It is true. When it comes to woodworking and craftsmanship of plaster, masonry, glass, etc. you could not afford to build some of those houses today they way they were built back in the early 20th century.
Unfortunately, most have been stripped of anything of value, starting with the copper.
Like this one:
http://www.trulia.com/property/3099712890-1900-Strathcona-Dr-Detroit-MI-48203#photo-15
And as I said on another thread. It’s obvious that the ‘class’ of people who own the house now is very different from the ‘class’ of people who built it originally. The furniture is nice enough for a middle class home but is nothing like the furniture and decor that was there originally.
I won’t say anything about the Obama picture that graces one of the snapshots.