Four properties came on under our sign in the past week. Two of them are Murphysboro starter homes that sit $15,000 apart, and they make a better lesson than any market chart I could draw you. I will give you the exact numbers on those two, then tell you what else is new.
Jackson County: Murphysboro
1930 Herbert Street — $95,000
| Asking price | $95,000 |
| Bedrooms / baths | 2 / 1 |
| Living area | 868 sq ft |
| Year built | 1957 |
| Asking per square foot | about $109 |
| 2025 property tax | $1,721 (about $143/mo) |
This is a solid brick house, move-in ready, with fresh paint, some newer windows, and hardwood floors in the living room and bedrooms. The part that matters most to your wallet: a brand new roof installed in fall 2025 with a 50-year manufacturer warranty. The roof is usually the biggest single repair on a house this age, and the seller already paid for it.
It also has central air, gas forced-air heat, an eat-in kitchen, a detached garage with paved parking, and a dry basement for storage. The tradeoff is size. At 868 square feet, this is a small house, and you should decide before you tour whether small works for you.
915 Keough Drive — $110,000
| Asking price | $110,000 |
| Bedrooms / baths | 3 / 1 |
| Living area | 1,032 sq ft |
| Year built | 1953 |
| Asking per square foot | about $107 |
| Annual property tax | about $2,062 (about $172/mo) |
Three bedrooms and one bath, with new flooring in the living room, hallway, and a bedroom, plus a separate second living space beyond the main room. It is listed as a great starter home or downsizing property, and at this price I agree with both.
The Math Nobody Runs
Set the two side by side. Herbert Street is about $109 a foot. Keough Drive is about $107 a foot. The per-foot price is nearly identical, yet $15,000 more buys you an extra bedroom and roughly 164 more square feet. Herbert Street is not overpriced, because the new roof and the dry basement are real value. Keough is not cheap, because you take on a larger house and a tax bill about $29 a month higher.
Both are honest asks. The question is which of them fits your life. Before you compare any two houses, add the monthly tax to the payment. On the $95,000 house it is about $143 a month, on the $110,000 house about $172, and neither number shows up in the listing headline.
Also New This Week
418 Charlotte Road, Marion. A classic mid-century modern with a versatile 3-4 bedroom layout, two spacious living areas, and a split floor plan. Split plans are worth real money to anyone with teenagers or a night-shift worker. See every SIRE listing in Marion ›
160 E Lake Drive, Murphysboro. A brick ranch with three bedrooms and three baths on about three-quarters of an acre, with mature trees and a large yard. It comes with access to the members-only Lake Chautauqua community amenities, which is the feature buyers usually ask us for and cannot find. See every SIRE listing in Murphysboro ›
I am leaving the asking prices on those two off this page until I have confirmed the current numbers. Text me and I will send them the same day.
Are all four of these your listings?
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Which one should a first-time buyer look at first?
Can these change price or go under contract?
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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 the next 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: Asking price, bedrooms, bathrooms, square footage, year built and property tax for 1930 Herbert Street and 915 Keough Drive come from the active listing data for those properties, retrieved September 22 and September 29, 2026. Per-square-foot figures are calculated from asking price and published living area, and monthly tax figures are the published annual tax divided by twelve. Details for 418 Charlotte Road and 160 E Lake Drive come from their listing descriptions. All four 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. Nothing here is a loan offer or rate quote.