STANTON, Mich. (WZZM)- Montcalm County Land Auctions are usually quiet.
"Normally you have probably 30 or 40 people," said veteran Steve Swift. "I've been to some where there's only five or six."
Wednesday's sale swelled beyond what officials expected because of media coverage of what were steals at "no-minimum-bid" starting prices. When you have more than 100 bidders going after 14 properties, the competition and prices quickly get serious.
"This is probably the biggest sale I've had... and this was a no minimum bid sale," said County Treasurer Marcia Sawdy. "Usually we get more people in our minimum bid sale"
Sawdy is talking about the preliminary sale held in September with better properties and more desirable locations.
In other words: This is the junk sale. Or, as Sawdy calls it, the scavenger sale.
"It's what nobody wanted at the first one, so usually these pieces aren't as good," she said.
Think of it as the sequel, with small lots and multiple acres that didn't make the cut in the first auction. This one never draws a crowd as big, with about 110 participants doing bidding battle.
Sawdy says the difference this year was the media.
Our partner the Greenville Daily News accurately reported steals at minimum-bid with the county taking care of the back taxes... and in this economy, people took notice.
"Like the paper said $33... $20 minimum bid and $13 to record the deed," Sawdy said. "So people were hoping to pick up some good deals."
Because of all of the competition, no bid came close to that $33 mark though. In fact she said it may have led to some impulse buying.
"People need to do their homework and I'm afraid a lot of people here probably didn't."
The turnout is great for Montcalm County, which earned enough to cover the auction costs and may bank some savings for the county's general fund.
The properties ranged from small lots to parcels packaged acres-wide. The bids were similarly vast in comparison.
The cheapest property was a small lot in Lakeview which went for $300.
A foreclosed farm in Sheridan was the most expensive at nearly $11,000
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