Chris in VA Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 http://www.womansday.com/home/g1790/homes-under-150000-countryliving/?slide=1 I thought this was interesting. It's really just about older, historic homes that are a "bargain;" who knows if they need extra care or what the towns are like. I just saw this on my FB, and thought, Wow, I'm living in the wrong part of the country! Comments and thoughts? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsWeasley Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 My house is $150,000, and nowhere near that nice. Of course, we mostly bought here for the great school district that we don't use. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 I love the second house in the slideshow! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alisoncooks Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 My house is $150,000, and nowhere near that nice. Of course, we mostly bought here for the great school district that we don't use. Same here! Those houses were lovely! We spent just shy of $150k and have 1200 shabby sq/ft in a smallish, outlying town near a pricey college town. Location, location, location... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joker Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 Wow! Our home was $150K and it's only 1000 sq. ft. with tiny rooms throughout. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 In most zip odes around me, you can get exactly nothing for $150k. never fear, you can buy this floating shed for just $55,000. You will have to pay moorage though, and that ain't cheap. http://www.trulia.com/property/3056864142-2450-Westlake-Ave-N-Seattle-WA-98109 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 Very pretty houses. Our house was under 150K. It is an older house and yes it does need more care than a newer house (probably). And while our street and area are quiet and pleasant, I did not move here for the schools. Taxes are also very high. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 Hmm... A very run-down country cottage. One bedroom flat in Edinburgh. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaKinVA Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 Hmm....here's what I can buy 55 miles south of D.C...now, that's a move in ready house. You could also get an empty lot, a town home with more square footage, or a house that needs a lot of work. Nothing in our historic district that is habitable will sell for $150k. http://www.trulia.com/property/6483835-NORTHRIDGE-1419-Northridge-Dr-Fredericksburg-VA-22405 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 I love playing with realtor.com and seeing what $xxx,xxx will buy you. In my town, $150,000 buys half of a 3BR 1000 sq ft 30 year old duplex in need of updating, insulation, and roof OR a 800ish sq ft. fixer upper home. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zuzu822 Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 Our second house was $144,000 when we bought it. Rural Northern NY, 1850 farmhouse, 2500 sf, 4 beds, 2 baths, 5.3 acres. It was in beautiful shape for the most part. A bad winter accelerated the need for a new roof, and we ripped out some carpet and updated flooring. The living room had the most wonderful "Little House" wide-planked original floors. So that was our experience with an older house. Our current home in Central NY was also under $150k (ETA: in a suburb). 1975 sf colonial 45 years old, 4 beds, 2.5 baths, hardwoods, fenced yard (1/3 acre). It was cheaper than other houses in our neighborhood because it needed cosmetic updates (wallpaper, dated appliances, etc). My neighbor has an identical house and paid $30,000 more. Taxes for both houses we owned are between $5-6k. Hooray for NY. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brit29 Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 In most zip odes around me, you can get exactly nothing for $150k. never fear, you can buy this floating shed for just $55,000. You will have to pay moorage though, and that ain't cheap. http://www.trulia.com/property/3056864142-2450-Westlake-Ave-N-Seattle-WA-98109 Hey! Another northwesterner! I imagine on Lake Union the moorage would be more than the house. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 You need to look at the taxes and the energy costs.my neighbor couldnt go solar without major roof work. Many lack enough insulation and the foundations need work. Yeah and I wonder if the houses shown came that way for 150K. We got something for cheap, but we had to put work into it. And it still doesn't look that pretty! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In The Great White North Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 The article is misleading, implying that there are areas all over the country where a beautiful house can be had for $150,000. Essentially, for $150,000 you can have a nice house, in an area with no jobs, or a house within commuting distance of a reasonable job market that needs another $150,000 to bring it up to code. It's quite predictable what a lack of employment will do to an areas housing market. You cannot get nice houses, in nice areas, with good jobs and schools, for $150,000. Supply and demand raises the price. 