Lobo is a tiny windswept ghost town in West Texas, some 60 miles northwest of art mecca Marfa.
Little remains of the abandoned desert city: an old grocery store, a vacant motel and a boarded-up gas station. The town is now in the market for a new owner, drawing attention in Texas and beyond.
About two decades ago, a group of friends from Germany purchased Lobo for a vacation spot and to host art events and film festivals. Upkeep has become cumbersome, though, and the friends hope to find a buyer, they told Marfa Public Radio.
Alexander Bardorff, one of the owners, said a friend spotted a “town for sale” sign while driving past Lobo in the late 1990s. Lobo became a place for the group to “get away from the busy city life and relax in the country,” he said.
In its heydey, Lobo was home to roughly 100 people and several acres of bustling farmland supported by an underground aquifer. The aquifer was eventually pumped dry, and the last of the residents left the town in 1991. However, several original structures still remain, including the run-down grocery store and motel, a now-drained swimming pool and a few uninhabited homes.
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Although the listing does not provide a price tag, Bardoff told Marfa Public Radio the base asking price is $100,000, well below the state’s median home price of roughly $326,000.
But the German owners have a particular vision for the new owner.
“We are not just trying to make a profit,” Bardoff told Texas Monthly. “We would like to find a group of people that want to do something interesting out there. Not necessarily what we did, but some idea.”
Tourism in West Texas has exploded in recent years, thanks largely to Marfa and Big Bend National Park. Some buyers might want to turn Lobo into a new desert destination spot, Bardoff acknowledged, adding that he and his friends are not so sure it’s the best use for the town.
The town of Lobo in West Texas has been a ghost town since 1991, but many original structures remain, including a grocery store, gas station, motel and a few uninhabited homes. Pictured is the town’s swimming pool, which is now drained.(Town listing / Courtesy)
So far, the owners have received more than 400 emails from prospective buyers with ideas for the land, including a vineyard and wine tasting venue and retirement commune for veterans, according to Marfa Public Radio.
To find the right buyer, Bardoff and his fellow owners will host a casual open house over Memorial Day weekend. Everyone is invited to attend, including bands that would like to perform.
“They can camp for free. They can use the bathhouse,” Bardoff told Texas Monthly. “Just enjoy being out in the desert, enjoy the atmosphere, enjoy the solitude.”
The owners hope to make a decision by the end of June. Interested in Lobo? Email Bardoff at aleximexil@hotmail.com.
Texas plans six new state parks, from vast deserts to swaths of ranchland Lobo is a tiny windswept ghost town in West Texas. It’s now for sale, and the owners are inviting everyone to an open house.