SEATTLE -- The Ballard woman who refused to sell her little house to developers had a request before she died.

Edith Macefield told the construction superintendent, who became her friend, to sell her house and use the money to send his kids to college.

The holdout homeowner died in June, but the new owner of Macefield's home isn't ready to say goodbye.

Sunlight still shines on Macefield's house tucked between concrete and steel structure. Her animal figures still line the ledge.

"Everything's the same, the butter is still on the counter. Can't get rid of it. It's tough," said Barry Martin.

Macefield left her home to Martin. He befriended the gruff old gal who refused to sell.

"At one time she was offered a million dollars, but money didn't mean anything to her. She was 86 years old," he said.

Macefield encouraged Martin to sell her home to pay for his kids' college education.

"All she cared about was being here long enough for her to die," Martin said. "It's like she said -- 20 years from now they'll be tearing this building down. They tore the Kingdome down before they paid it off. That's progress."

Martin was the brunt of many cruel blogs that called him an opportunist. But Macefield knew him as the man who cared for her seven days a week in the last months of her life.

"I made her meals, took her to doctor's appointments, grocery shopping," he said.

Why did Martin devote himself to a stranger?

"There was something about her that kind of grabbed you and just didn't let go, and you wanted more," he said.

Everybody asks Martin when he plans to cash in.

"As soon as something happens to it. That means closure and I don't know that I'm ready," he said.

Martin said he's not ready to put a price tag on the memories still alive inside.

He has not received any offers on the property.