I get a kick out of this yearly Coldwell Banker home price survey that takes in hundreds of national and international markets. I'm always amazed how places like Dublin, Ireland, which I anachronistically associate with jangly horse carts and thatched roofs, are unaffordable to all but Bill Gates' richer brother.

In each market, Coldwell seeks out 2,200-square-foot houses with four bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms fit for a midlevel executive. In the United States, La Jolla, Calif., tops the least affordable category with an average price of $1.8-million. Sioux City, Iowa, is most affordable at $133,000.

As always seems to be the case, Tampa is lost in the middle of the pack. With an average price of $285,000, we're ranked 146 out of 315. Last year our average price of $350,000 placed us 177th.

Let's concede you can find a four-bedroom house for much less than $285,000. But if we're talking junior executive homes in a nice Tampa neighborhood, that's about right.

If you want real shockers look to Europe. More than $1.6-million for a four-bedroom in Dublin? Nearly $2-million for a post-Communist spread in Bucharest, Romania? Maybe it's not too surprising when you realize most people in Eastern Europe live in apartments to shame Snoopy and bang their shins on the kitchen table as they crawl out of bed.

Coldwell makes no claims that this is some sort of super scientific survey. The company samples about 10 to 15 sales from each market. It's meant as a tool to compare what you'll pay if you're facing a job transfer at home or abroad.

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