The rural town of Campo in East San Diego County can be yours for $5.5 million to $6 million.

Announced as on sale five days ago, the listing agent said this weekend that he and the owner had finally settled on a price. Originally, they decided to not put a price for the unincorporated community, preferring to wait to see what offers came in.

The sale of the secluded town about 55 miles from downtown San Diego includes 28 residences and seven commercial properties, including a U.S. Post Office, Baptist Church and hardware shop.

Listing agent Conor Brennan said the price is based on the rate of return for rentals and substantial interest since the sale was announced.


“I haven’t got off the phone” since it was listed, Brennan said.

Campo is about a mile from the United States-Mexican border and the majority of buildings were constructed in the 1940s. Around 100 people live in the 16-acre area included in the sale with the majority of residences being former Army barracks converted into apartments.

The rural community is known for being the final posting for the Buffalo Soldiers, the Army’s all African-American cavalry unit. The base there during World War II, called Camp Locket, was used to house German and Italian prisoners of war.

Most of Campo is owned by Las Vegas investor John Ray. After almost 20 years, Ray was getting older and decided to sell off some properties, Brennan said. The land he owns was last for sale in 1994 with the price tag of $1.75 million, more than $3 million in today’s dollars.


Brennan was tight-lipped about the identities of the investors who had expressed interest in the site.

Campo residents have mainly expressed concern about increased traffic if the town is sold and a desire to keep the rural community like it has been for many decades.

The cost of the town is a major difference from the competitive San Diego County real estate market about an hour’s drive to its west. For instance, a condo in the Muse La Jolla building is on sale for $5.7 million. The 2,137 square foot condo has two bedrooms and two and a 1/2 bathrooms.

1 / 14 Campo, California, USA October 7th, 2019 | Robert Marks 62, co-owner of East County Lumber and Ranch Supply store on Forrest Gate Rd. This supply store is on is on the land that is up for sale. Robert goes over an order with a worker inside the supply store. | © Alejandro Tamayo, The San Diego Union Tribune 2019 (Alejandro Tamayo/The San Diego Union Tribune) 2 / 14 Campo, California, USA October 7th, 2019 | East County Lumber and Ranch Supply store on Forrest Gate Rd. This supply store is on is on the land that is up for sale. Inside the supply store. | © Alejandro Tamayo, The San Diego Union Tribune 2019 (Alejandro Tamayo/The San Diego Union Tribune) 3 / 14 Campo, California, USA October 7th, 2019 | East County Lumber and Ranch Supply store on Forrest Gate Rd. This supply store is on is on the land that is up for sale. Front exterior of the building. | © Alejandro Tamayo, The San Diego Union Tribune 2019 (Alejandro Tamayo/The San Diego Union Tribune) 4 / 14 Campo, California, USA October 7th, 2019 | Campo Baptist Church off Jeb Stuart Rd., Is on the property up for sale. | © Alejandro Tamayo, The San Diego Union Tribune 2019 (Alejandro Tamayo/The San Diego Union Tribune) 5 / 14 Campo, California, USA October 7th, 2019 | Veterans of Foreign Wars post 2080 off Sheridan Rd., is on the property up for sale. | © Alejandro Tamayo, The San Diego Union Tribune 2019 (Alejandro Tamayo/The San Diego Union Tribune) 6 / 14 Campo, California, USA October 7th, 2019 | Apartment buildings once military barracks off Sheridan Rd., are some of the property up for sale. The sign points to the rental office for the apartments. | © Alejandro Tamayo, The San Diego Union Tribune 2019 (Alejandro Tamayo/The San Diego Union Tribune) 7 / 14 Campo, California, USA October 7th, 2019 | Apartment buildings once military barracks off Sheridan Rd., are some of the property up for sale. This building was boarded up and closed up. | © Alejandro Tamayo, The San Diego Union Tribune 2019 (Alejandro Tamayo/The San Diego Union Tribune) 8 / 14 Campo, California, USA October 7th, 2019 | Apartment buildings once military barracks off Jeb Stuart Rd., are some of the property up for sale. | © Alejandro Tamayo, The San Diego Union Tribune 2019 (Alejandro Tamayo/The San Diego Union Tribune) 9 / 14 Campo, California, USA October 7th, 2019 | White with blue window apartment building once a military barracks off Jeb Stuart Rd., is one of several properties up for sale. This building was boarded up and closed up. | © Alejandro Tamayo, The San Diego Union Tribune 2019 (Alejandro Tamayo/The San Diego Union Tribune) 10 / 14 Campo, California, USA October 7th, 2019 | Beige apartment buildings once military barracks off Jeb Stuart Rd., are some of the property up for sale. This building was boarded up and closed up. | © Alejandro Tamayo, The San Diego Union Tribune 2019 (Alejandro Tamayo/The San Diego Union Tribune) 11 / 14 Campo, California, USA October 7th, 2019 | Benches near the apartment buildings once military barracks off Jeb Stuart Rd., this area is up for sale. | © Alejandro Tamayo, The San Diego Union Tribune 2019 (Alejandro Tamayo/The San Diego Union Tribune) 12 / 14 Campo, California, USA October 7th, 2019 | Lucy Thomas 86, organizes the baby section rack inside the Mountain Empire Homemakers Association Thrift store. A long time resident of the Campo was not aware of the sale. | © Alejandro Tamayo, The San Diego Union Tribune 2019 (Alejandro Tamayo/The San Diego Union Tribune) 13 / 14 Campo, California, USA October 7th, 2019 | Arlene McClendon 86, organizes the adult clothing section rack inside the Mountain Empire Homemakers Association Thrift store. A long time resident of the Campo was not aware of the sale. | © Alejandro Tamayo, The San Diego Union Tribune 2019 (Alejandro Tamayo/The San Diego Union Tribune) 14 / 14 Campo, California, USA October 7th, 2019 | Robert Marks 62, (on the right) co-owner of East County Lumber and Ranch Supply store on Forrest Gate Rd. This supply store is on is on the land that is up for sale. Robert is receiving a shipment of lumber in his yard. | © Alejandro Tamayo, The San Diego Union Tribune 2019 (Alejandro Tamayo/The San Diego Union Tribune)