Essex County · Massachusetts
Essex, MA Homes for Sale & Real Estate
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Essex is a small Cape Ann town on the Essex River, surrounded by salt marsh, tidal creeks and wooded hills. For generations its shipyards built wooden fishing schooners, more than anywhere else in the country, and that heritage is still visible along the causeway. The town center is a short stretch of Main Street lined with antique shops and seafood spots, while Conomo Point sits at the river’s mouth.
Homes in Essex include antique colonials and capes along Main Street and the old roads, farmhouses on larger parcels, marsh-view homes along the river, and a scattering of newer colonials. Many properties have wells and septic systems. Dolan O’Rourke helps buyers understand what they are looking at in a historic coastal town and helps sellers market Essex homes with care.
Living in Essex
Essex Shipbuilding Museum
The museum preserves the town’s shipbuilding history on the site of a historic shipyard, with exhibits, tools and vessels tied to the schooners built along the river.
Essex River
The river winds through the Great Marsh toward Essex Bay, and kayaking, boat tours and clamming flats make it the center of life in town.
Antiques along Route 133
Main Street through the town center is known for its many antique shops, making Essex a regular stop for collectors from around the region.
Cogswell’s Grant
This Historic New England property is a farmhouse with a collection of American folk art, set on fields overlooking the Essex River marshes.
Essex County · Massachusetts
Homes for sale in Essex, MA
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Getting around and the outdoors
Getting around
Route 133 runs through the town center toward Ipswich and Gloucester, and Route 22 leads south to Route 128 for connections to Boston and the North Shore. Commuter rail stations in Ipswich, Manchester and Hamilton/Wenham are a short drive away.
Parks and recreation
The Essex County Greenbelt’s Cox Reservation and Stavros Reservation offer walks with marsh and island views, and Centennial Grove has a pond and picnic area. Kayaking and boating on the Essex River and Chebacco Lake are popular in warmer months.
Villages and neighborhoods in Essex
Nearby communities
Buying or selling in Essex?
Whether you are buying your first home, moving up, downsizing or investing, our agents will guide you from the first conversation to the closing table.
- Buyers: Learn about our Buyer Representation Services.
- Sellers: Explore our Seller Representation Services and flexible listing tiers.
- Home value: Find out what your Essex home is worth.
Client reviews
What our clients say
I had the absolute pleasure of working with John Dolan and Dolan O’Rourke Real Estate Services while selling my mother’s home. We were going through an extremely difficult transition. We were both unfamiliar with the process of selling a home. From day one, John made himself readily available and kindly explained every part of the process to my mother, always making sure she understood each detail. His knowledge and expertise goes far and above what we expected. His constant communication never left us guessing – we felt very involved in every part of the process. I was caring for my mother on my own and he did everything in his power to ease the burden of selling her property. John knew I had great anxiety over our difficult situation and would always tell me not to worry. He always found a resolution to every bump in the road- and now I am finally worry free! John made us feel cared for and safe. We cannot thank him enough for his hard work. He helped us find a deal that we never could’ve imagined and changed our life for the better!
John was amazing with helping us in our home buying journey! His knowledge and patience made things very easy for us as first time home buyers. I highly recommend John to anyone who wants professionalism and someone who’s gonna get the job done! Thanks John!
We worked with John of Dolan O’Rourke Real Estate Services to purchase our first home in the Greater Boston area. As first time home buyers, John invested a lot of time early on to educate us about what to expect and strategies to consider. Throughout the process John had great communication, listening and advice as we navigated a challenging market. John was approachable, knowledgeable and always fun to be around as we looked at numerous houses, and helped us shape our conversations to really dial in to what we were looking for. We would love to recommend John for future real estate services and are so appreciative of his hard work.
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