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Boston Globe
28-05-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
A classic mismatch: New buyers, old homes
'Antiques aren't for the faint of heart,' said A 1750 home in Hanover. Jonathan Wiggs/ Globe Staff First-time buyers don't necessarily have the budget to spend updating and maintaining a centuries-old house. Even for those who do, finding time to make those upgrades can be tough. 'Antique homes clearly need to be puttered with, because they're 200 years old,' Bathen said. 'They can be hard to sell, and I get it. If you're two software engineers who leave for work at 6:30 in the morning and get home at 5:30 at night, you don't want to putter with your house.' Advertisement According to data from the Advertisement The fireplace in a Kingston home that was built in 1760. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Pat Greenhouse/Globe Staff 'Inventory is up 20 percent,' she said, explaining buyers have more choices. 'People are going back to really thinking, 'Do I actually want an antique?'' This home in Bourne was built in 1850. Steve Haines for the Boston Globe In the real estate industry, an antique is most often defined as a home built before 1880. It's also a house that is highly romanticized, with wood-burning hearths and rambling front porches clouding the visions of buyers. Instagram accounts like The orange on the walls of the living room lends warmth to the wood above in this 1750 Hanover Cape. Luxe Life Productions But Another key factor at play? A sprawling Illinois home featured on Advertisement 'People are generally pretty upfront about the fact that, 'No, I just wanted to see it,'' Bathen said. 'But we do get great turnout because people recognize that they're fabulous.' Potential antique homeowners must weigh the price of renovations when purchasing, as the cost of labor and materials is on the rise. A 2024 Conventional wisdom says homeowners should set aside approximately 1 percent to 4 percent of their home's value annually to pay for repairs and maintenance. With antique homes, it's more like 5 percent. For a $700,000 home, that's $35,000 per year. 'Buyers who are already stretching their budget to afford a home in today's market may not be willing or able to spend more on renovations or repairs,' said Aside from the cost, an antique homeowner must also vet all kinds of contractors and home professionals, from plumbers to woodworkers. Plus, if a home is located in a designated historic district, there may be renovation specifications to follow. Old homes, while time, money, and labor-intensive, can be incredibly rewarding to those who purchase them. 'One of my favorite sellers from Boylston said it best: 'We don't own antiques — we steward them,'' Bathen said. 'She turned an outbuilding into an Airbnb that attracted — you guessed it — antique lovers.' Advertisement Bull recommends carefully considering an antique's location when buying. An older property in Marblehead, for example, is deemed highly desirable, while an antique in Littleton, where there are many more contemporaries, may not be as desirable or valuable. 'In order to be an owner of an antique, you have to be comfortable with imperfection. You're never going to make it perfect, no matter how well you maintain it or fix it up,' Bull said. 'It's impossible, and you have to actually like that.'
Boston Globe
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Hauck launches rally with homer as Latin Academy extends run of Boston City League softball titles to 21 in a row
'In this one, we weren't at our best,' LA coach Rocco Zizza said. 'But we worked through it. It was a growing experience for us, particularly the younger players. If you end up winning a championship when you're not playing the best, it shows something.' Eighth-grader Cam Collier struck out 13 in a complete-game effort for Latin Academy. Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff It was a pitchers' duel between LA's Cam Collier and O'Bryant's Rylee Hamblin through three innings. But as Mother Nature got involved, the bats came alive. A scoreless tie through three was deadlocked, 5-5, in a blink. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Collier, an eighth-grader in her second year on varsity, found her touch as the sun re-emerged, firing an immaculate sixth inning before striking out two in the seventh to finish with 13 strikeouts. Related : Advertisement 'I think I start to get in my head a little bit, especially when they get runs on the board,' Collier said after allowing five runs. 'I just try to pull myself down, get ahold of myself, make sure I'm doing the right motions so my pitches are better.' Hauck, who catches for Collier, earned MVP honors by virtue of a 2 for 2 day with a double, the bomb to left, and two walks. Advertisement 'I'm good with high pitches, and a lot of [Hamblin's] pitches were high,' said Hauck. 'I'm just going to swing and hit it.' Boston MA -MAY 24 Latin Academy player #10 Fiona Deabler in second base action with John D. O'Bryant # 3 Gabriela Lopez Chavez . Latin Academy won game 9-5 over John D. O'Bryant School of Mathmatics and Scinence in the Boston City League Girls softball final at Boston College's Harrington Village in Boston MA on May 24 22025. (Jonathan Wiggs Globe /Staff ) Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff Every member of this year's Latin Academy team wasn't even born the last time LA didn't win a BCL title, but they still recognize the significance of the achievement. 'It's sentimental,' captain Fiona Deabler said. 'It was a close game, and we've had games that weren't close, so it was more significant for us.' Fellow captain Ruby Gold agreed, and noted the connections between the Latin Academy and O'Bryant teams. 'We've played on the same team as a lot of the girls over there,' she said. 'There's a lot of community, it's always very emotional when we go against O'Bryant, let alone in the finals.' The Latin Academy softball team was all smiles after capturing its 21st consecutive city championship. Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff Joe Eachus can be reached at