24 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wheres Toto Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 Our 750 square foot 1940's bungalow that needs a ton of work, but rests on almost an acre in a very desirable town (schools, proximity to jobs) on a river would go for $250,000 these days. A few years ago we could have gotten $450,000. But go 30 or 40 miles west and you could probably get a bungalow for $150,000 out in the boonies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daria Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 I typed $150K and my zipcode into a real estate website and it helpfully suggested a house that cost $1.5 M, because apparently decimal points aren't that important in budgeting. 19 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 In most zip odes around me, you can get exactly nothing for $150k. never fear, you can buy this floating shed for just $55,000. You will have to pay moorage though, and that ain't cheap. http://www.trulia.com/property/3056864142-2450-Westlake-Ave-N-Seattle-WA-98109 I was curious and did a search. There was one 800 sq. ft. one bedroom home, a couple of empty lots and some older mobile homes way down south. That's more than I thought I'd find! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zuzu822 Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 The article is misleading, implying that there are areas all over the country where a beautiful house can be had for $150,000. Essentially, for $150,000 you can have a nice house, in an area with no jobs, or a house within commuting distance of a reasonable job market that needs another $150,000 to bring it up to code. It's quite predictable what a lack of employment will do to an areas housing market. You cannot get nice houses, in nice areas, with good jobs and schools, for $150,000. Supply and demand raises the price. We've gotten lucky, because the economy of this area is not growing. Nice house, good job, decent school district (big, though!), lovely and safe neighborhood. Comparing prospects around the country is what keeps us in CNY, although I would NOT say NY is a healthy state. If I drive to the other side of the county (through the city where you have one of the worst schools in the state and cheap housing in bad neighborhoods), my house would cost $100,000 more (with taxes to match :ack2:) for one of the top 10 school districts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsuga Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 Lol Daria. We looked once for fixer uppers near us. Zillow doesn't believe we could be that poor and continued to suggest homes at 10x the price. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawyer&Mom Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 To my shock, you can actually get a studio for $145,000 in downtown Seattle. Built in 1908, zoned for Queen Anne schools! It's a steal! 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teachermom2834 Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 I am selling my house for about that. It is 4 br/3 bath, 2200 sq ft. Good school district. It needs updates (has original 1970s kitchen) and needs some maintenance but nothing major. While it is not a beautiful house I am grateful to live where family housing is affordable. We are in a medium size city in the south. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 Hey! Another northwesterner! I imagine on Lake Union the moorage would be more than the house.I've heard tales when it was cheap student housing. My dad's friend bought the dock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 The house down the street went for $150K. 5bd/3ba on a wooded acre. Less than a decade old. Cosmetic work needed, but that's about it. (Their dogs and kids were pretty rough on it.) It really makes me regret buying just before the market turned! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MEmama Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 A very quick check on Trulia brought up 18 properties in my town between $115,000-150,000. I think a few were lots near the ocean, a few were mobile homes (around 40,000) and some were nice established family homes both in town and out. You can easily drop a couple million on waterfront property too, though. Most are somewhere in between. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 The article is misleading, implying that there are areas all over the country where a beautiful house can be had for $150,000. Essentially, for $150,000 you can have a nice house, in an area with no jobs, or a house within commuting distance of a reasonable job market that needs another $150,000 to bring it up to code. It's quite predictable what a lack of employment will do to an areas housing market. You cannot get nice houses, in nice areas, with good jobs and schools, for $150,000. Supply and demand raises the price. Agreed. I looked up Tidioute, PA (first one in the slideshow). It is in the middle of nowhere, about 2 hours from Pittsburgh or 2 hours from Buffalo, the nearest big cities. It's on the edge of the Alleghany National Forest, so I bet it's beautiful. But, probably not a lot of employment opportunities! Where I live - suburbs of Philadelphia - anything near $150,000 would be a serious fixer-upper, and most likely in a bad part of town. