Why run for Mayor? Buy your own small town and declare yourself an Emperor. While we’re not sure how to go about making the latter official, you can get a headstart by snagging Wauconda, a small town in eastern Washington currently on auction at eBay.
Millionaires have been buying their own private islands for a while now. Do them one better and buy your own town. Who wants to be surrounded by sharks and all that saltwater anyway? Wauconda, which is located in the Okanogan National Forest (near the Canadian Border and Grand Forks, BC) was founded during a gold rush in 1898 and has been an active town ever since. Now, you can own it.
What exactly does the sale get you? First, you get your own zip code. You can literally call up your friends and tell them you own 98859 for the next twenty years (which is when the USPS lease ends). Plus, all the commercial facilities in the area goes to you too, including a remodeled watering hole (restaurant/bar/grill), a gas station with a convenience store (complete with new gas pumps and underground tank), a 4-acre owner’s ranch and a 100-year old homestead log cabin.
According to the auction page, the town has been in continuous business all this time, since that’s about the only place with anything to do 15 miles in any direction. That means if you’ve ever entertained dreams of being the big dog of that creepy backroads town that people pass by while they’re on a road trip, this is your chance to make it all come true.
On a serious note, Wauconda does sound like a nice place, with a huge recreation area (fishing in the summer, skiing in the winter), fertile hunting grounds and lots of fun tales about gold mining from the old days. Bids are currently at $370,000, with a reserve price of $359,000. Want to buy it now? $495,000 and it’s all yours.
[eBay via Born Rich]