Priscilla Houliston\u00a0has established herself on social media with informative videos about life in a historic church in the Keystone State.<\/p>\n
It might sound unconventional, but given the current economic environment, Houliston might be onto something. <\/p>\n
In one of her many viral videos<\/a>, Houliston\u00a0says, \u201cI\u2019m going to show you so many churches right now, all under $100,000. You find one, you buy it, and it\u2019s easy.\u201d<\/p>\n But is it actually that simple?<\/p>\n Just as someone would look at homes for sale online, Houliston used a commercial real estate site called Loopnet to bring up very reasonably priced churches that are currently on the market.<\/p>\n Stunning churches all over the US, ranging from 1,921 to 4,500 square feet, and that only cost $50,000 to $100,000, appeared on the screen behind Houliston in her video.<\/p>\n \u201cJust search old church for sale,\u201d as there are \u201cover 6,000 churches for sale in the US alone,\u201d she excitedly told her millions of viewers.<\/p>\n All of this sounds a little too good to be true \u2014 and it might be, to a certain extent<\/a>.<\/p>\n One commenter on the video pointed out, \u201cBut you can\u2019t move in until it becomes a residential home. I purchased a church 9 months ago and I still haven\u2019t been able to move in because the city wanted me to add a driveway change the electrical redo the plumbing blah blah blah blah blah.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI still haven\u2019t been able to move in they haven\u2019t approved it as a residential home yet and until that happens you cannot move in you can buy the church but if you want to move in you better make sure you ask a lot of questions first,\u201d the continued comment read.<\/p>\n In which Houliston replied, \u201cZoning is important.\u201d<\/p>\n Houliston was right. \u201cZoning regulations\u00a0can significantly impact your ability to purchase a religious building \u2013 whether you\u2019re looking for your congregation or yourself,\u201d John Muzyka, of\u00a0Church Realty, told Realtor.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n The expert told the outlet that those in the market for a church to live in should seek out the permit department of the area they want to buy in, which can provide them with all the necessary information they need, like permits and approvals.<\/p>\n With that in mind, if future churchowners don\u2019t mind some stained glass and a large echo, a church might be the solution to purchasing a reasonably priced home in today\u2019s market.<\/p>\n And other commenters seem to agree.<\/p>\n \u201cMy uncle did this. We call it the Chouse.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy sisters mother in law lives in a church. It\u2019s like 7 bedrooms. [It] came with a kitchen and several bathrooms with concrete sealed floors on land and was under $100,000.\u201d<\/p>\n One commenter even offered some helpful advice. <\/p>\n \u201cPlease! If you buy a church have the stain glass appraised and turn that in to your insurance company! My husband and I learned a huge lesson after having a fire. The insurance company didn\u2019t pay a dime for the stained glass and told us it was because he never got it appraised! He was told by many people the stained glass in our church was worth 40 to 50k.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/123237354.jpg\")
Aside from a few extra steps one has to take, buying a church to live in does seem relatively simple. Stephen VanHorn \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n![\"Historic](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/old-white-church-picket-fence-123237358.jpg\")
Living in a church might be the key to owning a home without going broke. World Travel Photos \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n