Boston Globe
17-05-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Billerica girls romp and Reading boys turn on afterburners to top the field at MSTCA Division 3 relays
'We initially had a top-five goal,' said Reading coach Scott Price. 'This morning we talked about exceeding that.' Advertisement The Reading boys' track team rallied late to beat Billerica for the MSTCA Division 3 state relay title. Aiden Barker The distance events were a strong suit for the Rockets, who won the 4x800 and took second in the 4x1600. Price credits his team's depth for the distance event success. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'The distance kids have really stepped it up,' said Price. 'They've been key for us this season.' For Price, there are further accomplishments on his mind. 'We won the Division 2 state meet [in 2016] too, so maybe it will be a similar year,' he said. Clad in green, the Billerica girls captured the MSTCA Division 3 state relays crown. Aiden Barker On the girls' side, Billerica blew out the competition, taking home the trophy with 87.5 points. North Attleborough (55) and Oliver Ames (49) followed. The Indians enjoyed top-three finishes in six running events and three field events. Their A (12:45.42) and B teams (12:52.92) in the 4000 distance medley relay placed second and third, respectively. Advertisement 'We have a pretty young team so it's really kind of rewarding to see these kids, it's their first time at a state-level meet, and do really well,' said Billerica girls' coach Cullen Hagan. 'To come in and do really well, I think is a good confidence piece for the remainder of the season.' Athletes prepare ahead of the MSTCA Division 3 state relays at Silver Lake. Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff The Billerica boys also enjoyed an impressive outing, as the trio of Ben Pena, Gryffin Bordeau, and Dhaethmy Dorival placed in the top three in three events (1,600 shuttle medley relay, 4x100, and 4x200). The 1600 SMR was their most impressive, setting a new meet record (3:30.67). 'When you're running you're running for your team,' said Bordeau. 'That's why I think we're such a good relay school. It's not just 'this is what I want,' it's important that we trust each other.' Mansfield's Chloe Guthrie soars to a top-10 finish in the girl's long jump competition. Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff Mansfield's Vishnu Keertan Pithani launches his shot put. Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff Milton's Adrian Pena out-sprints Milford to win the 4x100 relay. Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff Masconomet runners pin their numbers on their shorts before placing sixth as a team. Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff Aiden Barker can be reached at
Boston Globe
04-05-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
‘An embargo on American goods:' Mass. manufacturers fret as tariffs thwart exports to China
'All open purchase orders are frozen,' Merrow said. 'The machines that we build already are expensive and we can't export them. Period.' Advertisement He said Merrow machines average about $4,700 retail so tariffs from China would substantially increase their costs. 'We are not reducing our prices to offset tariff increases,' he said. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up His company is among those Massachusetts manufacturers caught in the middle of a tit-for-tat tariff battle between the world's two largest economies. While China is best known as the largest supplier of products imported into the US, it is also an important two-way goods highway for US manufacturers. It is the state's largest foreign-goods market, with Massachusetts sending nearly $4 billion worth of products in 2024, 11 percent of all goods exported from the state, according to the office of the Merrow Manufacturing also exports equipment and machines to China. Completed Merrow Machines sat on a shelf, ready for packaging. Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff Trump has suggested his administration Advertisement The import levies China placed on US goods after President Trump's tariffs means any company exporting US-origin products to there will face significant obstacles. 'It means a substantial cost of doing business in China and a substantial barrier to entry into the Chinese market,' said Matthew Bock, a partner at Bock Trade Law. Merrow said the potential loss of the Chinese market may not lead to job losses for his business for the moment. 