Is it possible to buy a house in cali or chi town under $100,000?

California is huge and you could find something in a small town in the desert or the mountains for that amount. You'd need to commute a long way for a job or have some other business locally you were running. You can't find anything at that price in a decent sized city. You're not going to find anything in LA for that price that is livable or in a place you won't get shot.