I just need to rant, and then I'll feel so much better.
I thought I'd try something different in my search to make sure I wasn't overlooking something obvious on the RE here.
First, I tried to do a search for any properties for sale with the word "bungalow" in them. 3 results out of the 117 homes. Then I tried craftsman, 0 returns.
Then I thought, "Well I know Cape and Colonial are predominant for single families here in town, so let's try searching the sold homes." The results were equally dismal. (I do want to point out that for the multi families in town, Gardner has a wealth of Foursquares.)
Then I cleared the search term and just started checking every single family property that has sold recently that was newer than a 1960 and was under $170,000. I'm now almost through the second page of the right column of listings--sold October 30 2015 when I finally woke up from my confused daze and said to myself, "Welp, I've learned something today".
Apparently to almost every listing agent in town, if something isn't obviously a Cape, it must be a Colonial. If it's not obviously a Colonial, it must be a Cape. Unless, of course, it's a Ranch. They seem to get the only allowance on being themselves. As to Victorians, even humble Vics are called Capes and Colonials. Only the fancy ladies get the Crown. We really don't have any moderns here. The MCM ranches are pretty much as close as we get. New builds are Ranch, Cape or Colonial.
Except...there was a really, really strange listing for a 1920 home. "Colonial Victorian". It's what started to wake my brain up a bit. (Some of these sold listings no longer have images, so I had no idea what they looked like.) The porch, really, was what made me suspicious at first. I'm not really familiar with many Colonials or Victorians with doubled column supports across their front open porches. Then I looked inside.
It was an Arts n' Crafts home, which I managed to confirm from the lovely woodwork on the ceilings in that oh so familiar pattern (despite the extra trim added to "Victorian it up a bit" in a few rooms); and the few built ins that didn't get ripped out in the remuddle. Every last window was replaced, so that was no help since they could have just resized the holes when they added the new shiny plastic. Oh, sure, some PO did their darndest to make it look like a mish mosh of Colonial and Victorian...right down to the furniture inside when the photos were taken.
And then...I saw this 1925 built home labeled as a "like new Colonial."
What's worse is that the tax card has it labeled "Cape".
That's when I had to come here and vent.
Now I have, and I can get back to looking again with a lighter heart and less of a desire to send every last person involved a primer in basic architecture styles.
Some of the images I've seen of asbestos versus maso have been hard to see what the patterns are, so that's good to know.
variety: 
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