This entry is more of a tribute than a diatribe. When you preview and show houses, you get to know people, groups of people, and age groups. Some of my favorite homes to show belong to the generation that remembers the depression, beat Hitler, and knows how to balance a checkbook.
These addresses aren't the most updated, modern, or spacious homes in the world - just some of the most special. An entire generation grew up in these homes - ramblers and 1 1/2 story homes with 1200-1500 sqft. "Moving-up" wasn't considered (why do you need all that space?) and you paid off your mortgage as quickly as you could.
This greatest generation is now in the process of moving on - to assisted living, heaven, etc. They leave behind some of the most well-cared-for homes on the market. They understood deferred maintenance and probably had the house chores on their hardware store calendar in the kitchen. I've been in closings where the original house documents from the builder showed up in the original wrapper. These booklets contain useful information such as "keep an ashtray handy in each room as cigarettes can stain cultured marble". Unfortunately, young buyers rarely appreciate this small treat or the fact that the home they're buying has been so well preserved.
What strikes me most about these homes are the values they convey: modesty, prudence, preparedness, and thrift. These are old-fashioned ideas that are suddenly back in style. The next time you see a home with a dated interior, old furniture, and pictures of kids that are now adults, take a few moments to appreciate what the home owners faced, what they saw, and who they were. Their lessons should become our lessons.
Robert
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