Character Home, Historic, Garage, Finished Basement
1939 Waterloo Bungalow with Cove Ceilings, Trail Access, One Block from Cedar River — $139,900
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 | 1939 build, cove ceilings, formal dining, built-ins, fenced yard, garage, trail access |
| Condition | 25% | 7 | Newer roof, siding, windows, mechanicals, radon mitigation, new LVP flooring — strong updates |
| Price / Sq Ft | 15% | 6 | Listing $111/sqft vs zip median $96/sqft — ~16% above median; thin 7-comp data |
| Price vs. Market | 5% | 2 | $139,900 is ~54% above zip median of $90,586 — priced well above local comps |
| Market Conditions | 5% | 6 | DOM 12 days median, 97.5% sale-to-list, 26.8% price drops — mixed signals, mild buyer edge |
The cove ceilings are what you notice first. That detail alone tells you what era built this house and why it still has appeal. Cove ceilings in a 1939 bungalow are not an accident — they were crafted into the design, and they give the living room a weight and finish that newer builds at this price point simply skip. The formal dining room follows the same logic: a dedicated space with real walls, not a corner of an open floor plan.
The main floor runs 1,262 square feet total, with the living room, dining room, kitchen, two bedrooms, a full bath, and main-floor laundry all on one level. A third bedroom is upstairs, large enough to use seriously, with multiple built-in storage areas that fit the house's era. The basement is unfinished but dry, which means storage now and finishing later if you want it.
Updates here are substantial. Roof, siding, windows, mechanicals, radon mitigation, and new LVP flooring on the main floor — all done. That list matters because it means the money you spend going in can go toward things you choose, not things the house demands. Fenced yard, patio, one-car detached garage.
The location is specific: steps from the Cedar River, the Cedar Valley recreational trail system, parks, and ball fields. For someone who walks, runs, bikes, or just wants their kids to have somewhere to go outside that's not a parking lot, that's a real thing.
The price is the harder conversation. At $139,900, this house is about 54% above the zip code's median sale price of around $90,500, and roughly 16% above the median price per square foot for recent comps. The market here shows nearly 27% of listings taking price cuts, which suggests sellers are pushing above what the neighborhood readily supports. That gap is real and worth knowing before you move.
What the price buys you is a house that has already been maintained and updated, with pre-war character that holds up, in a spot where you can be on the trail in two minutes.
