inexpensive posts

Each month WalletPop searches the MLS listings for reasonably priced, attractive homes across the country. We've limited our picks to homes selling for less than $400,000, a bit more than the national average, which clocked in at $352,800 in December 2012, up 1.6% from a year earlier. And many of the properties we highlight this month are much less than that. With low mortgage rates and a still-soft market there's no better time to go house hunting and lock in at a low rate. Click on the images below to launch the slideshow, and let us know whether you like our picks this month.

SLIDESHOW: FEBRUARY 2013 REAL ESTATE ROUND-UP

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As Canadians we know the big three cities - Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal - aren't the most affordable places to live, with Vancouver taking the top spot as having the highest cost of living of all the Canadian cities. And waterfront homes in urban centres fetch ridiculous amounts - take this recent sale of an $8 million cottage-like home in Toronto's Beach neighbourhood.

So when we want to escape to the cottage, cabin or summer house, where to go?

Regions close to these cities, places like the Okanagan, Muskokas and Laurentians aren't the place to find a budget summer spot for most of us.

Those who want a cottage or cabin may need to rethink the ultimate destination. So where to focus to find the summer home bargain of our dreams?