1966 La Harpe Ranch on 0.64 Acres, Heavily Updated — $148,900

The lot is what gets your attention first. Two-thirds of an acre on a cul-de-sac, fenced in back, with a covered patio that has some real size to it. In a town like La Harpe, that kind of space for this price is worth paying attention to.

The house itself is a 1966 ranch, 1,380 square feet, two bedrooms and one and a half baths. The layout reads like a straightforward single-story place, and the work that's been done to it over the past few years is more thorough than you typically see at this price point.

Starting from the outside: new siding on the front and back, most windows replaced, exterior doors replaced, and the electrical lines from the pole to the house have been buried. That last one matters. Underground service is quieter, safer, and stops you from losing power every time a branch comes down. The panel itself was upgraded from 100 to 200 amps, which gives you room if you ever want to add anything.

Inside, laminate flooring runs through most of the house. The main bath has been remodeled. The kitchen got Corian countertops and a tile backsplash, which is a step up from what you find in a lot of houses this age without a full gut renovation. New 50-gallon water heater.

Outside they added landscaping and a new sidewalk. The backyard is enclosed, and with that covered patio you've got a usable outdoor space for a good chunk of the year.

At $108 per square foot, you're paying for a house that someone has already put money into rather than one you'd need to work through. The bones here are a 1960s ranch, so you know what that means structurally: straightforward, low to the ground, easy to heat. The renovations are practical ones. Nothing here is cosmetic for the sake of it.

The agent listing says "not much left to do." Based on what's been updated, that reads as close to accurate.