and Tori Roloff decided to move to Oregon after a deal couldn't be reached, widening the rift between father and son.
Will they be able to reconcile in Season 24?
Season 24 of Little People, Big World premiered on Nov. 1, 2022. New episodes air Tuesdays at 9 p.m. EST on TLC and on the Discovery Plus app.