Winnipesaukee Forum - Blogs http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/blog.php A discussion forum for the Lakes Region of New Hampshire en Thu, 02 Sep 2010 15:39:25 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/images/misc/rss.jpg Winnipesaukee Forum - Blogs http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/blog.php New Home Construction, Now!?! http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/blog.php?b=94 Sun, 29 Aug 2010 14:44:02 GMT Image: http://blog.lakesregionhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/new-construction-300x199.jpg (http://blog.lakesregionhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/new-construction.jpg) While there is not a lot of new home construction going on in the *Lakes Region of NH...

While there is not a lot of new home construction going on in the Lakes Region of NH, it is nice to see that there are some homes being built despite the depressed housing market that we are currently struggling through. It is even nicer to see that some of the developments are actually moving product!

The busiest new home development right now is the Villas at Paugus Bay off White Oaks Road in Laconia. These are entry level modular homes priced starting in the 160’s and offered with either two or three bedroom floor plans, two baths, stainless steel appliances, a full basement, and a two car garage. There are several plans to choose from and a few upgrades available including granite countertops and hardwood flooring. These homes are great as a primary residence, retirement, or vacation home. It certainly doesn’t feel like we are in a down market when you drive into this development; there’s a lot of activity going on there! Sales have been brisk. One point worth clarifying on this project is that you actually don’t own the land your home sits on, it is a land lease; kind of like a condominium form of ownership. There are minimal HOA fees to cover lawn care and road maintenance so you won’t need to mow your lawn! The project has 24 acres of conservation area, but the homes are a little tight to each other so you will get to know your neighbor quite well. That’s great if you both root for the same ball team and bad if you don’t.



Another great development that has had extremely strong sales this year is at Willow Pond in the Long Bay section of South Down Shores in Laconia. These high quality, stick built, cape style homes are available in either 1,775 square foot or 2,230 square foot versions starting at $279,900 for the base model. There is a long list of luxurious upgrades so you can individualize your home just the way you want it. The homes have a bright and open floor plan with cathedral ceilings, first floor master suites and laundry, full basement, and a two car garage. The homes have great curb appeal and the builder has paid a lot of attention to every detail. Sales have been strong over the summer and there are only seven lots remaining. This is the first time single family homes have ever been offered in this price range in Long Bay so the response has been tremendous! And with all of the great amenities provided, why wouldn’t they sell ? Long Bay has 1,500 ft of shorefront, a fantastic lakeside pool, beach, walking trails, clubhouse, tennis courts, and dry berths available at the South Down Boat Club. When you package quality new construction, a great price, and outstanding amenities together you get great results.



This developer also offers the same homes at another development called Nature’s View located off North Street in Laconia. Prices here start a little less at $259,900. You obviously won’t get all the amenities offered in Long Bay, but you will get the same quality home in a great new neighborhood. Homes here have sold very well and there are still plenty of lots available. The builder also offers a ranch style home with a base price of $229,900.

The Villas at Paugus and Willow Pond demonstrate that new homes will sell even in difficult market if the builder provides consumers with a truly great
value…
]]> Roy Sanborn http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/blog.php?b=94 Global Warming and the Real Estate Market http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/blog.php?b=93 Thu, 19 Aug 2010 15:51:13 GMT

The Concord Monitor reported last week that “Statewide residential sales fell (in NH) nearly 32% in July from a year earlier… the steepest annual decline in more than two years…” Yes, July was not a particularly great month for home sales in NH or for that matter anywhere else, but why does everyone have to focus so much on every little negative turn? In the Lakes Region of NH, the towns in this report were only down about 10% last month compared to last July, but more importantly on a 12 month rolling basis our area is up 15% over the previous 12 month period. While we should keep a cautious eye on monthly housing statistics, a one month decline does not make a trend. The average sales price for the 12 month period ending July 31, 2010 stood at $307,881 compared to $292,502 for the period ending July 31, 2009. The average sales price in July only was slightly less at $262,390, but that is no cause for alarm; it is a reflection of what sold that month.

I don’t believe in the whole global warming thing, but I do agree with the latest legislation coming out of Washington. The Real Estate Greenhouse Gas Reduction and Stimulus Act of 2011 is intended to deal with home buyers who have run amuck and are contributing enormous amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere thereby hastening the demise of modern civilization as we know it. Many of the agents that I have talked to over the past several weeks are becoming increasing frustrated in dealing with buyers that seem to be doing nothing more than increasing their carbon footprint. I know they have been increasing mine. This timely legislation targets three major types of home buyers that are negatively affecting our future on planet earth:

1. The largest group are the buyers that need to sell something before they can buy. While these buyers have always existed, historically they were able to sell their homes in a reasonable period and purchase another. Now, it could take several years. Many of these buyers don’t even have their homes on the market. The legislation will require these buyers to stay home and stop burning fossil fuels to look at property unless their property is on the market at a price that is enough of a value that someone will actually buy it. These buyers not only are wasting precious natural resources themselves, they set into motion a chain reaction of events that causes the home owner, the listing agent, and their agent to do the same.

2. The next group of buyers targeted are those that can’t make up their minds…ever. These buyers usually start off by saying that they have been looking for quite awhile but can’t seem to find the right house. Many times they are seeking a vacation home and revisit this doomed exercise every summer. They show up at the height of the season, look at every possibility in a given price range, and then disappear without a farewell only to resurface next year to start all over again. They are looking for that “perfect” home. This legislation finally puts it in writing for the buyer; “There is no such thing as a perfect home.” I know I am not increasing my carbon footprint anymore for these types of buyers. If I am going to show them property, they better have a nice car
because I am riding with them!



3. The last group of buyers are convinced that all homes are overpriced. The REGHGR&S Act will require buyers to complete an eight hour “pre-house search value course” designed to teach them what a fair price actually is. Special emphasis is put on teaching buyers that not every home can be bought for one half of the listing price. It is estimated that this will cut the time required to find a home in half saving 13 trillion tons of carbon dioxide per year from being belched into the atmosphere. Over the past three years, this group of buyers has been responsible for a 1.7 degree increase in the average annual temperature.



This act also eliminates the use of multiple vehicles to look at property---every seat in the primary vehicle must be occupied before another vehicle can be utilized. I’ve been to some showings where you’d think it was a presidential motorcade coming to look at a property. I could tell that it wasn’t because the cars weren’t shiny black and the guys in the lead cars didn’t have three piece suits and sunglasses. But you get the idea. Why do you need six cars? Cousin Eddie doesn’t need to see the house until after you buy it. The act requires that at least one of the buyers looking for property to be in the same car as the agent. Imagine that, getting back to basics by having the buyer actually spending time with his agent, in person, discussing his needs.

