Henderson County wanted to clear land for a health and sciences building that would be shared by Wingate University, Blue Ridge Community College, and Pardee Hospital. To contain costs, the county decided to auction off a century-old home to the highest bidder. The highest bidder offered $25, but he backed out. The next highest bidder offered $15, but he is not answering his phone. The house would have to be cleanly transported, or totally dismantled, with all debris off the property by August 25. On the bright side:

A partial list of the contents, [Auctioneer Mark] White said, includes Tiffany style lamps, marble top tables, Victorian furniture, brass and silver plates, statuary, oil paintings, Royal Albert china sets, crystal luster sets, clock sets, furniture, model car collections, angel collections, coral collections, ship collections and eagle collections.