Budget Breakdown: Is This $590K Rhode Island Home “Too California?” Not for Its Owners

While Lauren and Ryan Tracy were visiting his parents in Newport, Rhode Island, over the winter holidays in 2023, the couple’s then-toddler daughter, Renny, needed a car nap. Driving around Jamestown on the adjacent Conanicut Island, the San Diego family toured a dilapidated 1950s cottage for sale. Though the small home had "zero curb appeal" and a distinct cat-like smell, it did have an ocean view from the backyard, says Lauren. The price was also attractive: $265,000, a far cry from the overinflated California market they were used to. Having renovated several homes before with their design-build company, Shelter Residential, it was easy for the Tracys to imagine it as their next project: a summer home for their growing family (which now includes new baby Lottie and miniature bull terrier, Hank), located just 15 minutes away from the grandparents.