# Selling Whole Towns The Village of Wauconda is the First Town in the US to be Privately Purchased By Alex Scott | Published 2010-04-21 | Luxury Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/village-of-wauconda References: [bornrich.org](http://www.bornrich.org/entry/private-town-sells-for-360000-on-ebay/) & [seattletimes.nwsource](http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011642822_townforsale19m.html) The village of Wauconda (a small town in the state of Washington near the Canadian border) has recently been sold for $360,000 on [eBay](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/bottle-of-wingstop-ranch). Now, it's not the price that's amazing, but rather the fact that someone was able to buy a freakin' town! I remember when I was a kid, I always thought if I won the lottery that it would cool to [buy my hometown](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/texas-town). I soon realised this was impossible, as villages are not owned by a single person -- unless it's the village of Wauconda of course. Complete with a restaurant, post office and gas station, this town will offer the couple who bought it all the amenities they need (except a population). ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 2.6/10 - Popularity: 50% | Activity: 21% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Europe ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Luxury](https://www.trendhunter.com/luxury) > [Ultra Luxury](https://www.trendhunter.com/ultraluxury) ## Key Themes ### Key Themes Behind This Trend - **Privately Purchasing Towns:** The sale of the village of Wauconda on eBay showcases the emerging trend of private individuals purchasing entire towns. - **Alternative Real Estate Investments:** Buying and selling entire towns as real estate assets provides a disruptive innovation opportunity for investors seeking unique investment opportunities. - **The Rise of Rural Living:** The sale of the village of Wauconda reflects the growing trend of people seeking to live in rural communities, creating opportunities for businesses catering to this lifestyle. ### Where This Applies - **Real Estate:** The sale of entire towns highlights a new market within the real estate industry, where private individuals can invest in unique properties. - **Hospitality and Tourism:** Privately owned towns could become attractive destinations for tourists, leading to opportunities for businesses in the hospitality and tourism industry. - **Town Management Services:** As more private individuals purchase entire towns, there will be a demand for specialized town management services to support and maintain these communities. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Suburban Checkout-Free Retailers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/new-amazon-go-store.md) - [Real Estate Card Games](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/chaotic-card-game.md) - [Localized eCommerce Marketplaces](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ecommerce-marketplaces.md) - [Stadium-Themed Vacation Rentals](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/pensacola-blue-wahoos.md) - [Modern Mountain Communities](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/modern-mountain-community.md) - [NFT-Based Virtual Real Estate Games](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/upland.md) - [Metaverse Property Sales](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/digital-land.md) - [Hard Soda Expansions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/texas-town.md) - [Ranch Bottle Auctions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/bottle-of-wingstop-ranch.md)