Abandoned towns in Spain are selling for as little as $100,000

By Lucia Benavides

Originally aired on Marketplace on June 17, 2019.

More than 4,000 rural towns in Spain are in danger of disappearing as people depart in search of better opportunities in the cities. Now, hundreds of Spanish towns are up for sale for as little as $100,000.

Aldeas Abandonadas (“abandoned villages”) is one of the leading companies in the rural market. Operated like a real estate firm, it works with landowners to market their towns to businesses and individuals who want to live in rural Spain, and then takes a cut of the sales price.