In the unassuming city of Council Bluffs, Iowa, there exists a treasure hunter’s paradise where bargain-seeking becomes an Olympic sport and your wallet leaves feeling like it just got a promotion.

Spending a year abroad is exciting. I know, I’m living and studying in Tokyo, Japan, for a year as a high-school student.

Sitting back from Fourth Street in Springfield, tucked next to the Mansion View Inn, sits a house with a long history. The home of John S. Condell for 55 years, it had several owners since his death, ...