The Real Estate Greenhouse Gas Reduction and Stimulus Act of 2011 has many provisions that will not only be good for the environment, but will also revive the housing market. The “Stimulus” part of the Act requires buyers to sign a contract stating that they will buy a home after completing a tour of no more than twelve properties in their stated price range. Buyers will have an option to purchase Carbon Tax Credits in lieu of purchasing a home at the end of the contract period. These Tax Credits will be transferred to the real estate agent to compensate him for his increased carbon foot print. The only exception to this is if the buyer has a Chevrolet Volt which will limit the whole real estate tour to 40 miles anyway.

Good plan (too bad it isn’t real)…

]]> Roy Sanborn http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/blog.php?b=93 Lake Winnipesaukee and Winnisquam Waterfront Sales Report - July 2010 http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/blog.php?b=92 Thu, 12 Aug 2010 23:46:07 GMT *Image: http://blog.lakesregionhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/DSC_0004-Large-201x300.jpg (http://blog.lakesregionhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/DSC_0004-Large.jpg)* *J**uly was a good month for Winnipesaukee (http://www.lakesregionhome.com/lake-winnipesaukee/)waterfront sales, at...

July was a good month for Winnipesaukee waterfront sales, at least when compared to last year. There were a total of six Winnipesaukee sales at an average of $955,333 compared to only half that number last July although the average sales price in July 2009 was higher at $1.82 million. Two of the six sales posted last month were island properties and those do obviously bring less money that mainland homes.

The least expensive home sold is at 260 Rattlesnake Island in Alton, NH. This is an 1,166 square foot cottage with three rooms, two bedrooms, and the description in MLS said it had only a half bath. I guess maybe there was an outside shower or the bath tub was the lake? The cottage sits on a .7 acre level lot with 103 feet of frontage and nice southwesterly views. There is also an outbuilding on the property that would make a great bunk house for the in-laws. This property was originally offered at $429,000, reduced to $359,900, and sold for $324,000 after 432 days on the market. The property is currently assessed for $376,500, so that seems like a fair deal.
A beautiful 2,127 square foot contemporary at 368 Sewall Road in Wolfeboro also changed hands at $1.48 million after 349 days on the market. This home was originally listed at $1.95 million and subsequently was reduced to $1.875 million. The town has the current tax assessment at $1.677 million. This beautiful home at the entrance to Jockey Cove has 144 feet of sandy bottom frontage, an 8’ x 35’ crib dock, and broad views across the lake toward the Belknap Mountains. It has an open and spacious interior boasting thirteen rooms, four bedrooms, and two and a half baths. The exterior has nice perennial gardens, stonewalls, and a great patio area taking advantage of the wonderful views. Nice!

The highest sale in July was at 36 Broadview Terrace in Gilford. This Governor’s Island, 5,000 square foot contemporary has a bright and open floor plan featuring a great room with cathedral ceilings, stone fireplace, hard wood floors, and a wall of windows to take in the view. There are four bedrooms, five and a half baths, and a bonus room with wet bar for entertaining. This home sits on a .74 acre lot with 100 feet of frontage with a covered U-shaped dock. This property was originally offered at just under $2.6 million, then reduced to $1.995 million in March, and found a buyer at $1.7 million after a mere 641 days on the market. With an assessment of $2.035 million it seems like the new owner got a fair deal.



There was only one sale on Winnisquam last month which equals the one sale posted last July. The honors go to a six room, three bedroom cottage at 74 Black Brook Road in Meredith. This knotty pine paneled cottage epitomizes what lake living is all about. There is a great stone fireplace in the living room, a basketball court outside, and 130 feet of sandy frontage. What more could you want? Well, maybe a pitcher of Margaritas out by the lake? This little place was only on the market for 19 days and closed 17 days later. So, possibly there really was a pitcher of Margaritas waiting there! It was listed at $499,000, assessed at $369,500 and sold for $477,000. Es tiempo de fiesta, Señorita!



]]> Roy Sanborn http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/blog.php?b=92 The Home Inspection Hurdle http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/blog.php?b=89 Sun, 08 Aug 2010 23:14:59 GMT Image: http://blog.lakesregionhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Home-isnpection-paper-300x234.jpg (http://blog.lakesregionhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Home-isnpection-paper.jpg) August is the high point for the summer. Unfortunately, it is also the high point for the total number...
August is the high point for the summer. Unfortunately, it is also the high point for the total number residential listings on the market this year. As of August 1 there were 1344 homes on the market in the Lakes Region towns in this report. That’s up 6% from the 1277 available last month and the 1281 posted last August. Based on the rate of sales for the previous 12 months, we have a 21.5 month supply of homes on the market. The average asking price as of August 1 was $539,186 which is down a bit from the $573,567 recorded last August. The number of homes available under $200,000 rose 5% from 318 last August to 397 this August.

One of the biggest hurdles in purchasing a home today is the home inspection process. I recommend that everyone get a home inspection on the property that they intend to purchase. I guess one exception to the rule could be a newly constructed home that has had oversight by the local building inspector, but I still recommend it anyway. Up until last year, just about anyone with a clip board, a flashlight, and a little bit of building knowledge could be a home inspector in NH. Thankfully, the state passed a licensing law that requires all home inspectors to have completed the National Home Inspectors licensing exam. They also have to successfully complete 80 hours of approved pre-licensing education covering heating and cooling systems, plumbing, electrical, foundations, structural components, roof coverings, exterior and interior components, and site aspects that can affect structures. Continuing education is also required to keep inspectors up to date.

Hopefully, a well maintained home will not have any significant issues and the buyer can move one step closer toward owning the home. But many times issues do come up that need to be addressed and the home inspection then becomes another point of negotiations between the buyer and the seller. The buyer has a right to ask that any undisclosed significant issues or defects be repaired or remedied by the seller. If the seller does not want to repair the defect, another remedy is to negotiate a dollar amount off the price of the property so that the buyer can have the issue corrected at a later date. If the seller refuses to fix the defect or compensate the buyer in any way, the buyer can declare the deal null and void and get his deposit back so he can look for another home. Hopefully, it doesn’t come to that but it does happen fairly frequently. Sometimes small issues and related repair costs become overblown and buyers and sellers lose sight of the real goal which is to buy and sell a house.



Every home will have maintenance issues that will need to be addressed so bear that in mind if you are a buyer. No home is 100% perfect, so don’t sweat the small stuff too much! Be more concerned about the big things like the roof, the foundation, septic system, heating, cooling, and electrical. Make sure you get a Home Depot or Lowes charge card because they are essential in the home owning experience. These cavernous warehouses of household pieces and parts are places for you to go to strategically avoid actually doing a necessary repair…at least for a while. If you are selling a home, try and remember that even though you have gotten along for the past ten years with the overhead door not working correctly and the bricks ready to fall off the top of your chimney, the buyer really does expect most things to be in good repair. Having your home in tip top shape when you place it on the market can alleviate a lot of stress down the sales process and will actually bring you a higher sales price. Imagine that, now go to Home Depot.

