I have to say that even I thought at the time that it was the deal of the century.

It was an extensive answer when he was asked the question, "What was the greatest invention of the 20th century". 

The main homes I'm trying to match are from the turn of the century and 1920s so we've had to get creative and spend a little more than just a box with simplest roof possible.

But with pit bulls, human aggression was very effectively bred out of them such that they were considered the perfect dog for kids in the early 20th century, which caused them to become very popular pets.

Every time you use the profits from the REI, that's someone else's money (profit) you're spending...and doesn't cost you anything.Einstein said compound interest was the greatest invention of the 20th century. 

Berkeley has the highest SFH appreciation rate for this century at ~$4k/month for the last almost 20 years.  

I had a conversation once with a very smart Dr. who stated that this concept does not exist in all cultures and was/is more prevalent in certain cultures in centuries past.