Final answer:
The cost of the house is most nearly $31,651.38.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the cost of the house, we need to determine the original price before the 9% increase. Let's assume the original cost is x. Since the house was sold for $34,500, which was 9% more than the cost, we can write the equation:
x + 0.09x = $34,500
Combining like terms, we have:
1.09x = $34,500
To isolate x, we divide both sides of the equation by 1.09:
x = $34,500 / 1.09
Simplifying the calculation, we find:
x ≈ $31,651.38
Therefore, the cost of the house was most nearly $31,651.38.