Property snoop: What $649,000 buys across Canada this week

1. A picturesque A-frame on an island near Vancouver

Address: Lot 39 Passage Island
Where: West Vancouver Price: $649,900 Specs: 3 bedrooms, 2 bath With benchmark prices of detached homes in Vancouver sitting well north of $1 million, the city’s stratospheric real estate isn’t for the faint of heart. But this three-bedroom A-frame on Passage Island offers geographical nirvana for a fraction of the usual cost: sitting at the mouth of Howe Sound against towering mountains, it’s just a 10-minute zip by boat from the mainland and shares its postal code from the country’s most expensive enclave, West Vancouver.

2. A brand-new, contemporary home in Edmonton

Address: 11115 126 St. Where: Inglewood, Edmonton Price: $649,000 Specs: 3 bedrooms, 3 baths The Inglewood neighbourhood was originally owned by a Hudson's Bay fur-trading employee who worked at nearby Fort Edmonton, so the area is steeped in history. This contemporary gem features all the modern conveniences of a new build (upstairs laundry, LED electric fireplace that changes colour!). The trendy restaurants two blocks away on 124th Street offer a convenient spot for a bite to eat before an Oilers game in the nearby new Ice District.

3. A sprawling estate outside of Montreal

A wood-burning fireplace and heated pool are just some of the luxe features of this home. Address: 1803 Rue Blueberry Forest Where:  Saint-Lazare, Montérégie Price: $650,000 Specs: 4 bedrooms, 2 baths If Downtown Abbey, Game of Thrones and Castle Hunters gives you a touch of house-envy every now and then, know that estate-living exists in a Quebec suburb, all for the price of a downtown condo in the big city. This 53,000-square-foot property comes with circular driveway, heated pool and wine cellar, all less than an hour’s drive from Montreal. More: Style lessons worth stealing from Kate Middleton 50 cute and comfortable flats to wear all through fall 6 bulbs to plant now for flowers next spring