Ever fancied taking on the title of mayor? If so, you won't find a better opportunity than these incredible towns for sale. From a Wild West ghost town in Colorado to a stunning Italian island with everything you could need, these unique settlements around the world are the ultimate real estate investments.
Click or scroll on to discover the best communities on the market right now...
Part farm and part abandoned village, this rustic estate lies on the cusp of Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park in Andalucia, Spain.
With 3.5 acres (1.4ha) of land, the rural retreat offers a unique opportunity for those seeking a refuge in nature, with good access via a dirt road.
The property comes with an abandoned farmhouse that needs a total restoration. The main house spans 1,097 square feet (102sqm) and is divided into two floors.
There’s also a 1,194-square-foot (111sqm) secondary building that could be transformed according to your needs.
The vacant village has electricity and well water, which guarantees comfort and self-sufficiency all year round.
Plus, the property is home to a considerable number of olive trees, while the rest of the land is arable, providing multiple possibilities for agricultural projects.
What's more, the property provides stunning panoramic views across one of Spain's most picturesque regions. Listed for sale via Inmobiliaria Grazalema for a mere €290,000, which equates to around £244,800 ($319k), it's also an absolute steal.
In some parts of the world, you can't get a whole lot of real estate for £632,000 ($824k), but in Romania, you can buy an entire village.
Listed with Romania Sotheby's International Realty for a mere €750,000, this adorable miniature settlement lies in Maramures County and covers less than an acre (0.4ha) of land, but it packs a punch when it comes to quaintness.
Known as Ferești, the village was built in 2014 to keep important and slowly dwindling Romanian traditions alive. Let's find out more...
In this part of the country, locals wear striking Maramures costumes and take part in unique annual traditions. For example, during the Easter period, boys will go to girls' homes and sprinkle them with water.
For your money, you could bag the entire village, which is made up of five carefully restored traditional homes, a stocked pond, a stone storeroom and a timber pavilion, making it the perfect option for anyone looking to create an off-grid compound.
Each of the adorable tiny homes is bursting with character. Some have curvaceous roofs, dinky front porches and window boxes overflowing with flowers, while others feature grass roofs or façades akin to hobbit homes.
Cute stone pathways connect the buildings. Amazingly, the five houses provide just 7,534 square feet (700sqm) of inside space, highlighting just how petite they really are.
Stepping inside one of the residences, you'll be greeted by gorgeous period beams, imposing fireplaces, brick accents, rustic furnishings and plenty of traditional décor.
In total, the village features six full bathrooms and 14 bedrooms, with 22 beds. So there's more than enough room for you and your entire entourage. The village also boasts a sauna, a hot tub and a barbeque zone, as well as a zip line and a treehouse.
Providing plenty of bang for your buck, this remarkable commune is ready for a brand-new mayor – could that be you?
When you think about real estate in California, you might picture the sprawling mega-mansions of Los Angeles, or the mid-century modern pads of Palm Springs, but if you fancy a slice of the good life, you could consider an altogether different type of property.
Offering far more than just a single-family residence, the town of Bridgeville in Humboldt County is currently up for grabs for £957,200 ($1.3m) via Madrone Realty.
This small, tight-knit community was founded in the late 19th century and was originally known as Robinsons Crossing. The scenic Van Duzen River runs through the town – when a bridge was added in 1875, the settlement was renamed Bridgeville.
Featuring quaint streets lined with white-picket fences and shiplap-clad homes, the historic outpost is encircled by the rural scenery of Northern California.
The 83-acre (33.6ha) community made headlines as the first town to be listed on eBay when it landed on the online buying site in 2002. After the initial sale fell through, real estate developer Bruce Krall (pictured) snapped up Bridgeville, selling it once more via eBay in 2006. But months later, following the sudden passing of the settlement's new owner, it was placed back on the market.
In the years that followed, Bridgeville has been listed and unlisted numerous times, but it's now back on the market and in search of a new owner to help write the next chapter of its story.