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 I was curious and did a search. There was one 800 sq. ft. one bedroom home, a couple of empty lots and some older mobile homes way down south. That's more than I thought I'd find! But why would you do that when you can live in a floating shed?! 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MIch elle Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 I don't believe it- that house listed in CT - there has to be something wrong with it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 Yeah, but a lot of those houses are in places where there isn't any way to make a living. That house in Vermont is in a town smaller than 3,000. I would want to know about the commute to a place in VT where you could actually earn a living. I am pretty familiar with VT, and parts are super gentrified and for wealthy second home owners, Burlington is fabulous, but some of those towns are really...small. And even if you are the sort who can live anywhere b/c you work from home or something, it is a pain to have to drive 90 mins when you need anything. No casting of aspersions on VT, btw. I spent a lot of time there, growing up. It is a lovely state. But, it is the sort of place everyone wants to live, but its hard to figure out how to make a living. So, I would be curious if those houses prices are typical for their area. And if they are typical...is it a place you really want to live. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 So how freaking far out in the middle of absolutely nowhere are these beautiful homes? $150,000 here would buy you... nothing. Let's look around. I looked in a town near me and sorted by price. This is the cheapest house listed - Price? $530,000. Yeah, but COL means nothing. :glare: I looked at some less expensive towns to see if I could find anything. Some of them have houses as cheap as $250K (still tiny). Nothing for $150K, unless you're talking foreclosure. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 The homes in the articles look nice but I prefer not having any stairs to climb. Probably why I prefer a condo to a townhome. In my zip code, the very cheapest house listing was $398,500 for a 3bed/1bath 1280 sq foot house. My neighbors with the same floor plan as my one bedroom one bath condo home has been selling for more than $460k. Single family homes are in the millions. I do appreciate being able to walk to the library, a 24/7 Safeway, banks and the light rail. The mobile homes cost more than $150k if I didn't remember wrongly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 Most of the listings around here for under $200k are for foreclosure auctions and you can't get a mortgage on most of those properties. Good for people with that kind of cash on hand, not so great for most homebuyers though. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 For 150000 ish here you can get a gorgeous condo on a gorgeous lake. 1400 2/2 on beautiful grounds. Or a 1700 sf move in ready 3/2/2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in TN Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 We sold our previous house on the south end of Nashville for $160K. Typical 3 bed/2.5 bath 1965 all brick ranch with a finished basement in a quiet neighborhood. Sure didn't have the lovely character of those historic homes, though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenCat Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 Just looked............... there were 17 homes listed for $149-151k. The biggest was 2800 sq feet and 70 years old. The smallest was 1100 sq feet and 4 years old (but it was in a really bad part of town, and was in an area with much older run down homes). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 So how freaking far out in the middle of absolutely nowhere are these beautiful homes? $150,000 here would buy you... nothing. Let's look around. I looked in a town near me and sorted by price. This is the cheapest house listed - Price? $530,000. Yeah, but COL means nothing. :glare: I looked at some less expensive towns to see if I could find anything. Some of them have houses as cheap as $250K (still tiny). Nothing for $150K, unless you're talking foreclosure. There are tons of charming and pretty homes or those with potential around here. They just aren't located in the nicest areas nor the suburbs. People are turned off by the schools. Go one town over where the schools have a great reputation, and you can't get an empty plot for that price. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 In most zip odes around me, you can get exactly nothing for $150k. never fear, you can buy this floating shed for just $55,000. You will have to pay moorage though, and that ain't cheap. http://www.trulia.com/property/3056864142-2450-Westlake-Ave-N-Seattle-WA-98109 I use redfin. I found some lots on perkins lane in magnolia (a 'better' seattle neighborhood) for $150K each. BELOW the bluff. just what I always wanted, to build BELOW magnolia bluff! sure, there are some nice water and mt views. as long as the bluff STAYS PUT! (for those not from here, the bluff is known for giving way. oh, and taking out houses at the bottom.) I did find some stuff down south. studios/townhouses that need work, etc. down south. I found this 590 sq ft house for $135K. https://www.redfin.com/WA/Seattle/5541-S-Leo-St-98178/home/178223 is rainier beach still seattle? eta: where I live - I found three 1bdrm condo's with a max size of 744sqft. