DECATUR - The Beatles were no doubt right: Money can't buy you love.

But it can sure buy you some lovely houses and, perhaps surprisingly, in the midst of a sharp recession, people with deep pockets in Decatur are spending healthy chunks of change to purchase the homes of their dreams.

Figures from the Decatur Association of Realtors for September listed eight homes that sold for more than $300,000 and another four that sold for more than $250,000. For the $300,000 and up category, the numbers were more than twice the total sold the month previously and even one better than the total for September 2008.

Why are people still spending? Realtors said Decatur and the surrounding area's housing market have taken recession hits as jobless totals swell and companies cut back, but, fundamentally, the local housing market is remarkably resilient. Interest rates remain close to historic lows, and those with money to spend have got a lot of tempting addresses from which to choose.

Realtor Judy Cooper said the value of what you get for your dollar in Decatur is far beyond what buyers can only dream of in big city and coastal markets, even after they've been decimated in the recent housing downturn.

"I can't tell you how many people I've worked with coming in from places like Chicago and St. Louis who just can't believe they can have a mansion here for $350,000," said Cooper, who works with Brinkoetter & Associates. "It's a buyer's paradise here as far as these people are concerned."

What does your money buy you in Decatur? For those buyers browsing at the very top of the local real estate food chain and with $1 million burning a hole in their pocket, broker Tom Nolan has a deal for you.

Nolan points the way to the exclusive South Lake Court address nestling by the shores of Lake Decatur. Up for sale here is a spacious plantation-style mansion custom-built in 2001 on two acres and bracketed by two covered porches and verandas, the whole ensemble showcased nicely by a grand entrance fronted by six two-story columns.

Inside is luxury everything, from a stainless steel professional kitchen to hard wood floors, wood paneling and a master bathroom with tumbled marble floors warmed by radiant heat. There's a walk-in steam shower and a "king-size soaking tub for two." The amenities run on to include a library, wet bar, four luxuriously appointed bedrooms and a boat dock complete with electric hoist and sun deck.

Nolan, who works for brother Patrick Nolan's firm, Nolan & Associates, has no doubts it will sell and said Decatur has a healthy selection of sumptuous residences. He points out that the Decatur Association of Realtors sales figures don't tell the whole up-market homes story. Plenty of expensive houses built to order for well-heeled customers or sold directly by builders, for example, are not counted in the Realtor statistics.

"There is a lot of information that falls by the wayside," Nolan said. "This is a strong market."

He said sales figures for upscale homes were down in the 2007-08 season, reflecting a general slumping trend in overall existing home sales, but emphasized that has turned around.

"Things are happening again," he added. "Low interest rates have fueled the market, and there are more attractively priced homes to purchase. There is a kind of explosion of activity, with lots of things happening and going on."

Some wealthy buyers were adjusting their spending patterns amid these economically troubled times, but Nolan said the change might be to sell the condo in Florida or Arizona and concentrate their still considerable financial firepower on their main home.

"It's not like dumping money into the stock market, where it can go up and down or completely disappear," said Nolan. "I've talked to people who said, 'You know what? I'm really glad I invested a nice amount in my beautiful home in Decatur. It might depreciate a little bit in value for now, but with a three- to five-year market, I know its value is going to be back where it was and, in the meantime, my family has had all the enjoyment of it."

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