A great opportunity to work where you live! Beautifully designed and finished three bedroom, two and a half bath home with in-law suite. Amazing views and privacy. Hand built stone walls and mature perennial gardens. Detached barn style building includes an apartment above and 2800+ sq. ft. of versatile space below. Additional wood shop and barns. Offered at $1,250,000. For more information and photos, visit www.NHPrivacyandViews.com.
Marilyn Kidder, Listing Broker, 603-526-4116
You’ll be moving in the right direction with Coldwell Banker Milestone Real Estate.
The Annual Black Fly Open Golf Tournament at the Country Club of New Hampshire in North Sutton is scheduled this year for May 15th with tee-off at 10am. It is sponsored by the Lake Sunapee Region Chamber of Commerce and is one of their biggest events. Funds benefit all businesses in our region. It's loads of fun and offers great prizes for the top three teams.
If you would like to sponsor or volunteer, please call Jen Tockman at 526-6575 or email chamberinfo@tds.net. Registration and sponsorship forms for the event are available online at www.lakesunapeenh.org
With home ownership! Gallup recently released results from their April Economy and Personal Finances poll that asked Americans to choose the best option for long-term investments. Given the choices of real estate, stocks & mutual funds, gold, savings accounts & CDs, or bonds, Americans today think real estate is the best option for long-term investments, ranking it ahead of gold and stocks. As housing prices continue to improve, I believe more and more Americans will consider real estate to be their best course of action for long-term investment.
This belief that home ownership builds wealth is also backed by a study published in 2012 by the Federal Reserve (Federal Reserve Bulletin June 2012 Vol. 98 No. 2) that revealed a homeowner’s net worth is 30 times greater than that of a renter. The average homeowner had a net worth of $174,500 while the average net worth of a renter was $5100. It is a great time to be building wealth by buying a home now so you can take advantage of the low interest rates and spring inventory. Give me a call and put my 20 years of real estate experience to work for you! 603-526-4116; www.donnaforest.com; donna@donnaforest.com.
Known for service, trusted for results – Coldwell Banker Milestone Real Estate.
While this little bungalow sits on a busy roadway, it has a private yard completely fenced in with extensive gardens that offer a quaint outside living space. The inside is as nice with wood floors and walls (at least most), exposed beams, updated kitchen and bath, skylights. A must see if the size fits your needs. Mt. Sunapee is just 4 miles up the road and residents have access to two beaches on Lake Sunapee. Offered at just $115,000! Make your appointment today.
Jane Snow, Listing Agent, 603-526-4116
Wonderful contemporary on Chalk Pond offers two master bedrooms with baths and plenty of overflow room. Beautiful interior details, decks, and a screened porch. Minutes to Mt. Sunapee Resort and Lake Sunapee State Beach. AND, it's being sold furnished, so just pack your clothes! Offered at $379,000. Make your appointment today!
Emily Campbell, Listing Agent, 603-526-4116
Known for service, trusted for results – Coldwell Banker Milestone Real Estate.
Here's a great opportunity for someone who wants to purchase a solid house and improve upon what has been done so far. Super location for the outdoor enthusiast who also wants convenience - located just a stone's throw from Route 11 and the Rail Trail, which is great for biking and walking and skiing or snowmobiling. Included in the sale is a right of way to Highland Lake, and the town beach is just a mile away. Seller is motivated; bank approval necessary. Offered at $135,000.
Stacey Viandier, Listing Agent, 603-526-4116
Come take a look at this 5 year-old, well-sited, attractive home all on 3.5 acres. You'll even have seasonal views of Bald Sunapee Mountain! Generously sized rooms with 3 bedrooms and 2.5 baths and well-appointed kitchen. Nice location - 1 mile to Lake Sunapee and 3 miles to Mt. Sunapee Resort. Offered at $312,000. For more photos and details, visit www.1MiletoNHLake.com.
Marilyn Kidder, Listing Broker, 603-526-4116
“Word of Mouth” is the best advertisement, and we love it when you refer your friends and family to Coldwell Banker Milestone Real Estate.
The real estate market continues to move towards a sunnier forecast with a prediction of 4.5% appreciation nationwide for 2014 (based on a February Pulsenomics survey of 100+ economists, investment strategists, & housing market analysts). The expectation is that appreciation will continue at a more normal rate of 3% annually thru 2018. Looking at the local markets, it appears that our stormy winter kept buyers inside and sales are a mixed bag with some towns being ahead of sales 1st quarter and many lagging behind. See below for a sample of 1st quarter sales.
New London – 1st Quarter
2014 10 Homes Sold 94% List to Sell Ratio 125 Ave Days on Market (DOM)
2013 8 Homes Sold 93% List to Sell 319 Ave DOM
Newbury – 1st Quarter
2014 2 Homes Sold 91% List to Sell 102 Ave DOM
2013 5 Homes Sold 88% List to Sell 179 Ave DOM
Sunapee – 1st Quarter
2014 6 Homes Sold 90% List to Sell 215 Ave DOM
2013 10 Homes Sold 91% List to Sell 196 Ave DOM
Bradford – 1st Quarter
2014 2 Homes Sold 92% List to Sell 89 Ave DOM
2013 6 Homes Sold 94% List to Sell 259 Ave DOM
Spring should bring renewed interest in our market area. If you are thinking of buying or selling, your timing is perfect! Contact me to put my 20 years of experience to work for you. 603-526-4116, donna@donnaforest.com, www.donnaforest.com
Data is based on information from the Northern New England Real Estate Network, Inc. for the period 1/1/13 – 4/1/13 and
1/1/14 – 4/1/14
Teamwork from the Team that works – Coldwell Banker Milestone Real Estate.
