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This Instagram Account Shares Hope-Reaffirming Real Estate Listings (30 Pics)
Real estate is a good investment, but it requires lots of scrimping and saving and even taking out loans. Right? Fortunately—no. There are some amazing deals and fabulous houses out there that won’t break the bank and will leave you very happy. Especially since some homes cost a grand total of 0 dollars.
One of the best places to find low-priced but beautiful properties is the Cheap Old Houses Instagram account that has over 1.3 million loyal followers. The account has helped countless Americans and Europeans find their new homes and showcases the country’s hidden gems.
So scroll down, dear Pandas, upvote your favorite houses, and share which properties you liked the most and why.
More info: Instagram | Facebook | CheapOldHouses.com | CircaOldHouses.com
This post may include affiliate links.
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#2
Sean Harrison 5 years ago
I would totally live there. Hopefully, when I finish college, I can start saving money to buy a house.
The Cheap Old Houses Instagram page is run by husband and wife Elizabeth and Ethan Finkelstein. Elizabeth is also the founder of Circa Old Houses, a company dedicated to selling historic homes to buyers who want to preserve them.
“There are a lot of people out there who look at a house and think, Wow, this looks like a lot of work. And then there are the people who look at the same house and think, That looks like a lot of work—and I cannot wait,” Elizabeth told Garden & Gun.
For her, it’s vital that these iconic buildings and American and European history be preserved. “In so many instances, these homes are vulnerable to being flipped or destroyed. They also kind of go under the radar. Real estate agents are not making a huge commission off of a thirty-thousand dollar house, and so generally they don’t do the extra things, like hire professional photographers.”
#6
The homes that Elizabeth and Ethan feature on their page are generally under 100k dollars. But the price can be as low as 2.5k dollars, 1k dollars, and… free! You can’t really get a better deal than that, unless somebody actually pays you to live somewhere.
It’s a win-win situation. Anyone who’s looking for a family home gets to put down roots without getting up to their necks in debt; meanwhile, Elizabeth and Ethan get to preserve history and build up the community of old house lovers.
“We believe that you’re being sold the wrong American dream. Contrary to what everyone else says, you don’t actually need to buy a million-dollar house and go into extreme debt to live a satisfying and beautiful life,” they write on their website. “Our philosophy of life is simple. Work hard. Find something beautiful, something well-crafted. Something that needs you. Nurture it. Learn about it. Spend time honing your skills so you understand it. Teach your family to do the same. And give back to history while doing it.”
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Aria Whitaker 5 years ago
That last room has some pretty extensive water damage on the ceiling...hope it is nothing too severe, that can get pretty costly!
#12
Pseudo Puppy 5 years ago
how is real estate soooooo cheap in the US???? In Sydney Australia, a 2 bedroom apartment, build in the 80's or earlier, 40 minutes out from the city, can still cost you $500,000+
KatHat 5 years ago
Because it's about location. Many of these homes will be far out in the suburbs or in small towns that are dying. The most beautiful house in the world will be useless to most people if you have to drive forever to go anywhere and if the closest shop is an hour away.
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Amy Foley Clark 5 years ago
Nice house but I've been to Cairo Illinois and it is a very impoverished town. Also it floods.
Jo Jo Jones 5 years ago
In the uk the further into the country side the property is, the more expensive it is, hence why there's no uk property on this list
Ellen Daniels 5 years ago
Imagine slum housing all around one of these gorgeous old homes, and the expectations of anyone who had enough money rehab and operating costs. There are reasons that these homes are offered for far, far less than your average ****-box dwelling in a livable area. However, our real estate is still much less expensive than yours. We had/have more developable land, I guess. Location matters. In Cleveland, Ohio a home that goes for 80,000. will cost $600,000 on a newly gentrifying street in Portland Oregon. More in California. Further, we are largely a car-required society. Much if not most of our housing is "bedroom communities" which are neighborhoods where a trip to the store for milk requires a drive. In Ohio, even avid cyclists tend to park their bikes from November to April at least, due to weather conditions.
Timothy Sykes 5 years ago
Just saw a YouTube video about this town. Everybody's leaving. No one wants to live here because of unemployment and no economy.
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Meyer Weinstock 5 years ago
It's Bodfish. Sure, Lake Isabella is nice, but the only employer is the state prison in Tehachapi.
#37
Michael Vickery 5 years ago
You'd have to live in Laurel. I live near there, the city has one of the worst crime rates in the nation. There was a local singer/songwriter who used to have a song that went "Laurel is a dirty, filthy, smelly place."
