Mobile, Ala. | $419,000
A 1905 Edwardian house with four bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms, on a 0.2-acre lot
This house is a five-minute drive from the city’s central business district, on a wide street lined with live oaks. It is 10 minutes from several museums clustered along the Mobile River, including one devoted to the history of Mardi Gras in Mobile; a maritime museum with a focus on the Gulf of Mexico; and the Alabama Contemporary Art Center. Two public schools — Murphy High School and George Hall Elementary School — are within a mile of the property.
Driving to Pensacola, Fla., takes about an hour. New Orleans is a little more than two hours in the opposite direction.
Size: 3,104 square feet
Price per square foot: $135
Indoors: A wrought-iron fence separates this house from the street, and a paved path stretches across the front lawn, stepping up to a covered porch wide enough to hold chairs and a table.
The front door, topped by an elegant fanlight window, opens into a foyer with original hardwood floors. To the left is the living room, which has a diamond-paned window overlooking the porch and original pocket doors that open to the dining room.
An ornate wrought-iron chandelier hangs from the center of the dining room ceiling, and a bar with a dedicated beverage refrigerator occupies a corner of the room. A powder room is off this space, as is the bright kitchen, updated with granite counters and stainless steel appliances.
Three bedrooms and two full bathrooms are on the second floor, reached from the staircase in the foyer. The primary bedroom is big enough to hold a king-size bed; the en suite bathroom has hardwood floors and a claw-foot tub. The two guest rooms have windows that open all the way to the floor, allowing access to the street-facing balcony.
The fourth bedroom is on the third floor, in a space currently used as a home office.
Outdoor space: The wide backyard, reached from a door in the kitchen, is landscaped with grass and surrounded by trees. The yard is flat and large enough to hold a swimming pool or an outdoor kitchen and dining patio.
Taxes: $1,704 (estimated)
Contact: Chris Clarke, Roberts Brothers, Inc., 251-709-1677; chrisclarke.robertsbrothers.com
Cleveland | $419,000
A three-bedroom, two-bathroom unit in a 1904 building converted to condominiums in 2009
With its bronze-and-granite facade, the Park Building, designed by F.S. Barnum, was one of the city’s most impressive structures when it was completed. Before it was converted into condominiums, it was home to various commercial tenants, including law offices and insurance companies.
The building overlooks Cleveland Public Square, a large city plaza with a splash pad and, in the winter, an ice-skating rink. It is a few blocks from the Arcade, an 1890 building that houses shops, restaurants and a Hyatt hotel. The parks along Lake Erie are a 15-minute drive, and downtown Cleveland is 10 minutes away.
Size: 2,000 square feet
Price per square foot: $210
Indoors: The unit’s double doors open into a foyer with tile floors and a bar tucked into the corner.
Straight ahead is an open living-and-dining area with high ceilings, a fireplace and large windows with remote-controlled blackout shades. The adjacent kitchen has stainless steel appliances, including a Wolf range and a Sub-Zero refrigerator, and cabinets with custom storage.
The primary suite, off the living room, includes a sitting and dressing area with a fireplace and built-in bookshelves. The bedroom has large windows overlooking Public Square, and the bathroom has a deep soaking tub, a glass-walled shower and heated floors.
Two more bedrooms are on the other side of the apartment, off a hallway extending from the foyer. They share a bathroom with a walk-in shower and heated floors.
A hallway closet holds a stacked washer and dryer.
Outdoor space: The building has an attached garage (parking is available for a fee) and a lobby with marble floors and walls. Retail tenants on the ground floor include a bank and several casual restaurants.
Taxes: $2,904 (estimated) and a $1,142 monthly homeowner association fee
Contact: Kristin Rogers, Howard Hanna Cleveland City Office, 440-279-7080; howardhanna.com
Oklahoma City | $425,000
A 1956 midcentury ranch house with two bedrooms and two bathrooms, on a 0.2-acre lot
This house is in Belle Isle, a neighborhood that was once home to several power stations and a man-made lake. The lake was filled in and redeveloped as a shopping-and-dining center in the late 1990s, but another body of water is just 10 minutes away by car: Lake Hefner, a reservoir that draws fishing enthusiasts, bird-watchers and boaters. Surrounding the lake are several public parks, including Stars and Stripes Park, which has an Americana-inspired playground.
A public elementary school and middle school are within a five-minute drive, as is Belle Isle Restaurant and Brewery, known for its wide selection of craft beers. Downtown Oklahoma City is about 15 minutes away.
Size: 1,856 square feet
Price per square foot: $229
Indoors: This house sits behind a wide lawn, with a driveway leading to an attached garage on one side and a covered porch in the center, framing the entrance.
The chartreuse-green front door opens into a large space with original hardwood floors and a free-standing fireplace that separates the sitting and dining areas. The sitting area, at the front of the house, has high windows and a 1950s-style starburst light fixture. The dining area, on the other side of the fireplace, has a large window facing the side yard.
The kitchen, at the far end of this space, is separated from the living area by a low counter and has Bosch appliances and a white-tile backsplash.
A hallway leads from the dining area to the primary suite at the back of the house. The bedroom has sliding glass doors that offer easy access to the swimming pool in the backyard; the bathroom has a combined tub and shower.
Another bedroom that could double as a den or office is off the main living area, along with a full bathroom that has a walk-in shower.
Outdoor space: At the center of the fenced-in backyard is an in-ground swimming pool — an appealing amenity during the warm Oklahoma summers. An elevated wood deck on one side of the pool has space for lounge chairs. The garage holds two cars.
Taxes: $4,132 (estimated)
Contact: Jennifer Kragh, Sage Sotheby’s International Realty, 405-274-6767; sothebysrealty.com
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