Three new properties came on under our sign since Friday. The cheapest is $7,000. The most expensive is $215,000. There is nothing in between, and that gap is the whole reason I am writing this one up.
People tell me constantly that there is nothing left to buy in Southern Illinois and that everything under $100,000 is a teardown. Two of this week's three listings say otherwise, and I am going to show you the actual numbers rather than argue about it.
Jackson County
15 Pine Lane, Murphysboro — $215,000
| Asking price | $215,000 |
| Bedrooms / baths | 3 / 2 |
| Square feet | about 1,500 |
| Asking per square foot | about $143 |
| Lot | large corner lot |
This sits on a large corner lot in an established neighborhood on the Carbondale side of Murphysboro. That address line matters more than the square footage does. You are close enough to the university, the hospital and the Carbondale job base to make the drive without thinking about it, and you are paying Murphysboro taxes and Murphysboro prices to do it.
The house itself is clean: three bedrooms, two baths, roughly 1,500 square feet, and a floor plan that actually works instead of a hallway with rooms stapled to it. The seller did new flooring, updated both bathrooms, fresh exterior paint and updated lighting. That is the expensive list, and it is already paid for.
There are 17 active listings in Murphysboro right now. Seventeen. If you are waiting for a better one to come along, understand that you are waiting on a very short list. See every SIRE listing in Murphysboro ›
Franklin County
612 S Jesse Street, Christopher — $80,000
| Asking price | $80,000 |
| Bedrooms / baths | 2 / 1 |
| Square feet | 1,250 |
| Asking per square foot | about $64 |
| Basement | Full — unfinished |
Two bedrooms, one bath, 1,250 square feet, corner lot, move-in ready. It is not a project. The owners outgrew it and are leaving it in the condition they lived in it.
The part worth pausing on is the full basement. It is unfinished, which is exactly why it is interesting — the foundation, the footprint and the ceiling height are already bought and paid for. Finishing basement space is the cheapest square footage anybody in this county will ever add. You are not pouring concrete, you are hanging drywall.
Honest caveat: Christopher has four active listings on the market. Total. Thin inventory cuts both ways — there is not much competing with this house, and there is not much to compare it against either. Resale in a town this size takes patience. If you are buying to live there or to rent it, that is fine. If you are buying to flip it in eight months, it is not. See every SIRE listing in Christopher ›
Williamson County
801 W Madison Street, Herrin — $7,000
| Asking price | $7,000 |
| Property type | Buildable lot |
| Restrictions | Not in a covenanted subdivision |
| Location | In town, Herrin |
Seven thousand dollars. That is the number, and it is not a typo.
What you are buying is an in-town Herrin lot that is not sitting inside a subdivision with a covenant telling you what your roof pitch has to be. Build a house. Put up a shop. Park an investment there and do nothing for three years. Nobody is going to send you a letter about your mailbox.
Before you get excited, go do the boring work: confirm utility taps, setbacks, and what the City of Herrin will actually permit on that parcel. In writing. A cheap lot you cannot build on is not cheap, it is just a tax bill. Check first, then buy. See every SIRE listing in Herrin ›
The $64 Versus $143 Question
Here is the thing I want you to take out of this post, because it will save you money on a house I never list.
Christopher is asking about $64 a foot. Murphysboro is asking about $143. Both houses are move-in ready. Both were updated by the seller. The condition is not what separates them — the ZIP code is. You are not paying $79 a foot more for better drywall. You are paying it for a shorter drive, a deeper buyer pool when you sell, and a market with actual traffic in it.
That is a real thing to pay for, and it is also a real thing to skip. Somebody is going to buy the Christopher house, live in it for twenty years, and be completely right about it. Somebody else needs to be fifteen minutes from Carbondale and would be miserable saving that money. Price per square foot does not travel between towns, and anybody who quotes you a county-wide number as if it applies to your street is selling you something.
What This Week Actually Tells You
Three listings is not a market report. But look at the range: $7,000 to $215,000, three counties, and not one of them requires a bidding war or a jumbo loan. That is not the market the national headlines are describing, and it has not been for a while.
The other thing worth saying out loud: two of the three are already finished. The seller ate the cost of the updates, not you. In a county where contractors are booked out and materials are not getting cheaper, "already done" is worth more every year that goes by.
Are all three of these your listings?
Can you really buy a house in Southern Illinois for $80,000?
Is $7,000 for a lot too good to be true?
Why is one house $64 a foot and another $143?
When does the next batch come out?
💰 An $80,000 House Still Needs a Pre-Approval.
The lower the price, the more often sellers take the offer with a letter behind it. Free, no-pressure pre-qualification with Jarod Sanders, SIRE's in-house lender, right here in Southern Illinois.Jarod Sanders · CrossCountry Mortgage · NMLS #2337228
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🏠 Want the Next Batch First?
Tell us your range and what matters most — price, condition, land, schools, or a lot to build on — and a SIRE broker will call you the day something new fits. You will hear about it before it hits Friday's post.
📱 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.
Text Greg · 618.925.8654
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 active-listing counts come from local MLS listing data for these three active listings and their towns, retrieved September 15, 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. Buildability, zoning, setbacks and utility availability on vacant land must be confirmed with the municipality. Nothing here is a loan offer or rate quote.