Auction giant eBay brings us yet another wild and wonderful item for purchase, as if your grandma's collection of LPs, lush tropical timeshares, and vintage wedding dresses wasn't enough.
Developer Bobby Cave is marketing the town of Albert, Texas (population 4) which is currently on sale for the reserve price of $2.5 million
With better weather than Alaska (where Anderson town sponsored a free land grab in March of 2007) and more infrastructure than the Hawaii beach lots also on sale on eBay, the town is a bargain.
"This town has so much potential," said Jody Ewen, local resident. "It needs a little restoration, but a person who is really creative, he could come out here and have that dance hall just kicking, and I mean an excellent venue for live music and just good entertainment," said Ewen.
From the description, the historic town was once a popular stagecoach stop in the heart of the Hill Country. The area is known for its towering oaks, wildflowers, German heritage and laid-back attitude.
The 12.92 acre parcel comes with a house for the new "mayor,", the dance hall (originally built in 1922), and the tavern, which hosts live music. It's picturesque, with peach and pecan orchards, rolling greens, and an old-fashioned stone schoolhouse. The auction item also comes with marketing plans for developing the area.
When it comes to making the sale, your ability to generate buzz about your unique product or service makes the difference between success and failure. Your ability to get noticed makes the biggest difference. Yesterday, the high bid on this property was $300,000 and today it's $5 million. Whoops, $6 million, while I write this article.
Current developer Cave is doing everything right, with a charming website with photos, www.alberttexas.com, earned media from the novelty of his presentation, and blogosphere buzz. If you're looking for a way to promote your project, think of out-of-the-box ways to sell.
'It's a concept. It's one of a kind,' said Cave, 47, a real estate agent. This is his first sale on e-Bay. 'It's more like a piece of art than it is a real estate property. That's why eBay sounded so good to us. It's quirky.'
The bidding closes November 23.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Historic-Texas-Town-for-Sale_W0QQitemZ120175767867QQihZ002QQcategoryZ15841QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
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Tracked on: November 2, 2007 9:23 PM | Permalink to Trackback