Comparison shopping is a key strategy in every home search. Buyers study the Internet, magazines and the classifieds and walk through homes in several suburbs to figure out what a house in one area will cost compared with a similar house in another area.

From affordable to extravagant homes, builders and sales agents are recognizing what home buyers are expecting to find.

Christopher Oquendo/Special (ENLARGE)

The entire main level has hardwood floors in this 3-bedroom, 2 1/2-bath home, which also has a partial basement and granite counters. It lists at $350,900 and is part of the Habershal at West Highlands subdivision.

McCar Homes (ENLARGE)

A full daylight basement is the standout feature in this $359,130 4-bedroom, 2 1/2-bath home with hardwood floors and granite countertops.

Christopher Oquendo/Special (ENLARGE)

There's a massive granite kitchen countertop plus 3 bedrooms, 3 1/2 baths and a finished bonus room in this $529,000 house in the Hickory Hills subdivision. Lifetime Homes put hardwood on most of the main level.

Christopher Oquendo/Special (ENLARGE)

There's a massive granite kitchen countertop plus 3 bedrooms, 3 1/2 baths and a finished bonus room in this $529,000 house in the Hickory Hills subdivision. Lifetime Homes put hardwood on most of the main level.

Christopher Oquendo/Special (ENLARGE)

This 5-bedroom, 3-bath home has a finished bonus room, vinyl and carpet on the main floor and laminate countertops. It's listed for $214,900.

Homes in the $500,000s often have features and amenities with a wow factor, and floor plans often are created with guests in mind.

Alan Richardson, an agent at Hickory Hills in McDonough, said the kitchen in one of his homes in the low $500,000s has "the largest hunk of granite you've ever seen. It's stunning. The kitchen is really, really impressive. It's a great floor plan for entertaining."

But in certain areas of metro Atlanta, families on smaller budgets are finding it tough to locate single-family homes, especially new construction, to fit their needs.

It's difficult to find four or five bedrooms in the low $200s with new construction, said Rebekah Soebel, operations manager for Sansea Properties, which is building the homes at Browns Farm Crossing in Marietta.

"It is hard in west Cobb to find anything like that," she said.

Intown, buyers at Habershal at West Highlands, which include young professionals, think their choices in the $300,000s are "going to be basically condos and townhomes, which is not true," said Dahlia Aitova with Brock Built Properties. "The features and finishes are going to be exactly the same as anywhere in Atlanta."

To respond to demand from buyers in the Pinnacle Pointe neighborhood, which has homes in the $200,000s, Apple Realty's Stephanie Smith said they're in the process of installing granite countertops in their new homes, an upgrade from the Corian-like countertops they previously used.

"We try to give them the most for the money, but we don't try to overdo it," she said.

Our challenge: Take three price ranges, and find new single-family homes in four metro area cities to see what you get for the money.

Here's what we found in the $200,000s, $350,000s and $500,000s.

ALPHARETTA

Price: high $240,000s (starting price for homes in mixed-use community expected to begin construction next month)

Address: 4615 Woodbine Way, Alpharetta 30004

Subdivision: Waterbrooke

Features: 3 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths (at a minimum)

Kitchen countertops: Granite

Floors on the main level: Hardwood

Garage: Yes, two-car

Builder: Northstar Residential

Price: $359,130

Address: 5375 Fairmont Glen, Alpharetta 30004

Subdivision: Olde Union Preserve

Features: 4 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, full daylight basement

Kitchen countertops: Granite

Floors on the main level: Hardwood

Garage: Yes, two-car

Builder: McCar Homes

Price: $509,900

Address: 6790 Sentara Place, Alpharetta 30005

Subdivision: Jamestown

Features: 4 bedrooms, 3 1/2 baths, full daylight basement

Kitchen countertops: Granite

Floors on the main level: Site-finished hardwood throughout, except for carpet in master bedroom

Garage: Yes, two-car

Builder: The Providence Group

MARIETTA

Price: $214,900

Address: 165 Hollinger Way, Marietta 30060

Subdivision: Browns Farm Crossing

Features: 5 bedrooms, 3 baths, finished bonus room

Kitchen countertops: Laminate

Floors on the main level: Vinyl and carpet

Garage: Yes, two-car

Builder: Sansea Properties

Price: $359,900

Address: 2045 Heritage Green Drive, Marietta 30064

Subdivision: Heritage Green

Features: 5 bedrooms, 41/2 baths, partial finished basement

Kitchen countertops: Granite

Floors on the main level: Ceramic tile in entry foyer and kitchen; wide-plank hardwood floors in hallways, dining room, formal living room, family room; Berber carpet in bedrooms

Garage: Yes, two-car

Builder: Rock Solid Builders

Price: $500,000

Address: 3081 Moss Stone Lane, Marietta 30064

Subdivision: Stonebridge at Mud Creek

Features: 4 bedrooms, 4 baths, finished terrace level

Kitchen countertops: Granite

Floors on the main level: Hardwood in the entryway, kitchen, dining room, great room, keeping room; carpet in master and guest bedroom

Garage: Yes, three-car

Builder: Homes by Williamscraft

ATLANTA

Price: $200,000

Address: 5977 Westchase St., Atlanta 30336

Subdivision: Westchase Glen

Features: 3 bedrooms, 2 baths

Kitchen countertops: Corian

Floors on the main level: Hardwood in the foyer, carpet throughout

Garage: Yes, two-car

Builder: Greenwood Homes

Price: $350,900

Address: 1631 Habershal Drive, Atlanta 30318

Subdivision: Habershal at West Highlands

Features: 3 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, partial basement

Kitchen countertops: Granite

Floors on the main level: Hardwood

Garage: Yes, two-car

Builder: Brock Built Properties

Price: $519,900

Address: 405 Claridge Trace, Atlanta 30331

Subdivision: The Highlands at Guilford Forest

Features: 4 bedrooms, 3 1/2 baths, full daylight basement

Kitchen countertops: Granite

Floors on the main level: Hardwood

Garage: Yes, three-car

Builder: John Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods

McDONOUGH

Price: $203,655

Address: 265 Prominent Loop, McDonough 30253

Subdivision: Pinnacle Pointe

Features: 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, unfinished bonus room

Kitchen countertops: Solid surface, similar to Corian

Floors on the main level: Tile in the entryway and bathrooms; vinyl in the kitchen; carpet in living areas

Garage: Yes, two-car

Builder: Peachtree Homes

Price: $354,900

Address: 300 Hitt Trace, McDonough 30253

Subdivision: East Lake Estates

Features: 4 bedrooms, 3 1/2 baths

Kitchen countertops: Granite

Floors on the main level: Hardwood throughout except laundry room, which has ceramic tile

Garage: Yes, two-car

Builder: Richlynn Homes

Price: $529,000

Address: 148 Shellbark Drive, McDonough 30252

Subdivision: Hickory Hills

Features: 3 bedrooms, 3 1/2 baths, finished bonus room

Kitchen countertops: Granite

Floors on the main level: Hardwood, except for carpet in master bedroom

Garage: Yes, two-car

Builder: Lifetime Homes