Housing Watch: Fixer-uppers growing in popularity in Valley

High home prices have many buyers looking at viable alternatives to a move-in ready home.

So-called "Fixer-uppers" appear to be growing in popularity.

"We saw a fixer-upper had an affordability quotient that really lent itself to being able to take an existing structure and make it a housing ready, residential ready," says Doug Ressler.

Ressler is the Business Intelligence Manager for the real estate research group Yardi Matrix, which says a move-in ready home in Fresno comes at an average price of $452,000.

"We found that fixer-uppers in Fresno averaged about $300,000, so compare that to $452,000," he said. "That's a $148,000 discount. It makes Fresno very, very attractive."

Bakersfield and Fresno are among the top three California markets where you can save money by buying a "fixer-upper" home, according to Yardi Matrix.

Keep in mind that fixer-uppers in Los Angeles still costs over $1 million.

Experts say you also need to factor in the neighborhood where you will be living and how much work you are willing to put into remodeling projects.

For news updates, follow Dale Yurong on Facebook and Twitter .