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Going Underground? Earth-Sheltered Home Is Most Popular of the Week

If natural light isn’t high on your wish list for your next home, we have a prime opportunity for you. This week’s most popular home on realtor.com^® is an earth-sheltered structure in the Midwest.

For those unfamiliar with earth-sheltered homes, they’re built into a berm with dirt and sod serving as a roof. And for those who do need to see the sun, a little light does peek through the front of this affordable specimen in Indiana.

It’s a great deal for heating and cooling your home—but it can feel a bit like living underground. Priced at only $160,000 and coming with nearly 4 acres of land, it might be worth finding out just how important the elements are to your overall well-being.

You also clicked on a midcentury classic in the unlikely locale of Knoxville, TN, a cool old farm near Columbus, OH, and three very different homes in Illinois.

So grab a shovel and dig in to the full list of our most popular properties of the week.

10. Casanova # 19, Carmel, CA

Price: $1,200,000
Why it’s here: In picturesque (and pricey) Carmel, it’s a chance to buy one of the cheaper pieces of property in town. There are three adjacent lots for sale, and listing agent Ben Heinrich believes a buyer will likely combine a couple of lots to build a new home. Either way, the tiny cabin currently on this piece of property must stay—Heinrich says it’s deemed historic by the city.

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9. 1104 E Jefferson St, Bloomington, IL

Price: $279,900
Why it’s here: This historic mansion is huge. And at only $46 a square foot, it’s a steal, too. Known as the Wilcox-Henderson Home, the mansion built in 1884 remains “99 percent original,” according to the listing. The stained glass, tile work, and crown moldings evoke another era—this place is truly a bargain for the ages.

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8. 6501 S County Line Rd, Burr Ridge, IL

Price: $10,950,000
Why it’s here: Known as Villa Taj, this mansion has been making headlines for nearly a decade. Initially listed for $25 million in 2009, the estate soon fell into foreclosure. Then a burst pipe in 2012 flooded the place with 6 million gallons (!) of water. It was eventually purchased by a developer for the low, low price of $3.1 million. Buffed, repaired, and back on the market, it’s looking for a buyer who needs 30,000 square feet of living space and a 22-car garage.

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7. 116 W Beverly Ct, Peoria, IL

Price: $140,000
Why it’s here: The curb appeal of this charming four-bedroom home is readily apparent. Built in 1930, the beautiful brick home has original hardwood and three levels of living space. With over 3,500 square feet to offer, it’s an amazing $39 per square foot.

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6. 324 Radcliffe St, Bristol, PA

Price: $695,000
Why it’s here: The back patio alone should be enough for most buyers. Set along the Delaware River, the backyard oasis lures buyers into this classic home, according to listing agent Hellen Cannon. She says folks who’ve walked through the classic Queen Anne home are “amazed with the authenticity, the taste level, and the fact that it’s right on the river.”

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5. 6475 Lilly Chapel Georgesville Rd, London, OH

Price: $250,000
Why it’s here: Rustic is in right now! Listing agent Karen Evans credits the “Fixer Upper” effect for the popularity of this old barn and farmhouse set on over 5 acres of land.

The “millennial generation is interested in going back to the land,” she says, adding that prospective buyers swarmed this house only 20 minutes outside Columbus.

Evans says they received multiple offers on the farmhouse and accepted the one from a buyer “who wants to take the farm back to its original roots.”

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4. 4590 East Pike, Zanesville, OH

Price: $179,500
Why it’s here: Set on more than an acre of land, this adorable three-bedroom home has been newly updated. We’re most intrigued by the basement, where a man cave (complete with wet bar) beckons.

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3. 123 Spring Creek St, Lacy Lakeview, TX

Price: $1,200,000
Why it’s here: It’s the “Fixer Upper” “barndominium.” Sliding two spots this week, the home made famous on Season 3 of the popular HGTV show is still attracting an outsize amount of interest.

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2. 1536 Lyons Bend Rd, Knoxville, TN

Price: $950,000
Why it’s here: According to listing agent Shannon Foster-Boline, this Mid-Century Modern “is in the heart of Knoxville, but you feel like you’re in the middle of nowhere.”

She says the home’s peaceful, tranquil feel is a result of intentional design choices made by architect Bruce McCarty. Built in 1959, this three-bedroom stunner was McCarty’s personal residence and has never been on the market. Set along the waters of the Tennessee River and featuring floor-to-ceiling glass, gorgeous wood cabinetry, and an ideal indoor-outdoor flow, it’s a true Mid-Century Modern gem in the Volunteer State.

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1. 3930 W 700 N, Huntington, IN

Price: $160,000
Why it’s here: Listing agent Kyle Ness credits his home inspector for this home’s popularity. He says the inspector shared photos and a link of this earth-sheltered home on his Facebook page, and then the house went “pseudo-viral.” The place has bounced on and off the market for a year, but Ness isn’t daunted by the difficultly of finding a buyer who doesn’t mind living underground.

Ness says he’s had plenty of experience with homes other agents haven’t been able to sell, adding that he’ll bring that expertise to this atypical house. He says the nearly 4 acres of land around the home are a boon. For a buyer looking for something different, this is the place, he says. “It’ll be the easy way or the hard way—it’ll sell one way or the other.”

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