This home appears to have arrived on the market yesterday. $259,900 is ALMOST starter home range in Eugene.

The house looks clean inside and out. Yard seems to be a good size. They sell the backyard a bit short by only showing one angle, but it’s possible that the reasoning is that there’s something undesirable behind the house? I don’t think the freeway is directly behind the house, although freeway noise could be one reason for the lower price per sq. foot price for this listing. The water feature picture is sort of funny. It’s a $200 fountain from Jerry’s right?

Overall this is a great price for a starter home. The important thing with a starter home is that you find a neighborhood that will appreciate well over a 5-7 year period. Eugene has some strong micro-neighborhoods within larger neighborhood like “Harlow” or “Cal Young” - these micro neighborhoods include homeowners who care for their yards and homes, and usually include families with a real stake in the friendliness and security of the neighborhood.

3.7/4.0.

Popularity: 24% [?]

Here’s a nice, newish, starter home in the Ferry Street neighborhood. This part of Eugene is very “family-friendly” and close to all shopping (Oakway Mall, VRC, Delta, Costco “village”)

What’s also nice is that the color scheme is good enough to leave as-is. The less work you need to do when you move in, the better! The post doesn’t say anything about the yard so I’m guessing that it’s .17 acres or less.

Popularity: 12% [?]

You’ve got to hand it to Trulia - they know how to stay ahead of the curve.

Not only does this tool provide you with the latest sales data for your neighborhood, but the UI allows you to sort by five different variables, each by neighborhood:

1. Avg. listing price
2. Avg. sale price
3. Median sale price
4. Avg sq ft price
5. Trulia popularity

Granted, the Trulia popularity number is skewed by blogger geeks, enterprising agents, and if my comments tab is any indication - spambots. And nevermind that the remaining “local scene” information is tossed in there like a cereal box toy. These are small things.

Here’s what would make it better: A community of people who want you to succeed. For instance, Zillow released an API and made themselves hundreds of allies, overnight. Hmmm..

Popularity: 16% [?]

Here’s a starter home in the Willakenzie area of Ferry Street. Actually a great deal at $160 sq. ft on 1/3 acre of land. Does that mean it needs to be updated inside and out? Definitely.

Popularity: 8% [?]

This is the most reasonably priced home I’ve seen in months. 4 br, 2.5 baths. I’m sure the rooms are small, and the lot is only .15 which is fairly small for a Eugene home built in 1963. Oh well, for a first time home buyer wanting to live in a safe part of town, this could be it.

And the best part? Home Depot is right around the corner…

ERE rating - 7/10.

Popularity: 6% [?]