Historic, Garage, Finished Basement
1920 Mason City Brick House with Garage, 60% Below Zip Median — $75,000
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 | 1920 brick, 1400 sqft, full basement, attached garage, porch; pre-1950 floor qualifier met |
| Condition | 25% | 6 | Forced air gas and central AC confirmed; no system dates, no renovation history mentioned |
| Price / Sq Ft | 15% | 9 | Listing $54/sqft vs zip median $134/sqft — 60% below; thin 8-comp data, directional signal strong |
| Price vs. Market | 5% | 9 | $75K vs $184,920 median — 59% below zip median sale price |
| Market Conditions | 5% | 6 | DOM 49 days, sale-to-list 97.5%, price drops 25% — mild buyer's advantage |
At $75,000, this 1920 brick house in Mason City is priced so far below what comparable homes in the zip code sell for that the number itself is the story. The median sale price in the area runs around $185,000. This one is listed at less than half that. At 1,400 square feet, that works out to $54 per square foot against a zip median of $134. Something that far off the middle either has serious problems or has been priced to move fast. The listing gives no renovation history and no system dates, so you do not know how old the furnace is or when anything was last touched. That gap in information matters.
What you get for the money is a two-story brick house with three bedrooms, one full bath, a full unfinished basement, and an attached one-car garage. The brick construction alone is worth paying attention to. Buildings from 1920 that are still standing in livable condition have held up through a century of Iowa winters, and brick does not ask much of you in terms of exterior maintenance. The garage is attached, which at this price point is genuinely unusual. The porch is there too, though the listing says nothing more about it.
The basement is unfinished, which means there is room to expand the usable square footage if you want to put work into it. A family that needs more space over time could build it here. Someone who wants to keep costs low and work up gradually has the structure to do that. Forced air gas heat and central air are confirmed, so the basics are covered.
The honest concern is what the listing leaves out. No mention of the roof, no system ages, no updates. The house has been sitting for 49 days, and 25% of listings in this market have taken price cuts. That context suggests some patience may be required on the seller's side, which gives you room to negotiate and to ask hard questions before committing.
A century-old brick house with a garage in Mason City for $75,000 is a real number. The work it will take to know exactly what you are buying is worth doing.
