2012 Presidential Candidates Homes Range From Modest to Many

Jan. 11, 2011 — -- intro: Though they are all vying to live in the White House, the presidential contenders all have charming and sometimes lavish homes to tide them over. The current commander-in-chief also still has a Georgian revival mansion in Illinois -- just in case.

From a Washington, D.C., townhouse to a tony mini-mansion, here are the houses that the seven rivals currently call home. That is, until or if one of them starts having mail forwarded to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

quicklist: 1category: McLean, Va.title: Newt Gingrich

text: Newt Gingrich, the former House speaker and U.S. Congressman from Georgia, purchased his home in McLean, Va. for $995,000 in 2000. It has 5,206 square feet and features a master bathroom with a marble floor and a chandelier. On the website of the Gingriches' designer Ann Kenkel, an image of the master bathroom shows wall-to-wall mirrors.

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quicklist: 2category: Washington, D.C.title: Jon Huntsman

text: If Jon Huntsman's home looks familiar, it's because it was where the contestants of Bravo's "Top Chef" resided during Season 7. The former Utah governor and ambassador to China owns five-bedroom townhouse in Washington, D.C. The house was sold for $3.6 million in June 2010, according to public records.

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quicklist: 3category: Lake Jackson, Texastitle: Ron Paul

text: Texas Rep. Ron Paul's four-bedroom ranch house in Lake Jackson has been on the market since April 2011. The Pauls have moved to a nearby home. His site, BuyRonPaulsHouse.com, says the home has "four bedrooms, five bathrooms and is approximately 5,500 square feet in size." The asking price is $325,000 while the median list price of homes in Lake Jackson is $139,800, according to Zillow. The house has an in-ground swimming pool, two lofts and an office.

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quicklist: 4category: Austin, Texastitle: Rick Perry

text: While waiting for renovations to the governor's mansion to be completed, Perry reportedly moved to a home in this gated community in Austin. The house features five bedrooms, seven bathrooms, three dining rooms and a guest house. The New York Times said the home, which has a balcony, is worth nearly $2 million and sits on three acres. On Realtor.com, the home on Hickory Creek Drive is said to have 5,780 square feet.

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quicklist: 5category: Austin, Texastitle: Rick Perry's Rental

text: Perry's rental home reportedly cost $9,900 a month, the Associated Press reported. Zillow reports that the estate sits on 3.25 acres and includes high-end amenities like Sub-Zero appliances and gourmet kitchen with marble and granite countertops, outdoor kitchen and pecan hardwood floors.

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quicklist: 6category: Wolfeboro, N.H. title: Mitt Romney

text: The former Massachusetts governor, the wealthiest candidate, owns the most real estate, including this one on Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire. According to The New York Times, he recently sold his homes in Belmont, Mass. and Park City, Utah, but maintains another in La Jolla, California, for which he bought in 2008 for $12 million, Zillow reported.

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quicklist: 7category: Great Falls, Va. title: Rick Santorum

text: Santorum, the former Pennsylvania senator, seems to have the most modest home of the candidates. He lives in this Great Falls, Va., house that reportedly cost $2 million in 2007. But money clearly isn't everything: He came in second in the Iowa caucuses in early January without the funds and organization of his rivals.

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quicklist: 8category: Chicago, Ill. title: President Barack Obama

text: President Obama reportedly paid $1.65 million for his home on the South Side of Chicago in June 2005, Zillow reports. Obama's political fundraiser, Tony Rezko, purchased the undeveloped lot next to the property and both closed on the same day. Rezko was indicted for fraud in 2006, convicted in 2008, and given a 10.5 half year sentence.

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