Earlier quoted context omitted.
Modular houses can cost as low as $50/sqft. This Sears house looks like 900-1200 sqft, so 45k to 60k. http://modularhomeowners.com/how-much-will-my-modular-home-c... https://blog.capterra.com/the-pros-cons-and-cost-of-modular-...
Yes, but can you build the Sears house for 35k today without materials substitutions. I don't think you can, prices of commodities were probably lower then, which is not in line with received wisdom. The reason why I mentioned a Tiny House or THOW is that the comparison is much closer, I think like most countries in the past there were no planning permission or taxes on house building. A THOW too is built by the owne…
https://archive.org/details/SpecificationsAndBillOfMaterials...
It seems like there should be a collection of historical lumber prices somewhere. Just that comparison will be pretty informative about the relative material costs.