Hidden Gem, Fireplace
1960 Andalusia Brick with Updated Systems on 0.43 Acres — $149,500
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 | 2,339 sqft, fireplace, fenced yard, 2-car carport, 0.43 acres |
| Condition | 25% | 7 | Roof, HVAC, water heater, electrical updated; cosmetic work remains; as-is with inspection right |
| Price / Sq Ft | 15% | 9 | $64/sqft listing vs $132 zip median — 51% below; thin data (5 comps) but directional |
| Price vs. Market | 5% | 6 | $149,500 vs $198,000 median — approximately 24% below zip median |
| Market Conditions | 5% | 7 | DOM 116 days, sale-to-list 95.1%, price drops 37.8% — clear buyer's market |
The price is what stops you. At $64 per square foot against a zip median of $132, this house is priced like it has serious problems. It does not. The roof is new, the HVAC is new, the water heater is new, the electrical panels have been updated. The expensive, invisible work is already done. What remains is cosmetic, which means you are buying a house that needs paint and choices, not a house that needs saving.
The square footage is worth pausing on too. The listing copy says "over 1,500 square feet" but the actual number is 2,339. That is a meaningful gap. Three bedrooms, two baths, a den with a fireplace, and enough room that a family could spread out and not feel like they are managing space. On 0.43 acres with a fenced backyard and a two-car carport, there is room outside as well. A garden. A dog. Kids. Some combination of all three.
The house was built in 1960, which in a place like Andalusia usually means brick construction and rooms that have actual walls between them. The fireplace in the den is the kind of thing that makes a room feel like it has a reason to exist in winter. None of this is fancy. It is solid and functional, which at this price is the right thing to be.
The as-is sale is the plainest version of the downside. You can inspect, but the seller makes no warranties and fixes nothing. In a house where the known systems have already been replaced, that exposure is smaller than it sounds, but it is real. You go in knowing you own whatever you find.
The market has been slow here. 116 days on the market, prices dropping on more than a third of listings, sale prices coming in around 95% of asking. Buyers have leverage right now, and at $149,500 for 2,339 square feet with updated mechanicals, there is not much more to ask for on the structural side of the equation.
