LAND UTILIZATION IN NEW HAMPSHIRE 



23 



tional communities. More than one-quarter of the owners of open coun- 

 try homes mentioned a definite intention to retire to full-time residence 

 on their properties in the future, and half as many were still undecided 

 in the matter. All except five per cent of the waterfront owners, on the 



Fig. 7. Retirement Home 

 A college professor, born and raised on this property, retained it for a sum- 

 mer home and now has retired to year-round occupancy. 



other hand, stated a definite intention not to retire to full-time residence 

 there. Among both groups, twice as many persons who rented winter 

 residences intended to retire to summer homes as did those who either 

 owned them or lived with others. 



The intentions of waterfront and open country ow r ners regarding 

 retirement reflect an important difference in the two types of properties. 

 Waterfront homes ordinarily are considered to be merely summer vaca- 

 tion retreats, constructed for comfort during warm weather only, and 

 equipped with a minimum of permanent conveniences and improvements. 

 Open country homes, on the other hand, are more durable and winter- 

 proof, and more commonly are considered to be a "second home", equip- 

 ped and renovated to afford a maximum of personal comfort during all 

 seasons of the year. 



The commercial renting out of summer homes was much more com- 

 mon among waterfront than among open country owners. One-third 

 of the waterfront homes and only one-tenth of the open country homes 

 were occupied by paying tenants at the time of the survey. Slightly 

 larger percentages of both groups had been rented at some time, but the 

 same relationship prevailed. A lore than half of the open country residents 

 had rented only to relatives or friends, on one or two occasions, but re- 

 current commercial renting was common by waterfront owners. 



