Homes pricey and cheap

Even with the calamitous real estate market there are still some givens when it comes to the most expensive and least expensive homes. Coldwell Banker's annual price comparison index finds La Jolla in the No. 1 spot, at $2.1 million, followed by Bev Hills ($1.98 million), Greenwich, Conn. ($1.5 million), Palo Alto ($1.48 million), and Santa Monica ($1.46 million). Newport Beach and Palos Verdes also made the top 10. On the other side of the ledger is Grayling, Mich., at $112,675, followed by Akron, Ohio ($121,885), and Fayetteville, N.C. ($130,875). Within California, Lancaster is the cheapest spot, at $165,205. The survey compares the average sale prices of similar 2,200-square-foot houses in 310 markets (really an apples-and-oranges exercise considering how different inventories can be for various communities, but...). Those looking for a real bargain might consider Salinas, Ecuador, where the average house is $69,375. Here's the complete rundown.