I am sure that you have heard the old adage that ‘you have to know where you came from to know where you are going‘ – as the son of a teacher I certainly know and understood this aphorism well. I am always on the lookout for interesting tidbits of real estate and architectural history, like books, articles, photos, etc etc. I find that by understanding the history of the built landscape around me I can help my clients by giving some context to their home search–the evolution of a neighborhood, the practical aspects of an architectural style, or the potential for growth and change as an extension of the past.
That is why a recent article/photo essay by Nicole Esplin over at Trulia caught my eye, it is entitled, “100 Years Of Homes! Tour A House For Sale From Every Decade” and it is definitely worth a click. By weaving together disparate architectural styles from each decade from 1900–2010 you can see the evolution of something that you might know intrinsically but might not think about consciously:
“Take a field trip to your hometown’s historic district and stroll the sidewalk. Blur the cars out of focus, and it’s not hard to imagine what life looked like in decades and centuries past. It’s proof you don’t have to travel to a museum to get a glimpse of history — instead, you can live it every day when you own a home from your favorite decade.”
The history of many towns and cities can be seen up close by simply taking a drive through town–usually stating in the downtown outward into the suburbs. Scrolling through the pictures in the article, it is interesting to see the small touches from previous decades–many of which are reappearing in new construction homes today. Taking small trips back through our real estate and architectural past can help inform what/why/how our local real estate market market behaves the way it does. Whether you are looking to buy a home today or sell a home tomorrow (or both!) we can all benefit from a little history lesson now and again. —Jay