A Christmas rush for the most original of gifts has sent the selling price of a California town soaring to US$1.6 million ahead of the close of bidding for the scenic hamlet, agents said Thursday.
The whole of the almost-deserted town of Bridgeville in northern California has been on the block since late November, but the price has soared in recent days ahead of yesterday morning's scheduled close of the online auction.
But while the historic town -- which includes a post office, a deserted restaurant building, a former store and its own Indian burial ground -- is picturesque, its new owners will have to sink money into restoring it.
"It's definitely a fixer-upper town, but it would make a great gift," said real-estate agent Christine Larsen who is selling Bridgeville, which lies 416km northeast of San Francisco.
"It is really stunning and offers a lot of exciting possibilities for an imaginative buyer. It could be revived as a tourist destination, kept as a peaceful retreat from the chaos of city life or even turned into a tax haven.
"Just think, you could become the mayor of your own town and make up your own rules to live by," Larsen told reporters.
But with bids running as high as US$1.615 million on Thursday, way above the reserve of US$775,000, the town isn't just for Christmas, it's for life.
The 32.8-hectare lot being offered for sale on eBay includes 10 homes, four cabins, a cemetery, some heavy machinery with a "generous supply of maintenance parts," as well as the new owner's very own postal code.
Only four of the town's 10 homes are rented out by people who work and shop in the nearby town of Fortuna, while its cafe and store have been closed for years. Only the post office remains operative.
"Bridgeville's buildings need a little work, but it's far from impossible to get it back into working order," Larsen said.
"It used to be a really thriving town, but people slowly moved away and now it's real quiet," Larsen said. "It's a bit eerie walking down those quiet streets past those empty buildings, but it's also exciting."
But the town is supplied with electricity, water and a telephone service, as well as an award-winning school which is not included in the lot for sale. But locals admit that Bridgeville is not a humming town.
"There are no movies here. There's no shopping. There's an old cafe that needs to be fixed up," said resident Dave Vegliano, who has lived in the town for a quarter of a century.
Bridgeville was founded as a timber and logging town in redwood-rich northern California in 1865 by a trapper called Slaughter Robinson, but was sold into private ownership in 1909 as logging jobs began to dry up.
Its current owner, Elizabeth Lapple -- whose mother bought it for US$150,000 in 1972 -- is selling up so she can retire outside of California.
Locals have mixed feelings about the prospects of the sale of the entire town. Bridgeville's post mistress Rose Clarke, who lives in Fortuna, is optimistic. "I think it would be a great bed-and-breakfast place," she said.
Others, however, are more dubious.
"It's basically a dead town. There isn't anything here," said San Francisco native Mel Shuman, who runs a ranch on the outskirts of Bridgeville. "If you're lucky enough to be able to have a job, you can manage to live here."
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
A US Marine Corps regiment equipped with Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) is set to participate in the upcoming Balikatan 25 exercise in the Luzon Strait, marking the system’s first-ever deployment in the Philippines. US and Philippine officials have separately confirmed that the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) — the mobile launch platform for the Naval Strike Missile — would take part in the joint exercise. The missiles are being deployed to “a strategic first island chain chokepoint” in the waters between Taiwan proper and the Philippines, US-based Naval News reported. “The Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel represent a critical access
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
RSS