Maybe you have plenty of money to burn and a fondness for risky (and unique) investments. Perhaps you can't resist tradition and history. Or maybe you just really hate having neighbors. Regardless of what motivates you, there are ghost towns, villages, hamlets, and outposts on the market, just waiting for the right seller to come along.
Built in 2014 as a place to keep old Romanian traditions alive, the village of Feresti in Western Moldavia, Romania, is priced to move at 750,000 euros, or about $824,000. The .94 acre village boasts five charming fully furnished homes with 14 total bedrooms and six bathrooms.
You won't be totally alone in Story, Indiana, but with only three people, four dogs, and one ghost in the entire 17-acre town, you'll still have plenty of space to yourself. After the town went bust during the Great Depression, one family (perhaps your future neighbors) bought it and converted the old general store into a bed and breakfast. The bed and breakfast is still in business, and it's the favorite haunt (literally) of the Blue Lady, Story's resident ghost.
Misanthropes will love Lobo, Texas, with its population of nobody. Amenities include running hot and cold water at the defunct gas station, and the lights usually work at one of the old houses. There's also a swimming pool, which will require … a little work. Need to do some shopping? Just head to Midland, a quick 205-mile drive away.
Rick Good spent ten years in the newspaper business, including with The News & Observer (Raleigh, NC) and The Greenville News (Greenville, SC). He co-wrote, with Melinda Coleman, Rutledge to Riley: Governors of South Carolina, 1776–Present (Published by The Greenville News), and is the author of Mind Games Trivia #1 (Amazon). He has recently spent 15 years creating original trivia content through Sounds Good Mobile Entertainment and continues that with his new company, SGME Software. He edits The Smart Reader’s money, real estate, and business coverage.
