You're living in your own private island-o

August 17, 2007 10:37 AM

Would you like to buy an island? Some are small and affordable. Others, not so much.
posted by dersins (46 comments total)

Does anyone have a bridge they can sell me?
posted by matty at 10:43 AM on August 17, 2007 [1 favorite]

2000 acres for $18 million isn't affordable? Oh, isn't small.

Man, I had no idea private islands were so cheap. I need to hurry up and make my first $100 million so I can pick up a few of these.
posted by DU at 10:48 AM on August 17, 2007

Melissa Theuriau and I will be very happy on one of these.
posted by Senator at 11:02 AM on August 17, 2007

You guys lend me $10 million bucks, I'll throw one helluva San Francisco MeFi meet-up.
posted by RavinDave at 11:15 AM on August 17, 2007

$35 million for a *35,000* acre island in the Sea of Cortez, outside Mexican territorial waters?

Christ, that really could be used to start your own micronation.
posted by Ryvar at 11:25 AM on August 17, 2007

I was looking for an island on a lake in an island on a lake...
posted by MtDewd at 11:27 AM on August 17, 2007

MtDewd: something like this or this?
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 11:48 AM on August 17, 2007 [1 favorite]

I don't watch TV, I don't go to movies, I don't read magazines, I don't read the paper, I don't leave my house- all to avoid seeing things I want to buy. AND NOW METAFILTER, YOU TOO, ARE FEEDING INTO MY GREED! ::cries::
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 11:53 AM on August 17, 2007 [2 favorites]

Don't forget Vladi. he's the (island) man.
posted by lowlife at 11:59 AM on August 17, 2007

I don't know why, but I was really hoping your 'not so much' link was going to be a land valuation of Manhattan or Australia.

Still, private islands are the stuff of dreams to a wannabe Bond villain like myself.
posted by quin at 12:03 PM on August 17, 2007

I think $40,000 is very affordable.
posted by agregoli at 12:04 PM on August 17, 2007

You know, if each member here kicks in a dollar, we could buy that cheapo island.
posted by horsewithnoname at 12:07 PM on August 17, 2007

When the Zombie Apocalypse comes, I have my island bastion all ready
posted by Razzle Bathbone at 12:09 PM on August 17, 2007

I suppose my big question on a lot of these islands is: what do you do with it once you've bought the land? I mean, it's cool and all - but talk about needing some bucks to do the build out.

More importantly, where am I going to get my access to the intarwebs from!??!?!
posted by tgrundke at 12:17 PM on August 17, 2007

I think I'm most fascinated by the "Rent an Island" option.
posted by Navelgazer at 12:23 PM on August 17, 2007

We could do it. We could finally, actually do it. Think of it, a Metafilter island. That 35,000 acre one would be nice; maybe we could put in some communal homes? Think of all the possibilities.
posted by KingoftheWhales at 12:34 PM on August 17, 2007 [2 favorites]

I suppose my big question on a lot of these islands is: what do you do with it once you've bought the land? I mean, it's cool and all - but talk about needing some bucks to do the build out.

I think these days there are more options and you wouldn't necessarily be stuck with having to build from scratch. I imagine kits can be packed up to be easily transported and later assembled, for example.

I'm more concerned about things like safety, communications and supplies.
posted by christopherious at 12:35 PM on August 17, 2007

That 35,000 acre one would be nice; maybe we could put in some communal homes? Think of all the possibilities.


There'd be a civil war before the week was out.
posted by spirit72 at 12:37 PM on August 17, 2007 [2 favorites]

Heh, I got a little caught up in the hopeless contemplation of the private island market several years ago. Just remember the three post-global-warming most important things about choosing your island - elevation, elevation, elevation!
posted by nanojath at 12:45 PM on August 17, 2007

Think of it, a Metafilter island.

The flag will be in radioactive blue, with a big exclamation point printed on it.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 12:47 PM on August 17, 2007 [3 favorites]

DevilsAdvocate: Thinking of here from this post, but it's probably not for sale.

horsewithnoname: I already kicked in $5. Did they spend it all on servers?
posted by MtDewd at 12:58 PM on August 17, 2007

Wait, so if 35k of us chipped in $1,000 we'd get something less than an acre to build on? Where do I reserve my place in line? Too bad most of it is covered by what is presumably uninhabitable mountains.
posted by sequential at 1:01 PM on August 17, 2007

I suppose my big question on a lot of these islands is: what do you do with it once you've bought the land? I mean, it's cool and all - but talk about needing some bucks to do the build out.

Well, you'd build one of these.
posted by nax at 1:02 PM on August 17, 2007

We could do it. We could finally, actually do it. Think of it, a Metafilter island. That 35,000 acre one would be nice; maybe we could put in some communal homes?

