Sagging Structures

This morning, I toured a couple of older, Craftsman-type houses in San Jose with good clients of mine. It was an adventure to look at these nearly 100 year old homes. Most of the real estate that I see is tract housing and townhomes in Sunnyvale and Cupertino, all of them less than 50 years old, and many that are newer.
It is always interesting to see if the owners have kept the style of the original design, and if the changes suit the house. All too often, the "improvements" are just the opposite...like beautiful wood cabinetry that has been painted over, and set-in lighting in the ceilings that would be better suited to a new condo.
Linda and I were looking at the hardwood floors in the second house we saw, and she mentioned that a marble rolled across the floor would head downward, because the floor slanted so much. We agreed that most of these older houses were sagging somewhat, and I noted that it was also true of people. The more we got into the comparison, the funnier it was. We finally agreed that the most important things are that the house still be structurally sound, (fairly fit, in people) not have too many cosmetic changes, (plastic surgery) and have a flexible floor plan (open to many interests and hobbies). Both older houses and people can be full of potential.