What You Get for the Money

$600,000 (4x5)

: 18, 2007

Compare what kind of house you can get for $600,000 in six markets across the country. Our first couple traded their location and busy careers for country living in idyllic Shelburne, Vt. They bought six acres, designed and built their own 2,800-square-foot farmhouse and haven't looked back! Then it's off to fly-fishing country, where the views are as easy to come by as the wildlife. The outdoor lifestyle and stunning vistas of Missoula, Mont., inspired our second couple to design and build their own home on 10 acres of woods. The Northwestern modern marvel was constructed entirely out of a natural palette. Then, Alaska's vast and impressive mystique lured a pair of empty nesters to Anchorage. In the land of midnight sun and Northern Lights, our third couple built a 3,700-square-foot haven positioned to capture the most sunlight possible. We wrap with a quick tour of homes in San Diego, Charlottesville, Va., and Baltimore.