Exclusive | Massive 3-home portfolio lists for a bargain price and Kansas may even pay you to move there

There’s no place like home — especially if it’s a grandiose, historic estate located in the heart of America.And even better if it comes at a bargain price.In the tech bro paradise that is San Francisco, a generous (well, generous by most accounts) $1.99-million budget nets you an updated condo in a decent neighborhood, or a single-family home on the smaller end of the scale that may still need upgrades.In Los Angeles, the same hot cash injection gets you a solid but unremarkable home in places like revitalizing Mar Vista or hipster-beloved Silver Lake.

The biggest news, opinion and culture shaping California right now.Please provide a valid email.

By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.Never miss a story Meanwhile, in Topeka, Kansas, that exact price delivers the breathtaking Woodward Collection.

It’s a historic estate composed of three fully furnished homes totaling more than 14,600 square feet of theatrical living space, multiple bedrooms and bathrooms, four additional parcels of land, a heated pool, expansive landscaped gardens, and one of the most dramatic, romantic private libraries in the Midwest — perhaps in the entire US.Indeed, the star is the 1923 Gothic English Tudor at 1272 SW Fillmore St., long called “Topeka’s Most Artistic Home.” Built for Chester and Frederica Woodward and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the 8,646-square-foot estate was constructed with hand-hewn timbers and stone brought over from England.Its centerpiece is a bookworm’s delight: a two-and-a-half-story library measuring 26 by 52 feet, inspired by Sir Walter Scott’s library at Abbotsford.Floor-to-ceiling stained glass, English brown oak shelving, a carved stone fireplace, an upper gallery and even the original safe for rare books remain intact.For years the property has operated as a beloved bed-and-breakfast and event venue.

According to Sage Sotheby’s In...