1950 Jackson Brick Cottage with Hardwoods, Archways, and a Detached HVAC'd Outbuilding — $148,500

The outbuilding is what makes this one worth a second look. It has heating and air, a sink, and appliance hookups. The agent calls it versatile, which is accurate but undersells it. That is a functional room sitting behind the house, not a shed. Whether you use it as a guest space, a workshop, a studio, or an actual second kitchen is up to you, but the infrastructure is already there.

The main house is a 1950 brick cottage, 1,842 square feet, three bedrooms, two full baths. At $80 a square foot it is priced like a house that needs work, and by the listing's own admission, it does. The agent says "a little tender love and care," which in 1950 brick cottage terms could mean anything from fresh paint to a full gut. You would want to walk it with that in mind.

What you can see in the photos is worth looking at. The hardwood floors are original and they run through the main rooms. The archways between spaces are the kind of detail that was standard in houses like this and has been stripped out of almost everything built since. There are wood doors, crown molding, and trim work throughout. None of it is fancy, but it is real and it is intact, which at this price point matters.

The kitchen has a separate dining room off it, and the agent notes good cabinet and counter space. The screened-in patio and a covered patio give you two usable outdoor areas, and the property is fenced.

Jackson is in southwest Alabama, and this house is in a downtown neighborhood near Jackson High School. The listing mentions shopping and restaurants within range, which tracks for a downtown block.

If you want a house that was built with some care and still shows it, this is worth seeing. If you need something move-in with no work ahead, this probably is not it.