How to Kill and Prevent Bathroom Mold

By: If you’ve never experienced bathroom mold, perhaps you aren’t looking deep enough into the corners of your bathroom.
It’s one of the most common problems in any house; it’s also one of the easiest to prevent and cure — as long as you haven’t let it get out of hand. “Bathroom mold occurs primarily because mold loves damp, dark, isolated spaces,” says Larry Vetter of Vetter Environmental Services in Smithtown, N.Y. “Typically, a bathtub, shower, or entire bathroom remains damp enough for mold growth just from showering or bathing.” Common Causes of Bathroom Mold
  • Lingering moisture caused by lack of ventilation.
  • Damp cellulose materials such as rugs, paper products, wood, wallpaper, grout, drywall, and fabric.
So how do you know if you have a mold problem? Matt Cinelli, owner/operator of AERC Removals in North Attleboro, Mass., says, “If you can see it or smell it, you’ve got it.” Finding the Mold in Your Bathroom Bathroom mold isn’t always obvious. Check out hidden areas, such as under sinks, access doors to shower and bath fixtures, around exhaust fans, even in crawl spaces and basements underneath bathrooms. “It could be starting in the bathroom but actually forming in another room,” says Cinelli, adding that lack of proper ventilation is the biggest culprit for mold growth. Preventing Mold The best defense is preventing moldfrom occurring in the first place. Yashira Feliciano, director of housekeeping for Conrad Conado Plaza Hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico, offers the following tips for keeping mold out of your bathroom:
  • Use your bathroom ventilation fan when you shower or bathe, and leave it on for 30 minutes following the end of your bath; if you don’t have an exhaust fan, install one.
  • Use a mildew-resistant shower curtain, and wash or replace it frequently.
  • Don’t keep bottles of shampoo or shower gel, toys, or loofahs in the shower, as they provide places for mold to grow and hide.
  • Wash your bathroom rugs frequently.
Getting Rid of MoldWhat do you do if mold growth is already a problem? As long as the infestation isn’t large, you can take remedial measures yourself:
  • Strip away and replace any caulking or sealant that has mold growth.
If you have a problem area bigger than 10 sq. ft., refer to guidelines from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or call in a professional. “When you see it creeping into walls and insulation, you need a professional,” says Cinelli, who notes that tearing out walls (which may be necessary for a big problem) can release mold spores into the rest of the house and create an even bigger issue. “The idea is to kill it and then remove it,” he says. “And the most important thing is to figure out why you have it before you clean it up.”

Visit Houselogic.com for more articles like this.  Reprinted from Houselogic.com with permission of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

New Hampshire 2012 home sales a steady, upward trend

The New Hampshire residential real estate market ended 2012 with the most unit sales since 2006, the highest sales volume since 2007 and, over the last five months, a trend toward improving median price as well, according to data released this week by the New Hampshire Association of REALTORS® (NHAR). The 12,961 sales of single family residential properties was a 21 percent increase over the 10,714 sold in 2011, and the $3.2 billion in total sales volume was also 21 percent higher than that of a year ago. Median price in 2012, which had been lagging behind that of last year by 6.5 percent after the first four months, ended the year at $202,000, a hair ahead of the $201,700 in 2011. “Certainly there are a variety of economic factors that will be critical in terms of a sustained housing recovery, but we have reasons to be encouraged,” said 2013 NHAR President Bill Weidacher, a 30-year veteran of the real estate industry and a managing broker at Keller Williams Metropolitan Realty in Bedford. “Rather than the occasional statistical anomaly which we had seen over the past six years, this seems to be a genuine trend based on simple supply and demand principles.” To that end, each month in 2012 saw a substantial increase in unit sales compared to the same month one year prior, including a 38 percent increase in November. Of the last 18 months, 17 have seen an uptick in unit sales. “When you begin to see that sort of a consistent upward movement in sales, in a healthy market you would expect that to lead to a decrease in inventory and ultimately an increase in price, and that’s just what we’ve seen,” Weidacher said. “Even so, we don’t want to give the impression that we are expecting dramatic price gains any time soon. “ Slow and steady are the watchwords here.” Prices remained below 2011 levels for each of the first seven months in 2012, but that began to turn in August, when the $210,000 median price was equal to that of August a year earlier. September witnessed a 2.3 percent increase, followed by 11.6 percent in October, 9.1 percent in November and 0.3 percent in December, leading to the year-end median price of $202,000. Locally, each of the 10 New Hampshire counties saw significant unit sales increases in 2012 compared to 2011, ranging from a 17 percent boost in Belknap County to 24 percent in Coos County. The state’s largest, Hillsborough County, witnessed a 23 percent gain in unit sales. Four counties saw increased median sale prices in 2012, four counties saw decreases, and both Carroll and Hillsborough counties remained unchanged from 2011 prices. December 2012 data residentialData December 2012 condo salesSource:  Press Release, Dave Cummings, NHAR Director of Communications

What Should Sellers Know about Buyers?

