patti,
while laura was indeed offered the cottage as a place to stay(in both 1966 and 1897)it's intersting to note that jeff clark was not offered the cottage or for that matter any of the numerous bedrooms at collinwood.i think that probably had to do with the social mores of the era.since vicki and jeff were romantically involved(but not yet married)it would have been "improper" for them to be residing on the same property.
instead he is invited to stay at the evans' cottage(basically a two room shack).but again,when sam dies,jeff offers to move out post-haste saying something along the lines of it "not being right" for him to stay there any longer.
again,i think that's why julia never moved into the old house even though she spent most of her time there.it would not have been "proper" for an unmarried lady to share a house with two men.things like that still mattered then.especially on a daytime drama(no matter how outrageous)that relied on it's advertising dollars from housewife-friendly products like dish soap and laundry detergent.
strangely carolyn offered the cottage to chris jennings(with whom she was romantically involved)but perhaps because amy jennings was staying at the main house and carolyn's mother owned the property it wasn't so much of an issue.plus they didn't really put carolyn on the same moral pedestle they did vicki.
now i bet all that is more commentary than you bargained for.