Syracuse, Ind. | $499,000
A 1903 Craftsman bungalow with four bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms, on a 0.2-acre lot
This house is half a block from Hoy’s Beach, a popular gathering spot on Syracuse Lake. It’s a five-minute walk from the town’s public library and the Pickwick movie theater. More stores and services are in Goshen, a small city about half an hour away. The University of Notre Dame is about an hour away, near South Bend.
Driving to Fort Wayne takes about an hour. Toledo, Ohio, is about two and a half hours away. Driving to Chicago or Indianapolis takes around three hours.
Size: 2,794 square feet
Price per square foot: $179
Indoors: Stairs lead up from the sidewalk to an expansive covered porch that could serve as an outdoor living area.
Beyond the front door is a living room with hardwood floors, a brick fireplace flanked by built-in cabinets and French doors that open to the front porch. This space flows into an area used by the sellers as a game room.
At the back of this level is an updated kitchen with white cabinetry, quartz countertops, stainless steel appliances, a sunny area large enough to hold a dining table and access to a powder room.
All four bedrooms are on the second level, reached by an original staircase near the front door. The primary suite, at the far end of the hall, has hardwood floors, a wall of windows with original molding, a spacious walk-in closet and a bathroom with a walk-in shower and a double vanity. The other three bedrooms share a bathroom off the hallway with a combined tub and shower.
Outdoor space: There is room for entertaining not only on the front porch, but also on the patio behind the house. The backyard beyond is landscaped with grass. The detached garage holds one car.
Taxes: $3,885 (estimated)
Contact: Sandy Ginn, Encore Sotheby’s International Realty, 317-332-9828; sothebysrealty.com
Louisville, Ky. | $500,000
A 1910 Edwardian house with three bedrooms and one and a half bathrooms, on a 0.1-acre lot
This house is in the Highlands neighborhood, a few blocks from the cocktail bars and coffee shops on Bardstown Road and within walking distance of a brewery, a vintage clothing boutique and an art supply store. It is a 10-minute drive from Cherokee Park, a municipal park with more than 400 acres green space.
The Muhammad Ali Center, the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory and the city’s riverfront are 10 minutes away, in downtown Louisville. Driving to Lexington or Cincinnati takes about an hour and a half.
Size: 2,166 square feet
Price per square foot: $231
Indoors: Double doors framed by a small covered porch open into a foyer with original hardwood floors, an original staircase to the floors above and access to a powder room.
To the right is a living room with more hardwood floors, a fireplace surrounded by an ornate wood mantel and a large, street-facing window topped by an original panel of stained glass. Pocket doors slide open to reveal a dining room with a midcentury-style chandelier extending from an original ceiling medallion.
Beyond the dining room is a kitchen with some original cabinetry; granite counters; black-and-white checkerboard floors; a center island that holds a stainless steel sink; and access to the deck behind the house.
All three bedrooms are on the second floor, reached from the main staircase in the foyer or the back staircase off the kitchen. The primary bedroom has a decorative fireplace, an updated closet and street-facing windows. The bedroom next door has an updated closet; the one across the hall has a decorative fireplace. They share an updated bathroom with an original cast-iron soaking tub and a new glass-walled shower.
The third floor could be used as a home office or additional guest quarters.
Outdoor space: The partially covered deck in back has space for dining and lounging. The gravel yard is enclosed by a wood fence.
Taxes: $3,324 (estimated)
Contact: Becky Lusch, Lusch Group Homes, Keller Williams Louisville East, 502-639-9617; mylouisvillehomepro.com
Milwaukie, Ore. | $499,000
A 1912 cottage with three bedrooms and two bathrooms, on a 0.1-acre lot
Milwaukie, a suburb of Portland, is about half an hour south of downtown. This house, which has a new roof and furnace, is on a quiet street about a mile from Milwaukie Bay Park and restaurants overlooking the Willamette River. It is a five-minute drive from Milwaukie High School, and within a few miles of public middle and elementary schools.
Portland International Airport is about 20 minutes away. Driving south to Salem, the state capital, takes about an hour. Tillamook Bay and the surrounding communities are a 90-minute drive. Vancouver, Wash., is half an hour away. Seattle is a three-hour drive.
Size: 2,016 square feet
Price per square foot: $248
Indoors: The house is set back from the street, with a short path linking the driveway to the front entrance. The orange front door opens into a living-and-dining area with hardwood floors and street-facing windows.
The bright kitchen beyond has new floors, a new stainless steel dishwasher and a breakfast bar. A combined pantry and mudroom is off the kitchen; this space has stairs to the lower level and access to the rear deck.
One bedroom is off the kitchen, with windows facing the back and side yards. It has the use of the full bathroom next door, which has a porcelain pedestal sink and a combined tub and shower.
Another bedroom is on the second level, reached from stairs in the living room. The spacious stair landing outside is set up as a home office.
The third bedroom is on the lowest level, off a den with a nook that could hold a desk. Another full bathroom, with a stall shower and a side-by-side washer and dryer, is also on this level.
Outdoor space: The wood deck behind the house steps down to a fenced backyard landscaped with mature trees. The detached garage holds one car; there is room to park more in the long driveway.
Taxes: $4,296 (estimated)
Contact: Gabrielle Enfield, Living Room Realty, 503-388-2788; livingroomre.com
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