$500,000 Homes in New York, Michigan and Georgia
Kenoza Lake, N.Y. | $495,000
A 1905 farmhouse with three bedrooms and two bathrooms, on a 1.1-acre lot
This house is in Sullivan County, in an area once known as the borscht belt, where summer resorts drew large numbers of Jewish families from New York City and its suburbs. It is within a 20-minute drive of shopping and dining in Jeffersonville and White Sulphur Springs. Stone Arch Bridge Historical Park, a popular spot for weddings, picnics and fishing that takes its name from a 19th-century stone bridge, is less than half a mile away.
The house is 10 miles from the Pennsylvania state line, and about an hour and 15 minutes from Scranton, Pa. Driving to Albany or New York City takes less than three hours.
Size: 1,900 square feet
Price per square foot: $261
Indoors: The house is set back from the street, behind a low stone wall and a grassy yard. Stairs lead up to a wide covered porch.
The front door opens into a living room with hardwood floors and a new wood stove added during an extensive restoration done by the sellers. This space has room for a large sofa and a comfortable chair. (All of the furnishings are available to buy.)
Through a wide doorway is a dining room with a bay of windows and outdoor access. This space is open to an updated kitchen with granite counters, cream-colored cabinetry and a coordinating Smeg refrigerator. A mudroom and a full bathroom are off the kitchen.
Stairs at the front of the house lead up to the three bedrooms on the second level, passing a window with stained-glass trim along the way. The primary bedroom, to the right of the landing, has a bay of windows and enough space for a king-size bed. The bedroom next door is a similar size. The bedroom across the hall has an alcove that could hold a reading chair or a desk. These bedrooms share a bathroom off the hall with a double vanity and a combined tub and shower.
The attic was insulated with spray foam during the renovation and its floors were painted white. Multiple windows keep the space bright, and the open layout lends itself to use as a den, a home office or an additional bedroom.
Outdoor space: The wood deck behind the house steps down to a backyard landscaped with grass and mature trees. The yard includes a flat area with a fire pit and chairs surrounding it. There is room to park several cars in the driveway.
Taxes: $4,296 (estimated)
Contact: J.D. Gluckstern, Country House Realty, 917-716-4424; countryhouserealty.com
Detroit | $499,000
A five-bedroom, three-and-a-half-bathroom Tudor Revival house built in 1927, on a 0.2-acre lot
This house is in the University District neighborhood, a few blocks from Palmer Park, an expansive city park with almost 300 acres of green space and recreational facilities, including a splash pad and a dog run. University of Detroit Mercy, a private Catholic school with more than 2,500 undergraduate students, is a 10-minute walk. A CVS drugstore and an Aldi supermarket are less than 10 minutes away by car.
Driving to the riverfront, Ford Field football stadium or Comerica Park baseball stadium in downtown Detroit takes about 15 minutes. Windsor, Ontario, is about a half-hour away, across the Canadian border. Driving to Ann Arbor, Mich., takes about 45 minutes.
Size: 3,007 square feet
Price per square foot: $166
Indoors: A stone path leads from the sidewalk to the front door, set in a brick arch.
Inside is a small entrance area with a tiled floor; beyond is a larger foyer with a hardwood floor, a staircase with wrought-iron railing and access to a powder room.
The hardwood floors continue through a wide doorway to the right, into a living room with detailed crown molding and a fireplace with an ornate limestone mantel. From there, French doors open into a sunroom with parquet floors, currently used as a home office.
To the left of the foyer is a dining room with street-facing windows and access to a kitchen with white cabinetry, a center island, walls finished in original green tile from Flint Faience Tile Company and a windowed breakfast area with a bright green accent wall.
Four bedrooms are off a long hallway on the second floor. The primary bedroom, at the back of the hall, overlooks mature trees in the backyard; it has an en suite bathroom with a walk-in shower and an updated vanity. This bathroom connects to another bedroom currently used as a den. Two more bedrooms are across the hall; they share an updated bathroom with a combined tub and shower.
The fifth bedroom is on the floor above, along with a bathroom that has a claw-foot soaking tub.
Outdoor space: There is a small wood deck behind the house. The backyard beyond is landscaped with grass, mature trees and flowers, and enclosed by a wood fence. A wood sauna is at the back of the yard. The detached garage has two parking spots.
Taxes: $4,236 (estimated)
Contact: Jay Taylor, JTA Realtors, 313-410-1149; jtarealtors.com
Atlanta | $495,000
A 1920 Craftsman bungalow with three bedrooms and three bathrooms, on a 0.2-acre lot
This house is in the West End neighborhood, about half a block from West End Park, which has tennis courts and open green space, and about a 10-minute walk from Dean Rusk Park, which has a lake and a dog run. A public library is nearby, as is the Hammonds House Museum, which has a large collection of work by African American artists displayed in a Victorian house.
Driving to Morehouse College or Spelman College takes about five minutes. Georgia Institute of Technology is about 15 minutes away. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is a 20-minute drive.
Size: 2,000 square feet
Price per square foot: $248
Indoors: A paved path cuts across the lawn, leading to a covered porch with white-painted railings.
The front door opens into a living space with updated hardwood floors and a double-sided fireplace that separates the sitting and dining areas. The adjacent kitchen has white cabinetry; white quartz counters; stainless steel appliances; a center island that seats three; walls finished in white-and-gold marble tile; and backyard access.
Two bedrooms are on the first floor, off the dining area and kitchen. One has a fireplace. Both have en suite bathrooms; one bathroom has a walk-in shower lined with marble tile, and the other has a combined tub and shower.
The second floor is configured as a large primary suite, with ample closet space, a bedroom that holds a king-size bed and a bathroom with a separate soaking tub and shower.
Outdoor space: The fenced backyard is large and relatively flat, with room for a patio and a garden. There is room to park one car in the driveway.
Taxes: $5,421 (estimated)
Contact: Lisa Bennett, Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty, 678-531-2996; sothebysrealty.com
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