Character Home, Garage, New Roof, Historic, Finished Basement
1930 Southside Ottumwa with Metal Roof, 2-Car Garage, and Bonus Room — $99,999
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 | 1930 3BR, bonus room, 2-car garage, fenced yard, partial basement; solid package |
| Condition | 25% | 7 | Metal roof, newer windows, central air, new garage roof 2024; well-maintained claim supported |
| Price / Sq Ft | 15% | 9 | $74/sqft vs $132 zip median — 44% below; thin 8-comp base, still strong signal |
| Price vs. Market | 5% | 6 | $99,999 vs $149,935 median — 33% below zip median; solid discount |
| Market Conditions | 5% | 6 | 32.4% price drops and 95.8% sale-to-list signal mild buyer advantage; DOM 51 days |
The price is what stops you. At $99,999, this is sitting 44% below the zip code's price-per-square-foot median, and about $50,000 below what comparable homes in the area are selling for. That gap is wide enough to mean something, even accounting for Ottumwa's generally affordable market.
The house itself is a 1930 three-bedroom on the Southside, 1,348 square feet, with one bedroom on the main level and two upstairs. Between those upper bedrooms there's a bonus room, which gives you a little breathing room that most houses this size don't have. Home office, playroom, reading nook — whatever fits your life. The layout is more flexible than the square footage number suggests.
What's been done to this place is the more interesting story. Metal roof. Newer windows. Central air. The 2-car detached garage just got a new roof this summer. That's a real list of updates, not cosmetic stuff. These are the systems you'd otherwise be staring at and budgeting for on day one. Someone has been paying attention to this house.
There's a partial basement with laundry and storage, which handles the practical side. The yard is fenced, reasonably sized, and gives you outdoor space without a lot of complexity. A family with kids or a dog gets a usable backyard. Someone who wants to garden has room to do it.
The honest caveat: this is one bath for three bedrooms, which is a real daily constraint if more than one or two people are moving through the house in the morning. That's the trade you make at this price point, and it's worth knowing going in.
What $99,999 buys you here is a well-maintained 94-year-old house with major systems already addressed, a garage that can double as a workshop, and enough space to live without feeling compressed. For a first home, a small family, or someone who wants low overhead and a house that mostly takes care of itself, this is a reasonable case.