'We don't think that the suppliers and the factories have made their final decisions about what they're going to do . . . our concern is that once it firms up, that we might see a significant change in the demand,' he said. 'The tariffs on the Chinese market are effectively an embargo on American goods.' Charlie Merrow, CEO at Merrow Manufacturing, standing by a table of the company's sewing machines at its factory in Fall River. Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff Last year, industrial machinery products topped the list of goods exports to China from Massachusetts at $1.6 billion, data from the Analysts say high costs of selling products in China has Massachusetts companies facing the prospect of losing that market to competitors from other countries. 'It could go to a local competitor. It could go to a Japanese one, a German one, one from Australia or Thailand, you name it,' said Branner Stewart, senior research manager at the UMass Donahue Institute. Advertisement A fall in exports could hurt jobs in the state, he added. 'Companies will try to forestall any sort of layoffs but, you know, if the demand is not there or the demand is diminished then labor savings . . . may be necessary for some companies,' he said. Some businesses may try to find alternative ways to maintain access to China. 'Depending on the size of the company, that may include pushing production . . . to other locations outside the United States where they could then still tap into the Chinese market,' Stewart said. Merrow, the Fall River-based CEO, said his company was considering establishing a presence in Europe in 2025, 'We are thinking about opening up an assembly facility in Europe to support the European market and, potentially if the tariffs firm up, using a European assembly and parts distribution facility to support the Chinese market and the European markets,' he said. The Merrow Group building in downtown Fall River. Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff Kristen Morneau, a trade compliance director with the freight forwarding company OceanAir, said the challenge for some companies is they are getting hit by both sides in the trade war. 'There may be a component that's imported and then built into a customized device, which is then shipped back out. So it is actually seeing the China tariff at time of importation on a component,' she said. 'Then [the product] could be facing retaliation when it gets back to China as a finished article.' Advertisement Morneau suggested some companies are hoping for reprieve for certain sectors in the coming weeks such as what 'What we're going to see for our export customers going to China is going to be a moment of pause for their customers in China to see how this plays out over the next couple of weeks,' Morneau said. For now, it could be too early to see the full effects of the tariffs on US exports to China. 'The effects will be real and will likely be seen in coming months, but it is currently too soon to quantify the actual impacts of Chinese tariffs on U.S. exports,' said Stewart from the UMass Donahue Institute. Merrow said American exports are important for the South Coast and US manufacturing. 'There is sometimes a misperception that US manufacturing is driven by US demand for goods, and in fact we are competitive building machinery and equipment and exporting it into markets around the world,' he said. 'Punitive, reciprocal, tariffs make it harder to export product.' Stitcher Greta Resendes worked at Merrow Manufacturing. Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff Omar Mohammed can be reached at
Boston Globe
29-04-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
The owner of Zinneken's Waffle Truck says it's about ‘bringing waffles to people, wherever they are.'
Get Winter Soup Club A six-week series featuring soup recipes and cozy vibes, plus side dishes and toppings, to get us all through the winter. Enter Email Sign Up 'Anyone can make waffles,' says Anh Phi Tran, the owner of Zinneken's Waffle Truck. 'But they're best in the hands of someone who grew up with them.' He was raised in Brussels by Vietnamese immigrants, and besides English, he speaks Vietnamese and French. Advertisement Zinneken's is not only a waffle truck. Its brick-and-mortar cafe in Harvard Square offers a cozy retreat where patrons can savor freshly made waffles paired with seasonal drinks. While the cafe caters to those seeking a leisurely dining experience, the truck embodies the mobility of Belgian street food, taking Advertisement Zinneken's Waffle Truck waffles. Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff Whether served from the cafe or the truck, Zinneken's waffles remain rooted in tradition and are made with a recipe that pays homage to Belgium's rich culinary heritage. The Liège waffle, named after the Belgian town where it was created, dates back to the 1700s, when the chef of the prince-bishop of Liège adapted brioche dough into a dense, caramelized waffle. Tran and his team have extended Zinneken's reach through a catering service, in which they send a truck to weddings, bar mitzvahs, and corporate events. 