The biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your dreams. (Oprah Winfrey) If your dream is to live in down-to-earth simplicity in an antique farmhouse on 47 acres, then this is a must-see. Privately located on a dead-end road with a picturesque settiing of perennial gardens, shade and apple trees, a swim pond, plus acres of fields and woods and gorgeous mountain views - including views of Mt. Sunapee. The huge barn includes 7 stalls, a tack room, hay storage, and multiple bays for vehicle and other storage. Trail riding, hiking, snowmobiling are right out your front door! Gorgeous sunrises, stargazing at night, bird watching, rocking on the porch. Seldom do you come across a home that immediately slows your heart rate, lets you take deep breaths, and evokes a deep sense of peacefulness. Sale is a portion of the existing deed. Offered at $469,000. To view virtual tour: https://my.matterport.com/show/?m=Qt5nb8ZmyUB&mls=1
Donna Forest, Listing Broker, 603-526-4116
Teamwork from the Team that works –Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate - The Milestone Team
Meander up the paved driveway, lined with lilies, roses, ferns and hollyhocks. Pass the 28' x 38' studio that has many possible uses - space to create and sell, tradesman's workshop, yoga or music studio. Enter the lovingly maintained, soaring and light-filled great room, recently renovated with many significant upgrades. New maple floors and tiled entry downstairs and new carpet upstairs, new stainless steel appliances and double sink in kitchen with new countertops, complete interior painted throughout, new garage doors and openers. Lots of natural woodwork and windows, exposed beams, charming original bathrooms. Professionally cleaned right down to the polished windows. Attached two car garage with storage above and solar panels for net metering electricity. Unfinished basement provides even more space. Conveniently located midway between Hanover and Concord - minutes to New London, easy access off of Route 4A. This home has many possibilities for use and is ready to move right in! Offered at $359,000. Virtual Tour: https://my.matterport.com/show/?m=QKoKkS1HN6E
Anne Marie Appel, Listing Agent, 603-526-4116
Buying a home is one of the largest investments you will make. Here are some tips to help you prepare:
- Don’t do it alone. Use an experienced agent who can provide you with invaluable advice through the process.
- Get pre-qualified with a lender before going out to look.
- Don’t overbuy. Look at all the expenses including heating costs, utilities, insurance, needed home repairs, etc.
- Check out the neighborhood at different times of the day and week before committing to buying. Get information on the town and the schools.
- Think re-sale. A house in a bad school district or on a busy street will impact the future value and limit your target audience.
While buying a home is an emotional experience, it is a business transaction as well. Preparing yourself in advance will help avoid costly mistakes. Call me if you are looking for an Accredited Buyers’ Representative to help find your new home. 603-526-4116; www.DonnaForest.com; Donna@DonnaForest.com
If you’re lucky enough to have reached the time in your life when you can seriously contemplate buying a vacation home, there’s much to be excited about. According to the National Association of Realtors, one in eight homeowners are thinking of buying a second home. While summer may be the time of year you start to think longingly about sun, sea and sand, it may not be the best time to buy a cottage.
Here are some things to consider when you’re buying a vacationhome.
Peak of season is seldom a good idea
Avoiding peak seasons makes sense in supply and demand terms. Peak season, whether you have your eye on a Vail ski chalet or a Cape Cod sea shanty, is when the area in which you’re looking is at its finest. Since vacation homes can be sentimental investments, many who’ve inherited them rent them out as additional sources of income so they can hang onto a property. They may be sharing it with siblings or have had to buy them out. They also may be part-time vacation home investment owners who got in early on a new resort but need to ensure 100 percent occupancy during peak season to make their investment pay off.
Aim for the final weeks of the high season to make your offer or hold off until just after peak season ends. If you’re looking for a summer vacation home, the time between Labor Day and Thanksgiving is the perfect window of opportunity.You’ll still take possession early enough in the year to be able to get a glimpse of what future summers can hold, and you’ll also have a chance to do any needed repairs before winter sets in. Then you can spend the winter planning what you need to do to make the place your own the following summer.
If you’re looking at a winter vacation home, spring is the best time to make an offer. While diehards may still be renting or occupying their vacation homes, hoping to get one or two more days of spring skiing or boarding in, most will have placed their properties on the market. Just be careful not to leave your offer for too late in the year if the area you’re interested in is remote. Some owners board up their properties for the off season, making it harder to get viewings. Also, don’t forget the power of spring mud. Properties accessible through three seasons may become harder to access during spring thawing and flooding.
Be sure the time is right
Before buying a vacation home, you need to think long and hard about a whole host of considerations. First and foremost is whether you will be able to use it enough to make it worthwhile for you financially. Even if you buy a vacation home and plan to rent it out to defray expenses, that means your time there will be limited. While you may love a cottage on a lake in fall, not everyone else does. If you can’t afford to spend the 4th of July at your own cottage, this may not be the time to buy.
Second, have you considered all the duplicate expenses involved? Whether you want your vacation home to mirror your principal residence in all ways, you can’t escape the fact that you’re going to need two of everything now. Unless, that is, you want to treat every weekend you spend at your vacation home like a camping trip (which may well be the case). You’re not going to want to haul lawn mowers and leaf blowers to the cottage every summer weekend. That goes double for appliances, linens and furniture. You’ll also have a second set of bills for property taxes, insurance, yard maintenance, internet and cleaning costs. In addition, there may be HOA fees, too.
Third, what are your vacation goals? If you want to visit every continent and are running out of time to tackle Asia and Africa, does a vacation property make sense? If you find you’re drawn to experiential vacations like hiking the Appalachian Trail, swimming with the dolphins or building someone else a home with Habitat for Humanity, a vacation home may be an anchor you don’t need.
