When did Sears and Roebuck start building houses?

1908
Sears, Roebuck and Company’s Modern Homes program began in 1908 and ended in 1940. During those years, about 75,000 well-designed, well-constructed and economical houses were sold to American families.

When did Sears and Roebuck stop selling houses?

By 1934, Sears had stopped offering mortgages after the company was forced to liquidate $11 million in defaulted debt. Sears stopped selling homes for a short time in 1934 before restarting sales. Sales slowly recovered as the United States emerged from the Great Depression.

How many Sears are left 2021?

Today there are only 21 full-line Sears stores left in the mainland United States, and two more in Puerto Rico, according to the store locator on the Sears website, once recent closings are eliminated.

How to identify Sears homes?

Do your homework. Start your search with a reference work,such as “Houses byMail: A Guide to Houses from Sears,Roebuck and Company,” or DoverPublishing’s reprint of the 1926

How many Sears homes were built?

Based on all of the above, at the high end, we can estimate that around 450 homes were built in the various ” home clubs” between 1940 and 1942. To recap, my estimates of Sears homes constructed between 1940 – 1942: Individual/Model homes : 2,150 homes . Small scale development: 50 homes . Home Clubs: 450 homes .

What is a Sears Modern home?

Sears Modern Homes were catalog and kit houses sold primarily through mail order by Sears, Roebuck and Co., an American retailer. Sold primarily to customers in East Coast and Midwest states, Sears homes have been located as far south as Florida and as far west as California. Examples have also been found in Alaska and Canada.

What is a Sears home kit?

Sears Catalog Homes (sold under the Sears Modern Homes name) were catalog and kit houses sold primarily through mail order by Sears, Roebuck and Company, an American retailer. Sears reported that more than 70,000 of these homes were sold in North America between 1908 and 1940.