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What’s an “Ice House”? Quite literally, it’s the building where blocks of ice were stored, layered with sawdust, to be delivered to those people lucky enough to have an “icebox” to keep their food chilled. In this case, while there is an “Ice House” building, this small, hands-on, children-friendly museum offers much, much more than just the opportunity to see a lot of ice-cutting and handling tools.

The Ice House is a living, working legacy to the New London, NH, area from Bill Kidder, the man who created it and, who, until his death in 2005, spent many happy hours here polishing, tinkering, repairing, mowing, and showing interested folks around. He and his wife, Petie, collected a great variety of old and interesting stuff, including all kinds of tools and machinery (most of which still work), wonderful children’s riding toys, cars (preferably old Fords) and a wide variety of items of local interest including the Town’s original fire engine, a jail cell and first movie projector. He loved to show people around and share his infectious enthusiasm for “Yankee Ingenuity.” We hope you’ll visit and come again and again, as there’s no way to see it all the first time through. We’re open from mid-May to mid-October, Tuesdays and Thursday, 9-4, and Saturday 9-2. http://www.wfkicehouse.org

Some photos generously provided by John McMahon.

This inviting cottage is just about brand new inside and ready for summer fun on the water!  Level yard and dock.  See more photos and details at www.OtterPondCottage.com

Jane Snow, Listing Agent

The best of summer stock theater played out in a former 1820 barn, now a charming red building with a white front porch right on Main Street in New London!  Their mission statement summarizes perfectly what “The Barn” is:  “The New London Barn Playhouse produces vibrant theater created by emerging artists in collaboration with accomplished professionals within, and in order to preserve, one of the most cherished and historic summer stock theaters in the country.” The New London Barn Playhouse is the “oldest, continuously operating, summer stock theater in New Hampshire” and is listed in New Hampshire’s Register of Historic Places.  But, even more than that, it is the intimate experience in this small theater which makes it so special.  Summer in New London wouldn’t be the same without the Barnies walking down Main Street and the opportunity to see really good summer stock theater right in our own community!  Visit their web site at:  WELCOME - NEW LONDON BARN PLAYHOUSE

Charming antique farmhouse is situated on a beautiful 6.5 acre lot of mostly open fields.  Large barn, many recent updates to the home.  For more photos and details, visit www.744MainSt.com.

Sara Ellis, Listing Agent

The Town of Sunapee shares its name with Lake Sunapee and Mt. Sunapee. The name itself comes from the Algonquin Indian words “suna” (goose) and “apee” (lake) chosen because the lake was a favorite spot of wild geese. The town was incorporated in 1781.

Today, the Sunapee area is a favorite of tourists and vacationers, but, historically, it was an industrial area. According to Wikipedia, one factory produced 110 clothespins a minute. Now the pristine lake, which was once surrounded by a number of grand hotels, is the main attraction. In the late 1800’s, when the summer grand hotels were still very active, there were a number of ferries on the lake, but these were mostly gone by 1915, replaced by the automobile.

The town has a total geographic area of approximately 25 square miles, with about 4 square miles of that being water. As of the 2000 censes, there were 3,055 people, 1,294 households, and 878 families residing in the town.

Sunapee Harbor bustles in the summertime with tour and dinner boats taking off on the lake, concerts in the bandstand, restaurants at water’s edge, and lots of pedestrian traffic in and out of the many shops and attractions. It’s a lively, fun place to be.

For more information about Sunapee, visit their web site at: Welcome to Sunapee, NH

It won’t be very long before our thoughts turn to summer and getting out on the lakes.  The Mt. Sunapee State Park Beach (603-763-5561) with a 900’ sandy beach on 4,085 acre Lake Sunapee is actually located in Newbury off Route 103 and provides the ideal opportunity to hold family and group outings and enjoy fishing, boating, swimming and picnicking.  There is also a campsite which is located about a mile from the Beach. The Beach offers a store, canoe and kayak rentals, a playground, and a new bathhouse. A boat launch is available with some restrictions. The Campground has five renovated lean-to sites offering camping in a natural setting. There are also pit toilets and water, and each site has a picnic table and fire ring. Check out their website for additional information, including hours of operation, fees, etc. Mt. Sunapee State Park Beach - Newbury, NH

A warm and welcoming classic New England Farmhouse in New London on 3.5 acres. Beautiful established gardens and large attached barn. For more details and photos, visit www.27ShakerSt.com.

A long, tree-lined drive introduces you to this impressive raised ranch with attached two bedroom apartment and detached barn, all on a private 4.64 acre lot.  For more photos and details, visit www.564BradfordRd.com.

Jane Snow, Listing Agent

Picturesque New England farmhouse has been lovingly restored to its current splendor.  Post and beam barn has been converted to a beautiful living space.  For more photos and details, visit www.MurrayHillRd.com

Jane Snow, Listing Agent

Here are the first quarter real estate statistics from the New Hampshire Association of Realtors. Although these are statewide stats, they certainly reflect to a degree what has been going on in New London, NH, real estate and the Dartmouth Lake Sunapee Region so far in 2010.

Here are three things New Hampshire REALTORS® can celebrate this spring:

• Home sales are up 13 percent, condo sales are up 30 percent, and prices are up over the first quarter of 2009;
• New Hampshire non-farm employment is rising: we’re only state in region to see an increase; and
• Our state still leads region in the key index of economic activity, and it is also rising

Not only are New Hampshire home sales up over the first quarter of last year, but median home prices have also risen 6 percent statewide and are up in seven of our state’s 10 counties. Condominium prices are also 4 percent above the first quarter of last year.

Half the counties in our state saw double digit home sales increase over last year, which suggests an awfully fast start for the year, no doubt aided by the homebuyer’s tax credit. But economic indicators in our state are so much better than other New England states that tax break or none, we are likely to fare better than they will in terms of home sales, unless we choose to follow their lead with expanded gambling.

New Hampshire’s unemployment rate was 7.1 percent in February (the latest numbers available), which was more than two points below the national rate and the second lowest in New England (Please see charts below). But the unemployment rate only looks at the small part of the picture.

The full part is measured by total non-farm

employment, which in New Hampshire has been increasing since the middle of last year. Since then, 11,000 more people are working in our state, and we’re the only state in the region where that’s happening.

These indicators of New Hampshire’s economic health both point in the same direction. Our state is on track to lead New England out of this awful recession, and our real estate market is also likely to recover faster than other nearby states.

New Hampshire was again voted as the safest state in the nation, and we are still ranked fourth in terms of economic activity index. That index is also rising and is up almost three points since mid-2009. Again, we are the only New England state where that measure of our economic well-being has increased since then.

On nearly every measure of quality of life, as well as many other indicators, New Hampshire leads the nation and all other New England states. But our longstanding New Hampshire advantage is being threatened as never before by the rush to permit slots and casinos. To lose our substantial advantage would be an irreversible tragedy.

Here’s just one example: Property taxes per person in 2007 in Connecticut were $2,313.42, compared to $1,917.83 in New Hampshire (17 percent less than Connecticut), according to the Census Bureau. Adding lots of gambling venues certainly hasn’t done much to lower Connecticut's property taxes.

The bottom line is this: Both demographic and economic trends are quite negative for the Southern New England states. Income taxes and sales taxes, along with slot machines and casino gambling, have not improved either their economy or their demography. Do we really want to do what they have done and go where they have gone?

Table I: New Hampshire unit sales and median price first quarter 2010