Your REALTOR® can provide you with a list of home inspector’s names and their company brochures to compare services and pricing for the different types of inspections. You are also free to pick any home inspector you want. Check the yellow pages. Inspectors may complete and provide their report to you right there at the time of the inspections. Others may provide it by email within a day or so. As a buyer, you should be there for the home inspection process so that you can watch, ask questions, and learn about the home that you are about to purchase and be responsible for maintaining. It also gives your wife time to measure for curtains and determine which closet you might be able to use for your clothes…




]]> Roy Sanborn http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/blog.php?b=89 This is my boating philosophy http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/blog.php?b=88 Wed, 04 Aug 2010 19:39:56 GMT Since the entire thread was closed, I thought this post would be a good answer instead of repetitive posts on various threads. Safety threads don't do too well on this forum for some reason. :rolleye2:

http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/...24&postcount=1

Positive Boaters Chime in
In the interest of clearing the air, and trying to develop some camaraderie amongst boaters of all kinds, both on the water and on this forum.

When debating strong opinions in general, many people can lose their cool, or say things that stray from the subject, and have no bearing on any positive outcome. I confess, I've probably done that more times than I would have liked to. Things have cooled down somewhat, but we still have positive and valuable insights on the forum once distilled. I would like to personally than the likes of Noregrets, OCDACTIVE, DaveR, Lakepilot and many others for their positive contributions.

In addition, after going back to re-read older, and many subsequent posts by Acrespersecond, Bear Islander and others, gave me far more insight and cause for reflection. It's only after you go back for further review that you can fully appreciate the points made, and the statements evaluated. Always hard to do when a confrontational battle erupts.

What I've discovered is something I knew awhile back, but the thought got lost in a battle of posts, mostly stirred by a few members that wanted the pot stirred. When you look back through the threads, and jot down notes, you'll find something amazing. Mostly, the posters on each side of this contentious issue agree on the quality of life and respect issues. Two main areas that I was brought up to abide by.

I certainly appreciate that everyone, including myself, have the right to safely enjoy all aspects of the lake, providing I am respectful of everyone's right to the same. So here are some of my own boating rules that I've lived by my entire adult life, with given examples.

1) I would never blow by a fisherman, kayak, canoe, or anyone, at any higher speed close by, 150' or otherwise. I don't appreciate being rocked by waves that close, and I don't do it to others either.

2) If my boat produces a large wake, I would know full well what happens if my boat is 150' from a small boat at rest, or just headway speed.

3) I go out of my way to go around, or give way, that which I would upset by continuing on, legal or not.

4) I am always aware of my wake (which really isn't that large), whenever I'm on a waterway that puts me closer to lakefront homes and docks. I've lived on the water, and watched our boats rock from side to side after boats plowed offshore creating large wakes.

5. If I had a loud exhaust (I do not), I'd be pretty sensitive about how I went about my boating. I'd be so sensitive that if I had no way of quieting it, I'd probably never go out early morning or at night. I appreciate peace and quiet as much as anyone else. During waking hours on weekends, less sensitive. Be respectful of everyone's right to reasonable activities.

6. I haven't fished much in years, although I do have a license this year. I know enough not to troll across a main channel impeding boat traffic. This is something that can be unavoidable in early spring fishing, but there is less recreational traffic at that time of year anyway. Recognize that common sense goes a long way.

7. I also recognize that kayakers and canoeists have special situations to deal with out on the open water. They both tip due to their narrow width, and they are both very low to the water. Hence, I realize that on busy weekends, I run the risk of not being visible to larger craft traveling the lake. Common sense tells me that many boaters tend to slow down when they see me in a kayak or canoe, which makes matters worse because their wakes are larger. Therefore, being a very cautious person, when in such a craft, I stick to shoreline routes where powerboats are not a factor in my journeys.

8. Whenever I am on any body of water, I realize that I appreciate clean water. I do not allow trash of any kind to be thrown overboard, or on land anywhere. I also have a PP, use it

9. I know for certain that when I'm anchored, I don;t want to listen to your 2,000 watt stereo blaring whatever 300 yards into my ears. Respect that this is not a private party, it's a public resource. If you acted like a rowdy drunk in a public park, you'd be arrested and/or ejected. Same situation for the lake.

10. Always pay attention. The accident that happens is usually the one you didn't see coming. There are no highway markers or stop lights, boat traffic comes from all directions in a 360 degree area. Look far ahead to see a wider view angle, and occasionally, peak to the sides or behind to see if anything's going on there.

11. Everyone likes the passive resultfulness of seeing the stars at night by boat, or just moon gazing on a calm night. It's an incredible feeling for sure. You MUST have your lights on, and preferably not be IN THE MIDDLE of the lake while gazing. If you turn off your lights, you may very well be run over.

12. Try to help people. Whether at the dock, anchoring, at the boat launch. Not everyone has the natural ability nor the experience to be perfect, nor has anyone ever succeeded in being perfect. The more people you give assist or training to, quite possibly the more pleasurable your own boating life will be.

13. Just be careful out there, and respect all other boaters. If every boater put themselves into the other boater's shoes, (so to speak), perhaps courtesy would reign supreme. Maybe not, but I find that courtesy and respect can be contagious. Maybe not everyone will catch it, but these are good things to do anyway.

Lastly, I was hoping (naively I admit), that previous threads would trend towards a positive focus on solving issues. Boaters everywhere can, and have been, very effective in assisting LEO's and other organizations, as well as other boaters. If there is an issue impacting people in one particular area, all boaters can join to try and solve the problem. Perhaps we can eventually head in this direction. I truly hope so.

These are my own personal rules for trying to be a good boating citizen. The examples are for examples only, not to get into nitpick debates about technical matters.

Without resorting to polls, I would venture a guess that at least 98% of those that engaged in debates on this thread section and others, are at least as courteous as that, and probably more so. I also think that courtesy and respect is what unites the majority of boaters, regardless of any law or divisive issue. Some on this subject have been better than myself at focusing on this than myself, regrettably.

Thanks you to those that contributed posts that got me back on track. ]]> VtSteve http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/blog.php?b=88 Winnipesaukee and Winnisquam Waterfront Sales Report - 1st Half 2010 http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/blog.php?b=87 Fri, 23 Jul 2010 19:15:48 GMT Image: http://blog.lakesregionhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/DSC_0163-Large-300x201.jpg (http://www.lakesregionhome.com/real_estate/listings/Meredith%20NH/4004940/73/308990) June was a pretty good month for *Winnipesaukee waterfront* ...
June was a pretty good month for Winnipesaukee waterfront sales with a total of eight happy new homeowners finding a home to dock their boats on the shores of the big lake. This doesn’t quite measure up to the eleven sales last June, but the average sales price came in higher at $1.38 million compared to an average of $771,773 last June. There were five sales over $1 million last month compared to three last June.

