Hey, did you hear? Dwarf planet Pluto is all ready for its close-up. That's right. We Earthlings sent a spacecraft 3 billion miles to snap some photos of the celestial body we dumped a few years back.
We have to admit the initial images of a planet ( Or is it? We don't know anymore!) so far from our own are pretty fascinating. We can't stop looking -- and wondering what it might be like to pack our bags and head so very, very far away. Alas, Pluto's temperature is chilly -- at minus 369 degrees Fahrenheit! -- so we might have to put those dreams on hold until it gets its central heating in check.
In the meantime, you can get your Pluto thrills out of your system here on Earth without all the bothersome frost.
We sent a probe out into our listings and came back with photos of five homes on streets named for the dwarf planet at the far end of the galaxy. Our mission was less arduous, but no less intriguing. Join us on an exploration -- spacesuit is optional.
Address: 2807 Pluto Ct, Granbury, TX
Price: $97,000
Space cred: This half-acre lot has a trampoline on which you could practice the feeling of weightlessness. And the house is a bargain in any galaxy: It's a mere $81 per square foot!
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Address: 65180 Pluto Rd, Joshua Tree, CA
Price: $63,500
Space cred: Astronauts are accustomed to doing without Earthly comforts. The buyers of this desert home should also be ready to rough it for a while as they renovate. But once the home is complete, they'll be able to experience life in a land nearly as barren as Pluto.
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Address: 3427 Pluto Ct, Bonita, CA
Price: $550,000
Space cred: Being sold as a short sale, this home in the San Diego suburbs "needs lots of TLC." Fixer-upper status aside, judging by the imposing front gate, it looks like the perfect spot to conduct supersecret space research where you could create your own New Horizons.
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Address: 1724 Pluto Way, Sacramento, CA
Price: $429,000
Space cred: Built in 1953, this home in California's capital city predates the space race. Fully renovated, the home offers a "park-like backyard." It's perfect for installing your own massive telescope to watch the skies.
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Address: 8584 Pluto Ter, West Palm Beach, FL
Price: $155,000
Space cred: This is yet another short sale. The planets aren't aligned for financing these dwarf planet homes. But this three-bedroom townhouse is all about location -- it's only a two-hour drive down Interstate 95 from Cape Canaveral.