A look at “history-rich” Marblehead

The Boston Globe’s history-rich Marblehead article highlight’s the town’s maritime history:

“It was described in 1660 as New England’s greatest fishing town due to massive cod stocks off its coast. A hundred years later, the town arguably begat the Navy, building and manning the schooners that George Washington used to hobble British transport ships in 1775.

Today, Marblehead has yet another maritime claim to fame, as one of the world’s yachting capitals.”

Marblehead harbor

Photo courtesy of Bart Snow

I do have a few quibbles with the article:
– It quotes the average selling price of a SFH in 2013 (why 2013?) as $526,000. I prefer to use median sales price, which in 2013 was $535,000, while the average sales price was $661,000. More pertinently, the median sales price in 2015 was $596,000 (and the average $754,000).

– The article repeats the old saw about Marblehead being inaccessible. One of the big advances in recent years – unnoticed by those who do not venture north from Boston – is the opening of the Ted Williams Tunnel which gives easier access to the Financial District and Cambridge, and greatly shortens the trip to the Cape or South Shore.

But I have no quibble with these comments:
“It’s hard to find a town more steeped in history than Marblehead”
“Despite being only about 16 miles from Boston, this yachting mecca has a somewhat island-time vibe.”
“What’s not high? The town’s property tax rate ($11.09 per $1,000 of assessed value, one of the North Shore’s lowest) — and your stress level when you take in Marblehead’s ocean views.”

If you are considering selling your home please contact me on 617.834.8205 or Andrew.Oliver@SothebysRealty.com for a free market analysis and explanation of the outstanding marketing program I offer.

Read  Which broker should I choose to sell my house?

If you are looking to buy, I will contact you immediately when a house that meets your needs is available. In this market you need to have somebody looking after your interests.

Andrew Oliver is a Realtor with Harborside Sotheby’s International Realty. Each Office Is Independently Owned and Operated

@OliverReports