'Catering now makes up 70 percent of our business,' says the entrepreneur. This shift, largely driven by the pandemic, has allowed Zinneken's to thrive in a changing dining landscape. Tran spent nearly a decade steering Boston's first Belgian waffle truck to success via an unconventional path. Born to Vietnamese refugee parents in Belgium, Tran grew up surrounded by the cultural staples of his homeland, waffles among them. His father worked as an engineer, while his mother was employed in a chocolate factory. Now retired, they remained in Belgium as Tran pursued opportunities abroad. His family's strict emphasis on preserving Vietnamese culture meant Tran had to navigate multiple identities from a young age. 'I wasn't the stereotypical Asian kid who stayed quiet and avoided conflict. I did a lot of sports, even though my parents preferred I focus on academics,' he says. People wait in line for their food from Zinneken's Waffle Truck last month. Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff Tran has an older brother who eventually moved to New York City. His brother, who holds a PhD in biochemistry, now works in banking. Unlike his parents, Tran was the first in his family to enter the food industry, forging his own path in Boston's culinary scene. His initial career took him to corporate America, where he worked for six years as an accountant, a job that taught him valuable skills but ultimately left him unfulfilled. 'I just wanted to do something different,' he says. Advertisement In 2014, Tran partnered with Zinneken's founder, Nhon Ma, a French and Belgian citizen of Vietnamese descent, to expand the brand beyond its Harvard Square cafe. The name Zinneken's comes from the Zenne River, which runs through the center of Brussels. Historically, locals referred to the stray dogs near the river as 'zinneke,' a term that evolved into a symbol of the city's mixed Dutch and French heritage. The name pays tribute to Brussels' multiculturalism. The transition was not smooth. The waffle truck faced logistical hurdles, including finding suitable parking spots, sourcing fresh ingredients, and dealing with frequent mechanical issues. 'People think it's easy to operate a truck, but it's not as simple as it looks,' Tran says. He remained focused on the business, especially growing it organically. 'We don't make risky investments but instead invest from money that we make and have saved,' Tran says. 'We tried to go nuclear in the beginning — adding more trucks and scaling quickly — but that didn't work.' Instead, he adopted a more cautious approach, refining processes and focusing on consistent quality. Now, Zinneken's has one waffle truck and hires about five or six part-time employees, while the store employs around nine to 10 full-time and part-time staff members. Their brick-and-mortar stores are also located in Glastonbury, Conn., and Providence, R.I. Tran's decision to leave Belgium for Boston was shaped by both personal and practical factors. 'I had a strained relationship with my father,' he says. With family already in Boston and ambitions in business, the move made sense. Though adapting to a new country came with its challenges. 'It was a little lonely the first year, but I quickly made friends.' Advertisement Strawberries and whip cream atop a Zinneken's waffle. Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff Growing up in Belgium as the child of Vietnamese refugees profoundly influenced Tran's perspective. 'I do consider myself Vietnamese-Belgian, and now also Bostonian,' he says. His Vietnamese heritage shaped his approach to family and relationships, while Belgium instilled in him a rigorous work ethic and a nuanced political view. 'Knowing my Vietnamese culture actually helped me here,' Tran says. His ability to navigate multiple cultures became a cornerstone of his approach to running Zinneken's. He sees his success rooted in his ability to connect with people. 'Corporate was just about numbers,' he says about his time as an accountant. 'Here, it's about people.' The truck's mobility allows it to cater to diverse communities, and Tran finds immense satisfaction in seeing familiar faces at events or repeat customers at the truck. A highlight of moving the trucks around was parking it at PAX East, a large gaming convention at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center. 'It's a lot of planning and long hours, but my staff loves it,' he says. 'You see all these crazy costumes and young people — it's stressful but also a lot of fun.' Events like these highlight Zinneken's role as a community builder. As Zinneken's approaches its 10th anniversary, Tran has no immediate plans for expansion, but he dreams of introducing an electric or solar-powered truck to reduce emissions. He acknowledges the cost is a significant barrier. Tran's workload varies by season — some weeks are as light as 20 hours, while others stretch to 60 hours or more. Despite the long hours, he finds his motivation in the connections he's built along the way. 'I have a really young crew, and they keep me going,' he says. Most of his part-time staff are students from Boston University and Simmons College. 'This year was hard because many of them moved on, but I feel honored they chose to work with a small business like ours.' Advertisement Tran shrugs off the idea of success as an endpoint. 'Entrepreneurship to me is still a job,' he says. 'I work for my truck, and that's how I see it.' He says it's not about recognition — it's about showing up, waffle by waffle, and letting the work speak for itself. For more information, visit . Arya Zade can be reached at .
