How much house does $200,000 buy?

Atlanta                                              

• 4 bedrooms, 2 baths
• 1,368 square feet
• Year built: 1958
• $200,000

This 1958 home just east of Brookhaven's new Village Place district has several intriguing renovations. A new kitchen has granite counters, new cabinets and stainless-steel appliances. Two new baths include one with travertine tile and rubbed bronze fixtures. The roof and windows are new. French doors lead to a huge new deck and a fully fenced backyard.

• Realtor.com: Find a home in Atlanta in this price range
  
  
• Video: Amazing homes for $200,000

Boston

• 2 bedrooms, 1 bath
• 730 square feet
• Year built:1946; converted to condos in 1973
• $184,000

This quiet, top-floor, two-bedroom condo (recently reduced from $200,000) in Jamaica Plain near 500-plus-acre Franklin Park has nice light and lots of updates, such as fresh cabinets and appliances in the kitchen. The condo also has white oak floors and custom blinds and shades. "After two years, the economy is still calling out for help, and in Massachusetts we are still greatly feeling those effects," says listing agent Constance Cervone. Still, she says, "When homes are properly staged and priced and offer some distinction over their competition, they can sell in a relatively shorter time frame."

• Realtor.com: Look for a home in Boston in this price range
  
  
• 'Listed': 42% of buyers expect 7% annual return on their home

Washington, D.C.

• 1 bedroom, 1 bath
• 684 square feet
• Year built: 1966
• $199,900

Located in southwestern D.C. near the water, this co-op apartment has parquet floors and a large balcony overlooking a water garden with partial views of the Washington Channel, according to listing agents Steve Dean and Eddie Rangel. It's also just two blocks to the nearest Metro rail stop. The constant turnover in government jobs in D.C. has had a leveling effect, in general keeping pricing more stable in D.C., the agents say.

• Realtor.com: See what else you could get for around $200,000 in D.C.
  
  
• Video: Amazing homes for $200,000

New York City

• 1 bedroom, 1 bath
• 600 square feet
• Year: unknown; pre-World War II
• $199,000

Two hundred grand doesn't get you a lot in New York City — in fact, it's amazing it can get you anything at all. This 600-square-foot co-op apartment  is in Bay Ridge, the southwestern corner of Brooklyn, which traditionally has had many Irish, Italian and Greek residents. Today it also is home to many Russian, Polish, Arab and Chinese immigrants. This prewar apartment has four rooms, including a totally renovated kitchen, and a convertible bed so the owner can use the bedroom as an office.

• Realtor.com: See if there are any other homes in this price range in NYC
  
  
• 'Listed': 42% of buyers expect 7% annual return on their home

Los Angeles

• 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
• 1,240 square feet
• Year built: 1926
• $200,000

This basic but well-kept three-bedroom home has one bedroom that's large enough to use as a family room. The home also features a living room with a fireplace, a separate formal dining room, an eat-in kitchen and a laundry room. Outside is a large yard with a two-car garage.

• Realtor.com: Look for other $200,000 homes in Los Angeles
  
  
• Video: Amazing homes for $200,000

Dallas

• 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
• 1,634 square feet
• Year built: 1991
• $200,000

In northern Dallas, this price gets you several custom upgrades. The home has a large kitchen and breakfast area with granite countertops and custom under-counter lighting. It also has louvered skylights, custom wood shutters and tinted windows to help stay cool on hot days; a stereo sound system; and crown molding. "The market in the near north Dallas area close to Addison has been steadily improving since 2010," says listing agent Wendy Hulkowich. "Days on market are almost doubled, because of more inventory in the price range, but sales are considerably ahead of 2010."

• Realtor.com: Check out what $200,000 can buy in Dallas
  
  
• 'Listed': 42% of buyers expect 7% annual return on their home

Phoenix

• 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
• 2,103 square feet
• Year built: 2004
• $185,000

This single-story home, recently reduced from $200,000, is in the master-planned community of Tramonto, next to Phoenix and Cave Creek — a community with recreation centers, a pool, several parks, playgrounds and trails. The Sonoran foothills are on the horizon. The home itself has an open floor plan, including a kitchen with maple cabinets and a large island. "With inventory in short supply, I am seeing multiple offers, even on short sales" at this price, says listing agent Karen Batson, Re/Max Sonoran Hills. 

• Realtor.com: Find a home in this price range in Phoenix
  
  
• Video: Amazing homes for $200,000

Seattle

• 4 bedrooms, 2 baths
• 1,730 square feet
• Year built: 1944
• $200,000

You'd be hard-pressed to find any home within Seattle's limits for $200,000, but look just south of the city line and you'll find this home in a quiet community in Burien, not far from downtown Seattle and five minutes to the airport. The home has hardwood floors, fresh paint and carpeting, and a lot of windows to brighten up Seattle's gray winters.

• Realtor.com: What can you buy for $200,000 in or near Seattle?
  
  
• 'Listed': 42% of buyers expect 7% annual return on their home

Chicago

• 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom
• 1,100 square feet
• Year built: 1923
• $175,000

This corner condo unit (recently reduced from $200,000) is on the first floor of a pre-World War II building with unobstructed views of Lake Michigan. Inside, the rehabbed condo has hardwood floors throughout and a remodeled kitchen with granite counters, stainless-steel appliances and a wine bar with a wine chiller. It is freshly painted and has in-unit laundry.

• Realtor.com: What else could $200,000 buy in Chicago?
  
  
• Video: Amazing homes for $200,000

Detroit

• 3 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms (2 full, 2 half)
• 2824 square feet
• Year built: 1952
• $175,000

This custom Colonial is in a popular area that's home to many Motown stars. It has golden ash woodwork, crown molding and hardwood floors. The home, which was recently reduced from $200,000, also has several updates, including a new furnace, roof and copper plumbing. "Homes on average in the Detroit area have declined by about 40 to 45% since 2005," says listing agent Bruce Simon. "Currently the inventory of good homes is low, and therefore these homes are selling quicker and the prices seem to be stabilizing."

• Realtor.com: What could you buy in Detroit for $200,000?
  
  
• 'Listed': 42% of buyers expect 7% annual return on their home

Miami

• 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom
• 1,483 square feet
• Year built: 1967
• $200,000

This home sits on a deep lot that extends from street to street. It has a new barrel tile roof and original terrazzo floors in good condition. The sale is by the original owner, so it needs some updating, says listing agent Kevin Veilleux, broker-associate with Palm Realty Group at Keller Williams Realty in Miami. "The market in Miami has improved greatly over the last few years in that the inventory of homes for sale has decreased greatly," Veilleux says. "For first-time buyers in the price range of $120,000 to $250,000, homes are selling within three to five days, often with multiple offers."

NOTE: This property is no longer listed.

• Realtor.com: See Miami homes for sale in this price range
  
  
• Video: Amazing homes for $200,000

Las Vegas

• 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
• 1,967 square feet
• Year built: 2001
• $200,000

Your money goes further in Vegas today — provided you stay away from the craps table and stick to real estate. Check out this 10-year-old, single-story home on an oversized corner lot in a gated community. The home has wood floors, granite countertops and a courtyard off the kitchen with a spa and a sitting area.

• Realtor.com: See the hundreds of $200,000 homes in Las Vegas
  
  
• 'Listed': 42% of buyers expect 7% annual return on their home