Yes, we know. Your brackets are busted thanks to a few key first-round upsets. And yes, we understand this tourney features one team—Kentucky—lording it over the entire process thanks to its annual accumulation of NBA-ready talent.
So, if you’ve already wadded up your bracket and closed the door on the real March Madness, we invite you to participate in a tournament that will make you feel right at … home.
We’ve compiled our own bracket with the goal of finding the best affordable home right now.
We started by identifying our 64 most-searched metro areas. We then ran a simulated tourney by seeding and pairing markets in four distinct regions (East, West, South, and Midwest). Our winners in the first two rounds were determined by the median price per square foot in each market.
The initial round saw intense matchups between midsize cities: Portland vs. Sacramento, Orlando vs. New Orleans, and Minneapolis vs. Milwaukee. The second round featured an intriguing clash between Houston vs. Atlanta. After the numbers were crunched, a few Cinderellas slipped into our sweet 16, including Buffalo, Nashville, and Colorado Springs.
Now that we’ve made it to the third round, we want you to tell us which home is a true winner. We identified a median-priced home in each of our top 16 markets that’s been listed within the past six weeks.
As you explore and compare your favorite homes, we’ll analyze page views and actual sales to determine who moves on. If one of the candidates happens to sell during the round, it’ll be declared the winner, and we’ll pick a new listing to represent that market in the next round.
There are tantalizing matchups in each region. Click on a bubble to see the matchup and on any of the banners to learn more about a particular home.
Home of the University of Arizona, Tucson is still involved in the real March Madness. It’s also home to this desert charmer in a gated community. But if you’d rather avoid the scorching heat of Arizona, the spacious home near Boise might be a safe bet.
This Buckeye State matchup hinges on whether you prefer to live closer to the Kentucky border or the charms of northern Ohio. It also depends heavily on your preference for Cape Cod or Colonial. We didn’t think we’d see a Cape Cod–style home in the Cincinnati metro, but our tournament is full of surprises.
Colorado Springs, CO, vs. Albuquerque, NM
The Rocky Mountains take on “Breaking Bad.” Colorado offers a true diaper dandy with this 3-year-old, 3,500-square-foot behemoth. But if you want a home with more staying power, perhaps you’d like the recently updated New Mexico home.
Detroit, MI, vs. Fort Wayne, IN
If hardwood is your thing, our Detroit home should cruise to a lopsided win. The Michigan rancher offers plenty of wood, but it comes up short of its competitor in terms of space. Fort Wayne’s home is almost 3,500 square feet on almost an acre of land. Plus there’s a private pond in the backyard of the Indiana pick, which may be a clincher for anyone who wants to make a splash.
Houston, TX, vs. Nashville, TN
Too close to call. A true pick ’em. Both homes use the word “rare” in their listing description, but we’ll leave it to you to pick which house is truly out of the ordinary.
While Richmond failed to make the tournament this season, it’s represented in our sweet 16 with this private, wooded home on 1.3 acres. The University of Buffalo did qualify for the tournament this year for the first time ever, but it was bounced in the opening round. Can this charming three-bedroom home qualify Buffalo for our next round?
Salisbury, MD, vs. Rochester, NY
If square footage is your major metric to pick a winner, then Salisbury should be your pick. At just over 3,400 square feet, it’s twice as big as its rival from Rochester. However, the smaller Rochester home provides plenty of curb appeal and looks like a true contender. Plus it’s listed for less than $200K.
San Antonio, TX, vs. Jacksonville, FL
Which home gets nothing but net? It’s an all-brick faceoff (and we’re not talking about missed shots). Both homes feature brick exteriors, but you’ll have to pick between the wily veteran in Jacksonville (built in 1995) and the young upstart from San Antonio (built in 2005).
Have a tip? A home worth talking about? Hit us up at news@realtor.com
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