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 I used redfin to find what the cheapest house currently on the market near me (other than rainier beach - which isn't. near me.). $325K - and it is so scary looking - they're marketing it as a tear down. (I had to save it. I'm too curious to see if it sells, and for how much. even junk houses can sell over list if it's in a prime spot. oh, and it just went on the market.) am I the only one who gets concerned if they won't show pix of the inside of the house? the cheapest listed with inside pix was $436K <1000sqft. (anyway, it was only about the 4th house I found.) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 My house was $150k (20 years ago). That included a lot of cane / oak furniture and some major appliances. 5 bedrooms, 3 full baths, semi-finished basement, on a wooded lot roughly 3/4 acre. 15 miles from 2 big cities and an international airport. School system rated "excellent." Don't hate me. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitestavern Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 Nm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 I use redfin. I found some lots on perkins lane in magnolia (a 'better' seattle neighborhood) for $150K each. BELOW the bluff. just what I always wanted, to build BELOW magnolia bluff! sure, there are some nice water and mt views. as long as the bluff STAYS PUT! (for those not from here, the bluff is known for giving way. oh, and taking out houses at the bottom.) I did find some stuff down south. studios/townhouses that need work, etc. down south. I found this 590 sq ft house for $135K. https://www.redfin.com/WA/Seattle/5541-S-Leo-St-98178/home/178223 is rainier beach still seattle? eta: where I live - I found three 1bdrm condo's with a max size of 744sqft. That house is in Seattle from the looks of it. There's a lot for sale in Lake City that doesn't look vaguely build-able. I drive past it and I think, slip sliding away, every single time. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted March 27, 2015 Author Share Posted March 27, 2015 Nm that didn't come out right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 I found 1,947 results of homes for sale in my city on Zillow. Zillow does a lousy job of excluding houses that have already been sold. (closed OR pending) I'm mad at Zillow. it gave me false hope when looking at houses for dd . . . . the house was exquisite and right in dd's budget. it was also recently sold. NOT "for sale". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Girls' Mom Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 You can get lucky in some areas that DO have jobs. Fort Worth, TX we bought a nice house, almost 3000sq ft, in a decent (not wonderful, but decent) neighborhood. We were in the city, near a library, and could walk or ride a bike to just about anything. We paid under 150K for it, and sold it for right at 150K around 4 years ago. It wasn't a new house, but it was clean, pretty, and in great condition. You can buy this house which is in our area. Not a bad area at all, a ton of new jobs opening up right now, and the location is very good for commuting to Knoxville or Oak Ridge, which are major employment areas. http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/7736-Tressa-Cir_Powell_TN_37849_M78720-68183?row=1 That said, there are many, many parts of the country that 150K won't get you squat..lol. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3 ladybugs Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 I found a piece of land not too far away in a good neighborhood for $100K. It is on a main road and isn't too big but hey, you can bring your own tent... or camper if you really want. :lol: :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 That house is in Seattle from the looks of it. There's a lot for sale in Lake City that doesn't look vaguely build-able. I drive past it and I think, slip sliding away, every single time. We have some of those of on my street. Not buildable but some one may buy it. One guy has been holding onto one for 30 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSmomof2 Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 In most zip odes around me, you can get exactly nothing for $150k. never fear, you can buy this floating shed for just $55,000. You will have to pay moorage though, and that ain't cheap. http://www.trulia.com/property/3056864142-2450-Westlake-Ave-N-Seattle-WA-98109 We're south of Seattle, and there is nothing here you can get for $150,000.....not even a condo or mobile home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murphy101 Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 Hmm... A very run-down country cottage. One bedroom flat in Edinburgh. Yikes. Thank goodness for the sheds and that trailer thing holding the cottage up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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