Greater Lowell
What does it mean when this site refers to Greater Lowell? Wikipedia reports that there are several definitions that describe Greater Lowell. In the case of this site we use the definition of the NECTA Lowell-Billerica-Chelmsford, with the exception of Pelham, NH and the addition of Wilmington. This corresponds to the same town that the Middlesex North Registry of Deeds serves.
Some interesting facts about the region provided by the U.S. Census includes that the communities that make up Greater Lowell cover about 205.5 square miles. The total population of the area is over 300,000, and the average population density is 1,482 per square mile. The population density for the individual communities ranges from 190 people per square for Dunstable up to 7,484 people per square mile for Lowell. The ten communities of Greater Lowell make up about 20% of the population of Middlesex County and it contains about 24% of the total land area of the county. The population density is lower than that of the county as a whole with about 300 fewer people per square mile.
So why did I choose Greater Lowell for the starting point for my data collection? One reason that I chose Greater Lowell because I live there and I am very familiar with the area. Another reason is that the area includes all of the types of property that I am interested in. Everything from 19th century houses of worship to 21st century retail buildings. Finally, the Middlesex North Registry of Deeds publishes sales reports for each of the communities in its jurisdiction. These reports are a very good place to start research. Richard Howe, the Register of Deeds, stays on top of the current technology and makes Middlesex North/Greater Lowell an easier place to conduct real estate research.
