1930 just means it was built out of quality materials and strong wood, rather than the compressed garbage they build houses out of today. "Good bones", is what they call it. A strong foundation and structure that can be eternally re-designed inside to fit whatever the current homeowner wants it to be. I think we live in the same part of the world(?), so that 50% increase is not the house. It's the dirt it is built on, being in close proximity to Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Adobe, Disney, Starbucks, Boeing, etc. If you can put a significant down payment on it, and get reasonable terms (shouldn't be hard), then you can start building equity quickly, rather than enriching your landlord's portfolio, and effectively pissing money away. Side benefit: You get to buy tools and make holes in walls and floors and paint things, and NOBODY gets to tell you that you are doing it wrong! (And, the more holes you make, the better you get at it, and the more you want to do it, to make your house YOURS.) Home ownership can be pretty dang gratifying.
I own my condo, so I'm not paying a landlord. Which is awesome. But I'm also not paying off a mortgage on a house. That makes me antsy. You're probably right about the stoutness and also about the dirt. This is in a suburb with very high rated schools. Despite not having kids, that's a draw for me. I'd like to have neighbors that value education.