What PA towns are near nyc?

Is it advisable to purchase inexpensive, private castles/towns/real estate in the price range of an NYC apartment?

• There appears to be numerous islands / castles / towns that one can purchase for less than an apartment in SF or NYC. http://www.buzzfeed.com/benrosen/6-castles-that-cost-less-than-an-apartment-in-nyc http://blogs.marketwatch.com/themargin/2014/07/01/buy-your-own-town-for-just-399000-in-south-dakota/ http://www.buzzfeed.com/jessicamisener/private-islands-that-are-cheaper-than-an-apartment-in-san I am wondering when such a purchase would be justified, and when it would not. What kind of person might such an acquisition best serve? Are the buzzfeed pictures too good to be true? Note: by inexpensive, I mean price relative to the estimated values of all existing islands / castles / towns. Some some islands / towns / castles of comparable size cannot be purchased with all the money in the world, and so by that measure I view these offerings as inexpensive.

• Answer:

  They are inexpensive, if the seller could get more money, they would. However no buyers are around because, there is (in all likelihood) no employment in the vicinity, the structures are in need of significant repair  or in the case of islands they are difficult to access, have no electricity or potable water, etc.   I've seen towns in Italy for sale cheap, but with no jobs, nobody can afford to live there.   As an investment they are poor ways to get a return.  you can always rent a condo in Manhattan. An island in the middle of nowhere is a little more challenging.