Daily Archives: December 3, 2009

Closed House, Salem

Alli dreamt that I had a shingled house, and it does seem fitting- one block from the water and the pioneer village.

I’m having a difficult time getting real estate news and information about this region. This is, I believe, because of the slow ugly death of local newspapers.

For Brooklyn there is brownstoner a site that aggregates news articles, new store and restaurant reviews, other blogs’ postings, statistics, renovation stories and real estate spin into one easy to navigate site. It is from a prodevelopment, progentrification point of view and is a for-profit venture, but it made it relatively easy to stay on top of the news for the borough. I have been able to find nothing like it for the Metro Boston Region. The Globe’s coverage is just sad and confusing. The real estate site Redfin has a lot of statistics, but they are trying to sell and they won’t service houses that cost less than $175K, so who can trust their market news?

Massachusetts does have a comprehensive registry of deeds site- everything is online! I just determined my landlords paid $480K in 2005 for my building. New Yorkers, yes that is a six unit apartment building two blocks from the train, zoned commercial.

So- I can find out and extrapolate. This little shingled house changed hands in 2002 for $275K and they are now asking $200K and not getting it. I am not a financial journalist- but this is not something that will easily right itself, yes? As a selfish young person, I see opportunity for me- maybe it will be possible to own a home on my librarian’s salary- but what repercussions are there, socially, ethically etc.? Will the artisan bakery stay open???

December Cookie Contest #2

To encourage debate and conversation, I am offering a special care package of “Joe Froggers” Molasses cookies that “are as plump and dark as the little frogs that lived in the pond near Joe’s cottage” in Marblehead. According to the Betty Crocker Cooky Book of 1963. If you have already received cookies in the mail from me this month, you are ineligible. A comment on any post in the next 24 hours will add your name to the contest.