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Cheap Houses

Section 1 - Chapter 3

Inexpensive Towns

The following is accurate at the time I am writing (2006). Towns often have inexpensive housing because of long-term employment problems, so the houses are probably still inexpensive whenever you are reading this. Prices can change quickly, however, and if you search online, some cheap homes may not be listed.

More on how to do your own research in a moment. This, then, is just a sampling of the towns that are affordable at the moment, based on the criteria laid out in chapter two. By the way, if you change the price criteria from under $50,000 to under $90,000, it would probably triple the number of towns.

Alpena, Michigan

Alpena is located on Thunder Bay on Lake Huron’s northwestern coastline, at the mouth of the Thunder Bay River. It has retained much of its architectural tradition from the turn of the last century, with well-preserved houses and buildings - especially in the "old town" section just north of the Thunder Bay River. It has a nice downtown area, next to the marina, where many summer boaters come in for a visit - including scuba divers checking out the Thunder Bay Underwater Preserve just off the coast. Alpena’s economy is supported by tourism, cement production, paper processing, automotive and machine products manufacturing. The fishing is great in the area, with ice fishing the most popular form.

We liked the town and the area, although the people in the north are a bit reserved. The last search I did showed dozens of homes for sale under fifty thousand,. The cheapest was listed at $25,000 (probably needs some work). There was also a four bedroom, two bath, 2000 square-foot home for $40,000.

Klamath Falls, Oregon

Located south central Oregon and near northern California, Klamath Falls sits on the southern shore of the Upper Klamath Lake, nestled in the Klamath Basin on the eastern slopes of the Cascade Mountains. Klamath Falls enjoys nearly 300 days of sunshine each year. It is only sixty miles south of Crater Lake, and seventy miles north of Mt. Shasta. Nearby, there is class 4 white water rafting on the Klamath River, spelunking in the Lava Beds National Park, and viewing of the largest northern US population of wintering Bald Eagles. The area also has the greatest concentration of fall waterfowl on the west coast.

My wife and I spent a morning there, and liked the town immediately. There were many houses under $50,000 listed in Klamath Falls not too long ago, but I think the town is quickly being discovered, so it may soon be off our list. My most recent check showed only eight homes under $75,000, and these were all small one or two-bedroom homes.

Aberdeen, Washington

The City of Aberdeen is located on the southern edge of the Olympic Peninsula at the convergence of the Wishkah and Chehalis Rivers. The economy of the area was based on logging and fishing, but in the last few years there has had to begin the conversion to an economy based more on tourism.

We loved the area when we drove through, and we think it won't be inexpensive for long. There are still cheap homes for sale, but the supply is dwindling. Recently, there were eight listings under $50,000, the cheapest being a $12,000 fixer-upper.

London, Kentucky

London is centrally located along Interstate 75 between the Daniel Boone & Cumberland Gap Parkways. It is close to five state parks and two national parks, as well as Laurel Lake, known for it's crystal clear waters.

There are cheap stick-built houses for sale in the 30's, and 40s, and some mobile homes on property for less than that. One problem here is that the best deals seem to be on the outskirts of town (we like to live in town.)

Truth-Or-Consequences, New Mexico

The City of Truth or Consequences is in Sierra County, in southwestern New Mexico. The area has some beautiful mountain and desert terrain. Nearby Elephant Butte Lake is the largest lake in the state. The town is on the banks of the Rio Grande river, and minutes from the Gila National Forest. The town used to be "Hot Springs," until the name was changed in order for the show "Truth-or-Consequences" to be filmed there briefly, in the fifties.

We have been there more than once for the hot mineral springs. A year ago there were still more than twenty homes for sale in or around town, for under $50,000. Now there is one.

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