These 10 Cities Are Your Best Bet for Finding a Home Under $100K

Here are the most promising listings.
a neighborhood
Photography by James Andrews / Getty Images

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The real-estate market has been on a roller-coaster ride the past year as millennials are supposedly fleeing skyscrapers for extra space in the suburbs. But just because the demand for a home is through the roof doesn’t mean you can’t find a good deal with enough research. A new study from Realtor.com details how, despite a nationwide housing shortage, there are still towns full of inexpensive properties. The report highlights the 10 metros across the country with the largest inventory under $100,000. We combed through each location to find our favorite listings available—from palatial fixer-uppers to smaller, move in–ready options. Read on to check them out.

Detroit

It may not look like much from the listing, but for a handy buyer willing to put elbow grease into massive renovations, a $90,000 Marinas-area home has a lot of potential—the property has its original chimney and large arched windows. 

St. Louis

For under $60,000, a Craftsman-style home in St. Louis’s Kingsway East neighborhood is all set to welcome new owners. With bulky, eye-catching molding, built-in bookshelves around the fireplace, and brand-new appliances, the house is already on its way to a successful renovation. All it needs is you.

Pittsburgh

While the facade may need sprucing up, the interiors of this $70,000 three-bed, two-bath unit in the Steel City appears to be in relatively good shape. A working fireplace and latticed wall paneling on the upper floor means you can put that money toward other reno projects.

Chicago

Break out the sledgehammers. A three-bedroom spot with a quirky-cute facade (we spy scalloped shingles!) in Chicago’s Morgan Park neighborhood is up for grabs for only $70,000.

Davenport, Iowa

Near the Village of East Davenport, a $75,000 two-bedroom is dotted with architectural gems, including an arched fireplace, shiplap, and sliding barn door. Plus the more pressing functional upgrades, like new windows and several appliances, are already completed.

Cleveland 

Oh, you thought the neon trend in the ’80s was cool? Well, what about the mint green wave of the ’80s? The 1880s. This $70,000 four-bedroom from the era just received a new coat of paint, and for being nearly 150 years old, the interiors are in good condition. (Don’t miss the arched entryway with original pocket doors.) Be warned, though: If we find out you bought it and painted it the same shade of off-white as every other house on the block, we’re going to come down there and change it back.

Birmingham, Alabama

Sweet curb appeal is the main draw of this $75,000 property. What’s better than sitting on an upper balcony and telling your kids the story of repairing the beautiful brick and wrought-iron railings?

Memphis

It’s so hot in Tennessee that having a second floor just means you’re closer to the sun. This three-bedroom ranch in the city’s Frayser neighborhood is just one level, and it’s a recently renovated blank slate for all your design dreams. It’s yours for a little under $79,000. 

Indianapolis

You can’t beat this Arts and Crafts–style home’s spacious porch. However, fresh exterior paint, upgraded cabinets, and newer appliances are certainly nice to have—and a steal at $70,000.

Huntington, West Virginia

This $89,000 place has everything a mid-century lover craves: wood paneling, a sunken bathtub, a freestanding fireplace, and an open staircase you can see through. Do we really have to go on, or is this time you could spend signing mortgage papers for it?

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