Curb Appeal

Introduction: House dreams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

1. Our first time: Becoming owners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Park Drive #5B, Boston, MA

2. Quick utilitarian stop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . 19

Washington Street, Winchester, MA

3. Embracing character and community. . . . . . . . . . . 21

Godfrey Street, Mystic, CT

4. Ohio starter relationship. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... .. . . . 31

W. University Street, Wooster, OH

5. Old-house obsession. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

N. Bever Street, Wooster, OH

6. Long-distance love at the beach. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Terrace Avenue, Misquamicut, RI

7. Domesticity without demands. . . . . . . . . . . .... . . . . 51

Dorchester Road, Wooster, OH

8. A brief dance with fancy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . . 57

Forest Hill Drive, Greensboro, NC

9. Cozy is always better . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

S. Elam Avenue, Greensboro, NC

10. Familiar but shinier. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Gurley Street, Durham, NC

11. The pannier effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79

N. Gregson Street, Durham, NC

12. Riverfront puppy love . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

Best Lane, Minnesott Beach, NC

13. A pandemic partnership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97

Beach Street, Westerly, RI

14. Greensboro rebound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

McAdoo Street, Greensboro, NC

15. Last stop. I mean it . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117

Kirby Street, Barrington, RI

16. Settling down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127

Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135