You Could Own One of These 6 Historic Lighthouses for Just $10,000

poe reef lighthouse
GSA
GSA

If you've long dreamed of what it'd be like to be a lighthouse keeper, but without all the lighthouse-keeping and more of just the hanging out, you are in for a treat. That's because the US Government is auctioning off a handful of decommissioned historic lighthouses around the country to anyone willing to fix them up, and it's accepting bids as low as $10,000.

The six properties -- all of which are abandoned and essentially obsolete -- include five towers on Lake Michigan and one on Chesapeake Bay. The US General Services Administration is the government office overseeing the auction, and it's accepting starting bids from $10,000 to $15,000 for the structures, which is an absolute steal when you consider what it might cost to score a proper waterfront home in a similar location.

However, there are a few caveats. For one, even if you successfully win the auction, the property each lighthouse sits on will remain owned by the government. Additionally, prospective bidders must be prepared to repair and renovate each structure so that it's up to code for civilian visitors, which could end up being pretty costly since several of them are in pretty rough shape. Then again, once you whip it into shape, you'd likely make your money back pretty quickly if you list it on Airbnb for a bit.

Here's some more info on each lighthouse, including their current high bids as of Monday afternoon:

minneapolis shoal light
GSA

Location: Escanuba, Michigan
Current highest bid: $10,000

craighill station lighthouse
GSA

Location: Chesapeake Bay, Maryland
Current highest bid: $15,000

lansing shoal lighthouse
GSA

Location: Naubinway, Michigan
Current highest bid: $15,000

fourteen foot shoal
GSA

Location: Cheboygan, Michigan
Current highest bid: $15,000

poe reef lighthouse
GSA

Location: Cheboygan, Michigan 
Current highest bid: $10,000

detroit river light
GSA

Location: Monroe, Michigan
Current highest bid: $27,000 

If you're interested, you'd be wise to round up the necessary funds pronto, since a few of the auctions are scheduled to end in a little over a week. Otherwise, hopefully you can handle roughing it with us boring ol' landlubbers until the next batch of decommissioned lighthouses comes up for sale.

h/tInhabitat

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Joe McGauley is a senior writer for Thrillist. Follow him @jwmcgauley.