Reborn in America: I Have an Equipment Slot

Chapter 108 5-Star Equipment - Roosevelt's Handwritten Letter!

"Ninety thousand dollars is a rather conservative price."

Mia pointed to Owen's RV parked by the roadside, her expression complex, and said, "A well-maintained 1986 Winnie-Bag RV like this, which looks like it's been modified, could fetch at least tens of thousands of dollars if it came across a passionate collector..."

"Kyrie, I didn't realize you were so rich!"

"I was lucky to find this car." Seeing the admiration in the other person's eyes, Owen felt a little embarrassed and gave an awkward smile.

Hearing Mia say that, Megan gave Owen a serious look.

She originally thought that Irving was just a bit handsome and manly, but not that rich or anything special.

The reason she invited him to participate in this offline auction was purely because he had shown good taste at previous offline auctions at the port.

Unexpectedly, the RV that Irving casually drove was worth over ten thousand dollars... This immediately made Megan look at him with new respect.

She had originally planned to bring the other person to the auction and ask for their opinion on any items that caught her eye.

But now it seems that I might have brought an opponent into the picture.

Just as Megan was feeling frustrated.

Auction staff came out and began collecting deposits from attendees to enter the auction.

After paying the deposit, the three of them walked into the court together and found a seat near the front.

When Irving saw that the first item up for auction was a villa, he was immediately surprised.

Soon after, several staff members arrived at the scene, turned on the projector, and began to introduce the first item up for auction today—a sea-view villa located on South Beach.

"Welcome everyone to today's auction. I am Daniel, the auctioneer."

A well-dressed white man in a suit gently tapped the auction gavel and introduced, "Today's first item is a sea-view villa. This sea-view villa is located on the Gold Coast of South Beach. It is not large, but it has three floors and a garage. The owner went bankrupt due to illness, and the house was seized by the court."

"Don't let the small size of this oceanfront villa fool you; it's incredibly luxurious. The starting bid is $96, and each bid must be at least $5000..."

Upon hearing the price, Irving couldn't help but click his tongue in astonishment.

To be honest, he knew that these properties in Miami would be expensive, but he didn't expect them to be this expensive.

It's important to understand that although this sea-view villa looks nicely decorated and has a sea view, no matter how good it sounds, it's still just a typical middle-class neighborhood, and the building is a full ten years old.

Even so, the starting bid is still nearly a million dollars!

If it's a sea-view villa in one of the high-end communities in the heart of the South Beach, the price would be at least double, and if the size is larger, it would be even more terrifying, possibly even exceeding ten million US dollars.

At these house prices, ordinary people probably couldn't afford them even after working hard for several lifetimes.

Just as Irving was stunned.

The house price was quickly driven up to a million dollars.

A few minutes later, after round after round of exciting bidding, the price of the ocean-view villa was finally set at $124 million.

Seeing the auction price, Irving shook his head, thinking to himself how many rich people there were in Miami.

In addition to paying the auction fees, the owner who won the bid for this sea-view villa will also need to pay an additional 0.8% property tax when completing the handover procedures. Moreover, the newer the house, the higher the property tax will be.

Although this ocean-view villa is a full ten years old, it still requires nearly ten thousand US dollars in property taxes.

Moreover, this property tax needs to be paid every year, so it's no wonder that a large number of people in the United States are evicted from their homes and forced into bankruptcy every year because of various unpaid fees. Who can stand that?

After making some simple adjustments to the equipment, the court-appointed auctioneer began introducing the next item to be auctioned, which was also a house.

However, compared to the previous seaside villa, this house is just an old apartment in an ordinary neighborhood.

The homeowner was forcibly seized by the court for refusing to pay loan and utility bills.

Because it's located in an old neighborhood, although the house is fully renovated, equipped with all the necessary appliances, and even has a side garage and parking space, the starting bid is far lower than that of a seaside villa, at only $10.

Clearly, no one was very interested in this house. After three or four rounds of bidding, the house was finally sold to a chubby middle-aged white man for $13.

Seeing the other person unable to resist raising their hand in cheers, Irving looked completely puzzled.

It's just an ordinary house, isn't it?

Is it really necessary to be this excited?

I guess they didn't see the 1.4% annual property tax...

Irving glanced at the middle-aged white man, then suddenly thought of a question.

My savings are about to reach $100,000.

If he earns a little more money, wouldn't he be able to buy a house in Miami?

Thinking of this, Irving's eyes lit up.

However, he shook his head a moment later and dismissed the idea.

Forget it.

Instead of buying a house, I'd rather rent one long-term... But living in the RV is comfortable for now. I'll think about it again after I finish filming and get paid.

Irving was lost in thought, contemplating his future plans.

Soon, several items were sold to individuals.

Just as Irving yawned, feeling that the auction was getting a bit boring.

A newly listed item instantly caught Irving's attention.

The staff switched the projection screen, and a letter that looked somewhat old and worn appeared in front of everyone.

The auctioneer, standing to the side, took a deep breath and slowly began to introduce the item: "Attention everyone, this item is somewhat special!"

"This is a letter left by Franklin D. Roosevelt, the 32nd President of the United States, before his death. It is a handwritten letter to his son, in which he reviews the major events of his life and offers encouragement and advice to his son. It is very precious!"

"The letter contains a certificate identifying the son of President Roosevelt, as well as an expert opinion from a professional appraisal agency. The starting price is $5000, and each bid must be at least $100."

When Irving heard that the starting bid was so low, his eyes lit up instantly!

Franklin Roosevelt's handwritten letter?

It's most likely special equipment!

If the starting bid is only $5000, I have a high chance of winning.

Thinking of this, Irving took a deep breath and immediately perked up.

"Bang!"

The gavel fell as the auction began.

"$5100." Someone immediately raised their paddle to bid.

"$5500!" Immediately, someone else raised their paddle to bid.

$6000.

Many interested people participated in the auction, and the price rose rapidly, breaking through six thousand US dollars in the blink of an eye.

Seeing that there were more than a dozen people participating in the auction, each of them seemed determined to win.