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Leslie Tollefson 5 years ago
If I remember right, this is an old coffin factory. Complete with old coffins still. The Hubs and I REALLY want this one!!
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What do you think ?
Aunt Messy 5 years ago
And every single one of those houses needs a MINIMUM of $500.000.00 in renovations before you could move in. The electrical would need to be redone because they look flat out dangerous, the walls are cracking, the foundations are rotting, there's no real heating system, every single roof needs replacing. ...///... When you buy anything cheap, you get EXACTLY what you pay for.
Ellen 5 years ago
Yes exactly what I came here to say! Also there's a lot of cheap property in southern states they're not idea places to live, in the middle of no where, and not conveniently near metropolitan hubs, I know states like Kentucky you can easily find homes, while small, and in remote locations, for like 20-40k, so there's that and the others above in more high population areas like Messy said probably have massive renovation, treatment, and overhauls needed, something as seemingly unnoticeable as a roof could be due for a replacement and just that is thousands of dollars. People need to understand they ain't just paying the price listed let me tell you
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Sandra Charlot 5 years ago
Buying a creepy victorian house in the middle of nowhere for only $65.000 ... Isn't it the way the horror movies start?
Fred L. 5 years ago
The horror movies are less scary - you either inherit the houses or they belong to somebody else.
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Jessica 5 years ago
you can get grants to restore old houses...at our local community collage they have courses to learn how to renovate old houses and they fix up houses in the community... there are ways around spending a ton of money restoring beautiful worth it houses... There is so much beautiful craftsmanship that's went into most of these houses, its sad they weren't kept up on
Crissy Brandt 5 years ago
Yeah they are beautiful but I’m going to need more info about the neighborhoods they are in. Looking at you St Louis, MO.
Troux 5 years ago
Some of these are good deals, but most are cheap because either they are in extremely remote locations which may even struggle with basic utilities and access; or they must be fixed before they can be lived in. They still might be a good investment, but that investment will be about 5x the listing price.
SirPatTheCat 5 years ago
My parents bought an old victorian that needed some work, fixed it up according to code and the style of the house, furnished it with cool antiques and stuff, even had this dude make some cool period stained glass windows. It's so cool and I love it so much, I wish more people would respect old houses. I'm not saying you have to completely redo any house you buy, just don't buy an old house with amazing details if you're going to stucco over the front, paint the original finished wood trim, etc. It just hurts my soul ;(
Mark Serbian 5 years ago
I think it would be fun to show what the equivalent money could buy in, like, San Francisco. Probably be, you know, PART of a parking spot...
K.Kobayashi 5 years ago
But why compare apples and oranges? For someone who has a job in San Francisco, a mansion in the middle of Ohio would be worthless. A liability, in fact.
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Giancarlo del vita 5 years ago
you need to read the Disclaimer that Instagram account makes, saying that these are just examples they see, but reality may be different and you'd have to check with the actual listing agencies.
Lisa 5 years ago
This was fun but most of them homes require costly renovations to get them liveable or ghastly utility bills while still having to renovate. Some friends before they were divorced bought a grand old house, it was in constant need to renovation. He was always working on it til they gave up, she moved to another city and he started a new family. The stairs were very murder-y if drunk.
Kim Lorton 5 years ago
Wow. Some of these are wonderful houses, that with a little love and some money, totally worth the effort and time and money! I am amazed at how wonderful they are!
John Baker 5 years ago
Maybe I'm just spoiled by how affordable the cost of living is in the "flyover zone", but I wouldn't for a second consider paying a hundred grand for a house as old and needing as much work as most of these.
Fixin'Ta 5 years ago
So, most of these places had lovely qualities -- at least in the few pictures they showed. In most cases we only got to see what made them special -- not what made them cheap. I think even Chip and Joanna Gaines would have trouble meeting budget on most of these. But it's always a shame when beautiful old homes fall to ruin.
Ellen Daniels 5 years ago
Not in the decently built older bungalows. Not against Cleveland Ohio price standards, at least.
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Jonathan Armstrong 5 years ago
A lot of them are houses that need to be fixed up. Maybe just fixed and flipped.
Pungent Sauce 5 years ago
All beautiful, all far below code, and all 100% qualifiers for a scary movie shoot. You might get rid of the plumbing and electrical demons, but some might not go so willingly......
KT 5 years ago
Still most are good buys if you have the cash. I would love to live somewhere remote, a quiet town away from all the city hassles.
Ellen Daniels 5 years ago
Check out the neighbors and what they do for fun, first. And the crime rates.