The least expensive home that sold on the lake was at 56 Braun Bay Road in Moultonborough. Originally listed at $1.2 million, it was reduced to $895,000 and sold at $830,000 after 754 days on the market. This home is a 1,660 square foot, six room, three bedroom cottage that was completely and tastefully remodeled in 1996. The home has a nice eat in kitchen, living room with fireplace, loft area, a nice deck offering great views of the lake and mountains beyond, and a two car garage with a playroom above. The cottage sits on a .42 acre lot with 100 feet of frontage, a sandy beach, and a covered dock. I bet the new owners have enjoyed it immensely during this recent heat wave.
On the other end of the price spectrum, a vintage cottage at 304 Woodlands Road in Alton with two separate lots of record totaling 2.79 acres sold well below the $2.4 million asking price at $1.9 million. The property has expansive lake views, a total of 565 feet of shorefront, and a deepwater boathouse. There is a new five bedroom septic system servicing the cottage with another five bedroom septic design included for the other lot. You can expect to see a couple new homes there in the future…


The highest sale on Winnie in June was at 45 Swan Point Road in Moultonborough. This high end, Craftsman style lake home has 6,000 square feet of living space including 6 bedrooms, eight baths, a designer kitchen, great room with cathedral ceilings and fireplace, game room, and all the other requisite amenities expected at this price point. There is even a 700 square foot, three season pavilion sitting steps from the water on a point of land that provides gorgeous views. There is no need to go back to the main house for lunch as inside the pavilion you’ll find a kitchen, dining area, and half bath. This home sits on a very private 1.73 acre lot with 668 feet of frontage with a sandy beach, three docks, and a boat ramp. The home was listed at $3.49 million and sold for $3.15 million after 421 days. My kind of place.


Waterfront sales over the first 6 months of 2010 are ahead of last year with a total of 39 sales compared to 30 last year. The average sales price is up considerably from $839,858 in the 1st half of 2009 to $1.25 million so far this year. The total sales volume year to date comes in at $48.7 million compared to just $25 million over the same period last year. There were nine sales over a million in the 1st half of 2009 compared to nineteen so far this year. It seems that perhaps there is some confidence returning in the marketplace with buyers realizing that Winnipesaukee waterfront is a sound and safe place to invest.

There was only one sale on Winnisquam in June. Located at 30 Broadview in Sanbornton, this like new, 1,963 square foot contemporary home built in 2005 has six rooms, three bedrooms, and two and a half bath. The home sits on a .12 acre lot with 55 feet of frontage and has a nice sandy beach with great views down the broad part of the lake. This property was listed at $399,900 and sold for $389,000 which was well below the assessed value of $468,500.


Sales are definitely up in the first half of 2010 on Winnisquam with seven sales at an average sales price of $521,571 compared to just two sales in the first half of 2009 at an average of $341,250.


Currently there are over 260 waterfronts for sale on Winnipesaukee including island properties and almost 30 on Winnisquam. That is one very large boat load of expensive real estate. Let’s hope the great weather continues to heat up the interest in these properties and we have a banner summer season!


Attached Images
 
]]> Roy Sanborn http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/blog.php?b=87 Lakes Region Real Estate Report - 1st Half 2010 http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/blog.php?b=86 Fri, 16 Jul 2010 18:34:27 GMT *Image: http://blog.lakesregionhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/DSC_0018-Small-300x200.jpg (http://www.lakesregionrealestatenews.com/)* *We are half way through another year and you have to ask: “Are we having fun yet?”.* In the communities covered by this *Lakes Region...

We are half way through another year and you have to ask: “Are we having fun yet?”. In the communities covered by this Lakes Region of NH report, home sales have improved nicely but it certainly doesn’t feel like we are at the Six Flags Amusement Park. Every sale now seems to be fraught with unending complications and issues as a result of increased regulations and scrutiny of the lenders and underwriters. It feels more like Chevy Chase gone mad at Wally World. Despite these difficulties, there were 88 residential home sales for the month of June which is an 18% increase over last June’s total of 75 homes. Once again most of the sales, 52% of them to be exact, were below $200,000. There were four sales in the $1 million plus bracket and the average sales price came in at $292,566 compared to $262,119 last June.

For the first six months of the year, there were a total of 364 residential home sales compared to 306 for the first half of 2009. That’s a solid 19% increase. The average sales price so far this year came in at $298,945 compared to $254,071 for the first half on 2009. We are still pretty far below the $363,753 average sales price for the first six months of 2008, but we are certainly headed in the right direction on the number units sold and average price. There were sixteen homes over $1 million so far this year compared to just six in the first half of 2009. That seems to indicate that, at least in some quarters, there’s a positive outlook about investing in high end real estate. There also was an increase on sales below the $200,000 mark: there were 195 in the first half of 2010, 170 in 2009, and only 119 in 2008. There was a slight bump up in the $200-300,000 price range from 67 sales during the first half last year to 79 sales so far this year.



On a rolling 12 month basis there were 779 sales at an average sales price of $308,917 this past year ending 6/30/10 compared to 667 sales at an average $298,862 for the prior twelve month period. That’s a 17% increase in total sales over the past year which is really a very good sign. Actually, I think it is a great sign!

We seem to be posting small gains every month now. It is kind of like putting spare change away every night and pretty soon you can afford a night out on the town. The real estate market did not deteriorate overnight even though it might have felt that way, so it is going to take a while to get back to normal or to whatever the new “normal” will be. Buyers, sellers, and everyone else involved in the real estate world will adapt to that new market level. Hopefully the financial safeguards and lending guidelines that have been put in place will prevent another meltdown and also, hopefully, not choke the public’s ability to buy homes. The market has changed dramatically but with interest rates at unheard of lows, a huge inventory of homes to choose from, and incredible values to be found it is the perfect time for those with the desire and ability to purchase a home.

The desire for homeownership is solidly ingrained in our culture, so it is obvious that “ability” is the real stumbling block to a complete turn-round in the housing market and that hinges on a resurgent economy and job creation…


]]> Roy Sanborn http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/blog.php?b=86 For Sale: Bank Owned at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/blog.php?b=85 Sat, 10 Jul 2010 17:26:03 GMT Image: http://blog.lakesregionhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/white_house2-300x225.jpg (http://blog.lakesregionhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/white_house2.jpg) The *residential home (http://www.lakesregionhome.com/roy-s-picks/premier-properties/)* inventory stood at 1277 homes...

The residential home inventory stood at 1277 homes available as of July 1, 2010 in the communities in this Lakes Region Real Estate Market Report. The average asking price came in at $551,228 and the median asking price was $285,000. This inventory level represents 19 ¾ months worth of homes on the market. That is down slightly from the 22 months worth of homes available last July 1 but we still have a long, long way to go to get back to a reasonable level somewhere in the 6 month range.

There are still a lot of foreclosures and bank owned properties coming on the market. We all know that these foreclosures are due to a bad economy in general resulting in job losses and home values plummeting. Many homeowners just got over extended and couldn’t pay the bills. So it worried me over this past 4th of July that the home most symbolic of our independence and freedom, The White House, might end up being auctioned off. We all may own a piece of that place, but no one is more over extended than our own government right now. If you or I were a trillion or two behind in payments we’d be out on the street fairly quickly. But then again, we don’t have the armed forces to keep the sheriff from serving papers do we? Here are some things to consider if we had to sell “our house” down in D.C.:



First of all, this 55,000 square foot, six level home has 132 rooms, 16 bedrooms, 35 bathrooms, 28 fireplaces, 3 elevators, 8 staircases and sits on 18 acres in the middle of the city. When construction of this home started in 1792 it was located just north of a swamp. Today, Congress is actually located to the Southeast. The most obvious thing that comes to real estate agent’s mind is that “they over built for the area”. This may not be an easy sale.