Every year the National Association of REALTORS®  publishes a profile of Home Buyers and Sellers based on survey results.  Below are some facts from the 2012 report that sellers might find eye opening!

  • The median size of a home sold was 1900 square feet.  Only 9% of buyers purchased a home over 3500 square feet.  If your house is significantly larger or smaller than 1900 square feet, there are fewer buyers for your size house.
  • 83% of buyers purchased a home with 3 bedrooms.  If you are selling a 2 bedroom or 4+ bedroom, you are targeting only 17% of the buyer pool.
  • Only 8% of the sales in the Northeast were homes built prior to 1910.  Translation – not many buyers for old homes.
  • Approximately 59% of buyers had no children, 18% had one child, 16% had two, and 7% had 3+.  The majority of buyers are not looking for “large family” homes.
  • 90% of buyers in the Northeast used an agent to purchase a home.  The top home search sources are the internet, real estate agents, and yard signs.

Feel free to contact me if you are looking for a REALTOR® who understands the housing market and how it impacts you!  603-526-4116; donna@donnaforest.com

Donna Forest, ABR, Broker Associate

Ready to Buy or Sell a Home in the New London-Lake Sunapee Area of NH?

One of the most important steps you can take to insure that you will be successful in today’s market is to engage a Real Estate Professional (a REALTOR®).  Although this has always been important, the challenges of today’s market make it more so. A REALTOR® working for you as your Listing or Buyer’s Agent, at the very least, owes you the specific fiduciary duties of loyalty, obedience, disclosure, confidentiality, reasonable care, diligence and accounting.  You will know that you can trust your agent, and that she will be looking out for your best interests.  In addition, working with a professional will also provide a personal guide through the complex maze of either analyzing the market to determine the correct strategy for selling your home or helping you find and, ultimately, purchase a home.  In either case, she is working for you, and you can count on her for expert guidance, an ability to network with other professionals crucial to the process (inspectors, home stagers, painters, lenders, etc.), knowledge of the local market and communities in the area, familiarity with all the steps and forms required to sell or purchase a home, and strong negotiating and communication skills. There is no doubt that the internet has revolutionized the home selling or buying process.  There are excellent tools and resources available along with mountains of information.  It’s a great opportunity for both sellers and buyers to educate themselves in advance of contacting an agent. But, when it comes to taking the important step of listing or buying a home, nothing can replace the “on the ground” experience and professional skills of a REALTOR®.  This is not the time to try to “go it alone” out there.  Take advantage of all that a professional has to offer.  The end result will be a smoother and more satisfying transaction. Give “The Best Team in Town” at Coldwell Banker Milestone Real Estate a call for a free, no-obligation consultation.  603-526-4116

Pack the Car and Head on up to Mount Sunapee this Weekend!

Mount Sunapee is ready for the long weekend. They have been making snow all week building base depths and re-surfacing. Plus, we received 3” of new snow Wednesday. 50 trails will be open on 200 of 233 acres of terrain. All 11 lifts are scheduled to operate including all three quad chairs. All 4 terrain parks are open with more than 50 features for all abilities including the skier/boarder cross course on Eastside and the Bob Skinner’s 603 Terrain Park with 34 features including the new AcroBag. There’s only one other big resort in New Hampshire close to being 86% open and that resort is way up north. Come see why Mount Sunapee is ranked year after year in the Annual SKI Magazine Reader Survey with the best snow surfaces in the East. The big mountain with the best snow is right in your backyard. The Pete Kilpatrick Band with special guest John Popper from Blues Traveler will open the FestEVOL concert at Mount Sunapee Resort on Saturday, March 23. O.A.R. will headline the concert. In 2011 O.A.R. and the Pete Kilpatrick Band played to a sold out FestEVOL crowd. The Pete Kilpatrick Band recently released their 6th studio album, Heavy Fire, in 2012. John Popper and Blues Traveler are celebrating their 25th anniversary and their 11th studio album, Suzie Cracks The Whip. A

Are We Finally on the Upswing?

Yes, the real estate market may finally be heading in an upward swing!  Market predictions are estimating a 3% increase in the nationwide home pricing.  The most recent figures (Oct. 2012) from the NH ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® show that the median sales price only dropped 1.2% YTD in 2012 and that the volume of sales is up 20%.

