Here in flyover country:
1st house - 1940s cottage. Neat as a pin, comfortable, center of town = $46K, now $???
2nd house - 1970 rancher. Tidy, comfortable, carport, edge of town = $55K, now $70K
current house - $137K but it put us in a nice neighborhood, more interior space, garage, edge of town, now $165K
$300K would buy a McMansion here. Fewer jobs that can generate that kind of income.
I can still get crazy low real estate prices here but it requires living 10 miles outside of town where a car/scooter/motorcycle would be required. And you may or may not like the neighbors next door, smallish lots, trailers might be part of the neighborhood, might be alot of neighbor turn over and I guarantee you'll have to do improvements to make everything work and stay fixed. Not much charm in those properties is included either. ;)