Three properties came on the market under our sign this week. I want to point out something about them before I get to the addresses, because it is the actual story here.
All three have already been worked on. Not staged — worked on. New flooring, new roofs, remodeled kitchens, fresh paint. That is unusual for one week in Southern Illinois, where most of what comes up for sale is a good house that needs a weekend or twelve. If you have been touring homes all summer and walking out doing math on a roof, this is your week.
Jackson County
710 Creekside Lane, DeSoto — $245,000
| Asking price | $245,000 |
| Bedrooms / baths | 3 / 2 |
| Square feet | 1,636 |
| Asking per square foot | about $150 |
| Lot | roughly one acre |
This one sits off Reed Station Road, in the stretch between DeSoto and Carbondale — which means you are ten minutes from campus and the hospital and still looking at your own acre out the kitchen window. That combination is rarer than people think. Most of the land around here is either much further out or much smaller.
The house has been completely remodeled. Vaulted ceilings in the living room open into an upgraded kitchen with a pantry and an island, which is the layout people actually ask me for and rarely find at this price. Three bedrooms, two baths, 1,636 square feet.
Now, the honest part: $150 a foot is above the Jackson County median, and somebody is going to tell you it is priced high. Look at what is on the other side of that number. A remodel is not a discount you get later — it is a bill you either pay or you do not. This seller already paid it. If you would rather write a check for a finished house than spend two years and a contractor's schedule getting there, this is the trade you are looking for. See every SIRE listing in DeSoto ›
Williamson County
1400 Hazel Street, Johnston City — $195,100
| Asking price | $195,100 |
| Bedrooms / baths | 3 / 2 |
| Square feet | 1,464 |
| Asking per square foot | about $133 |
| Year built | 2007 |
Built in 2007, so you are not inheriting anybody's 1960s wiring. Three bedrooms, two baths, 1,464 square feet, all on one level, in one of Johnston City's better subdivisions on about half an acre.
The seller did the expensive things: new roof, new garage door, new laminate flooring through the main living area, kitchen and hallways, and a new deck. The two-car garage runs deep enough for a workshop. I wrote this one up in full on Wednesday — if you want the whole walkthrough and why "already done" beats "cheaper," read that one here. See every SIRE listing in Johnston City ›
1020 N Court Street, Marion — $130,000
| Asking price | $130,000 |
| Square feet | 1,047 |
| Asking per square foot | about $124 |
| Property type | Office building with live-in quarters |
This is the interesting one, and it is the one most people will scroll past because it is filed under commercial.
It is a fully remodeled office building in Marion — new interior and exterior paint, updated flooring, modern kitchen cabinets, a converted bathroom — and it has live-in quarters. At $130,000, run the math against what a small office lease costs in Marion over ten years. For a lot of solo practitioners, insurance agents, therapists, trades offices and one-truck contractors, buying this building is cheaper than renting somewhere less nice.
Two things to check before you fall in love with the live-in part: zoning and occupancy for that specific parcel. Confirm it with the City of Marion, not with a listing description and not with me. If it works for your use, this is the kind of building that quietly changes a small business's balance sheet. See every SIRE commercial listing ›
What This Week Actually Tells You
Three listings is not a trend, and I am not going to pretend it is. But there is a pattern worth naming: all three sellers spent money before they listed, and all three are asking above their town's median per foot because of it.
Buyers keep asking me whether the "fixer" is the smart play. Sometimes it is — I have watched people build real equity out of a rough house. But the discount on a project house in this market is rarely as big as the work costs, and the work happens on a contractor's calendar in a county where contractors are booked. When a seller hands you a finished house at $130 to $150 a foot, that is often the cheaper deal by the time you actually live in it.
The other thing: $130,000 to $245,000 is the whole range this week. Nothing in here requires a jumbo loan or a bidding war. This is a normal market with normal houses at normal prices, which is not the story you are getting from the national headlines.
Questions I Got This Week
Are these three listings all yours?
Is $150 a square foot too much for DeSoto?
Can I really live in the Marion building?
Will you tell me when the next batch comes on?
💰 Three New Listings. Know Your Number Before You Tour Them.
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📱 Want to See One of These? Text Greg.
Want a private showing on one of this week's new listings? Text Greg Holthaus directly — just tell him which address. He'll help you think through your decision, match you with the best broker for your situation, and point you in the right direction. He's open to a text any time.
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Who is Greg Holthaus?
Greg Holthaus is the Owner and Designated Managing Broker of Southern Illinois Realty Experts, with 25+ years in Southern Illinois real estate and more than 10,000 transactions closed. He leads a full-service operation — home sales, mortgage, title, and property management under one roof — with offices in Marion, Herrin, and Carbondale. Meet Greg ›
About the numbers: Prices, bedroom and bathroom counts, square footage and lot sizes come from local MLS listing data for these three active listings, retrieved September 11, 2026. Per-square-foot figures are calculated from asking price and published living area. All three properties are listed by Southern Illinois Realty Experts. Asking prices are what sellers hope to get, not what homes close for. Any property described here can go under contract, sell, or change price at any time — if one catches your eye, reach out and we will confirm current status. Property descriptions are drawn from the listing and from what our brokers have seen in person; they are not inspections, appraisals, or valuations. Zoning and occupancy questions on commercial property should be confirmed with the municipality. Nothing here is a loan offer or rate quote.