This “Presidential Mansion”, as it was once called, was designed by an Irishman named James Hoban. When George Washington looked at the plans he thought the house was too small and wasn’t fancy enough for a President. So one of the first federal construction projects got increased in size by 30% and was all gussied-up so it could also be called the “Presidential Palace”. Obviously, this was an omen of things to come. The construction took eight years at a cost of $232,371 or $2.8 million in 2007 dollars.

Many historical homes boast that “George Washington Slept Here” thereby increasing the value of the property. Provenance is everything to some buyers but unfortunately, George and Martha never slept in the White House. That could hurt our asking price some. John Adams, our second President, and his wife Abigail were actually the first to live in the home even though it was not completed. John apparently got an earful more than once from Abigail about the unfinished state of the home and ongoing construction. Sounds familiar. When Thomas Jefferson moved in he complained that the place was too big but then proceeded to lay out designs for new additions. The place is really a bit of an “expansion mansion” as it was added onto many times over the years. You have to wonder if things are up to code. By 1948 the White House was in pretty tough shape due to years of poor maintenance and President Truman ordered a complete reconstruction. This place sounds like it could be a home inspector’s nightmare…or maybe his ticket to retirement.



We also have to disclose that the property has had several fires. It was completely burned down by the British during the War of 1812. There was another fire which completely gutted the West Wing on Christmas Eve 1929 while President Hoover was at a holiday party in the main part of the home. In fact, one article I read says there are several minor fires there every decade. I’m not sure what the lender’s underwriter will think about that but I’m sure they will make it an issue.

Decorating a home like this can be a nightmare, but just about every President (his wife, to be more accurate) has redecorated the place to their own tastes. Can you imagine how many layers of wallpaper there must be in some of these room. Maintenance on a home like this can be never ending. Unfortunately, vinyl was not yet invented in 1792. It takes 570 gallons of paint to keep the White House looking white. Painting trim can be a big chore with 147 windows and 412 doors. This won’t be sold to a retiree.



But there are a lot of great amenities to help the sale. Truman made sure the place got central air in 1948. It also has a bowling alley, swimming pool, exercise room, jogging track, movie theater, billiard room and a dubious security system. The dining room can seat 140 of your closest friends and the gourmet kitchen is fit for a chef---five of them to be exact. Sounds like a Governors Island waterfront! It is clear that this home won’t appeal to everyone.

While it is a historical home, buyers today don’t want money pits. They want new, modern, and easy to maintain homes. It could be a difficult home to sell except at a steeply discounted price. After all, no one has any money except for the Chinese. With that kitchen and dining room it could be the “White Dragon Palace” featuring General Ike Egg Rolls, Washington Won Ton Soup, and Clinton Chow Mein. They could even have specials: Pelosi Pork and Rangel Rangoon.


]]> Roy Sanborn http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/blog.php?b=85 Looking for an immaculate home?? http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/blog.php?b=84 Fri, 02 Jul 2010 19:17:42 GMT Image: http://blog.lakesregionhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/sparking-home-300x300.jpg (http://blog.lakesregionhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/sparking-home.jpg) In search of an immaculate home... *I was searching the MLS ...
In search of an immaculate home...

I was searching the MLS last week for a home between $250,000 and $450,000. A home that you would consider to be of high quality, great condition, wonderfully maintained, and that has lots of character and charm. A home that I would call special. I was only looking in three or four specific communities but I really didn’t come up with much. Undaunted, I broadened the search to include all the homes in Belknap County and Moultonborough regardless of price. Fortunately, the MLS search system we use allows me to search for very specific keywords within the public description of the property so I can zero right in on the type of property I wanted. I picked “keywords” that would describe a desirable home and searched through the 1300+ homes currently on the market. The results were surprising and yielded two obvious conclusions.


Was the maid off last week??

Of the 1300+ homes available there were only 27 “immaculate” homes found! Can you believe that? Does that mean there are 1273 less than stellar house-keepers out there, or perhaps some of the homes were listed the week the maid was off, or maybe the agent just didn’t want to mention the state of cleanliness of the home? I’m not sure what keyword to use to look for something less than “immaculate”. I tried “well kept” and only 9 homes came back (one being “well kept immaculate”—I liked that one!). The search revealed only 16 homes when I plugged “pristine” into the search. That’s not a real common word to use, but who wouldn’t want a pristine home? Of the 16 homes that came up only 3 were “pristine homes”. The rest were describing the setting, the frontage, the water, the lot, and so on.

How about “high quality” homes? There were only 3 out of 1300! What quality were the rest? I tried “well built” and found only 4 properties. Now I am getting really concerned that the remaining 1293 homes are all of inferior construction…or is it again a case of vague property descriptions? It was hard to tell by some of the photos of the homes that I looked at.

What about a “like new” home. I found a mere 19 and some of those only “looked” like they were new, some “showed” like they were new, and some were in “like new condition”. All the rest of the 1281 listings therefore weren’t “like new” and had to be just plain “new”, “young”, “older”, or maybe even had Indian Shutters and an outhouse.

I found just 48 of the 1300 to be described as “well maintained”. That can’t be good. However, only 9 needed “TLC”. I highly suspect that in reality both these results are much higher. That’s good and bad.


A real Charming house!

There were 67 “charming” properties listed. Now anything can be “charming”, but I think this word gets misused a lot as some of the homes were not remotely charming based on the pictures I saw. I love homes with “character”, but there were only 18 homes that came up in the search. That means there could be 1282 lackluster, bland homes out there. There were 48 “cozy” properties starting with a $35,000 A-Frame home all the way up to a $1.4 million cottage on Governors Island. That’s a big range for the word “cozy”.


Not the kind of character I was looking for...

But, there were 133 “wonderful” results! There were wonderful “communities, lots, neighborhoods, spots, lawns, locations, gardens, and floor plans”. And there was the age old wonderful “family home”. It seemed though that you had to get up in the price range quite a bit before the true meaning of “wonderful” really kicked in…
And, lastly, the keyword “beautiful” yielded 334 properties. There were beautiful “floors, lots, woodwork, waterfront, landscaping, yards, etc, etc, etc…”, but only 16 beautiful “homes”. The rest therefore had to be only good looking, maybe stately, or down-right ugly. But as they say: beauty is in the eye of the beer holder, I mean beholder, so this category is somewhat subjective.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t figure out how to use multiple keywords in my search. It wouldn’t seem to let me do it. But I bet if you were looking for an immaculate, pristine, well maintained, and charming home you wouldn’t find any at all---at least by the description of the property.

