I like that it was a little house on a big lot, close to downtown. Close to parks and a fancy historic district....so I got access to the same venues the next neighborhood over (literally 3 blocks), at 1/4 the property tax and half the crime. In fact, because of the size and the shape of the range of the fancy ZIP Code, I am actually closer to hotspots than a lot of the properties in that neighborhood.
And it was close to a natural water source. That was important to me, because I enjoy having wildlife in and around my property.
And no HOA. Never have lived with one, and never ever will. Codes in my area are sufficient enough.
Also it was the middle of the recession, short sale, fixer upper (magical trifecta),plus I got the full 8K tax credit (well $7900). So I got a property that sold for $130k a couple years prior, for $71,000. At 33 I have $40k left on my mortgage, which is about $350. I was making half of what I make now when I bought this house at age 25, at my lowest income. I am glad I got it out of the way. The property has doubled in value since I bought it 8 years ago. My peers are buying houses for the first time, with a lower downpayment rate, and nearly 3x the cost I paid, granted they are purchasing bigger, newer houses. But you couldn't find a shed on a postage stamp lot for what I paid in 2009.