I am doing a project at school and i need to find the average price of a middle class house? please help

-- Kara Lidia Brooks (dance4ever2breal@aol.com), May 28, 2001

Answers

Response to 1900's

Here is a thought-try doing a search on the Sears and Roebuck house kits-they were quite reasonably priced and pretty popular in areas where there are railroads. They had different models and sizes-and they were built around 1900 and on to the thirties and forties.

Sarah

-- Sarah (heartsongacres@juno.com), May 28, 2001.

Response to 1900's

Okay-did a quick search on the Sears house kits. (typed in "sears and roebuck house") using Yahoo came up with several sites that mention the houses.

The prices varied-from abut $400 (!!!!) on up to several thousand. These were shipped from 1908 to (I forgot-around 1930) and often a company would buy a lot of kits to house their employees. (the Pullman area of chicago is an example and also somewhere in southern Illinois where Standard Oil put up a whole bunchof houses (Carlinville?)

I have always been interested in these-my brohter and his wife lived in one for several years-incredibly well made and designed well too.

I am sure that there were lots of places where you could build or buy a house for similar prices than the kit homes.

anyway-there is probably an easier way to figure out the average price for a middle class home-what about checking with a government agency-the Department of Housing and Urban Development maybe?

Sarah

-- sarah (heartsongacres@juno.com), May 28, 2001.

Response to 1900's

Kara, the price of houses during 1900 - 1905 was about $4,000. For more info on any given mth/day/year go to:

http://dmarie.com/timecap/

-- TomK (tjk@cac.net), May 28, 2001.

Response to 1900's

Hello Kara In your original letter you did not say the type of house you wanted information on. I have bought several,so will list some prices . !941 2br 1 bath $1800 --1945 2br 1 bath no garage $8300 1950 8 acres 3br 1 bath $18500(Later sold 20 lots, then sold house for $18500) 1957 3 br 1 bath $13500 1970 2br 2baths $26000 then 1974 2br 1bath 5 acres in country $30000 now worth $125000 . I have always been a postal worker, so you know these are average prices . Big George

-- George Wilson (cwwhtw@aol.com), May 28, 2001.

For some serious research on historic home prices, try going to your County Assessor's office. They keep historic records of assessed value and sale price every time a home is sold.

-- Skip Walton (sundaycreek@gnrac.net), May 30, 2001.

My oldest brother has an old Sears kit house. Located in Sumner IL on a big corner lot-it's 2 1/2 story with a full basment. Built like they used to build'm back about 1900. Workmanship is really something to see. Curved glass windows, pillars and a big settin porch in front. He's fix'n to sell it shortly and move to Mississippi. Wished I had it out here in the country! Matt.24:44

-- hoot (hoot@pcinetwork.com), May 30, 2001.

We once lived in a house built in the early 20's which had one bath and three bedrooms,high ceilings, big front wrap-around porch, wonderful staircase with heavy duty curved railing. We were told it was built for $500.

-- daffodyllady (daffodyllady@yahoo.com), June 02, 2001.