So you could conclude that (1) there are few homes on the market that are really outstanding or that (2) the property descriptions could be improved. Perhaps it is little of both? There does seem to be shortage of really great, high quality homes with character and charm especially in the mid-price ranges. It’s not that there aren’t good solid houses out there, but as Realtors®, we don’t walk into too many low to mid-priced homes where the first word out of our mouths is “Wow!”. We rely on photos a lot to convey what a house is like and many times great pictures can make up for a lackluster description. But it would also help a great deal if there were honest property descriptions relaying more about the condition, quality, and how a property feels rather than something like: “This 3 bed, 2 bath, Colonial on nice 2 acre level lot, has new appliances and flooring, a large deck, plus a huge back yard. Great location. Hurry, won’t last long.” (and just for the record there were only 45 homes that had a “great location”).

So if YOU are looking for any of the foregoing attributes in a home, call me! I know where all the beautiful, high quality, immaculate and pristine homes with character and charm are. It is not an easy job, but someone has to do it...

]]> Roy Sanborn http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/blog.php?b=84 More Homes Stuck in the Middle http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/blog.php?b=83 Thu, 24 Jun 2010 15:57:02 GMT **Image: http://blog.lakesregionhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Candlestick-pay-telephone16-258x300.jpg (http://blog.lakesregionhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Candlestick-pay-telephone16.jpg)** *The telephone is ringing, well, at least a little bit. It seems that buyers are out riding...
The telephone is ringing, well, at least a little bit. It seems that buyers are out riding around and calling in on the yard signs which is great, but sometimes frustrating. One afternoon this week our duty agent had two inquiries on properties by cell phone and lost calls due to poor cell phone connections. Sometimes calls will get dropped two or three times in order to get just the basic info exchanged. We may not be in the boonies, but many listings are! Hopefully, they’ll call back when they get into cell range, but they’ll probably forget where they were. Can you hear me now?!

It’s always great to get that call from someone out on a boat asking: “ How much is that little, white, waterfront cottage?” Agent: “Where are you?”, Caller :“On the lake”, Agent: “Which one”, Caller: “Winnipesaukee”, Agent: “Where”, Caller: “On the Lake”, Agent: “Where on the lake? Which street?”, Caller: “ I don’t know, I’m not on the street, I’m on the lake”, Agent: “Are you in Meredith Bay?”, Caller: “Yes”, Agent: “Do you see a boat house?”, Caller: “Yes”, Agent: “That property is on the market for $1.2 million.” Caller: “For THAT?!” Click. We all get one or two of those calls every year.

I checked again this week to see what I could find for interesting properties currently on the market that are “Stuck In The Middle”. That’s the dreaded area between the under $200,000 “used-to-fly-off-the-shelves” price point and the million dollar “we-don’t-care-we-got-lots-of-money-and-buy-what-we-want” price point. More specifically, I looked into the $250,000-$450,000 price range to see what was up and found just over 400 homes in this price range vying for a prospective buyer. Here’s the scoop on a few that are priced well below assessed tax value and could be good deals.



At 89 Wood Ridge Road in Center Harbor, near the Waukewan Golf Club, you’ll find a contemporary cape with 3,3496 square feet of living space, 3-4 bedrooms, and 3.5 baths. This home has an open concept layout with a post and beam feel, a large brick fireplace, hardwood and tile floors, a master suite, and large deck for entertaining. This home sits on 1.75 acres of land with lake and mountain views. The property has been on the market for nine months and was originally listed at $595,000. It is now offered at $389,000 which is 68% of the current tax assessment of $568,600. This is a home that really doesn’t deserve to be Stuck In The Middle. Great deal…

Another nice contemporary cape with great views that seems to be mired down and not getting any traction with buyers is located at 528 Cherry Valley Road in Gilford. This 3,642 square foot, 4 bedroom, 3.5 bath home has vaulted ceilings, two fireplaces, a first floor master, lots of character, and fantastic views of Winnipesaukee. It has been on the market for about two years and was originally priced at $489,000. A recent $46,000 price reduction has now put it at $349,000 which is 82% of its current tax assessment of $428,500. Someone is going to get a great buy and a great value with this home!

If you want a colonial with mountain views, check out the home at 88 Phoenician Way in Laconia. This 3,051 square foot home constructed in 2006, has 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, a master suite, cathedral ceilings, eat in kitchen, large deck, and two car garage. This home was originally offered at $369,000 and has been on the market for about 3.4 years. It has been reduced to $289,900 as a short sale and they are looking for an offer. The property is now priced at 70% of its current assessment of $411,900!

So why haven’t these homes sold? Is there something wrong with them? Do they need a lot of work? Well, you’ll have to go and see them to find out for yourself for sure. It is most likely that they haven’t sold because of a combination of too few, too many, and too high. That is: too few buyers, too many homes on the market, and an initial asking price that was too high. And so, they are just Stuck In The Middle.

]]> Roy Sanborn http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/blog.php?b=83 <![CDATA[Don't forget to inspect your mooring!]]> http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/blog.php?b=82 Sat, 19 Jun 2010 18:27:03 GMT Image: http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs113.snc4/36014_416874166712_75623911712_4866494_4213940_n.jpg The 2010 boating season is off to a great start with above average air and water temperatures here in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire. It is important to thoroughly inspect...


The 2010 boating season is off to a great start with above average air and water temperatures here in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire. It is important to thoroughly inspect your mooring setup at least once a year for potential weaknesses that may result in your watercraft breaking away during high winds. It is crucial to inspect not only the pennant for potential problems caused by natural corrosion and wear but also your chain, hardware, and mooring. If your mooring is located in shallow water a simple mask and snorkel should suffice, if your mooring is located in deeper water scuba diving would allow for a more thorough inspection.

  • Inspect your pennant and the hardware that secures it to your chain or buoy, confirm all of the cotter pins are still intact and in good shape.
  • Check all connection points for corrosion and wear.
  • Slowly descend down the chain checking each link for imperfections.
  • Thoroughly inspect your lead chain. (the section of chain that attaches directly to your mooring.) The lead chain is constantly being dragged across abrasive rocks and sand which could cause it to fail sooner than other parts of your setup.
  • Inspect your mooring itself for any potential problems, pay special attention to the eye bolt for wear and corrosion.


For more information:

Visit this blog on Facebook

Visit our mooring page

or call us at 603-707-4677 ]]> WIS http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/blog.php?b=82 A Home For Your Hog http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/blog.php?b=81 Fri, 18 Jun 2010 15:00:03 GMT Image: http://blog.lakesregionhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/DSC_0232-300x198.jpg (http://blog.lakesregionhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/DSC_0232.jpg) It is the 87th Anniversary of the *Laconia Motorcycle Rally (http://www.laconiamcweek.com/)* and thousands of bikers have descended...

