The Connections Bridgewater-Somerville Edition April/May 2026

HOME & DESIGN

PAGE 34

REAL ESTATE CORNER

EXPANDING YOUR HOME ENHANCING YOUR LIFE

Real Estate Book Club By Johanna Wiseman, RE/MAX Preferred Professionals

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“I

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can walk through a house once and know more about its occupants than a psychiatrist could after a year of sessions.” As a real estate agent, I could have said that myself, but it’s actually the opening line of a novel called THE GOOD HOUSE by Ann Leary. The title character, Hildy Good, is a small-town real estate agent with a talent for taking cues from a home’s condition and translating her observations into seemingly useful information about the residents’ per sonal lives. This entertaining novel teases its story from the intrigues of a small coast al town and its inhabitants, with the added twist of an unreliable narrator. The real es tate agent is a secret drinker, and in her lit tle town, nothing is exactly as it appears on the surface. It’s an excellent examination of mid-life vulnerability, featuring a complex professional woman and her place among the members of her community.

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creative writer. By sharing her experience of finding a home, she makes insightful con nections to womanhood, independence, and the significance of creating both a physical and emotional home. I liked the author’s subtlety, and the way she navigated easily between amusing personal anecdotes and broader philosophical ideas. My third recommendation is a twisted comedic thriller, BEST OFFER WINS , by Marisa Kashino. Set in contemporary Wash ington D.C., this novel brilliantly illustrates the frustration of a competitive and inflated real estate market. The main character and her husband are trying to get pregnant and buy their first home, and as the pressure builds, she uses increasingly questionable techniques to create an advantage in win ning a desirable home she’s become fixated on. A little “harmless” stalking and black mail quickly escalate to adultery and mur der, with an explosive finale that is simulta neously hilarious and shocking. Everyone eventually becomes a character in a real estate plot, whether as a participant or an observer. If you are looking for a good read, you are likely to enjoy one or more of the titles I’ve shared. For excellent real estate advice and er as a participant or an observer. If you are looking for a good read, you are likely to enjoy one or more of the titles I’ve shared. Everyone eventually be comes a character in a real estate plot, wheth

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As an avid reader, I have several real es tate-related books to recommend. Unlike real estate television, which I usually dislike because the stories seem overly fake and simplified compared to my real-life knowl edge of the home selling process, I have found a variety of enjoyable books about characters and their dwellings. Another relatable title is REAL ESTATE by Deborah Levy. In this memoir, the writer details her search for a home that she can afford and maintain herself, that will also contribute to the inspiration she needs as a

professional service, contact Local Real Estate Expert Johanna Wiseman of RE/MAX Preferred Professionals , at 908-705-0652.

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