IS "AFFORDABLE,stylish house" an oxymoron? It may seem so in a still-overheated real estate market.The median price of an existing American home in September was 212,000-up 13.4% from the same period last year,according to the latest figures released by the National Association of Realtors.But a new generation of sleek prefabricated housing suggests a cost-efficient alternative.This fall,Dwell,the trendy San Francisco shelter magazine,launched a new line of prefab houses called Dwell Homes that targets its design-yet budget-conscious readership."Cost is a big factor in why prefab is timely," says Allison Ari-eff,DwelFs editor-in-chief and author of the book Prefab."In my own experience hunting for a house in the San Francisco Bay area,I've been shown shacks for 650 per square foot." In contrast,Dwell Homes average 175 to 250 per square foot-about 530,000 for a two-level,2,500-square-foot abode.
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