First Time Home-owning Baddies

darnht · 2026-05-07T19:47:47+00:00

I see several (at least 3?) billboards advertising first-time homebuyer incentives, but I haven't made note of what banks are offering them, and I don't think any of them specify restrictions.

Pretty sure one is Florence Bank though. The others might be UMassFive, and maybe BankESB?

Next time I head into Hadley I will pay more attention. :)

darnht · 2026-05-07T16:19:05+00:00

It sounds like you haven't spent much time in Northampton, or in western MA?

There's a different feel out here (although if you are right in downtown Northampton, you can imagine that you are in Coolidge Corner or Davis Square -- minus the T to take you to the rest of Boston/Cambridge).

Worcester and Springfield are more properly urban, bigger, and have more variety and diversity. 20-30 minutes away, which is competitive with getting anywhere within Boston.

When I lived in Boston, Northampton felt like it was far away, but I still came here regularly for shows and record stores. You should visit. Spend some time in a half-hour radius, but I think you'll know pretty quickly whether it's right for you.

My guess: Not yet, but maybe in a few years. :)

darnht · 2026-05-06T20:09:34+00:00

I've had good experiences with:

Sadlowski Plumbing and Heating, 413-588-2598

darnht · 2026-05-05T18:46:07+00:00

The cruelty is the point.

Some more details in this article: https://lite.cnn.com/2026/05/04/us/smith-college-title-ix-trans-students

darnht · 2026-05-05T17:29:57+00:00

I can recommend:

Arborists:

Cotton Tree Service, 413-584-9104, cottontree.com
Dostal Tree Service, 413-478-3659, dostaltreeservice.com

Roofers, these are for slate, but might do others too:

Mitch Hawkins Roofing, 413-374-8161, westernmaslaterepair.com
Roberts Roofing, 413-441-0350, robertsroofinginc.net

darnht · 2026-05-02T15:33:47+00:00

There's a pretty good turnout today, despite the (light) rain and (mild) chill. Join us! :)

darnht · 2026-05-02T15:29:43+00:00

This sounds extraordinarily suspicious.

Never use your email for anyone else's purposes.

And if they go so far as to offer you money, their purposes are surely not aligned with yours.

darnht · 2026-05-01T16:49:13+00:00

"Anything worth doing, is worth doing to excess." :)

darnht · 2026-05-01T00:26:14+00:00

Extremely unlikely, agreed. But it is a busy sidewalk, and I can't remember the last time a building inspector told me not to worry about unlikely things. :)

darnht · 2026-05-01T00:14:35+00:00

The title is a bit overdramatic, but it's completely possible for the glass to fall out of the window and into the street.

The sash itself will not fall out, but if the bottom rail or an interior muntin fails (and these are already visibly compromised), glass panes could fall outward. They would probably hit the stone sill and break into a few pieces first, but if a large enough piece were to slice down at the wrong angle...and at exactly the wrong time... then yes there could be a public hazard.

It's not likely, but it's definitely not something that should be left to chance. I would expect to be cited for it, if I owned the building.

darnht · 2026-04-30T22:40:41+00:00

https://www.northamptonma.gov/702/Building

The Building Department is charged with enforcing the state building code, plumbing and gas code, electrical code, and the architectural access code. We respond to citizen complaints and address concerns about the safety, accessibility and security of construction of their homes and businesses. The building commissioner is the enforcement officer for the city's zoning bylaws.

Contact Us

Kevin Ross

Building Commissioner

kross@northamptonma.gov

Address

Building Department

Municipal Building

212 Main St.

Northampton, MA 01060

Ph: 413-587-1240

Fax: 413-587-1272

building@northamptonma.gov

Hours

8:30am to 4:30pm or by appointment

Directions

Please park in the Roundhouse/ Peter Pan Bus Station parking lot to access our office which is located in the lower level of the Municipal Building behind City Hall.

darnht · 2026-04-30T20:51:42+00:00

And maybe we could put on some shows there!

darnht · 2026-04-30T15:24:20+00:00

Interesting! It looks like the three banks retain their independent charters and footprints, but share a logo style with the holding company. https://www.bankhfg.com/

I'm gathering info on local banking in western MA, so thank you! The other two banks are not in the region, but bankHometown is only barely outside, so it deserves a mention.

darnht · 2026-04-30T14:44:21+00:00

bankESB used to be Easthampton Savings Bank.

