Me bride ran across this old ad for a listed house that my MIL bought (for the penciled in amount) in the early '50's. After she died a couple of years ago, her kids sold it for $250,000......with no significant modifications.....the old oil burning stove had gone away, the carpet and roofing had been replaced, but no increase in square footage or other remodel work was ever done......Oh, ok, paint, but that's it. These were all concrete block constuction.