In the fall of 2019, I did something that seems impossible in California: I bought a house in California for $5,000. Sure, it needed work, and it was a bit off the beaten path. It’s located in northern San Bernardino County on the road to Death Valley National Park, just an hour’s drive from Los Angeles County.
Still, it was a house with four walls and a roof – for less than the price of a used car.
If you are brave – or foolhardy – enough, you could do this, too.
For me, with expensive real estate, buying a home in California seemed a distant dream. But after exploring different parts of the state and considering building my own home, I discovered Searles Valley in the Mojave Desert. I spotted it on Zillow by filtering for homes under $50,000 in any condition within Southern California.
At the time, I lived between Los Angeles and Sacramento. The drive to Searles Valley, with its neighboring small towns of Argus, Pioneer Point and Trona, meant winding roads reminiscent of ocean waves.
A number of science fiction movies were filmed here, including “Star Trek V: The Final Frontier” and “Planet of the Apes.” The videos for Rihanna’s “Sledgehammer” and Lady Gaga’s “Stupid Love” were filmed in the area.
On my way to view the home, I passed China Lake, with its extensive military base. I had lunch in the small city of Ridgecrest, dotted with a Walmart, a Home Depot and cafes. Then, about 15 minutes from Ridgecrest towards Death Valley, I rounded a rocky mountain and saw Searles Valley with dozens of empty apartment buildings. Some units listed for as low as $20,000 – a shock given California’s astronomical home prices. These were single-story apartments and small homes with broken windows and broken doors. Some had damaged roofs and foundations cracked by recent earthquakes.
I learned more about the area. I visited the local library, school, fire station and gas station. I asked people about the empty homes. That’s when I heard about the earthquake in July 2019. And about the Searles Valley Minerals mining plant.
The plant’s U.S. headquarters are in Kansas and the company is owned by a firm in India. Its presence in Searles Valley is significant, manufacturing products like borax, boric acid and salt. The factory taps the minerals from the eponymous Searles Lake, near the vacant homes, and stores materials in open areas, visible from surrounding roads.
A notable problem is the persistent unpleasant odor surrounding the plant, which has sparked fears among residents about serious health risks. While walking along the streets of Searles Valley at sunset, I discovered a house I had seen in the 2008 movie “Just Add Water.” A “For Sale” sign was out front. I called the number listed and was told it would cost $20,000. I offered $5,000.
A few minutes later, I received a text from the owner agreeing to the deal. When I entered the house, there were smooth, dry walls, a good roof, and a solid foundation. One detail: In the living room, “F**k you” was written on the wall in bright red paint.
This was my path to home ownership in California.
I decided to make it my summer retreat, which seemed odd considering the scorching sun of the Mojave Desert. Locals usually take shelter from the heat in their homes equipped with swamp coolers. But the local school also opens its swimming pool. There’s nearby Lake Isabella and the Kern River.
Now, and nearly every weekend since 2020, I’ve trekked here, often strapping wooden boards, nails, paint and other repair materials to the roof of my Prius.
Relatives have stayed here. I’ve rented the home out to tourists.
I’ve also learned more about the 7.1-magnitude earthquake that struck in 2019 and its aftermath. Rockfalls and landslides closed roads. It damaged water, gas and power lines. For a time, trucks delivered drinking water.
For many, the earthquake caused a severe setback. Household items were destroyed and cracks filled house walls like spider webs. But many residents I’ve talked to said the quake didn’t convince them to leave.
Before the quake, some residents tried attracting more people to Searles Valley. A lush new park emerged, as well as a community center and a clean-up campaign. New trees took root – greenery in an area known for sand.
Today, there are a few must-visits in the area, built by local residents. In Trona, there’s the Old Guest House Museum, with insight into the town’s mining history. Also, the Fire Museum showcases vintage equipment and memorabilia. There’s more: The History House, with period furnishings and exhibits, depicts daily life in Trona throughout the years. The Trona Railway Museum and Caboose, reflecting railway heritage. Finally, in next-door Argus, there’s Tufa House, focusing on the unique geological formations known as tufa, prevalent in the area.
Decades ago, the area attracted people from elsewhere. During World War I, Trona housed a crucial source of potash, a key ingredient for gunpowder. The town experienced a boom – and then a bust after American Potash and Chemical Company merged with Kerr-McGee in 1967. Union strikes and layoffs followed.
So, once, Trona had a hospital, maternity ward, cinema, shops, and cafes. Searles Valley had a hospital, maternity ward, and a movie theater.
Today, many homes in Searles Valley have been abandoned. But not everyone wants to leave. Some owners have neglected to pay taxes for years and are waiting for court-ordered evictions or to be auctioned off by the county. Residents complain that squatters occasionally set fire to vacant homes. Besides myself, some newcomers include military veterans who have bought houses here and enjoy the benefits of the nearby China Lake military base.
You may wonder if it’s worth investing here. Everyone has an opinion about this. I am confident that, at the very least, everyone should experience this place – as a part of the United States with historical significance. It was near Searles Valley where the Gold Rush occurred, where strong-willed, tenacious individuals tried improving their lives. And where, today, Searles Lake shimmers with all the colors of the rainbow.
Виталий Атаев Трошин, SlavicSac.com
California Local News Fellowship
Руслан Гуржий, SlavicSac.com
