Although median home prices dipped down to $660,000 last month, first-time Sonoma County home buyers are still lookout for options that won’t break the bank. These eight contemporary townhouses, offer spacious interiors and modern conveniences at a fraction of the price.

Long and narrow multilevel townhouses are great options for shoppers with budget and lifestyle concerns in mind. Townhouses are generally closer to town centers and major thoroughfares.  They tend to be lower in price and often have a portion of their upkeep costs covered by homeowner association (HOA) fees.

The trade off, of course, is an additional monthly fee on top of your mortgage, the possibility of noisy neighbors on adjacent walls and having to abide by HOA rules. But sometimes, they come with benefits too, like a shared community pool, spa, or clubhouse.

Townhouses are a way to test the waters of home ownership before moving on to purchase a detached single-family home. The eight townhouses above offer the same square footage of some Sonoma County’s starter homes, at prices up to 50 percent less.

Click through the gallery above to take a peek at some of the terrific townhouses currently on the market in Sonoma County.