Houston | $550,000

A newly renovated 1951 home with three bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms, on a 0.1 acre lot

This home is in North Macgregor Oaks, a neighborhood less than two miles from Hermann Park, which has a Japanese garden, outdoor theater and zoo. Some of the city’s most popular museums, including the Houston Museum of Natural Science and the Museum of Fine Arts, are also nearby.

Downtown Houston is 15 minutes away. Texas Southern University and the University of Houston are five minutes away by car; Rice University is 10 minutes away.

Cut: 2,237 square feet

Price per square foot: $246

Inside: The recent renovation of the house began on the exterior, where the wooden sections of the facade were painted a deep gray-blue to contrast with the red brick of the first floor.

The front door opens into a newly tiled hall with a staircase leading to the second floor. To the left is an open living area with hardwood floors and a fireplace with a simple mantel. The floor plan allows for two separate sleeping areas or a sleeping area and a dining area.

A quartz-topped breakfast bar separates the living room from the kitchen, which has new appliances and a breakfast nook with built-in seating. To one side of the kitchen is a laundry room with a shower room. Also on this level is a mudroom and home office.

The three bedrooms are upstairs. The master suite, down the hall, is spacious, with a walk-in closet and an en-suite bathroom with a combined bath and shower.

Next door is a guest bedroom with a navy blue accent wall; across the hall is another guest bedroom. They share a full bathroom with a walk-in shower, off the hallway.

Outdoor space: The backyard, accessed by a glass door in the mudroom, is gravelled near the house and shaded by mature trees; beyond is a lawn with ample room to play. The driveway, behind a new gate at the front of the property, can accommodate two cars.

Taxes: $6,396 (estimated)

Contact: David Atkins, Martha Turner Sotheby’s International Realty, 713-582-5111; sothebysrealty.com

Atlanta | $550,000

A two-bedroom, two-bathroom condominium in a 1984 complex

The residential neighborhood of Ansley Park, about 15 minutes from downtown Atlanta, was once considered a suburb. Developed in the early 1900s, its wide streets were designed for cars. Today it’s a quiet neighborhood with easy access to outdoor activities: Piedmont Park is one mile away, and a section of the Atlanta BeltLine, a former railroad corridor that is now a park and trail pedestrian, will soon be developed a few streets away. . A shopping center with a pharmacy and a Publix supermarket is less than five minutes away; restaurants and a few bars are clustered along nearby Piedmont Avenue.

Cut: 1,837 square feet

Price per square foot: $299

Inside: This condominium complex is made up of two-level structures; this particular unit is on the ground floor. The front door, at the end of a path from the street, opens into a sunny hall with plank-lined walls.

This space is open to the living room, which has a glass tile framed fireplace and a nook that could be used as a home office. A dining room is located between the living room and the kitchen.

During a recent renovation, the sellers added custom cabinetry, Caesarstone countertops and a six-burner Thermador range to the kitchen. The windows in the entire unit are new and the thermostat and security systems were updated in 2021.

A door on this side of the unit opens to the back porch.

A hallway off the living room leads to the two bedroom suites. At one end is the master suite, which has a fireplace and built-in dresser; the adjoining bathroom has a vanity with two sinks and a shower with a new frameless glass door. The guest suite across the hall has a bathroom with tub and shower combination.

Outdoor space: This condominium is in a gated community with private streets, accessible only to residents and their guests. The unit comes with a covered parking space and a separate storage space. Landscaping is included in the homeowners association fee.

Taxes: $5,880 (estimated), plus monthly homeowners association fee of $625

Contact: Georgia Brunswick Schultz, GA Group, Harry Norman Realtors, 404-643-4731; zillow.com

Halifax, Massachusetts | $550,000

A 1791 home with three bedrooms and two bathrooms, on a 0.9 acre lot

When Halifax, about an hour south of Boston, was part of Plymouth, this central chimney house served as the county’s first post office. Although it has since been updated, a number of original features remain, including the wide-plank pine floors and exposed beams in the kitchen, which retain marks relating to the building’s construction.

Central Halifax, which includes a city park and cemetery dating back to the mid-1800s, is less than half a mile away, as is a post office and public elementary school. The Country Club of Halifax, which has an 18-hole golf course, is five minutes away.

Cut: 2,449 square feet

Price per square foot: $225

Inside: The front door, which has its original antique hinges, opens into a hall between two living rooms, one of which could be used as a bedroom. Both have their original pine flooring; the room on the right also has a fireplace with a wooden mantle.

These two rooms have access to the dining room, which has high ceilings with exposed beams and a fireplace with a beehive oven. A cage-style bar at one end was built by vendors to resemble those used in 18th-century taverns to keep liquor and other supplies safe.

The kitchen, which communicates with the dining room, has more exposed beams, as well as a custom center island with a butcher block counter. A bonus space next to the kitchen is currently used as an in-home hair salon. Also on this floor, adjacent to the dining area, is a full bathroom with a deep soaking tub and pocket shutters to keep out the cold.

The entrance hall staircase, which leads to the two bedrooms on the second floor, was hand painted by one of the vendors with a pastoral folk art scene. To the left of the second floor landing is the master bedroom, which has a fireplace and a closet with built-in shelves; across the hall is a guest bedroom. At the end of the hall, at the corner of a space that can be used as a reading nook or dressing room, is another full bathroom.

Outdoor space: A new wooden deck next to the kitchen is large enough to hold a dining table. The property is almost an acre, most of it being flat space, framed by mature trees. The attached two-car garage has antique iron hinges on the doors and storage space.

Taxes: $6,048 (estimated)

Contact: Jen Macdonald, William Raveis Real Estate, 781-934-2104; raveis.com

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