It is the 87th Anniversary of the Laconia Motorcycle Rally and thousands of bikers have descended on the Lakes Region to enjoy the scenery and hospitality of the area. Today’s motorcycle enthusiasts are a far cry from the early days. Today there are doctors, lawyers (a few Indian Chiefs), business professionals, corporate executives, and more than a few real estate agents out there enjoying the “wind in your face” lifestyle. It is a different breed of biker today. Many are older and much more affluent. They have to be, as these gleaming iron horses cost more than a lot of the automobiles on the road today. With all these bikers here you’d think that more than just a few would be interested in finding a home for their hog right here in the Lakes Region. Here are a few methods we can employ to not only get these prospective biker/buyers to stop but to actually get them into your home, which is the essential step in getting them to buy it! You do want to sell, don’t you?




One only needs to look around to see what would get these prospective buyers to stop at your house.
Bikini bike washes in your driveway will usually work. You’ll need a good sign and obviously someone to wear bikinis, so you should try and line up some college co-eds earlier in the year. Having a vendor selling T shirts, bike parts, or doing tattoos in your yard also works extremely well. If you have a pool in the back yard, a sign on the road advertising “Beach Bar Open” can be really effective marketing especially if you get the scantily clad Wild Turkey or Jagermeister girls to work the pool area and perhaps hold up signs near the street. The girls are essential as there is a lot of competition in this area just like in the housing market! Several other good ways to get potential buyers to stop is to advertise free camping in your back yard, put up a “Rally Headquarters” sign, or “Poker Run Stop” sign (all you need is a deck of cards). To make your property stand out paint your garage orange and black. To really get noticed, fly the American and MIA POW flags in your yard as bikers are very patriotic.



Once you get the bikers to stop you need to get them into the house. A “Free Beer Tomorrow” sign with an arrow pointed to your front door works well but may irritate some of your prospects because bikers aren’t stupid, they live for today, not tomorrow. Probably the most useful method will be a “Rest Room” sign. That is guaranteed to work.

Now that the biker/buyer is in the house, you can win him over easily with a few decorating tips. In the bath make sure that there’s a lot of chrome. Burnished bronze accessories don’t work for a biker. Towel and face cloth racks, lights, mirror frames, and shelves should all be chromed. Floors should be black and white tile. A black leather toilet seat cover would be perfect. You need a shower big enough for two (three is preferable). Once you’ve got his attention with the bathroom you can seal the deal with the living room. The living room should have, if it already doesn’t, a pool table dead center and black leather couches and chairs with leather saddle bags draped over the armrests. A large flat screen TV is also essential in this room. Throw in a few neon signs for ambiance and you are all set. If your wife doesn’t let you take it this far upstairs (i.e. if you are not a biker), then make sure your basement or your garage is outfitted as above. If you have no garage (that may put your home out of the running completely) you must make sure that your buyer can at least get his bike into the basement for storage in the winter. Storing the bike in the living room would be much better, but that could mess up the placement of the pool table.

Following these few simple suggestions should bring you a buyer during bike week, but you really shouldn’t try any of this alone. Always consult with a real estate agent (like me) that also rides. It is your safest bet to have a true professional biker/agent help during this opportune selling time! Next year I might even change my real estate yard signs to an orange and black sign just like the Harley Davidson logo, that should help.

The residential home sales activity in the Lakes Region during May 2010 was just about the same as in May of 2009. Last month there were 68 transactions at an average sales price of $314,665 and a median price of $183,000. In May 2009 there were 69 transactions at an average of $258,828 and a median sales price of $187,000. Home sales for the rolling 12 month period ending 5/31/10 totaled 765 transactions at an average sales price of $308,823 compared to 669 transactions at an average sales price of $307,896 for the 12 month period ending 5/31/09. That is a 14% increase in the total number of sales for that period. That’s certainly better than going the other way! Let’s hope home sales remain strong over the next few months and that everyone has a safe and sound bike week!

]]> Roy Sanborn http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/blog.php?b=81 Lake Winnipesaukee and Winnisquam Waterfront Sales Report - May 2010 http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/blog.php?b=80 Fri, 11 Jun 2010 15:19:37 GMT Image: http://blog.lakesregionhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/lone-chair-south-down-Small-2-300x199.jpg (http://blog.lakesregionhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/lone-chair-south-down-Small-2.jpg) There were four *Winnipesaukee *waterfront sales in May, 2010 with an average sales price of...
There were four Winnipesaukee waterfront sales in May, 2010 with an average sales price of $1.727 million compared to eight transactions last May at an average $799,438. So while total number of sales were down the total sales volume for the month actually went up. In the first five months of 2010 we had 31 transaction on the big lake with an average sales price of $1.217 million compared to just 19 for the same period last year at an average of $817,275. This is a great start to the summer season!

The largest sale on Winnipesaukee in May was at 46 Rocky Winds Drive in Moultonborough which was listed for $4,295,000 and sold for $3,900,000. This spectacular Adirondack lake home was built by one of the premiere builders in the Lakes Region, Skiffington Homes, and has 8,000 square feet of living space, seven bedrooms, eight baths, gourmet kitchen, five fireplaces, elevator, and…well just about every amenity you could possibly want. This impeccable home sits on a 1.2 acre lot with 200 feet of water frontage, a sandy beach, a permanent 50’ U-shaped covered dock and westerly views. I expect the new owner will have a fantastic summer! So will Joe Skiffington…

Another fine property at 124 Beede Road in Moultonborough that was originally offered at $1.595 million, was reduced to $1.35 million, sold for $1,198,500 after 250 days on the market. This home is a 3,594 square foot, three bedroom contemporary home built in 1996 that features a large open floor plan with a huge great room with a stone fireplace, a first floor master, and a wall of glass looking toward the lake. It also features two huge decks for outside entertaining, 304 feet of frontage with a sandy beach and a U shaped dock.

Over at 118 Pendleton Beach Road in Laconia a deal was struck on a 3,510 square foot, four bedroom contemporary that was built in 1979. Originally offered in 2008 for $1.699 million it sold for just about its assessed value at $1.15 million. The least expensive waterfront property sold in May was at 12 Wagon Wheel Trailin Meredith. This 1940’s vintage lake cottage on a level .33 acre lot had 90 feet of frontage, great westerly views of the bay and a sandy beach. The new owners plan to live there a while and eventually replace it with a new structure. This property was on the market for $699,000 and sold for $660,000 which was $108,000 below assessed value.

There was only one sale one Winnisquam in May which was over at 262 Shore Drive in Laconia. This home was built in 1974 and has 4,472 square feet of living space, seven bedrooms, and four baths. The .85 acre lot has 340 feet of frontage, a sugar sand beach, three docks, and southwestern exposure. Originally offered in 2008 at $1.075 million, it sold for $837,500 which was $112,000 less than its tax assessment.
You can always find the vey latest listings on Winnipesaukee right here at Lakes Region Home!


