Lobo Lives: You can now by an entire Texas 'ghost town' for just $100K
EL PASO, TEXAS: A tiny ghost town in West Texas has reportedly hit the market for a measly $100,000, which was far lesser than the average price of a home in the Lone Star State. The bizarre listing came after a group of friends, who bought the place over two decades ago, decided to sell the remote town to a buyer with a "vision."
Lobo is reportedly located in an isolated corner of Texas, just off Route Texas 90, sitting 130 miles southeast of El Paso, 15 miles east of Rio Grande and 57 miles away from the desert city of Marfa. The small town, which spans just 10 acres, has a number of old businesses that are still active, including a grocery store, post office, motel, gas station and restaurant, per the property listing. That said, the asking price of $100,000 is well below the median home price in Texas which is currently $341,300.
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'We're just running out of energy'
Speaking to Texas Monthly, one of Lobo's owners, Alexander Bardoff, explained that the upkeep of the town was a mammoth task for them. "We are too old now to continue our efforts to maintain the buildings and the 10 acres of land and would like to sell Lobo to someone who appreciates the special character of 'our' little Ghost Town," Bardoff told the outlet, adding, "You come back after a year and things have been destroyed, and then you have to start over again. I'll be seventy years old in a month, and all my other friends are in Germany, so we're just running out of energy."
The minuscule town was purchased by two German friends from Frankfurt -- one of them being Bardoff -- in November 2001. They began rebuilding various parts of the town and hosted a number of art exhibitions, film screenings, and music events over the next two decades.
According to the Daily Mail, Desert Dust Cinema was one of the small film festivals that took place in the township. The annual event saw people from across the country gather to watch short films and enjoy live music and art shows at the once-thriving mall route stop. Bardoff was hoping the deserted property would continue serving as a platform for artistic expression. "We are not just trying to make a profit. We would like to find a group of people that want to do something interesting out there," he said, adding, "We're hoping to find a buyer with lots of energy, endurance, motivation, and an interesting vision for Lobo's future."
How Lobo became a ghost town
Lobo grew in popularity between 1850 and 1860, when the town became a stop on the mail route from San Antonio to San Diego. The following decades saw the property become a watering stop and depot for the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1882. Lobo's population was recorded at just 20 residents in 1914, but the town grew and by 1962 there were 90 people who called it home despite two powerful earthquakes that displaced people. However, an unfortunate fall in the water table led to the town being unable to sustain its population or local businesses any longer. The relocation of the town's railroad station appeared to be the final nail in the coffin.
In 1969, a man named Bill Christ decided to purchase the town and opened up a new gas station and general store. He owned the property for another 22 years until 1991 when he was reportedly forced to sell it due to "crime and personal issues," per the property website.
While Lobo definitely needs some work, the sellers strongly believe it has the potential to function as a desert hub for the arts or perhaps as a nature retreat. An "open town" event is scheduled over Memorial Day weekend for potential buyers to come down and see the town for themselves. The name Lobo apparently refers to wolves that once roamed the area causing trouble, per The Dallas Express.