Only if we also build a fucketeria and a spankatorium. And a luxury dungeonette for thems what's so inclined. And an underground sub base.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 1:08 PM on August 17, 2007 [3 favorites]

underground sub base.

Under water might work better.

Just sayin'...
posted by dersins at 1:20 PM on August 17, 2007

Only if we also build a fucketeria and a spankatorium.

Thank you for the two biggest contributions to my vocabulary so far this month.
posted by lekvar at 1:27 PM on August 17, 2007

Let's see ... Powerball is at 210 Million (98 Million cash) ... Man, I could pick one or two of these up and still have plenty o' cash leftover for a Celestron telescope, Nespresso D290, and a Sandra Bullock Bot.

Be right back ...
posted by RavinDave at 1:31 PM on August 17, 2007

I somebody wants to go foursies with me on that $40K island, we could each own .05 acres!
posted by The Confessor at 1:44 PM on August 17, 2007

my mom was looking through ebay one day(as usual) and came across a small, one acre island on the Androscoggin River... about 20 minutes from her house.
The bid price was $5000.
She won it.

Depending on the season it can get flooded, so you can't build on it... but I'll always have a place to go camping now.
posted by elleinad at 2:14 PM on August 17, 2007

Christ, that really could be used to start your own micronation.

Just don't drink the Koolaid.
posted by madamjujujive at 2:19 PM on August 17, 2007

I think I'll pass on "Quarantine Island".
posted by RavinDave at 3:43 PM on August 17, 2007

elevation, elevation, elevation!

Yes, when the pirates stop by your cannons and telescopes will be of little use unless you have them installed on man made hills.
posted by christopherious at 3:45 PM on August 17, 2007

I think $40,000 is very affordable.

and it's located in the heart of the gulf of los mosquitos!
posted by quonsar at 3:47 PM on August 17, 2007

I'm in. Do I also get a mule?

No really. I want to live on an island with all of you.

Though preferably one with steep rocky cliffs that won't be claimed by rising ocean levels. Is that extra?
posted by hermitosis at 4:03 PM on August 17, 2007

How to Buy an Island
posted by justkevin at 4:09 PM on August 17, 2007

meh. i picked up my island just the other day.
posted by UbuRoivas at 4:18 PM on August 17, 2007

We could do it. We could finally, actually do it. Think of it, a Metafilter island.

Yeah, but it's the ongoings that kill you. Can you imagine the cost of shipping all the necessary beans, plates, and buckets?

(You can breed ponies by crossing pancakes with portobello mushrooms, can't you?)
posted by Pinback at 4:39 PM on August 17, 2007

Would you like to buy an island?

Yes.

If only for the cruel pleasure of voting you the fuck off of it with my booted foot up your backside as much-deserved punishment for the title you gave this post.
posted by loquacious at 4:42 PM on August 17, 2007

You're talking like a man who needs to step into the love shack and have a nice meal of rock lobster.

Perhaps while you look through your telescope at Planet Claire.
posted by dersins at 5:08 PM on August 17, 2007

That website missed this one:

http://www.king5.com/business/stories/NW_072305BUBallanislandSW.1fe3f6b.html

The article's from 2005 but it's still for sale. If I had the $ that's the one I would buy.
posted by IcyJuly at 6:51 PM on August 17, 2007

I've been checking this site regularly for years. American Island, on Stuart Lake in BC (where my hometown is) was for sale for a long time, for like 70 grand. I was sore sore tempted, but my wife eventually talked me out of it.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 7:48 PM on August 17, 2007

It's not too late stavros - American Island is for sale again. Looks like you should have bought it at $70,000 because now it's listed for $250,000.
posted by nelvana at 10:12 PM on August 17, 2007

Why buy an expensive island when you buy a relatively cheap one?
posted by empatterson at 10:30 PM on August 17, 2007

I always dreamed of having my own island. Thanks to this post, I got to see that really, there are some affordable islands out there (maybe a little small). Then I excitedly told my husband we should sell the house and buy an island. Buzzkill that he is, he reminded me about that global warming thing and asked if I thought the sea levels might not rise during our lifetime. Gee, thanks for bringing me back to reality there bub.

But then he also reminded me he wants to buy a large boat of the ocean going variety, so I guess having a movable island would really be better anyway.

Thanks for the post which reminded me of the many hours my teen-aged girlfriends and I spent dreaming of getting our own island, kidnapping all our crushes and keeping them as slaves. Ah ... good memories. :D
posted by Orb at 10:59 PM on August 17, 2007

Think of it, a Metafilter island.

We could live like Flies.
posted by Arthur "Two Sheds" Jackson at 11:28 PM on August 17, 2007

It's not too late stavros - American Island is for sale again. Looks like you should have bought it at $70,000 because now it's listed for $250,000.

Holy crap. Somebody's trying to turn a profit. Bastard.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 11:33 PM on August 17, 2007