{"id":30124,"date":"2022-03-11T10:42:02","date_gmt":"2022-03-11T18:42:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/?p=30124"},"modified":"2026-04-08T00:43:57","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T07:43:57","slug":"buyer-how-to-find-homes-for-sale-off-the-beaten-path","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-how-to-find-homes-for-sale-off-the-beaten-path\/","title":{"rendered":"Here’s How to Find a Home off the Beaten Path"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cTwo roads diverged in a wood, and I \u2014<\/em>
\nI took the one less traveled by,<\/em>
\nAnd that has made all the difference.\u201d<\/em> ~ Robert Frost, \u201cThe Road Not Taken\u201d<\/p>\n

While Frost probably wasn\u2019t talking about his search for a new home, this excerpt from the poem \u201cThe Road Not Taken\u201d can certainly apply to a home search.<\/p>\n

While you\u2019ve probably <\/span>searched for homes<\/span><\/a> on Zillow or maybe even called the number on a \u201cfor sale\u201d sign, have you ever scouted haunted houses or scoured DOT listings? If not, this list is for you. We\u2019ve rounded up six ways to find a home off the beaten path \u2014 on the road less traveled, if you will.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So if you\u2019re ready for an adventure, one of these ways might just be the path to your next home. To help us get a better understanding of how to uncover these homes, we talked with <\/span>Sara Lee Parker<\/span><\/a> who is listed in the top 1% of <\/span>Atlanta<\/span><\/a>, Georgia real estate agents. She gave us even more insights on how to find homes for sale off the beaten path \u2014 especially in the hot, hot market that we\u2019ve seen since 2020.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
<\/a> Source: (britt gaiser \/ Unsplash)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\n\n\n\n\n

\n
\n
\n \"homelight\n <\/div>\n \n

A Top Agent Can Help You Find A House You Can Afford<\/h3>\n

We analyze millions of home sales to find buyer’s agents who will show you the right home at the right price. Our service is 100% free, with no catch. Agents don\u2019t pay us to be listed, so you get the best match.<\/p>\n \n

\n Get Started<\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/span><\/p>\n
<\/div>\n

1. Uncover Cheap Old Houses<\/h2>\n

The Cheap Old Houses Instagram feed<\/a> is filled with amazing examples of traditional homes in nearly every style. It\u2019s run by Elizabeth and Ethan Finkelstein, who scour listings<\/a> across the country to bring us old houses that are priced under $100,000.<\/p>\n

So if you\u2019re looking for a deal and a chance to preserve a piece of America\u2019s history, a <\/span>cheap old house<\/span><\/a> might be for you! Along with each post, they include the listing agent\u2019s information and some details about the house.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you want to go even further off the beaten path, Cheap Old Houses offers subscription newsletters for Cheap Old Farm Houses, Cheap Old Houses Abroad, Ultra Cheap Old Houses, and more.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

2. Find a free house<\/h2>\n

Sometimes a house is up for sale\u2026but it can\u2019t stay where it is. Often, houses that need to be moved from their current lot are offered for free<\/i>.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s the catch, you ask? You would have to pay to physically move the house<\/a> to your site, which can cost upward of $200,000<\/a> if it\u2019s going further than just a few miles. The cost varies depending on how big and heavy the house is, as well as on the route \u2014 crossing railroad tracks or dealing with power lines can add to the cost. You\u2019ll also have to pay for preparing the new site for the home.<\/p>\n

(If you live in rural Wisconsin, like me, you might just see a team of horses pulling a house down the road\u2026true story.)<\/p>\n

Some, like this beautiful mid-century modern home in Dundee, Illinois<\/a>, need some updating and repairs. But this one in Lincoln, Kansas<\/a>, comes with some help. According to the caption, the Lincoln County Economic Development Foundation was offering $30,000 in grant money that they secured to help relocate and rehabilitate the property, as long as the new owner meets certain income requirements.<\/p>\n

Others are beautiful and ready to move, like this one in Vancouver, British Columbia<\/a>, that the owner referred to as her \u201cmost ambitious recycling attempt.\u201d This house did eventually find a home on Galiano Island<\/a> \u2014 where I now want to move.<\/p>\n

If you dig through Facebook Marketplace, you can find free homes that need to be moved there, as well, like this one in Bushnell, Illinois<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
<\/a> Source: (Leon Rojas \/ Unsplash)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
<\/div>\n

3. Leverage your agent\u2019s network<\/h2>\n

According to Parker, agents are always talking to each other and discussing properties that will be listed in the near future, giving your agent the chance to find you a home before it even hits the market \u2014 especially since 2020, when we\u2019ve seen such hot seller\u2019s markets almost everywhere. She observed that \u201cmore than ever, last year and the year before, we helped facilitate sales of homes that were off-market.\u201d<\/p>\n

When Parker has a buyer interested in a certain area, she takes a proactive approach in today\u2019s market. She says, \u201cthe first step, typically, is sending a letter to a neighborhood. We’ve got letters explaining exactly what we’re looking for, exactly who we are, and who our buyer is. We might send 500 to a neighborhood and get two calls. But those are two options for our buyers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Having a proactive agent on your side<\/span><\/a> can be a huge asset. Parker notes: \u201cI’ve heard people literally taking an offer in a neighborhood where a buyer may have lost out on the house next door, but an agent will go door-to-door to a neighborhood and say, \u2018here’s an offer for your house \u2014 are you willing to sell?\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

These are some things that are key to finding a house off the beaten path. It\u2019s difficult for buyers to do what agents can when searching for a home. \u201cThey don\u2019t have time to go out and pound the pavement and look for houses,\u201d she points out. \u201cThat\u2019s what an agent is for.\u201d Finding an agent<\/a> who can tap into their network and use their local knowledge and connections can help you unearth hidden properties and give you more options.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

4. Bid at a surplus auction<\/h2>\n

In some cases, the government, whether federal, state, or local, will offer surplus <\/span>land for sale at auction<\/span><\/a>. The U.S. General Services Administration allows you to browse real estate and auctions and maybe find a deal \u2014 like <\/span>this Presidio, Texas, home<\/span> with a starting bid of $10,000.<\/span><\/p>\n

Another place to look is on the Department of Transportation website (both federal and state). And the cool thing about this is that you don\u2019t necessarily need to wait for the house or property to be listed as an auction item. In Oklahoma, the process to evaluate excess land and potentially sell it starts when a customer requests that land be reviewed as Excess & Surplus<\/a> based on reasons that include, but aren\u2019t limited to:<\/p>\n