Have a 6.5-06AI semi custom built on a long action Howa that started life as a 270 win. Tossed the stock, trigger, and barrel. It now wears a #5 Lilja barrel, Timney trigger and it all sits in a Manners T2 stock.
I paid $275 for the donor gun about 10 years ago and has been a great shooting rifle. The older Howa's had a terrible trigger in them that wasn't really worth messing with so everyone just put Timney's in them but I've heard the newer Howa has a much better trigger.
They seemed to have gained a lot of popularity, or maybe everyone caught on that they're a great donor action, but in the last 10 years or so finding one really cheap, like you once could, doesn't seem to happen anymore.
Not sure what you will be using it for but something to keep in mind is the Howa LA is going to be limited to about a 3.650 max C.O.A.L. not much of a concern with the majority of cartridges you'd be using, unless you plan on using it for something based of the RUM case with long bullets seated way out.