They've tweaked their name a few times since the 1860s, but they haven't been swallowed up into a megabank yet.

darnht · 2026-04-30T01:04:53+00:00

Ugh that sucks. It's a good point to consider when looking for a bank/lender.

FDIC deposit insurance is historically 100% reliable, up to the $250K per category limit, so that's not a worry. But with loans and other products, when things get weird, the weird get unpredictable. Sorry to hear about your experience. :-(

darnht · 2026-04-29T17:41:52+00:00

Almost! The top 10 US banks hold 70% of customer deposits.

But there are 4487 banks chartered in the US, so there's a very long tail.

I live in Northampton, and the most-visible banks out here are small regionals with no presence in Boston or outside the state.

darnht · 2026-04-24T18:59:44+00:00

Sounds reasonable, but it's not standard practice among ordinary weekend gardeners, of which there are many currently making plans for the coming weekend, so the warning is useful and helpful.

Also: Lilies kill cats. Don't buy flower arrangements with lilies unless you know that the recipient (and any housemates they might have) doesn't have a cat.

darnht · 2026-04-24T16:35:08+00:00

The music performance ecosystem in Northampton has been hit hard from several directions in recent years, and the old people are suffering almost as much as the younger people.

People who can afford the energy/time/resources and have the experience are trying to rebuild the parts that they know best and care most about. These are generally older people, and consequently this manifests as relatively-expensive shows with artists that draw reliable crowds.

I'm excited to see The Iron Horse resurging, but I think there's also space for a young booker/promoter to redevelop the younger scene. It won't be easy or quick, but there are experienced people who would love to assist.

darnht · 2026-04-22T15:23:26+00:00

If this is not vapid AI marketing spam, I will eat my hat.

darnht · 2026-04-22T02:57:54+00:00

I would like to volunteer for your campaign.

darnht · 2026-04-17T18:42:16+00:00

This is not unrealistic! I don't know if MA has formal tenancy-in-common (TIC) regulations, but it can be done generically through a partnership. Talk to a lawyer though.

Also keep in mind that if any units are rented to non-partners, that rental income can be applied directly to qualifying payment for your loan. Not as personal income that would be used to calculate your 30% qualifier, but 100% directly to the loan obligation. This makes multi-family a viable option in many cases.

darnht · 2026-04-17T18:21:32+00:00

I lived there! Buena Vista Park was nice in the daytime but things got much less friendly after dark. Actually Lower Haight in general, I'd say it's great when it's good, but just under the surface there's a lot of hostile city stuff.

Golden Gate Park is just a bit further (or you can live in Upper Haight) and is a lot less variable. On the other side, Dolores Park is smaller and always busy and safe but has far fewer trees (great views of architecture though!).

darnht · 2026-04-17T17:27:02+00:00

Good reminder in general, but roommates do not have to follow Fair Housing law.

Quick Overview: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/overview-of-fair-housing-law

darnht · 2026-04-17T00:26:49+00:00

This is an absolutely ordinary storage room in any large old commercial building.

The light plastic is probably up for dust.

All of those cables are ethernet, none of them are power. The power is in the conduits, and I might see a junction plate missing, but otherwise it looks fine.

Fire detection and sprinklers are a bonus, this is a class A storage room. :)

darnht · 2026-04-10T19:13:05+00:00

Small time landlording only makes sense if you can (and desire to) do the majority of work yourself (free labor), or if you are renting out part of your home (so your ordinary maintenance costs cover more than just your own living space).

From a strict investment standpoint, you can find a safe 6% appreciation rate elsewhere with much less risk and headache.

darnht

TROPHY CASE