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Show I "DREAM" HOUSE CAN BE REALITY i . . MT-. " lLtOrrr 1 y lift I j r kLJ liE M -1 r " V..-..A..-... , iiflfic"w-J-sj-",""riitiiftfi(flirfiii ni-iii':Mffwftah -i)- ' CONSTRUCTION of low-cost homes is lagging, but proof that private enterprise can and Is building build-ing homes to fit the pocketbook of the average American family is being provided by government agencies. As examples of well-built, well-planned, well-planned, low-cost homes, the Housing Hous-ing and Home Finance Agency and the Federal Housing Administration point to several hundred houses built in the past year in Smith town, N. Y.; Baltimore, Md.; Columbia, S. C; Ypsilanti, Mich.; Evansville, Ind.; Jackson, Tenn.; Tucson, Ariz., and South Whittier, Calif. If Not, Why Not?" At meetings being held in towns and cities across the country, the FHA Is asking architects, builders, dealers, and bankers, "if such houses are not being built in this community, commun-ity, why not?" A study of the houses referred to by the FHA discloses what it is that makes a house low in cost. It reveals that while these houses were desigrned and built by architects and builders in widely-separated areas, there are no fundamental differences in size, plan, construction or materials. mater-ials. All eight of the houses are one-story one-story in height, and are built in the form of a box 24 x 24 feet, or in a rectangle, averaging 24 x 28 feet. They consist of four rooms a living room, two bedrooms and a kitchen. Each house has two clothes closets and a linen closet, with added storage stor-age space In the attic or utility room. Floor plans are almost identical. identi-cal. Kitchens and bathrooms are usually built back-to-back to reduce re-duce plumbing costs. The lots are large, averaging 67 feet by 140 feet Construction is conventional. Proving that private enterprise can make your "dream" house a reality, the Housing and Home Finance agency and the Federal Housing administration have discovered several hundred privately built economy houses like this throughout the country, from New York to California. This house, built in Columbia, S. C, differs little from low-cost homes built elsewhere in the country. Floor plans (see inset) and dimensions are so similar as to be almost identical, a study of these houses reveals. The houses were built to sell from a low of $3,995 to a high of $6,500. Monthly payments, including amortization, insurance, taxes, eUx, vary from $28.20 to $43.50. No Basements All of the houses were built on the site, none were pre-fabricated, and none have basements. All have pitched roofs and all are covered with fire-resistant asphalt roofing which is available in many solid and blended colors. Exterior walls consist con-sist "bf either gypsum or wood sheathing over the studs, with either asbestos or wood siding. Interior walls, and ceilings, with one exception, excep-tion, are of gypsum board. Heating systems are variable depending upon the climate, but usually burn oiL Piping is steel, . copper or galvanized. Fixtures are enameled iron, and each house has a 20-or-30 gallon hot water heater. The houses were built to sell from a low of $3,995 to a high of $6,500. Monthly payments, including amortization, amor-tization, mortgage insurance, and taxes vary from $28.20 to $43.50. Taxes are less than $6 per month. |
