Find Cheap Homes for Sale in Great Towns

How to Buy Cheap Homes to Live in
and How to Invest in Real Estate

Little Pink House A real estate website for buyers, sellers and investors.

The house to the left is in a beautiful mountain town and was bought for $17,500 about ten years ago. You can read that story on our page on buying a home in Anaconda, Montana. Prices went up quickly after this purchase, but they dropped again after the boom years. There are still nice towns with good homes under $50,000, but now this website also covers affordable housing at higher prices and information on investing in real estate.

New Pages - News - Tips

An Inefficient Market - April 22, 2013 - The best investors on Wall Street lose money on an investment regularly. They may make a profit more often than they lose, but losses are regular, at least in the short-term, because the stock market is what's referred to as an efficient market. In such a market place there are enough people involved and almost all relevant information is... Continue reading here...

We Sell Our Condo (Instead of Renting It) - March 18, 2013 - Sometimes plans are just a way to get started doing something. Hopefully that something works out well, even if it was not part of the original idea. If you have read the first... Continue reading here...

Your Hometown Investing Advantage - When you invest near where you live it's easier for you to see the trends in home prices, employment, rental rates and other things that will affect future prices. You will likely here about the new employers coming to the area and notice the neighborhoods that are declining or getting better before an outsider would, so take advantage of your position.

Prices Are Rising, But...

Home prices are certainly going up in most areas of the country now, but be careful about reading too much into the numbers when you are thinking about selling your own home. Don't assume that the value of your house has risen 20% just because the reports say real estate values have risen 20% where you live. How these things are measured makes a difference.

For example, if there are many foreclosed houses that need work and so are selling cheap, the sales of these will hold down the averages. Then, if in the following year these properties are mostly sold, the average sales price might be much higher, but simply because there are fewer cheap fixer-upper foreclosures. This doesn't necessarily mean that the average price of homes that are ready to live in has gone up much, if at all. So before thinking it is time to cash in on rising values, check for sales of homes that are truly comparable to yours. That is what will tell you what buyers are willing to pay.

Cheap Homes Guide

Real Cost of Buying a Home - How to properly compare your options.
Inexpensive Homes and Other Criteria - Theaters, restaurants; just updated.
Where to Find Cheap Homes - Houses under $50,000.
Cheap Houses: More Places - Homes under $30,000.
Cheapest Houses for Sale in the U.S. - Less than $1,000?!
The Cheapest Homes - Our latest update, covering dozens of cities and towns.
Condo Living - Why we chose a condo... and our experience.
Mobile Homes: A Decent Option - There are a few you may not have thought of.
Buying a Condo in Florida - We had to cancel the contract because...
Buying a House Without a Loan - How to do it.
Cheap Condos - Cities with condos under $50,000.
How to Find Cheap Houses for Sale - Six distinct ways to buy cheap.
Really Cheap Housing - Ways to keep renting or buying inexpensive.

Selling a Home

How to Sell a House - An entire e-book now free on this site.
Selling a House - What to do about the kitchen.
How to Sell Your House without a Realtor - Tips and possible problems.
Selling a House in this Market - Six suggestions for tough times.
Sell Your Home? - Or wait for prices to rise?

Real Estate Investing

Psychology of Real Estate Investing - A couple examples to learn from.
Renting Out a Condo - Part one of our experience buying a rental condo.
Investing in Real Estate - Index of all related pages; updated for 2012.
100 Ways to Profit from Real Estate - Read the entire list right now!
Is Real Estate a Good Investment Now? - That depends on what kind...
Three Real Estate Investment Ideas - For questionable markets.
Real Estate Investment Tips - Eighteen tips for investors.
Tips for Flipping a House - Six suggestions.

Real Estate Financing

Financing Glossary - The terms defined from A to Z.
Loan Pre-Approval - Pre-approval can help get your offer accepted.
Veteran Home Loans - Why this could be a great time to take advantage.
Mortgage Points? - Should you pay them or not?
Mortgage Cycling - Nothing new; just a twist on an old idea.
Raise Your Credit Score - A half-dozen ways to do it.
Inefficient Market - That's what real estate is, and why it's interesting.

Other Real Estate

Alternative Housing - School busses, houseboats and more (updated for 2013).
Tiny Houses - From 65 square feet and up...
International Real Estate - Index of our pages on other countries.
Renting or Buying in Cape Town - Real estate in South Africa.
Living in Thailand - What you need to know.
Living in New Zealand - Where to live; whether to rent or buy.
Living in Malaysia - Some of the housing options, visa tips, and other information.
Rentals in Israel - Key things you need to know.
Amsterdam Real Estate - The newest addition to our international pages.
Ecuador Real Estate - Escape winter forever.
Country Real Estate - Some examples of what's out there.
Cabins for Sale - Cheap - Updated for 2012, examples and ideas.
Cheap Land for Sale - Some examples from around the country.

News and Opinion

Real Estate Dishonesty - The industry needs to clean itsefl up.
Buy a Home Using Government Advice? - Look at these examples...
Real Estate Prices - Thirteen cities where they are falling fast.
The Most Expensive Cities? - It isn't that easy to say, but...
FHA Inspection - A Sham? - Our experience and thoughts about the system.
The Benefits of the Housing Slump? - There are some good ones...
Market Volatility - Does your home's value change by 10% daily?
Living Abroad - All about the process and job prospects.
A Good Time to Buy a Home? - Find out how to decide.

Other Pages

Expensive Homes - The most expensive small towns in America.
Find Pet Friendly Condos - How to do it and what to look for.
Hold a Proper Moving Sale - A how-to guide to doing it right.
Buying a New Home - What you need to know.
Cash Real Estate - The trend toward cash sales of houses and condos is here.
Housing Cost - Where it is the highest, and how to keep it lower.
Find Your Own Inexpensive Houses - How to research; updated for 2013.
Cities With Inexpensive Houses - Affordability based on price-to-income ratios.