How to Buy a Ghost Town

Imagine the most unusual purchase you can make. Picture a large piece of real estate with a general store, a historic schoolhouse and old houses waiting for restoration. Ownership of an entire town can be yours when you buy a ghost town.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Check with real estate agents to find the perfect ghost town. A Wenatchee agent listed a ghost town in Monse, Washington for $675,000, and part of it is still for sale.

2. Surf the Internet to buy a ghost town. The town of Bridgeville, California sold on eBay for $1.8 million.

3. Look at the attributes and resources of the ghost town you find and assess use. Think about using the land for farming, ranching, mining, growing orchards or building a wind farm to harness energy.

4. Decide if the real estate is for your sole use or an investment. Consider developing the area for an executive or retirement retreat, a children's camp, hunter's lodge or create a center for domestic violence victims.

5. Split the land into parcels and sell them to families to develop the area into a functioning town. Draw people to the area that will run small businesses.

6. Enlist the financial backing of investors unless you have money to buy the town and develop it without assistance. Check with banks or lending institutions before you attempt to buy a ghost town.

7. Research the area to make sure there is nothing wrong with the land that caused abandonment. Make sure water is available and the quality is good for drinking.

Resources

• Find ghost towns in Washington on Ghost Towns.com.