Personally sometimes I think the architectural value of a building justifies much more work than the monetary value of the house would, sometimes simply the fact the house was built 80+ years ago and is still standing.
I say the same of Levittown houses, but sometimes it would be cheaper to rip the thing down to earth, dig a basement and build a house that meets 2007 codes. (In other words, no 2X6 joists for a 25foot span or 12foot double-2X6 load-bearing headers.)
Ian A.
