Real Estate for $500,000 - NYTimes.com WHAT: A four-bedroom, four-bath adobe SIZE: 3,354 square feet SETTING: This rustic house is in the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains, near the northeast edge of Tucson. The neighborhood is a sparsely populated community of winding roads lined with desert shrubs, flowers and a variety of cactuses, including the saguaro for which the region is known. Most of the houses in this part of the foothills are from the 1940s and 1950s, built on three- and four-acre lots. Grocery stores, pharmacies, service stations and the like are about two miles away. INSIDE: The adobe house was built in 1956 and renovated by its current owners within the past eight years. They refinished its brick and concrete-tile floors, and sanded paint from its shutters and wood ceiling beams. Through the front door is a family room with brick floors and built-in wood shelves. Next to it, there's an updated kitchen with new appliances. Just beyond is a formal dining room with a hutch and reddish-brick flooring, followed by a living room with a wood-burning fireplace and sliding glass doors opening to one of the patios. The master bedroom has a wood-burning fireplace and a dressing area. A second bedroom has its own bathroom; the other two are connected by a door. OUTDOOR SPACE: The house is on nearly three acres of desert with city and mountain views. There are three large covered patios, totaling about 1,200 square feet. CONTACT: Patricia Schwabe, Peach Properties, (520) 603-6103; patriciaschwabe.com WHAT: An 1839 house with three bedrooms and two and a half baths SIZE: 2,775 square feet (total) SETTING: Dexter is a village of 4,000 on the Huron River, less than 15 minutes from Ann Arbor. The village was developed during the early and mid-1800s around a grist and sawmill, and retains some of its older houses, many built in the early 20th century. The listing agent describes Dexter as an area of rolling hills dotted with lakes and ponds. Summer concerts are held in local parks, and the village also has a community theater. Many residents, including the owners of this 1839 house, work in Ann Arbor, where the University of Michigan is a major employer. The village has a few restaurants and a grocery store, with Ann Arbor providing more shopping-and-dining options, not to mention the cultural offerings of a college town. INSIDE: The house was built in 1839 and acquired later additions. It was last renovated between 2002 and 2006. During the renovation, three smaller rooms were combined to form the living room, which has a wood-burning fireplace and the original wood-beam ceiling. The dining room retains its original flooring. The owners installed the room's tin ceilings. The refurbished kitchen has new Viking appliances and a farmhouse sink, but kept its original raised hearth, which the current owners regularly use for cooking. During a 19th-century renovation, a part of Dexter's original library building was incorporated into the house, and is still used as a library, with built-in floor-to-ceiling cherry bookcases. Off the dining room is an office. The three bedrooms are upstairs. The master has an en-suite bathroom, added in 2004, with a jetted claw-foot tub and white-tile walls. There's also a basement. The antique chandeliers and sconces found throughout the house were purchased from a nearby architectural salvage business. OUTDOOR SPACE: The house is set on five acres, with a yard surrounding the house, landscaping, an acre of meadow, and a stone walkway winding through lawns dotted with catalpa and walnut trees. CONTACT: JoAnn Barrett, Edward Surovell Realtors, (734) 678-8729; joannbarrett.com WHAT: A town house with three bedrooms and three and a half baths SIZE: 2,587 square feet SETTING: This house is in Rice Military, a neighborhood about a 10-minute drive from downtown Houston. The neighborhood is an architectural mix, with a number of smaller bungalows from the 1930s and "40s alongside newer town houses like this one. One of its primary draws is Memorial Park, which is about eight blocks from this house and includes an 18-hole golf course, an arboretum and nearly three miles of running trails spread over 1,466 acres. For shopping, dining and day-to-day errands, there's Memorial Drive, about eight blocks south, and Washington Avenue, a block north. INSIDE: This 2001 town house has been renovated by the current owners over the past several years. Through the entryway, there's a bedroom with a slate floor, currently being used as a family room and office. The room was expanded by the current owners, and opens through sliding doors onto a back patio. The living room, dining area and kitchen are on the second floor. The living room has built-in bookshelves and cabinets, and a gas-log fireplace. It leads to a dining area and kitchen, which has granite countertops, a five-burner range and a breakfast nook. There's a balcony off the breakfast nook. Upstairs are the other two bedrooms, including the master, which has a wall of built-in drawers, cabinets and shelves. Its en-suite bathroom has onyx tiles and a jetted tub. OUTDOOR SPACE: A stone patio is behind the house. TAXES: $8,792 (with a homeowner's exemption) CONTACT: Vicki Barazandeh, John Daugherty Realtors, (713) 416-4900; johndaugherty.com