What You Get for the Money

Six houses in the $400,000 price range are compared across the country. In Chicago, newlyweds left their native India for a high-rise view of Lake Michigan, while a Baton Rouge couple didn't let neighborhood tradition stop them from designing a stunning contemporary home. In Houston, a recent architecture graduate flexes her design muscles on her own modern home, and three more $400,000 homes are found in in Kansas City, Madison and Portland.

Mike stops in FL, MO, ME and more looking at homes worth $900,000.

Across the country, homes in the $700,000 price range are compared. First, in Fargo, North Dakota, one home draws its design inspiration from world-class hotels. Then, an Italianate house in Louisville, Kentucky has many stylish rooms, but the most stylish just might be the garage. And a new home in Maine uses recycled materials that gives the place a lived-in look. Finally, three more homes worth $700,000 are found in California, Missouri and Tennessee.

In Wisconsin, an architect gets innovative when he has to fit his family home onto a narrow lot. Then, an Arkansas couple (he's an architect, she's a designer) combines their skills to design their dream home. And in Longmont, Colorado, a home brings New Urbanism to the foot of the Rockies. All of these homes, plus three more in Phoenix, Chicago and New York City, are valued at $400,000.

A Chicago loft is so stunning that the owner endures a 2100-mile commute to live there, and a Connecticut family has transformed their colonial home into a bright, welcoming dream home. Then, in Maine, a federal home that dates to the late 1700s sits on 37 gorgeous acres. All of these homes, plus an artist's retreat in Idaho, a cozy home in North Dakota, and a Mile High loft in Denver, are valued at $800,000.

A high-rise loft is right at home in eco-friendly Portland, while a cozy Georgian colonial home fits right into a quiet neighborhood in Trenton, New Jersey. Then, in Kansas City, Missouri, a new loft is just minutes from a burgeoning downtown. These three handsome homes, along with three more in Wisconsin, Maine and Illinois, are all worth $500,000.

A couple left San Francisco in search of some elbow room and found a roomy California contemporary in Denver, while a North Dakota artist takes inspiration from the open spaces of the Great Plains when he designed his family's home. Then, a jewelry designer found an oasis in the city with her brilliant Brooklyn brownstone. These spectacular homes, plus three more in New Jersey, Tennessee and Oregon, are valued at $300,000.

A remodeled colonial home in a town that's been called the Mayberry of New Jersey is valued at $800,000. Then, a pair of Florida natives discovered a new lives in the mountains of Colorado, while a home outside Detroit reflects its owners' unique sense of design. Along with these homes, quick stops in Kansas City, Seattle and Madison provide more looks at homes worth $800,000.

A former warehouse in Trenton, New Jersey is re-imagined as a stylish urban loft, while another in Detroit retains its industrial style. Then, an artist in Oregon makes her home her canvas. These homes, along with three more in Portland, Maine, Fargo, North Dakota, and New Haven, Connecticut, provide a look at what $300,000 can buy across the country.

Is a million dollars worth what it used to be? A pair of native New Yorkers finds out when they find their dream home just across state lines in Connecticut. Then, in Denver, a classy downtown condo sports killer views and houses a world-class art collection, while a stunning Japanese style pagoda offers an elegant escape from the city in suburban New Jersey. The real estate round-up continues with a look at million dollar manses in Portland, Oregon, West Bloomfield, Michigan, and Seattle, Washington.

See what $500,000 will buy you across the country with six different homes, starting with a colonial in Connecticut that Victor and Allison Lopez revamped. Then, in Folsom, California, striking renovations have kept the Covello family's home fresh, even after eighteen years, while a Denver couple have refit a traditional Victorian with a cutting edge interior. Finally, a quick tour of homes in Portland, Detroit, and New York City provides another look at what you get for $500,000.

Six houses across the country in the $400,000 price range are compared, starting with a home in the bedroom community of Suisun City, California that inspired its owners to start a new business. Then, in Fargo, North Dakota, a dedicated chef desiged her condo around her dream kitchen, while a Brazilian couple found their perfect perch in a trendy neighborhood in Seattle. Finally, a quick tour of houses in New Jersey, Michigan and Connecticut provide another look at $400,000 homes.

Six houses from across the country demonstrate what can be purchased for around $400,000. In Fort Wayne, Indiana, a builder and designer combined their skills to create a new home for their family, while outside Detroit, a family found a charming house that was a perfect fit for them. Then, a Taiwanese transplant turns a Brooklyn, New York brownstone into a model of compact comfort, and three unique residences in Fargo, Sacramento and Seattle provide a further look at what you get for $400,000.