Buyers can snap up a home for $400 in this shrinking Southern city — but there’s a catch

Homebuyers desperate for a deal might be curious to learn more about a tiny town in Arkansas where homes are selling for just over $400.

In Pine Bluff, just 45 miles outside of Little Rock, a home was recently sold for $402.74 at a tax auction.

The city found itself thrust into the spotlight when a documentary titled “The City Left Behind: $400 Abandoned Homes in Pine Bluff” got 1.6 million views in the past three weeks on YouTube.

“There is a surplus of properties—cheap!—that are prime for restoration and redevelopment,” filmmaker Michael Schwarz told Realtor.com®.

“But not enough people willing to move to Pine Bluff, or not enough people currently living in Pine Bluff who can afford it.”

(This Pine Bluff, AR, home was sold for just a little over $400 at auction.

Abandoned Atlas Foundation / YouTube.com)

 

But there’s a catch, of course: According to the 2020 U.S.

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Census, Pine Bluff is the “fastest-shrinking city” in America, losing over 12% of its population in a decade due largely to its lack of jobs and poor-quality schools.

After Schwarz’s documentary went viral, Mayor Shirley Washington responded: “We are dedicated to revitalizing our neighborhoods and ensuring that Pine Bluff remains a safe and thriving place to live. The city has implemented several programs to address the issue of abandoned homes.”

But the city is talking about bringing in new housing developments when there aren’t enough people to fill the houses that are already built, Schwarz notes.

Crime increased as Pine Bluff’s population decreased, and many area homes were abandoned.

 

(This two-bedroom, one-bathroom house is listed for $9,900. Realtor.com)

 

And now that millions of new eyes are on the city, that might already be starting to happen.

(This fixer-upper in Pine Bluff was listed for $10,000 and has an offer pending.Realtor.com)

 

(Pine Bluff home for sale for $14,500 Realtor.com)

 

(Three-bedroom, two-bath home for sale in Pine Bluff for $19,900. Realtor.com)

 

(Four-bedroom, two-bath home for sale in Pine Bluff for $249,000 Realtor.com)

 

(This five-bedroom house is one of the more expensive listings in Pine Bluff, for sale for $299,900. Realtor.com)

 

Ref: Buyers can snap up a home for $400 in this shrinking Southern city — but there’s a catch (realtor)

Photo Credit- Abandoned Atlas Foundation/ YouTube, Realtor