Hidden Gem
2,267 Square Feet in Northern California for $145K — $64 a Foot
6
out of 10
HousesUnder150K Score
Property Merit 50% · Condition 25% · Price/Sq Ft 15% · Market 10%
| Category | Wt. | Score | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property Merit | 50% | 7 | 2,267 sqft 3/2 in NorCal; no garage, pool, acreage, or character details noted |
| Condition | 25% | 5 | No system dates, no renovation history; description is vague and promotional |
| Price / Sq Ft | 15% | 10 | Listing $64/sqft vs zip median $139/sqft — 54% below; 8 comps, directional |
| Price vs. Market | 5% | 2 | Listing $145K vs zip median $104K — 39% above median; market skews low |
| Market Conditions | 5% | 6 | Median DOM 162 days; sale-to-list 96.6%; price drops 13.5% — mild buyer's market |
The number that stops you here is the price per square foot. At $64, it is 54% below the zip code median of $139. In Northern California, that almost never happens. The house is 2,267 square feet, three bedrooms, two baths, built in 1965, and it is sitting at $145,000. That is a lot of house for the money, and the money is low by any NorCal standard.
Alturas is the county seat of Modoc County, in the far northeastern corner of the state. It is genuinely remote. That is the context you need to hold when you look at this price, because the price makes sense once you know that. The median sale price in this zip code runs around $104,000, which means this listing is actually priced 39% above that median. So while the square footage cost is exceptional relative to broader NorCal values, within this specific market it is on the higher end. The town moves slowly. Median days on market here is 162, and about 13.5% of listings take price cuts. This one has been moving faster than that, which says something, though the listing data does not say exactly what.
Inside, the agent description mentions abundant natural light and a lot of windows, and an open layout. What it does not mention: any garage, any updates, any system ages, any renovation history. The condition score reflects that gap. You are looking at a 1965 house with no documented work done to it, which is a real unknown. Roof, HVAC, plumbing, electrical — none of that is disclosed here. For a house at this price, that is worth a serious inspection before anything else.
What the price makes possible is space. 2,267 square feet is genuinely big for a three-bedroom house, and at $145,000 you have room in your budget to fix what needs fixing and still come out well below what anything comparable would cost in most of California. If you can work remotely, or if Alturas is already your world, this is a lot of square footage for not much money, even with the unknowns.