]]> Roy Sanborn http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/blog.php?b=80 E=mc² and the Housing Market in the Lakes Region of NH http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/blog.php?b=79 Fri, 04 Jun 2010 20:34:40 GMT Image: http://blog.lakesregionhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/einstein55-281x300.jpg (http://blog.lakesregionhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/einstein55.jpg) *As of June 1, 2010 there were 1256 residential homes for sale *in the communities in this *Lakes Region* ...
As of June 1, 2010 there were 1256 residential homes for sale in the communities in this Lakes Region market report. The average asking price stood at $578,941 and the median sales price was $299,000. This equates to a very high 19¾ month’s worth of inventory on the market (just in case you are wondering why it is taking a long time for your home to sell). In June of 2008 there were 1128 homes for sale and in June of 2009 we edged up to 1170. The average listing price has increased from $533,339 in June, 2008 and $562,780 in June, 2009 but this again is a reflection of what is for sale and definitely not an increase in overall home values.

It is no secret that it is taking longer to sell mid to upper end homes in today’s market. Homes currently on the market priced over $400,000 have been on an average of 213 days. The average days on market calculated by our MLS are lower than the actual days on market due to the fact that the system can only account for how long the home has been listed with the current real estate agency. Many homes have been listed multiple times with different agencies therefore the average days on market figure is higher—possibly a lot higher.

As of June 1, there were 163 homes listed with the same agency for more than a year and 29 of those were on for over 2 years! There were 7 new construction (to-be built) listings that exceeded 1800 days on the market (which actually is not unusual and they might be there another 1800 days).

There were three other properties that exceeded 1,000 days on the market. There is an 800 square foot cottage in the water access community of Balmoral in Moultonborough that started out at $194,900 about 1113 days ago and now is offered at $184,900. Another is a 2,100 square foot, 3 bedroom home on the Merrymeeting River at 32 Suncook Valley Rd in Alton that was originally offered at $895,000 and has been reduced to $549,000 and has been on the market or 1092 days. Lastly there is a two bedroom cottage in the prestigious Bald Peak Colony in Moultonborough that was listed for $645,000 a mere 1097 days ago is now down to $450,000. Do you think these sellers might be getting a little anxious by now?

But you know, some homes do sell quickly! Since the first of the year 108 out of the 278 homes sold (as of June 2) were sold in less than two months! Of those, 64 homes sold in less than a month! The homes that sold in 31 days or less averaged 97% of their asking price and the average sales price was 87% of their assessed values (for those listings reporting their assessments). Homes that sold between 32 to 62 days of coming on the market garnered 91% of their asking price and the average sales price was 96% of their assessed values. The average time on the market for all 278 homes that sold was 162 days. Now some of these homes could have been on the market with another agency for more money before, but you get the drift.

You had to be Einstein to come up with E=mc², but you don’t have to be a genius to figure out that providing a buyer with a good value = lower DOM.

]]> Roy Sanborn http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/blog.php?b=79 Good deals, good burgers, and horseshoes... http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/blog.php?b=78 Fri, 28 May 2010 00:14:06 GMT Image: http://blog.lakesregionhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/HORSESHOES-199x300.jpg (http://blog.lakesregionhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/HORSESHOES.jpg) *Memorial Day is upon us.* Everyone thinks of it as the start of the summer season and a great reason to get together with family...
Memorial Day is upon us. Everyone thinks of it as the start of the summer season and a great reason to get together with family and friends and have a huge barbeque. It is also common to include lots of beer in the festivities which allows the attendees to loosen up for New Hampshire’s unofficial sport of kings: horseshoes. Memorial Day is certainly a great day to relax, unwind, and appreciate what we all have and often take for granted. But it does have a solemn side, so everyone should take time to thank those soldiers who fought for our country and honor those who died to keep our country free so that we could enjoy our homes, play horseshoes, and grill on the Barbie.

The BBQ, Barbie, pig cooker or whatever you want to call it, according to Wikipedia, “derives ultimately from the word barabicu found in the language of both the Timucua (native American Indians) of Florida and the Taino people of the Caribbean. The word translates as ‘sacred fire pit.’” To me the best kind of barbeque is the classic homemade one fashioned out if a steel drum cut in half, fastened back together with hinges to make the lid, and has a pipe sticking out the top for the smoke to come out. The Barbie is a true modern sacred fire pit that allows today’s natives to hold rituals, tell stories (mostly lies), make friends, and have a feast. It is also good that today’s “sacred fire pits” are elevated to keep the natives from falling into them.

More importantly, when coupled with adjacent horseshoe pits, this combination is an indicator of an areas friendliness and “livability”. You could actually give the towns in the Lakes Region a rating based on the number of BBQ/HS-pit combos in the community (the BBQs have to be real ones, not those Green Egg fancy ceramic ones, and certainly not the stainless steel enclosed by $30,000 worth of stone work, but the steel drum cookers count triple). The more combos in a town, the more friendly and laid back the town is, guaranteed. Just to prove this theory, which town would you say has more BBQ/HS-pits; Wolfeboro or Belmont? Which town is more laid back and friendly? Case closed. Now if we could get these census workers to count something that actually matters we could institute this new rating system and revolutionize real estate searches for those discerning buyers!

Looking at the residential listings that have come on the market in the last 60 days or so, there are some homes that stand out as good enough deals that you could actually afford to buy a new barbeque grill at BBQ Paradise and Emporium. How about a very nice open concept, three bedroom ranch, with an updated kitchen, large living room with a fireplace, and a three car garage tucked away on a private 2 acre lot with a great lawn and in ground pool. This nice home could have the perfect BBQ/HS-pit combo if desired.

Located at 47 Bell Street in Laconia, this property is on the market for $199,000 and has a tax assessment of $294,600. That is 68% of assessed value! You can afford an extra set of horseshoes with this one!

Over at 40 Skyline Drive in Gilford is a bank owned brick ranch which has about 2,000 square feet of living space, two bedrooms, three baths, and a two car garage on 1.5 acres. It will need some TLC and lots of updates, but it is listed at $199,900 which is way below the assessed value of $359,850.

At 46 Pine Street in Laconia there is a 2,800 square foot, four bedroom, one and a half bath, New Englander built in 1900 that has many of its original features intact including hardwood floors, great woodwork, pocket doors, tin ceilings, and stained glass. This solid home is listed as a short sale at $189,900 which is 73% of the tax assessment of $259,700. Good side yard for horseshoes and a deck for the grill.

If you’d like to live, grill, and play horseshoes in Center Harbor, the property at 52 Elliot Road appears to be a no brainer. This 4,000 square foot, four bed, four bath, contemporary home nestled in the pines on 10 acres of land provides the space and privacy required by true back yard kings. There are numerous mahogany decks to place multiple grills on so most of the town can come over for the final four thrower playoffs (Sanctioned by the CHHPA—the Center Harbor Horseshoe Pitchers Association). This fine home is on the market for $499,000 which is 76% of the $659,000 tax assessment. No traffic noise here, just you brother-in-law yelling for another burger and the clinking of horseshoes on the stakes...

]]> Roy Sanborn http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/blog.php?b=78