The community underwent renovations to its buildings in the early 2000s, however, there's still plenty of work needed to breathe new life into this timeworn town.
Nevertheless, there's no shortage of potential here: as well as the substantial acreage on offer, the sale price includes several homes and cabins, a 150-year-old post office, a vacant café and a cemetery. Are you up for the challenge?
If you'd rather be soaking up the rays in the Algarve region of Portugal, then these remarkable ruins could be within your reach.
Priced at £1.1 million ($1.4m), or just under €1.3 million, Funcho de Diante village is a bit of a bargain, considering it comes complete with more than 23 acres (9.3ha) of land in one of Portugal's most spectacular areas. Let's take a closer look...
Positioned in the municipality of São Bartolomeu de Messines, the village sits next to a dam and benefits from breathtaking, 360-degree landscape scenery. According to the listing, the settlement was built many centuries ago, but sadly we don’t know much more than that.
When the dam was built in 1974, the village was abandoned and its buildings now sit in ruins.
However, with the right contractor on board, the buyer could restore the structures and bring them back from the brink, or even knock them down and build themselves a one-of-a-kind family home.
For your money, you’ll gain the abandoned homes, endless land and prime access to some of Portugal’s best beaches and nature spots. Plus, just look at what your backyard would be!
If you're keen to take this fixer-upper project on, then LUXIMOS Christies International Real Estate has all the details you need.
Offering a fascinating insight into life in the Wild West, this authentic frontier town in Colorado offers style, history and opportunities in abundance. For sale for the first time in over 40 years via RE/MAX Pinnacle for just shy of £1.2 million ($1.6m), the tiny town is an absolute steal.
Whether you want to create a unique vacation destination or set up your own business, this town is sure to appeal. Let's find out more...
Located in Silverton, a former mining town, this impressive Wild West set-up was once part of the Old Town Square. It lies at the base of the San Juan Mountains on the notorious Blair Street, where the town's miners would have gathered for refreshments and all sorts of late-night activities.
One block from the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad depot, the town was perfectly placed for those venturing to Silverton in search of riches beyond their wildest dreams.
Back in its heyday, the square featured a saloon, a hotel, a general store and perhaps even a post office and jail. Today, the historic buildings are wonderfully preserved and house a range of artisan businesses.
For your money, you'll gain two operating commercial business buildings, three commercial rental spaces and one additional building that’s currently being used for storage. Three of the units were originally located in the mining ghost town of Eureka, Colorado, and were later picked up and moved to Silverton.
In addition to this old-school photography studio, there's a two-bedroom residential unit positioned above the Emporium gift shop, which was built in 2005. Though it's currently operated as a vacation rental, you could easily make it your new home.
Other highlights include the original 1875 San Juan County Courthouse and the 'Swanee's Old Mine Sluice' in the centre of the square, where tourists can pan for gold and gems. This is one seriously amazing investment opportunity for the right buyer.
In the early 1900s, cinnabar, a lucrative form of mercury, was discovered in and around Villa de La Mina, turning the quiet locale into a thriving mining town.
Once filled with workers seeking their fortunes, the Texan village boasted homes, a fortress and, of course, a lucrative mine. However, as with most boomtowns, the precious materials soon ran out and residents quickly abandoned Villa de La Mina, leaving it to ruin.
In the 1960s, the 62-acre (25ha) town was purchased and developed into a collection of guest houses for visitors to the Big Bend area.
Villa de La Mina was later sold to actor Herman Everett of Badlands, Texas fame, who bought the land several years ago. He planned to restore it but quickly realised he didn’t have the time for a renovation project of this scale. Everett reportedly envisioned the town as "a great place for rich people who want to get away from the city."
The ghost town has been deserted since the 1970s, serving only as a filming location for a few B-rated movies, including the 1972 Western horror flick, Enter the Devil.