Load More Replies...
Aunt Messy 5 years ago
And every single one of those houses needs a MINIMUM of $500.000.00 in renovations before you could move in. The electrical would need to be redone because they look flat out dangerous, the walls are cracking, the foundations are rotting, there's no real heating system, every single roof needs replacing. ...///... When you buy anything cheap, you get EXACTLY what you pay for.
Ellen 5 years ago
Yes exactly what I came here to say! Also there's a lot of cheap property in southern states they're not idea places to live, in the middle of no where, and not conveniently near metropolitan hubs, I know states like Kentucky you can easily find homes, while small, and in remote locations, for like 20-40k, so there's that and the others above in more high population areas like Messy said probably have massive renovation, treatment, and overhauls needed, something as seemingly unnoticeable as a roof could be due for a replacement and just that is thousands of dollars. People need to understand they ain't just paying the price listed let me tell you
Load More Replies... Sandra Charlot 5 years ago
Buying a creepy victorian house in the middle of nowhere for only $65.000 ... Isn't it the way the horror movies start?
Fred L. 5 years ago
The horror movies are less scary - you either inherit the houses or they belong to somebody else.
Load More Replies... Jessica 5 years ago
you can get grants to restore old houses...at our local community collage they have courses to learn how to renovate old houses and they fix up houses in the community... there are ways around spending a ton of money restoring beautiful worth it houses... There is so much beautiful craftsmanship that's went into most of these houses, its sad they weren't kept up on
Crissy Brandt 5 years ago
Yeah they are beautiful but I’m going to need more info about the neighborhoods they are in. Looking at you St Louis, MO.
Troux 5 years ago
Some of these are good deals, but most are cheap because either they are in extremely remote locations which may even struggle with basic utilities and access; or they must be fixed before they can be lived in. They still might be a good investment, but that investment will be about 5x the listing price.
SirPatTheCat 5 years ago
My parents bought an old victorian that needed some work, fixed it up according to code and the style of the house, furnished it with cool antiques and stuff, even had this dude make some cool period stained glass windows. It's so cool and I love it so much, I wish more people would respect old houses. I'm not saying you have to completely redo any house you buy, just don't buy an old house with amazing details if you're going to stucco over the front, paint the original finished wood trim, etc. It just hurts my soul ;(
Mark Serbian 5 years ago
I think it would be fun to show what the equivalent money could buy in, like, San Francisco. Probably be, you know, PART of a parking spot...
K.Kobayashi 5 years ago
But why compare apples and oranges? For someone who has a job in San Francisco, a mansion in the middle of Ohio would be worthless. A liability, in fact.
Load More Replies... Giancarlo del vita 5 years ago
you need to read the Disclaimer that Instagram account makes, saying that these are just examples they see, but reality may be different and you'd have to check with the actual listing agencies.
Lisa 5 years ago
This was fun but most of them homes require costly renovations to get them liveable or ghastly utility bills while still having to renovate. Some friends before they were divorced bought a grand old house, it was in constant need to renovation. He was always working on it til they gave up, she moved to another city and he started a new family. The stairs were very murder-y if drunk.
Kim Lorton 5 years ago
Wow. Some of these are wonderful houses, that with a little love and some money, totally worth the effort and time and money! I am amazed at how wonderful they are!
John Baker 5 years ago
Maybe I'm just spoiled by how affordable the cost of living is in the "flyover zone", but I wouldn't for a second consider paying a hundred grand for a house as old and needing as much work as most of these.
Fixin'Ta 5 years ago
So, most of these places had lovely qualities -- at least in the few pictures they showed. In most cases we only got to see what made them special -- not what made them cheap. I think even Chip and Joanna Gaines would have trouble meeting budget on most of these. But it's always a shame when beautiful old homes fall to ruin.
Ellen Daniels 5 years ago
Not in the decently built older bungalows. Not against Cleveland Ohio price standards, at least.
Load More Replies... Jonathan Armstrong 5 years ago
A lot of them are houses that need to be fixed up. Maybe just fixed and flipped.
Pungent Sauce 5 years ago
All beautiful, all far below code, and all 100% qualifiers for a scary movie shoot. You might get rid of the plumbing and electrical demons, but some might not go so willingly......
KT 5 years ago
Still most are good buys if you have the cash. I would love to live somewhere remote, a quiet town away from all the city hassles.
Ellen Daniels 5 years ago
Check out the neighbors and what they do for fun, first. And the crime rates.
Load More Replies... Related on Bored Panda
