The psychological pricing theory is the idea that people tend to perceive odd prices as being lower than they actually are. They round down, rather than up. Kinda like when something is $19.99 and you’re momentarily tricked into thinking you’re not basically paying $20. 

So when a house is worth $900K you might be tempted to think you’re not basically spending $1 million. Even though the reality is when you add taxes and all the other hidden costs of home ownership it's more likely you just spent over $1 million. 

But let’s just let our cognitive bias delude us for a little while longer and see what you can get in cities across Canada for under $1 million. 

Calgary

For a little over $900,000 you can get this brand new designer home. The four bedroom, four bathroom house is modern with an open layout, soaring ceilings and lots of windows to let in natural light. There's plenty of space both inside and out with a finished basement and landscaped backyard.

Vancouver

This house is actually being sold more for the land it's on than the house itself as, according to the listing, it's already zoned for low-rise apartments or row houses. The property is right across from the Kensington Gardens development and close to transportation links. 

Toronto

From the outside this bungalow looks like every other post-war bungalow in Toronto. But the inside of the two-bedroom home has been nicely renovated to give it a modern touch. There's also a separate unit in the basement which could easily be rented out. 

Ottawa

Backing right onto the Rideau Canal is this quaint three bedroom home. The home boasts a large kitchen with granite counters, an open layout with high ceilings and unique features like a reading nook in the bay window. But the big selling point is definitely the waterfront property.  

Winnipeg

This custom built five bedroom home has almost 3,000 square feet of living space. While I'm not a fan of the dark wood and brown carpeting, the home is solid with large bedrooms, a big eat-in kitchen and a covered hot tub for winter time soaks. 

Saskatoon

The strangest thing about this home is the vinyl wood flooring in the garage. But apart from that this newly built home is luxurious with lots of windows and an airy open plan layout. The kitchen is sleek and modern with a quartz waterfall island and the floor-to-ceiling fire place adds drama to the space. 

Montreal

This charming three bedroom home is located in Glenmount. The current owners have done lots of maintenance work so the home is in decent shape, it just needs a good facelift, especially the kitchen. 

St. Johns

For just under $900,000 there's a gorgeous five bedroom home in the heart of St. Johns. The home was rebuilt in the early 2000's and is on an almost 1/2 acre of land. The best part of the home is the sunroom which looks out over the expansive backyard. 

Charlottetown

The limestone and Cape Cod siding of this house is deceiving. The home looks heritage but it's actually a new build. The home has four bedrooms and three bathrooms. It's also energy efficient and although it's covered in snow and ice, there's actually water behind this home.

Yellowknife

Nestled into the rocky landscape is this now iconic Yellowknife home. It was built by a long-time northerner and architect. The home is beyond beautiful with huge windows and skylights. Originally built in the 70s it has a vintage vibe but it was updated in the 90s. Also fun fact, it's only $770K because homes rarely make it to $900K up north.