In need of a total overhaul, the village's 20 buildings, which include a prison, grain store, a dynamite shack and a cantina, were all constructed from sturdy rock hauled in from the Rio Grande River. While they remain in excellent condition, they likely need new roofs, wiring and plumbing, as well as redecorating.
Yet the most exciting aspect of this listing is that the cavernous mine is included in the sale price. Numerous tunnels run off the mine, including one that opens into a large, natural cave. The space could be transformed into a tourist attraction or even a cool cave dwelling.
Big Bend National Park is currently experiencing a fresh influx of tourism and Villa de La Mina is ideally located to take advantage of the increased footfall. A shrewd investment, it could be reimagined as a historic boutique hotel, offering guests a trip back in time.
Villa de La Mina is for sale through Limpia Realty for just under £1.5 million ($2m).
If you'd rather buy a private hamlet in France, then how about Le Beuchot? Described by the listing agents Horae Transactions as "atypical and incredible”, the village lies in the French department of Haute-Saône and is up for grabs for a reported €2.3 million, which is around £1.9 million ($2.5m).
The region once served as a hub for metalworking and Le Beuchot was home to a wire-drawing plant. The hamlet dates back to 1539 and, in its prime, employed around 100 people churning out 200 tons of steel per month at its peak in 1964.
However, after a steep decline in production and a series of layoffs, the factory closed its doors in 2006 and its pretty 19th-century homes and workshops were left abandoned.
Despite the fact Le Beuchot has been vacant for years, if not decades, with many of its structures barely visible beneath a blanket of weeds, it isn't hard to imagine the area alive with people.
This once elegant owner’s house certainly offers plenty of scope for a dramatic restoration project. The property boasts a lake and almost 62 acres (25ha) of adjoining farmland, so there's plenty of room for further development.
Though pricey, the village certainly offers bang for your buck. The buyer will need deep pockets though, since it seems all of its buildings will need to be completely overhauled to render them liveable.
So, whether you want to start a new tourism initiative, create an eco-village or your own private paradise, Le Beuchot could be for you!
On the market with Pouliot Real Estate for £4.2 million ($5.5m), Tut Hill is located in the town of Pittston, Maine. Nestled on 40 acres (16.2ha) of land, the picturesque settlement includes 25 buildings and structures that were the brainchild of local antiques dealer Kenneth Tuttle.
With his heart set on building an antique village, Tuttle bought the main house in 1967 and expanded his settlement from there, saving historic buildings from other towns that were going to be demolished.
While the community may have been established in the not-so-distant past, the structures date back to the 19th and 20th centuries and include a showroom for over 30 cars, along with numerous barns.
There are a total of nine residences in the village, which are made up of five family homes, three apartments and a studio guesthouse. All but two of these properties are currently rented out to tenants, so the new owner will have a steady income.
The stunning natural backdrop of the village boasts a pond, apple trees and flowering bushes. Other ornate buildings include a historic restored antique shop, a restored 1825 church meeting hall, two shops and a mechanic's garage.
The rural hamlet of Campo in San Diego County has been on the market since 2019 for a reported £4.7 million ($6.1m), according to Business Insider. Just one hour east of San Diego, the town comes with 28 buildings with monthly rents ranging from £191 ($250) to £1,230 ($1,600) and is ideal for someone looking to take on a town that's already up and running.
A quiet 16-acre (6.5ha) setting, Campo is currently home to around 100 people and comes with working buildings including a post office, metal shop, lumber yard and church.
However, the current residents are looking for a new owner to expand the town, adding facilities such as a gym, laundromat and recreation centres.
The small community is peppered with abandoned clapboard homes like this one. With a little work, these neglected structures could provide charming houses for new residents looking to relocate to the town.
“Investors can choose to build to maximize the density of the existing land without altering the town’s current structures, or alternatively, consider a complete redevelopment to modernize and elevate Campo’s profile,” according to the listing.