On the other hand, if you know you can afford to invest in a second property and have a long-term plan to use it as a home base while you globe trot in retirement, or if you want your family to have the freedom of the great outdoors while they’re growing up, it might just be time to seize the day.
Source: www.bhgre.com/bhgrelife
A very cute, comfortable and cozy cabin with open porch and nice views. Open patio for grilling or relaxing. Two bedrooms, plus additional sleeping area in the finished attic, living/dining room with stone fireplace. Restaurants and shopping nearby (including a super deli right at the bottom of the hill). A great getaway near Lake Sunapee, hiking and snowmobile trails, and Mt. Sunapee for year-round recreational opportunities. A wonderful place to build family memories! Septic is unknown. Boiler likely needs to be replaced. Sellers are offering property in its current condition. While it will need some improvements, it's a great comfy cabin in a neat location! Offered at $170,000.
Marilyn Kidder, Listing Broker, 603-526-4116
The real estate market is still going strong and it continues to be a seller's market; mainly due to the lack of inventory. The NH Association of Realtors (NHAR) most recent data for the first 6 months shows the median sales price is now at $295,750, which is up 5.6% from the same time period in 2018. The volume of sales is down 3% from last year; again most likely because there are fewer homes to sell. On a more local level, there have been 88 home sales in New London, Newbury, and Sunapee combined in the first 6 months as compared to 69 sales last year. Currently the median selling price is $348,750 while in 2018 it was $350,000. Homes are selling quicker this year with an average of 90 days on market versus 141 days in 2018. While the last 2 years have seen 6+% appreciation, the projected home price gains according to some of the industry's most reliable sources range from 2.8% (NHAR) to 4.6% (Fannie Mae). Every source expects prices to continue to grow which is good news for the market. The stepest increase is through 2019 and should moderate going forward. Contact me if you want to know how the market impacts you! Donna@DonnaForest.com, 603-526-4116, www.DonnaForest.com
Figures are based on information from the Northern New England Real Estate Network, Inc. for the period 1/1/18 - 7/1/18 & 1/1/19-7/1/19
If you appreciate the craftsmanship of the 1920's you will love this New Englander in Newport, NH! Gorgeous original details throughout - five panel doors, built-in hutch, open columns between the living and dining room, fabulous pantry, grand staircase to the second floor, pine floors - some refinished, some under carpet. Open layout on the first floor. Second floor has four bedrooms connected by a long center hallway and a full bath. Two enclosed porches to savor the summer breezes. Plenty of space for gardens and not a lot of lawn to mow. Walk to Main Street. They don't make 'em like this anymore! Offered at $122,000.
Anne Marie Appel, Listing Agent, 603-526-4116
Designed with distinction, this captivating and coveted Timberpeg home offers high quality luxury. Openness and clean lines enhance the outstanding lake and mountain views, abundant natural light with unobstructed windows, and a flowing open floor plan with 3 levels of generous and comfortable living. Custom built and adorned with craftsman inspired touches throughout - pegged post and beams artfully framing soaring ceilings, the hand-built granite stone fireplace, gleaming red birch floors, a tailormade mudroom specifically designed for optimum ski gear storage, and a spacious chef's kitchen with granite countertops and stinless steel appliances. It's a perfect home for maximum living and entertaining with ample room for hosting many guests. Browns Hill amenities include an in-ground pool, tennis courts, and beach front on Lake Sunapee with a fun boathouse/clubhouse on the lake. Private, peaceful, and perfect - anything else is a compromise! Offering Price: $1,350,000. Virtual Tour https://my.matterport.com/show/?m=JnPiSmiDKQd
Donna Forest, Listing Broker, 603-526-4116
You’ll be moving in the right direction with Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate - The Milestone Team.
OK – I confess – I have a pet peeve about photos. Specifically about poorly done photos on properties that are listed for sale. I get really annoyed when I see dimly lit rooms, kitchens with cluttered countertops, refrigerators covered in magnets and papers, and out of focus pictures. Sellers, you deserve better - homes with high quality photos sell 32% faster.
Given that over 90% of buyers start their search online, if you don’t have great photos, your property is going to be bypassed in seconds. And buyers will not go back to review it once they’ve weeded it out. So sellers, do yourself a favor and go view how your house looks online. If you are not seeing clean lines, decluttered and bright rooms with wide angle lens shots, and crisp photos, then it is time to have an honest conversation with your agent on how you can better prepare your house for photos. And you need to ask the agent how they will take higher quality photos. Contact me if you want to work with an agent who knows how to maximize your online presence. DonnaForest.com; Donna@DonnaForest.com; 603-526-4116
Given the lack of homes for sale, we often see multiple offer situations. It pays for buyers to be prepared should they find themselves in a bidding war. Here are some tips to help put your offer in the best position.
- Keep contingencies to a minimum. Decide what inspections you can live without and don’t add in extra clauses.
- Find out the seller’s ideal closing date and use it for your closing date.
- Keep all contractual due dates in as short of time frame as possible.
- Be prepared to offer over the asking price. Money talks and usually the higher price wins.
- Cash offers beat offers with loan conditions. (Unless the offered price is significantly higher than the cash offer). Present a pre-approval letter with your offer if it is based on a loan.
- Even though you may be getting financing, you can write the offer as a cash sale with no loan contingencies. You must be confident you will get the loan with no issues.
- Include a letter to the sellers explaining why you love their house.
Bidding wars are emotionally tough as someone always loses out. Give your best and final offer so you have no regrets if you don’t get the home. Contact me if you want to work with an accredited buyer’s agent to help you navigate the challenges of buying a home. www.DonnaForest.com; Donna@DonnaForest.com; 603-526-4116