Texan town sold for $2.06 million on eBay

An American town has been 'virtually' sold.

Albert, a 13-acre historic town in the state of Texas, has been sold for almost £1.5 million ($2.06 million) on auction Web site eBay, The Daily Telegraph reported on Saturday.

"I sold the property after three-and-a-half years as I'm ready to move on to my next project," Bobby Cave of real estate company Urbanspace Realtors was quoted as saying.

However, the seller has refused to divulge the name of the town's new owner.

The town -- some 125 km from Texas capital Austin -- includes a house, dance hall, tavern and a schoolhouse which was attended by former US President Lyndon Johnson in 1920.

"I bought it with the intention of creating a little family camping venue where people could come out and drink and enjoy local live music," Cave said.

Though it's supposed to be a 10-year project, he said, it had been completed in three-and-a-half years. The town's population consisted of himself and a groundsman at weekends. A total of 58 different bidders placed more than 120 bids since Albert was put on eBay last month, its listing describing the town as "known for its towering oaks, wildflowers, German heritage and laid-back attitude."

"The historic town, once a popular stagecoach stop, is a lot quieter now. Serene, even. No longer the Wild West, Albert is now a popular stop for weekend day-trippers in the middle of Texas' burgeoning wine-making region.

It went on: "On the edge of town sits an old stone schoolhouse, attended by a young Lyndon Johnson in 1920. There's an outdoor patio and beer garden beneath massive 500-year-old oak trees, under which Spanish explorers, early pioneers and Texas independence fighters once rested."