It looks like one of the great bargains in American real estate right now: A whole town in Wyoming is going up for auction with a starting bid of $100,000. That's far cheaper than the average U.S. home price, cheaper than listings in the closest city of Laramie, and far cheaper than the average price of most whole towns. Compared to recent zip-code sales, such as that of Scenic, South Dakota, which went for $799,000 last year, and Wauconda, Washington, for $360,000 in 2010, the asking price for Buford, Wyoming -- current population: one, Don Sammons, the man who's selling it and retiring from his self-proclaimed "mayorship" -- is a steal.

According to the auction house's listing, the price includes the Buford Trading Post general store and the zip code, 82052, along with "10+/- acres of land, five buildings, United States Post Office Boxes, inventory, furnishing, tools, plow and 3 vehicles. There is also a Union Wireless cellular tower with lease, and parking area previously used by an overnight shipping company for night time trailer switches." 

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By comparison, Wauconda has "a gas pump, a restaurant, a small store, a four-bedroom house and its own ZIP code, 98859," according to the Seattle Times. Not even a plow or a cell tower!

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Adam Martin