[sergeantdave]

In 1910, an American could buy a three bedroom, two-story home for $600. It included real 2 x 4s, real stone, real oak wood, real cherry wood, real 2 x 10 joists, real European craftsmanship, and a real, real low payment. (Workers back in 1910 averaged $60 per month take home pay, meaning a house cost less than a year's salary.)

Inflation? Naw, there's no inflation.

Better building quality now? Sure...yeh...

[LS]

I wouldn't trade my house now for 10 of those "fine" houses from 1910. Sorry, I lived in one built in 1960. Talk stone, brick, all you want, but the fact is they ate energy like crazy, weren't insulated, and were vermin traps. No thanks.

[buwaya]

I've got an interest in San Francisco architecture. There is actually a lot of information on the subject of home prices.

In San Francisco, in the 1910's, cheap tract homes were selling for $ 3000, not $ 600. A more typical home price was $ 5000.