In Which I’m Quoted in Boston.com: On Needham Tear Downs or Renovations

From Boston.com article by Scott Van Voorhis: Tear Down or Renovate? That is the Question:

A Needham group wants to give residents the option of expanding the homes they have, instead of tearing them down to build something bigger. The Large House Study Committee, formed by the town last year, has spent months studying teardowns, a phenomenon that is steadily replacing older and more moderately priced homes with outsized residences that come with price tags well over a million. A total of 146 new homes and residential units were built in Needham in 2013 and the first half of 2014. Of these, all but 20 were new homes built on lots cleared by teardowns, according to a planning department memo….

Buyers now are looking for larger kitchens, great rooms, and other features that can’t be found in a 1950s or 60s cape or colonial. On top of that, these homes are often in need of substantial work that can require a major investment. “For the most part, the homes I see being demolished really don’t have a future,” said Ned Mahoney, an agent with Keller Williams in Needham. “People want new homes and you can come to Needham and get that. That is why it is so popular.”

To read the complete article, go to www.boston.com/real-estate/news/2015/03/16/tear-down-renovate-that-the-question/5ZNyEMH5lA65eFi4BGbEWN/story.html#sthash.xJqp9fRH.dpbs

For more articles by Scott Van Voorhis, go to: http://www.boston.com/search?p1=TotalMastheadInlineSearch&q=Scott+Van+Voorhis