Homeowners know the bad news too well: residential real estate values have plummeted more than 25% nationally during the Great Recession, as much as 40-50% in some metro areas. The good news? The depressed housing market looks more and more like a giant opportunity for young first-time buyers lucky enough to have stable jobs, investors in rental properties, even empty nesters with enough equity left in their existing homes to downsize.
Here are 10 nice homes for sale in solid urban and suburban neighborhoods with asking prices under $100,000. See if you are as surprised as we were at how far $75,000 goes in some parts of the country. The median home price nationally hovers around $240,000.
The slideshow begins with the navigation bar to your right.
By Amy Pollak
Cleveland, Ohio
Asking Price: $89,900
Square Footage: 1,170
Bedrooms: 3
Bathrooms: 2
Upgrades to this 1927 colonial include a deck, new flooring, and a finished basement. It's located in Lakewood, a community right on Lake Erie about 5 miles west of downtown Cleveland. The median home price in hard-hit Cleveland is just $47,000, far below the national average.
Sponsored Content
Dallas, Tex.
Asking Price: $83,000
Square Footage: 1,093
Bedrooms: 3
Bathrooms: 1.5
This mid century modern style home is located in the Santa Garza neighborhood five miles east of downtown Dallas. White Rock Lake is close by. It features new wall-to-wall windows, updated floors and a renovated bathroom.
Sponsored Content
Decatur, Ga.
Asking Price: $65,000
Square Footage: 1,914
Bedrooms: 3
Bathrooms: 2.5
Built in 1993, here's the least expensive home on our list. Decatur is a suburb about 6 miles east of Atlanta, where metro housing prices have traditionally been far lower than the national average. It's located on a corner lot in a highly regarded local school district.
Sponsored Content
Detroit, Mich.
Asking Price: $89,000
Square Footage: 3,800
Bedrooms: 4-6
Bathrooms: 3
Here's what the housing market has become in one of America's most downtrodden cities. This tudor-style home has a 3-car garage, two full kitchens, 10-foot ceilings, a jacuzzi tub, and a finished basement. Located in the northwest Detroit neighborhood of Jefferson Chalmers, it could accommodate a large family or be turned into a rental property.
Sponsored Content
Kansas City, Mo.
Asking Price: $90,000
Square Footage: 2,921
Bedrooms: 5
Bathrooms: 1
Built in 1885, this Victorian-style house in the Pendelton Heights section of town has several fireplaces, a butler's pantry, stained glass windows, and original hardwood floors and molding. It's less than 2 miles from downtown Kansas City.
Sponsored Content
Las Vegas, Nev.
Asking Price: $89,500
Square Footage: 1,404
Bedrooms: 3
Bathrooms: 3
The Las Vegas metro housing market has been among the hardest hit in the nation. This home is located 9 miles north of the Las Vegas Strip. The owner recently reduced the asking price by $5,000.
Sponsored Content
Nampa, Idaho
Asking Price: $85,000
Square Footage: 1,546
Bedrooms: 3
Bathrooms: 2
Nampa is a suburban community 15 miles southwest of Boise. This home comes with stainless steel appliances, upscale landscaping, and an updated electrical system.
Sponsored Content
Penn Hills, Pa.
Asking Price: $72,999
Square Footage: 1,218
Bedrooms: 3
Bathrooms: 1
Even though this home was built in 1956, virtually everything on the inside has been overhauled--the kitchen, bathroom, flooring, windows, doors and electrical. Penn Hills lies 6 miles east of Pittsburgh.
Sponsored Content
Syracuse, N.Y.
Asking Price: $79,900
Square Footage: 1346
Bedrooms: 3
Bathrooms: 1
This 1913 Northside bungalow has been updated and well maintained. It features new windows, plus hardwood floors and moldings. It's located less than 5 miles from downtown Syracuse on a tree-lined street in a middle-class neighborhood.
Sponsored Content
Sioux City, Iowa
Asking Price: $95,000
Square Footage: 2664
Bedrooms: 4
Bathrooms: 2
The asking price recently dropped by $24,000 on this spacious home located on the north side of town. It features crown and baseboard moldings, hardwood floors, several fireplaces, and new windows, all in a family-friendly neighborhood.
Sponsored Content
More From Kiplinger
SLIDE SHOW: 10 Best Cities for the Next Decade
SLIDE SHOW: 8 Easy Projects to Add Value to Your Home
SLIDE SHOW: What $500,000 Buys You Now
SLIDE SHOW: U.S. Cities With Highest Cost of Living
SLIDE SHOW: 10 Energy-Efficient Moves to Do in a Weekend
Sponsored Content
-
$280 Million Boost Revives Florida’s Home-Hardening Grant ProgramA major infusion of state funds revives Florida's flagship home-hardening grant program to protect homeowners and potentially lower insurance costs.
-
Prime Day Savings? Watch Out for Sales Tax and Tariffs That Can Increase Your Total PriceSales Tax Amazon Prime Day 2025 can offer some opportunities to save, but this year, taxes and tariffs matter.
-
12 Great Places to Retire in the MidwestPlaces to live Here are our retirement picks in the 12 midwestern states.
-
10 Cheapest Small Towns to Live InThe cheapest small towns might not be for everyone, but their charms can make them the best places to live for plenty of folks.
-
Best Cold Weather Places to RetirePlaces to live Some like it hot; others, not so much. Here are the 12 best places to retire if you can't stand the heat.
-
The 24 Cheapest Places To Retire in the USWhen you're trying to balance a fixed income with an enjoyable retirement, cost of living is a crucial factor to consider.
-
The Six Best Places to Retire in New Englandplaces to live Thinking about a move to New England for retirement? Here are the best places to land for quality of life, affordability and other criteria.
-
Best Cold Weather Places to Retire
places to live Some like it hot; others not so much. Here are the 12 best places to retire if you can't stand the heat.
-
15 Ways to Prepare Your Home for Winterhome There are many ways to prepare your home for winter, which will help keep you safe and warm and save on housing and utility costs.
-
Hurricane Insurance Claims: 10 Things You Need to KnowBecoming a Homeowner Hurricane damage? Know what your insurance will and won't cover to make the most of your policy if you need to file a claim.
