What you get...

I always read the "What You Get For $____" column in The Times. Although mostly I'm aghast at how little one can buy for so much money. But this week I'm sensing our new recession reality seeping in. Exhibit A: An 1890 seven-bedroom Victorian near Dubuque, Iowa. Price: $225,000 Now this, my friends, is a bargain.



If this grand beauty is $225K, then what could a buyer find in, say, Portland for this price? Well, nothing like a giant Victorian mansion and more like this:


A modest fixer in a not-so great neighborhood. For $225K in San Francisco you could buy a studio apartment in foreclosure. Or, that same amount could put you in this cute bungalow in central Austin:


Or a 10,000 square foot home/auditorium in Detroit. Yes, an auditorium where you could literally live on stage.