The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services is calling on private well owners to test their water more frequently and for a wider range of contaminants. 646-057 dumps About 40 percent of New Hampshire’s population (about 530,000 people) get their drinking water from around 250,000 private residential wells, and a surprisingly high percentages of those wells have unhealthy levels of natural contaminants. Based on studies by the U.S. Geological Survey, about 20 percent of private wells in New Hampshire have arsenic levels that are higher than public water systems are allowed to provide (10 parts per billion), and in some areas it’s as many in one in every two wells. Long-term exposure to arsenic has been linked to cancer,200-120 CCNA cardiovascular disease, immunological disorders, diabetes and other medical issues. The Dartmouth Toxic Metals Research Program recently produced a 10-minute video on the health effects of arsenic in groundwater in New Hampshire; you can find the video by searching the internet for “arsenic in small doses.” There’s no federal or state standard for radon in drinking water, but an estimated 55 percent of private wells exceed the NHDES-recommended action level of 2,000 picocuries per liter. Only by testing can homeowners make informed decisions about treating their well water to minimize the amount of radon gas coming into their homes. The main health risk from radon exposure is an increased risk of lung cancer from breathing radon gas; long-term exposure to radon leads to the deaths of an estimated 100 New Hampshire residents each year. No State Testing Requirements Private well water is rarely tested, except when properties are sold or a change in taste, odor, or color raises suspicions about water quality. New Hampshire has no State requirements for the testing of private wells, although the law (RSA 477:4-c) requires that certain information concerning a home’s water system be disclosed to a purchaser, including an unsatisfactory water test. (“Unsatisfactory water test” is not defined.) Many mortgage lenders require some water quality testing when writing a mortgage. However, their requirements are not consistent, and historically there has been more emphasis on aesthetic contaminants than health-related contaminants. Some municipalities, however, do have private well testing requirements. Even when a private well is tested, the analyses often don’t include all of the right contaminants. The naturally occurring contaminants of concern include arsenic, fluoride, radon, and other radionuclides (radioactive chemicals). Other contaminants, caused by human activities, are industrial solvents, petroleum products and fuel additives [such as benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene and methyl-t-butyl ether (MtBE)], and lead and copper from plumbing. Bacteria in wells may be from either natural or human sources but typically enter wells because of poor construction. Bacteria shows up in about one in five water samples from private wells analyzed at the state Public Health Laboratory. When should private wells be tested? NHDES recommends the following: 1. When a well is first drilled. 2. At least once every 3 to 5 years for all wells. 3. At the time of all real estate transactions. 4. If obvious changes in water quality (such as changes in taste, odor or color) are noticed. The frequency of periodic testing should be based on past testing results, testing results for neighboring wells, and past and present land uses in the area. Testing for specific contaminants should be performed more frequently if they are known to be present at elevated levels. What Parameters Should Be Tested in Private Wells? NHDES recommends the following analyses, which cost approximately $165 at the Public Health Laboratory: arsenic, bacteria, radon, alpha screen, lead, copper, nitrate, nitrite, fluoride, pH, sodium, chloride, iron, manganese, and hardness. NHDES also recommends testing for volatile organic compounds once every five to ten years, which costs $120 at the Public Health Laboratory. If the cost of testing is too great for some homeowners, NHDES recommends spreading out the testing over time, performing some tests now and the rest in later years. A number of private labs also offer these tests. Private labs tend to be more expensive than the State Lab, but they also tend to provide results to the well owner more quickly. American Academy of Pediatrics Weighs In In May 2009, the American Academy of Pediatrics issued a policy statement on Drinking Water from Private Wells and Risks to Children, urging states to require testing when homes are sold, and urging local governments to provide access to information about local groundwater conditions and recommendations for testing. What is Being Done? A handful of New Hampshire municipalities already require testing of private wells, typically in connection with certificates of occupancy. A group of state, federal, and university scientists and public health professionals have formed the New Hampshire Arsenic Consortium, which is cooperating to educate the public and conduct research about arsenic in private wells. NHDES is working with N.H. Department of Health and Human Services and Dartmouth College to better understand the health risks to private well users and to help private well users make informed decisions about well testing and water treatment options. NHDES is also working with municipal building code officials on a uniform interpretation of “potable water” as referenced in the International Plumbing Code to provide for improved public health protection. For more information about NHDES’s private well testing recommendations and about the health effects associated with various contaminants, and a list of accredited private labs, please call NHDES Drinking Water and Groundwater Bureau at (603) 271-2513, or visit the NHDES web site at www.des.nh.gov and look for “Private Well Testing” under the “A to Z List.” Source: GREENWorks, A publication of the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, Concord, NH