The Home With an OMG View

Spectacular?

e turned off Pocket Mountain Road in Ossipee, New Hampshire, onto a driveway that led us down a gentle slope to a one-story, brown-shingled, modern-looking house. After carefully parking next to a huge, expansive deck on the right side, we looked up toward the northwest. OMG! We’ve seen lots of wonderful views during our many years of moseying around New England for Yankee, but, as far as we can remember (we’re sorta old), this had to be among the—or perhaps the —very best. From the deck it starts with a beautifully landscaped lawn extending down to a hardwood forest. Beyond that one looks across a valley to Lake Ossipee in the far distance. And we could identify the pointy summit of Mount Chocorua on the horizon.

While we stood gaping outside our car, we were joined by owners Stephen Walker and his wife, Romaine (“Romie” to her many friends). Stephen communicated his cordial greeting to us via a battery-powered speaker that he pressed against his throat, this as a result of a cancer operation years ago. But thanks to his vibrant, engaging, and fun personality, readily apparent to us, we soon pretty much forgot about it.

A few minutes later we were settled in the gorgeous, spacious living/library/dining/kitchen area with Romie on a flower-print sofa that, despite appearing in great shape, was once in the Colorado Springs home in which she grew up. “I used to constantly jump on this couch when I was a little girl,” she said. Then we learned that Stephen was from Concord, Massachusetts, graduated from Harvard in 1954, worked for a Wall Street firm for many years—work that took him around the world—and enjoyed sailing from their oceanside Connecticut home. So how in the world did they ever meet? we wondered. Well, one fine day in 1957, when Romie was visiting relatives on the East Coast, “we met at a party at the Club of Odd Volumes in Boston,” she said, laughing. “We married a few months later and proceeded to have our four now-grown sons within the next six years.” (Incidentally, the Club of Odd Volumes still exists; it’s on Beacon Street.)

OPPOSITE , BOTTOM : Owners Stephen and Romie Walker, who designed their New Hampshire “dream house” themselves 10 years ago.

OPPOSITE , TOP : The “OMG” view from the front deck. THIS PAGE , FROM TOP : Approaching the house from the driveway; the home’s comfortable living/dining area. Most of the furniture is also available for sale.

After Stephen retired and successfully confronted his medical situation, they began looking around New Hampshire for a quiet getaway, finally settling on this property in Ossipee. “One look at the view did it for us,” Romie said. “And we loved the peace and quiet.” So they designed their “dream house” themselves and then, in 2007, hired a contractor to build it for them.

But now, 10 years later, with both of them in their eighties, they’ve decided to settle into an Exeter retirement community (Riverwoods) and put their gorgeous Ossipee property on the market. “Do you think our $500,000 price is too low?” Romie asked us at some point. We did—and do—but didn’t feel it was appropriate for us to say so. Incidentally, they’d probably sell their furniture, too, and it’s gorgeous.

As to the seven rooms (plus a separate garage and eight acres), the kitchen has cherry cabinets, granite countertops, stainless-steel appliances, a builtin breakfast area, cherry flooring … Oh, it’s “the nuts.” So are the master suite (can you imagine waking up every morning to that view out your bedroom’s glass doors?), the family room, the office, three bedrooms in a wing