with rats, as it might suggest, considering the name. gregg: that s better. s if, however, an exclusive piece of property near new york city. no neighbors, no traffic, no noise. sounds perfect. no electricity and sewer lines either. yes, it is a rock. much of it, by the way, is under water at high tide. legend has it rat island, which dates back to the 1800s, you probably remember them, gregg, was named after prisoners called rats, escaping from the island, swimming with cardboard boxes over their heads to look like bobbing trash. its current owner, a retired marine contractor purchased the island in the 70s and used it to store equipment. unable to sell it, it s being auctioned off tomorrow. the highest bidder could some day, maybe call rat island home. i m sure you could build something, a home if you wanted, have your wind generator and your view and peace and quiet, tranquility.
on the east side of the island is 60 feet of water, you can put your lobster trap right outside your front door. the city of new york assesses it at $260,000. it expects to sell 30 to 40% of that value. the winner inherits 1,000 to 2,000 in annual taxes and, of course, the bragging rights to say you own an island. it s ironic. it s a nice little island, but i think the only draw back to it is probably its name. yeah, i own an island, it s called rat island. it wouldn t gain that much attention that way. it is a nice little spot and he was right. you can catch good sunrises and sun sets from it. so far eight to 15 serious bidders have shown interest, like the vfw and a group of local fishermen. the auction committee will be held tomorrow at 1 p.m did i mention half the time it s under water? gregg: yeah.