Cambridge real estate agents often remark that we don't have any cookie cutter real estate in our area. We don't have large developments, and there aren't any tract homes in our neck of the woods. It's part of what makes selling real estate so interesting here - all the houses are different and you never know what to expect. It's also one of the challenges since good comps can more difficult to come by than would be the case if we had neighborhoods filled with similar homes.
But are all the houses unique?
My first eye opener ocurred when I bought my own house in Cambridge. It was weeks before I realized that my house was one of about eight on my block that were probably identical when first built. It wasn't immediately obvious because over the years a dormer had been added here, a porch filled in there, and siding of various sorts added over the decades. But if you looked closely and imagined paring away the alterations - there they were - a matched set circa 1920.
I started looking for other matched sets about town. I love looking at streetscapes since they give so many clues about when a street was developed, who was first on the block, who sold off the side yard and when, etc. The more I looked the more houses I found that came in pairs, or threesomes or more. Many had been altered over the years but a row of similar rooflines or protruding porches all in a row would be the tipoff. It's become a bit of a hobby for me and I'm delighted with every set I find.
Here are some of the matched sets I've snapped around Cambridge and Somerville:
Read more about Cambridge real estate by Elizabeth Bolton.
Helping home buyers and sellers in Cambridge, Somerville, Arlington, Belmont, Medford and Watertown.
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