Once in a lifetime deals at flood buyout home auction

From the county's perspective, auctioning these homes off saves taxpayers money because they don't have to be demolished.

“You know, there are some situations where you have to demolish them, but I know people hate seeing 2, 3, 4, 5 hundred thousand dollar homes meeting up with a backhoe.”

They've come from far and wide, bidders hoping for the deal of a lifetime. Val Syverson is one of them, a first timer looking for a new place to call home.

“The full parking lot made you a little nervous because I thought most of these farmers would be out in the fields today. They're not supposed to be up here bidding on my house.”

She and her husband drove all the way from Waubun, Minnesota for the auction. Val says on the way, she and her husband set a price range decided to stick to it. It can cost between 18 and 40 thousand dollars to move a home.

“You do have to take in other costs that you wouldn't have with another house. The moving, moving expenses, the expense to have the wires moved, so they can transport the house.”

Not all bidders are trying to find a home for themselves. Tim Thein owns a home moving company. He's bidding on homes for two of his customers.

“With all of the homes that are coming up on the flood, right now it's very busy for us.”

Thein says this sort of auction is a great opportunity not only for home buyers, but for a boost in his business.

“There's a lot of interest, so that obviously with a lot of interest it helps us out.”

Every home sold today, some for only one thousand dollars! County leaders are hoping for more federal funds to buy out 40 additional homes, and auction them off this fall. Homes here in Oxbow have to be moved out by July 15th because of road construction. Otherwise, all other homes must be moved by September 15th.

Tags: reporter stories, christina vaughn, north dakota, oxbow, flood, home, business, buyout