  • According to a 12-26-12 article in the Wall St. Journal, home prices are on track to notch their first yearly gain since 2006.  They feel the tide has changed and that prices will start rising this year.
  • On 11-28-12, Fiserv Case-Shiller reported that the 2012 spring/summer real estate market was the strongest since the peak.  They are projecting home prices to grow at an annualized rate of 3.3% from mid-2012 thru 2017.
  • On 12-26-12, Pulsenomics announced the results of a survey with a nationwide panel of more than 100 professional forecasters and they expect home prices to rise 3.1% in 2013.  They predict that home prices will increase 3.1% - 3.3% thru 2017.

All markets are local so be sure to contact your REALTOR® to understand what is going on in your area.  Give me a call if you want to work with your local expert in the Lake Sunapee Region!  603-526-4116.

Donna Forest, ABR, Broker Associate

Give Your Old CDs a New Purpose — Plus 3 More Tips To Repurpose Old Items

By:

Ah, the weekend! It’s a great time to relax, and to not think about the chores you should be doing, such as cleaning out your basement and attic, and — finally — getting organized.

You’re not a slacker — you’ve got energy. What you need are a few creative sparks that’ll make you roll up your sleeves and get going in the right direction.

Recently, I’ve come across some smart ideas for repurposing old stuff — fun and frugal ways that’ll help you declutter and keep your junk from ending up in a landfill. Here are some of my favorites:

Turn CDs into garden scarecrows

Chances are your music collection has gone all-digital in the past few years, leaving hundreds of old CDs sitting sadly in their jewel cases, with nothing to do except take up space.

Put them to good use by scaring birds away from your berry garden. Thread string through the hole in the CD and tie it off to make a large loop. Hang several CDs from a tree near your berry bushes. The shiny, moving objects will frighten birds, keeping them away from your sun-ripened berries.

Make a coat rack out of doorknobs

Do you have a collection of old doorknobs lying around? Put them to work again by turning them into a coat rack. Take four or five doorknobs — use a mismatched array for extra whimsy — and space them evenly apart on a piece of wood trim. Screw the knobs to the wood, then mount the wood to the wall. Voila — you have a new place to hang your coat or purse.

Use old pots for garden tool storage

Basements and garages are graveyards for old pots that became too small for grownup plants, kind of like the shells that hermit crabs vacate for a bigger home. Put these pots to good use by filling them with sand mixed with enough mineral oil to make it slightly damp. Stick your gardening tools in the sand for easy storage. The mixture protects tools from corrosion and rust.

Store tall tools in old golf bag

Perhaps it’s been years since you’ve teed off, or maybe you’ve just upgraded to a better bag, but here’s a new use for an old golf bag: Make it a home for your bigger gardening tools. Shovels, hoes, and rakes slide right into the compartments that once held clubs.
Read more: http://www.houselogic.com/blog/recycling-reusing/give-your-old-cds-new-purpose-plus-3-more-tips-repurpose-old-items/#ixzz2HOzN80f9

Visit Houselogic.com for more articles like this. Reprinted from HouseLogic.com with permission of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®.

HouseLogic’s Top-10 List of New Year’s Resolutions for Your Home

When the new year arrives, promises and resolutions abound.  Here's the top 10 list the resolute home owner should  should accomplish this year.

This time, it’s going to be different. A brand new year, brimming with possibilities, and you’ve resolved to move through your house like a whirling tornado of can-do, fixing, painting, and organizing. This year, nothing will stop you. Welcome to your home improvement New Year’s Resolutions. Based on the most-common top-ten resolutions gathered by Time magazine, USA.gov, and other sources, we’ve put together an inspiring list of home management goals.

Visit Houselogic.com for more articles like this.  Reprinted from Houselogic.com with permission of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®.

Love Jazz Music?

Then you'll love going to Jazz on a Sunday Afternoon at the Center at Eastman in Grantham, NH.  The program begins its 21st year on Sunday, December 23, from 4-7pm with Richie Cole, world-class saxophonist.  Doors open at 3pm, tickets are $18/adult, $16/seniors or students.  Reservations are recommended - call 763-8732 or email bill.wightman@comcast.net.  For reservations after 2pm the day of the show, call Bistro Nouveau at 863-8000. For a complete schedule, click on our Community Calendar at www.cbmilestone.com or visit www.josajazz.com.

Price Reduction in Andover, NH

  • Dec 13, 2012

There's lots of possibilities for this impeccably maintained, circa 1904 Arts and Crafts, shingle-style home.  The quality of the craftsmanship and attention to detail are visible throughout.  Beautiful millwork, 2 working Rumford fireplaces, maple and oak flooring, extensive built-ins and a butler's pantry are just a few of the home's highlights.  7 bedrooms, 9 baths plus 2 rental units in the carriage house, on 2.04 beautifully landscaped acres.  The residence has also been used as a bed and breakfast inn.  There is another acre across the street which is negotiable.  Was $499,900, now $459,000.  Visit www.258Main.com for more photos and details.

Stacey Viandier, Listing Agent, 603-526-4116