I bought my first home with my husband when we were in our early 20’s.  No help from parents or relatives.  We saved up the 20% down payment.  You know what?  I have no idea what the housing market was doing during that time or how much houses were appreciating or depreciating.  Know why?  Because I wanted to own my own home to live in. I wanted a place to have dogs and cats, to paint it the colors I wanted to paint, to have a yard, to have a garden.  All the reasons to buy a house.

When, I wonder, did the idea of home-as-investment take over the idea of house-as-home?

Not everyone should or wants to own their own home; just as not everyone wants to get married, have children or pets, or have a lawn to mow.

A physical therapist I was working with a few years ago, told me his wife and he were planning to move to Montana in a couple of years.  He was wondering if they should buy a home here that they could gain some appreciation from.  I told him – “no”.  Then I told him what I tell everyone.  Don’t buy a house for investment, unless you’re an investor.  If you buy a house, plan to be there for at least five years or take your chances when you sell.

The cover of  TIME magazine this week is “Rethinking Ownership – Why owning a home may no longer make economic sense”.  In a small paragraph embedded in the article by Barbara Kiviat titled “The Case Against Homeownership”, is this: “Danijal works 11-hour shifts as a truck driver, and Star works two jobs in order to make the mortgage, but the sacrifice, she says, is worth it. ‘It’s amazing. We can do whatever we want. We can plant a garden. We can sit outside and have music and a cookout. We can live a normal and nice life’.”

That’s what home ownership should be about.

I couldn’t have said it better myself.

Gloucester has excellent whale-watch excursions, which travel to the National Marine Sanctuary at Stellwagen Bank.  Humpback Whales are the real stars of the show, but you may also spot Finback Whales and Atlantic White-Sided Dolphins.

The Schooner, Thomas E. Lannon offers daily sails in Gloucester Harbor.  From experience, I can tell you that a sail on the Lannon is a real treat.

There’s the Salem Ferry, which departs from the Blaney Street dock in Salem and lands at Long Wharf North in Boston; or perhaps you’d prefer a sail aboard the Schooner Fame – from Pickering Wharf.

So, before the summer ends, get out on the water.  You’ll be glad you did.

]]> http://northshorehometalk.com/?feed=rss2&p=684 0 http://northshorehometalk.com/?p=673 http://northshorehometalk.com/?p=673#comments Wed, 11 Aug 2010 20:13:02 +0000 Tina McManus http://northshorehometalk.com/?p=673 During a recent home inspection, the inspector raised concerns about the soundness of a fieldstone foundation of a house built in “1900″ (these dates are sometimes educated guesses – hence the quotes).  Naturally, my clients – who are first-time home buyers – were very concerned.  The house had much of what they were looking for, and although the house had been well-maintained by the current owners, my clients didn’t want to invest in a home that might have unsound underpinnings.  After mulling over whether or not they should abandon pursuing this home, my clients decided to pay a structural engineer to evaluate the foundation.  The end result was that the buyers felt satisfied that the home was structurally sound, and even tossing around “worst-case scenarios” with the engineer didn’t cause enough concern to walk away from the property.

Most home inspectors are generalists.  The good ones will always recommend a specialist if they are in doubt about something they find during the inspection.  Whether it’s a structural engineer, electrician, mason, or pest inspector, a specialist can give you the information to make a good decision about a property.  Sometimes it gives you confidence to move forward, other times it might mean you walk away.

Yes, it costs more money to bring in an expert; but in the long run it means piece of mind when making what is often our biggest purchase.

Well worth it, don’t you think?

A friend of ours suggested we look in Pelham, New Hampshire – just over the Massachusetts’  line.  We were to become part of the migration of Massachusetts residents moving over the border, where homes were more affordable.  The market was hot in the “starter home’”segment and we were outbid on several houses.  Then our agent, a wise woman, took us to an ugly duckling of a house in a pleasant, older subdivision. It was a sad-looking, dark brown Cape Cod-style house, with holes cut into the walls, a turquoise kitchen, a stove which had once caught on fire, and a plywood floor in the kitchen with old glue on top.  Very dirty and very tired.  However, it was also on about an acre of land.  The agent told us that if we just painted and papered, we could easily change the look of the house and it would be a good place to build equity.

She was right, although it wasn’t quick and it wasn’t easy.  Thankfully, my husband was very handy as we did most of the work ourselves.  I loved seeing the results of our efforts as we turned our house into a cozy home.

After four years, comfortably settled in, I began to get itchy to look at houses again.

Stay tuned……

Visit the Salem Maritime Park, where you can stroll along Derby Wharf to the Derby Wharf Lighthouse at it’s end.  You’ll pass the replica tall ship, “Friendship” on your way.

