Houses right next door to each other can be governed by very different preservation rules, leading to a sad refrain of “why didn’t anyone tell us” from many of our new neighbors over the last few years. In a crazy market where people put down twenty percent and forgo structural inspections, checking out the arcana of what you can and cannot do to a structure or how big (hint: they aren’t) those tax breaks for preservation often are.

Today’s Real Estate section has a brief but useful cautionary article about this subject. “Harsh Realities for those Who Buy Historic.” It even mentions our latest new surprise, that the new roofing rules in Old Town may allegedly soon be applied to our area as well:

Asphalt shingles, even if they are on the house now, are not acceptable anymore. Instead, homeowners have to install wood shingles, standing-seam metal or slate. He has a client who is replacing the roof on one of his properties, a former single-family house now divided into five one-bedroom apartments. The estimated cost: $50,000 to $70,000.

We’re just going to play chicken on this one, since our roof (knock on wood, or at least wood shingles) is in good shape and I hope we can sell this house before it needs a new roof/the rules go into effect. I also have my doubts about the rule covered our street, since none of the houses have wood shingles anymore – I took a trip around the whole enclave and it’s all asphalt tiles except the one house with ceramic tiles. (A story for another day, to be sure).

Other neighbors are planning to shell out the 25 grand to replace a perfectly good roof now, instead of having to spend double that in a couple of years.

Ah, the joys of home ownership.

(Husband and I both have minors in Anthropology from a Department renowned for it’s Historical Archaeology program, and I have a history degree. We love historic preservation. Just for the record).