The homes getting knocked down are the older 50s ranches and capes that still provide a way to buy into towns like Lexington or Needham in the $400,000 to $600,000 range.
They are being replaced by homes twice or three times as large that sell for a million or more.
And in some cases, colonials and split-levels from more recent decades are also getting bulldozed. One of the more interesting examples I found was in Lexington, where a builder recently tore down an $810,000 split level to make way for a 6,500 square foot, six-bedroom house that will sell for more than $3 million.
The teardown revival is renewing calls in some towns for restrictions aimed at reining in the size and height of the new homes.
Yet I wonder if people are still worked up over McManions the way they were back in the 1990s, when the trend was still relatively new and shocking.
What’s your take on the teardown trend? Does it leave you frustrated? Or are you interested in buying one of these spacious new homes?