Beverly’s Hospital Point Lighthouse is home to the commander of the U.S. Coast Guard First District.  The lighthouse is closed to the public save for a few days a year, but it can be seen by driving to the end of Bayview Avenue.  This year, tours will be conducted on August 1, August 2, September 18, and September 26.

The Marblehead Lighthouse can be accessed from Chandler Hovey Park on Marblehead Neck.  It’s a beautiful spot to relax, take in the views and ocean breezes, and have a picnic.

Though Gloucester’s Eastern Point Lighthouse is not open to the public, you are welcome to walk the breakwater where you’ll get excellent views of the light.  It’s worth going for the walk along the breakwater alone.  Don’t let the “private road” signs deter you, the public is allowed to drive to the lighthouse, where there is parking.

The storied Twin Lights of Thacher Island, located off Rockport, can be reached by the Thacher Island launch.  Details here.

Fort Pickering Lighthouse sits at the entrance to Salem Harbor on Winter Island. The park  is open all year, though there is a parking fee in the summer for non-Salem residents.

Other lighthouses, such as Annisquam Light and Ten Pound Island Light in Gloucester are best seen by boat

Grab your camera and go!

Well, there’s no way I can claim this post has anything to do with the North Shore; but it does have to do with things you use in a home – so that counts, right?  I couldn’t help myself.  I love these two things so much, I had to share.

“Zip-It” is an 18″ piece of plastic with barbs along it’s length.  Since getting one of these, I no longer need to use any of those toxic chemical drain cleaners.  Works unbelievably well.  Warning: It’s a little disgusting dragging out the masses of hair and gunk it dislodges.  Ace Hardware advertises it for $3.99.

Dog and cat owners rejoice.  My second must-have household “tool” is called “Ticked-Off“, a little plastic spoon-shaped device with a small slit, which bills itself as “the world’s simplest tick remover.”  I concur.  No more tweezers and hot match heads and no more leaving tick parts in my dog or cat to get infected.  This thing works like a charm.  I bought it at my Vet’s, but I believe it’s available at most pet stores.  Retails for about $10.00.

There you have it.  Cheap, fast, easy, reliable, no toxic chemicals; what more could you ask?

If you’re looking for fireworks on the North Shore this July 4th, you’ll find plenty – even with budget cuts.  Beverly won’t have any, as they save theirs for the end of Homecoming on August 8th.  Here’s the schedule:

Danvers Saturday, July 3                9:30 pm   Festivities start at 4 pm

Salem Sunday, July 4                   9:15 pm    Festivities start at 4 pm

Beverly/West Beach Sunday, July  5   9:00 pm   Festivities start at 5 pm   Must buy a ticket

Marblehead Sunday, July 4         9:00 pm   Harbor illumination at 8:45 Part of Weekend Arts Festival

Swampscott & Lynn Saturday, July 5  9:00 pm   Concert begins at 7 pm

Gloucester Saturday, July 3              10:00 pm          Gloucester Harbor

Manchester-By-The-Sea Saturday, July 3    9:30 pm       Singing Beach

Many of these venues will have afternoon and evening entertainment, so get there early if you want to have a spot.  Might be a good day to spend on the beach before heading to see the fireworks.

Drive safe, be safe, and have a happy 4th of July!

Better to take care of this sooner rather than later.

“Sunshine! Warm Weather! The grass is growing. The flowers are blooming. Our gardens are planted. But our homes still bear the last remnants of winter.

We don’t wear heavy sweaters in the summer….neither should your home! Change out those heavy, dark winter throw pillows and replace them with light colored, floral or geometric shapes. If your curtains are made of a heavy material, replace them with cotton, linen or sheer fabric. You can even do the same for the bedspreads and duvets. Lighten up the fabrics and the room will feel cooler.

Bring the outside in! But do it with a twist! Instead of the usual cut flowers for centerpieces, make a planter using herbs! We all love the look and fragrance of cut flowers, but a pot of herbs will do that and more! Chives have beautiful lavender colored flowers. Basil grows tall and bushy and has a wonderful aroma. Parsley looks beautiful when planted in an urn or ceramic pot. The curling stems from a garlic plant give a quirky, contemporary look. (See photo)  The best part is, not only will they look good on your table, you can cut off pieces to use in your cooking. Keep the plants in a sunny spot most of the time and place them on your table when you want to dress it up. Take a sniff….take a snip! And enjoy the summer!”

Rosanne is a trusted partner, helping ready my clients’ homes for sale, and has also provided design assistance to me in my own home.  She can be reached at (978) 744-4446 or RosannePalazola@gmail.com. She is currently readying her blog for the world.  Stay tuned…..