Detroit | $675,000
A three-bedroom, two-bathroom unit in a midcentury-modern co-op built in 1956
The architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe worked on a number of projects in Detroit in the mid-1950s, including Lafayette Park, a residential development of high- and low-rise buildings. This unit is in one of the low-rise structures, where vacancies are rare. While they lived there, the sellers reversed some of the late 20th-century changes made by the previous owners and restored the original polished-concrete floors.
Lafayette Park is about five minutes from downtown Detroit by car, and about the same distance from Ford Field, the stadium of the Detroit Lions football team, and Comerica Park, home to the Detroit Tigers baseball team.
Size: 1,486 square feet
Price per square foot: $454
Indoors: The building is set at a slight angle to the walkway that leads up from the driveway, to minimize views of parked cars from the front-facing windows.
The front door opens into a bright foyer with floor-to-ceiling windows, polished-concrete floors and a staircase down to the partially finished basement.
Beyond is an open living area with room for a dining table, a sofa and a second sitting area that could hold a desk. Floor-to-ceiling windows at the back of the space look out onto a private courtyard. Around the corner is a galley kitchen with new quartz countertops and a graphic tile backsplash in blue and white.
A short hallway extends from the foyer to the three bedrooms and two bathrooms. At the far end of the hall is the primary bedroom, which has a view of the rear courtyard and is big enough to hold a king-size bed. Next door is a bathroom with a walk-in shower.
Across the hall are two guest rooms of roughly equal size, with windows that overlook the front of the property; they share a bathroom with a combination tub and shower.
The basement, which has blue-and-white tile floors, is currently used as a combination office and playroom.
Outdoor space: The private courtyard behind this unit is surrounded by white brick walls, high enough to provide privacy from the neighbors and low enough to afford views of some of Lafayette Park’s other buildings. A patio in one corner comfortably holds an outdoor sofa, with room for more furniture on an expanse of brick at the center of the yard. One car fits in the driveway.
Taxes: A $1,402 monthly homeowner association fee covers property taxes, security, and trash and snow removal.
Contact: Austin Black II, City Living Detroit, 313-242-7800; citylivingdetroit.com
Bradenton, Fla. | $675,000
An 1874 Victorian house with four bedrooms and three bathrooms, on a 0.5-acre lot
Built by Josiah Gates, a son of an early settler of Bradenton, this house is one of the oldest in Manatee County. Rebuilt from top to bottom by the sellers, it has modern comforts — including a tankless water heater, a new roof, new HVAC and electrical systems, and fresh paint — but retains traces of its history in the form of reclaimed wood and a brick fireplace.
The Manatee River is a few blocks away, and the beaches of Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico are a half-hour drive. St. Petersburg is about a 40-minute drive; Tampa is an hour away.
Size: 2,585 square feet
Price per square foot: $261
Indoors: Steps lead up to a red door set in a covered front porch with new floors and ceiling fans.
Inside the front door is a foyer with paneling made from wood salvaged during the renovation. To the right is a living room with soft green walls and original hardwood floors; it flows into an open dining room.
Separating the dining room from the kitchen is an original brick fireplace that was once part of a wall but is now surrounded by open space. The kitchen has quartz countertops, stainless steel appliances and a breakfast bar with a butcher-block top.
Two bedrooms are on this level, both off the hallway that runs alongside the living and dining rooms. The guest room has private outdoor access and an en suite bathroom with a tiled shower. The primary suite, next door, has a bathroom with wood paneling and a claw-foot tub.
Two more bedrooms, with carpeted floors and backyard-facing windows, are on the second level; between them is a bathroom with a porcelain pedestal sink.
Outdoor space: A patio at the side of the house has enough space for chairs and a cafe table. The backyard is flat and framed by mature trees, and could easily hold a swimming pool or a guesthouse. The driveway has room for two cars.
Taxes: $6,816 (estimated)
Contact: Janice Sanburn, eXp Realty, 314-398-1676; janicesanburn.exprealty.com
Hailey, Idaho | $675,000
A ranch house built in 1990, with three bedrooms and two bathrooms, on a 0.2-acre lot
About 15 miles south of the ski resorts of Sun Valley, Hailey is increasingly popular with second-home buyers and those looking to take advantage of the area’s outdoor activities, which also include hiking and camping.
This house is about five minutes by car to downtown Hailey, where Main Street hosts a yearly Fourth of July parade and offers coffee shops, casual restaurants and stores selling ski apparel year-round.
Size: 1,452 square feet
Price per square foot: $465
Indoors: The entrance is framed by one of the home’s two decks. The front door opens directly into the main living area, which has new flooring, deck-facing windows and recessed lights set in the high, sloped ceilings. Behind the sitting area at the front of the space is room for a dining table in the far corner, where doors open to the deck in back and one wall is lined with built-in storage.
The kitchen, updated during a recent renovation, is open to the dining and sitting areas, with stainless steel appliances and a stainless steel farmhouse sink.
A hallway off the kitchen leads to the bedrooms: At the far end is the primary suite, which has a spacious closet and a bathroom with a large walk-in shower and a double vanity with basin-style sinks. Across the hall is a guest room with carpeted floors; closer to the kitchen is a bedroom that the sellers use as an office. These bedrooms share a bathroom off the hall.
Outdoor space: The deck in front has room for chairs and a firepit; the one in back holds a hot tub, a prized amenity in ski country, with space next to it for outdoor dining. The grassy backyard and the deck are surrounded by a wood fence. The attached garage holds two cars.
Taxes: $3,847 (estimated)
Contact: Michelle Sabina and Anna Mathieu, Luxury in Sun Valley Team, Windermere Real Estate, 208-309-1329 or 503-758-9163; my.flexmls.com
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