In the early 1900s, Sears became one of the first mass builders to utilize “balloon” style framing, also known as “Chicago construction,” which only requires one carpenter on site. From 1908 to 1940, Sears sold between 70,000 to 75,000 custom homes built, two of which are on the market in Illinois. One is listed in Evanston and the other in Highland Park. Both homes are built on more than 10,000 square feet of land and are listed for over half a million dollars. These properties can be found on coldwellbankerhomes.com and remax.com.