U.S. Girds for Land Rush as 3,500 Acres Are Put Up for Public Sale

U.S. Bureau of Land Management officials in Riverside braced themselves for the onslaught of customers expected to turn out this morning when 3,500 acres of public land will be offered for sale on a first-come, first-served basis.

The one-day sale of parcels scattered across Los Angeles, Riverside and San Diego counties is a first for the bureau. Formerly, it required that prospective buyers submit competitive sealed bids that were opened later at scheduled auctions.

Thousands of Calls

Under the new system, “If you are the first in line for a particular parcel, you get it,” said Candy Johnson, bureau spokeswoman.

Johnson said she has been besieged with thousands of requests to park cars and campers overnight at the bureau’s California Desert District Office, 1695 Spruce St., Riverside, in preparation for the sale, scheduled to begin at 7:45 a.m.

Of the 26 mostly “rural residential” and oak-studded parcels being offered, 4 are in Los Angeles County, 7 in Riverside County and 15 in San Diego County, Johnson said. “There are roads to all of them,” she said. The parcels are from 1.71 acres to 1,609 acres, with market values ranging from $25,000 to $1.25 million, Johnson said.

The lucky ones, she added, need pay only 10% down to have clear title to the parcels, which come without real estate fees, escrow or interest. The balance can be paid within six months.