Campo is also just a mile away from the US-Mexico border, with many of its residents employed by US Customs and Border Protection. Within an hour's drive of the Pacific Ocean too, this well-located town has the potential to be a thriving hotspot.
Known as The Ranch at Fisher Creek, this remarkable and remote estate is set in the foothills of Canada’s Rocky Mountains.
The gates to the 480-acre (194ha) compound are an easy one-hour drive from the city of Calgary and its International Airport, but this property was almost definitely built for someone looking to create their own private paradise.
The estate can be accessed via a road, or by flying in, since it comes with its very own helipad. There are various homes and buildings across the property, too, including a sprawling main residence, endless guest lodges and luxurious equestrian facilities.
There are plenty of outbuildings and annexes that are waiting to be put to use and house all of your friends and family, too.
At the moment, there are five bedrooms and 10 bathrooms in total, as well as ample land for creating more accommodation or other essentials, like a chapel or village store.
Built for hosting and recreation, the ranch exudes a genuine sense of fun, offering unique opportunities to indulge in rugged frontier adventures and wilderness pursuits, while ending your days in refined luxury.
If you've fallen in love, then this rural private wonderland is for sale via Engel & Völkers Calgary for £11 million ($14.3m), or CAD $19.5 million.
If you'd rather own your own private island, complete with everything any other village comes with, then how about this remarkable listing?
Santa Maria Island lies between Trapani and Marsala off Sicily, Italy, and really is the ultimate private playground for someone with the right budget.
Available through Vladi Private Islands for £14.4 million ($18.8m), or €17 million in the local currency, the island spans 28.4 acres (11.5ha) and from Birgi in Marsala, can be accessed via a small motorboat in under 20 minutes. You could also fly-in, via seaplane.
The island boasts a Belle Époque mansion of 4,951 square feet (460sqm), as well as a 16th-century chapel.
The private isle also provides a keeper's lodge and a shelter for animals. Plus, Santa Maria Island is home to palm trees, maritime pines, various plants and flowers, as well as an olive grove.
In fact, in 2016, 1,500 litres (396 gal) of olive oil were produced here, so the buyer will have the opportunity to generate an income.
Described as being pollution-free, everything grown on the island is 100% organic. The listing also states that is "protected from any nuisance" since it benefits from an archaeological zone.
What’s more, the new owner can produce their own electricity and collect and reuse rainwater, making this island both self-sufficient and eco-friendly.
Mellonsfolly Ranch lies in the Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand, amidst 25 acres (9.9ha) of unspoiled native bush. As well as being situated in one of the world's most spectacular landscapes, the unusual Wild West town also has a fascinating origin story.
It was built in 2006 at a cost of around £4.6 million ($6m) by cowboy-obsessed businessman, John Bedogni.
It was Bedogni's dream to create a replica of an 1860s Wyoming frontier settlement and once it was finished, he used the ranch as a whimsical private retreat for family and friends. However, when he fell on hard times in 2012, his friend, car parts tycoon Rob Bartley, bought the ranch from him, for an undisclosed sum.
Bartley turned the property into a boutique hotel. It served as a wedding and events venue, too, and the mogul also rented it out in its entirety for around £4,050 ($5.3k) a night. Here, Mellonsfolly Ranch is pictured in a promotional YouTube video.
Today, the amazing faux town boasts 10 themed buildings, including a licensed saloon, a courthouse that doubles as a movie theatre, a sheriff's office, a general store, a hotel and a billiard's hall.
It's clear that each building was lovingly crafted and has been meticulously maintained. They feature plenty of authentic décor and trinkets from the era, too, such as chuck wagons, cannons, clay bird shooting machines and teepees that further enhance the Western experience.
There's also accommodation for up to 27 guests, a commercial kitchen and a laundry facility, so the ranch could easily be utilised as a themed hotel. Plus, it comes with a separate three-bedroom home that is ideal as a main residence for the owner, or even overflow accommodation.
The town is currently for sale with Bayleys Realty Group. What's even better is the price is up for negotiation!
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