The New York Times regularly compares home values around the country with its "What  You Get For ... " series.

Today it plugs in $600,000 and include a visit to Schweitzer Mountain -- where that money will get you a three-bedroom, three-bath, ski-in, ski-out condominium.

This unit was completely renovated and customized by its current owner, a woodworker and former professional skier from Norway. All interior wood was locally milled and hand-hewn.

Downtown Sandpoint, flanking Lake Pend Oreille, is about 25 minutes away. The town draws snow-sports enthusiasts in the winter, and boaters and fishermen to the lake in the summer. Amtrak trains run through Sandpoint on their way to Chicago and the Seattle area; and Spokane, Wash., has an international airport about two hours away.

Or, the article continues, you could buy a five-bedroom farmhouse in Middlesex, Vt., or an 1,800-square-foot condo in Atlanta.

Read the whole story here.

None of this really falls into the category of frugal living, but it's interesting. The average sale price of a single-family home in Spokane last year was just north of $200,000. It'll be interesting to see what kind of home the Times finds if it ever makes its way here.

---

---