Character Home, Finished Basement, Updated HVAC
1961 Brick on SIU Cul-de-Sac, Finished Basement with Built-In Bar — $139,000
7
out of 10
HousesUnder150K Score
Property Merit 50% · Condition 25% · Price/Sq Ft 15% · Market 10%
| Category | Wt. | Score | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property Merit | 50% | 8 | 2,488 sqft brick, finished basement, built-in bar, hardwood floors, SIU walkable |
| Condition | 25% | 8 | New HVAC and electrical panel named; hardwood and original character intact; strong signals |
| Price / Sq Ft | 15% | 6 | Listing $56/sqft vs zip median $50/sqft — slightly above median; thin 6-comp data |
| Price vs. Market | 5% | 4 | $139K vs $148,936 median — about 7% below; within 10% band |
| Market Conditions | 5% | 7 | DOM 71 days, sale-to-list 93.8%, price drops 21.2% — clear buyer's market |
Two thousand four hundred eighty-eight square feet of brick house for $139,000, walking distance from Southern Illinois University. That's the thing that makes you stop. In most college towns, being this close to campus adds a premium. Here it seems to have barely registered.
The house is a 1961 brick rancher on a cul-de-sac, and the main level runs 1,344 square feet with hardwood floors in the bedrooms and the kind of detail work that held up because it was built to hold up. The paint is fresh. The character is intact. It reads as a house that was kept, not neglected.
What sells it, though, is downstairs. The basement adds roughly 1,200 square feet of finished space, which means the lower level is almost as big as the main floor. There's a bathroom, a bonus room large enough to use as a bedroom or office, a built-in bar, and a laundry and utility area with enough room to rough in a small kitchenette if you wanted one. The new HVAC system and new electrical panel are already done, which takes two significant line items off the table before you even move in. Outside there's a screened-in patio, a covered carport, and extra storage.
The proximity to SIU is real. This is walkable, and that has obvious implications whether you're thinking about living here yourself or renting it out. A house this size, on this lot, with a finished basement and a separate living area downstairs, has options. A family could spread out. Someone running a rental could set up the lower level independently. A person working from home could take the bonus room and barely notice anyone else in the house.
The market in Carbondale is slow right now. Prices have dropped on about a fifth of active listings, and homes are selling at roughly 94 cents on the dollar. You have room to negotiate. At asking, this is $139,000 for a solid brick house with good bones and a basement that doubles your usable space. That's hard to replicate.
