LAND UTILIZATION IN NEW HAMPSHIRE 



27 



recreational purposes. Analysis of the prior use of properties on which 

 present owners initiated recreational use indicates that the transfers have 

 come about by normal processes and have taken place with a minimum 

 of disruption in the lives of the persons displaced. 



Nearly 90 per cent of the waterfront properties were created from 

 idle land which was not a part of an inhabited or operating unit. All 

 but two of the remaining properties were parcels of land only, detached 

 from larger operating units (Table 7). 



Table 7. Distribution of 153 summer home properties according to use 

 prior to purchase for recreational purposes 



Number 



Per cent 



Prior use 



Residence or part-time farm 



Commercial farm 



V'acant (including dwelling) 



Idle land (no dwelling) 



Other 



Total 



49 



104 



100 



100 



Waterfront sites generally were offered for sale as a result of the 

 free choice of individuals, and usually after several years of waiting for 

 the opportune moment to sell. A large proportion of open country 

 homes, on the other hand, were inhabited or were habitable properties 

 before they were bought for recreational use. Transfers ordinarily fol- 

 lowed natural crises in the lives of former owners, such as death of the 

 owner or a key member of his household, periods of forced vacancy in 

 most cases caused by death, disability caused by old age or ill health, 

 financial reverses, or other forced circumstances (Table 8). 



The trend during recent years has been toward the selection of 

 abandoned, nonfarm, or farm properties on which farming has been dis- 

 continued because it was unprofitable or because of the old age of the 

 operator. In each of the instances in which the prior use was commer- 

 cial farming (Table 7) transfer took place more than 10 years ago. Near- 

 ly half of the open country properties were used as residences or part- 

 time farms by previous owners and one-third had been abandoned for 

 periods ranging from 1 to 20 years. 



Table 8. Distribution of 138 summer home properties according to 

 circumstances leading to sale by previous owners 



Number 



Per cent 



Circumstances 



Water- 

 front 



Open 

 country 



Water- 

 front 



Open 



country 



Death 



Forced vacancy 



Old age or ill health 



Other forced circumstances 



Free choice 



Total 



8 



4 

 26 



~38~ 



26 

 22 

 14 

 10 

 28 



Too" 



21 



11 

 68 



100 



26 

 22 

 14 

 10 

 28 



loo" 



