Blog Category

Looking for Some Good Fun and Eats this Weekend?

tomatoes3Take a ride to Spring Ledge Farm this Saturday for their annual Corn Roast, Tomato Tasting and Beef Roast from 1-3pm.  They'll have their fresh-picked sweet corn roasted with herb butters, samples of Star Lake Farm beef (a delicious smoked brisket), Walpole Creamery Ice Creams, Chocolate milk from MacNamara Dairy, Spring Ledge Farm cider donuts, Effie's Oatcakes, Good Loaf baguettes with Vegeteball's Pesto, Garfield's Smoked cheese niblets and many other samples.  $5 donation goes to local food banks.  www.springledgefarm.com

“Word of Mouth” is the best advertisement, and we love it when you refer your friends and family to Coldwell Banker Milestone Real Estate.

Death by Photos

HR.Donna_3144Are your listing photos killing the sale of your house? Did you know over 90% of buyers will start their search online and 83% of buyers rated photos as the most useful website feature? Which means buyers are weeding out the houses they don’t want to see even before they go out with an agent. All based on photos. I am constantly amazed at the bad photos when looking at our MLS – kitchens with cluttered countertops and refrigerators covered with papers, bedrooms littered with clothes & toys and unmade beds, heavy curtains suffocating windows, living rooms with too much furniture and too many decorations, etc. Not to mention the blurry photos, shots of useless areas like hallways, camera flash back from windows and mirrors, and shooting from bad angles. My advice? If you truly want to sell your home, you should be preparing the house before photos are taken. Clean up, de-clutter, remove excess furniture, and yes, get all that stuff off of your refrigerator & countertops! You also should double check how the photos look online and ask your agent to re-take anything you think looks bad. Do not underestimate the power of photography! If you are looking for an agent to give you straight advice on prepping your property for sale, then give me a call!  603-526-4116, donna@donnaforest.com, www.donnaforest.comStatistics from the National Association of REALTORS® 2014 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers

Known for service, trusted for results – Coldwell Banker Milestone Real Estate.

Price Reduction on Eastman Condo

Come enjoy Eastman with its championship golf course, tennis courts, six beaches and miles of hiking, cross country skiing, and snowshoeing.  This easy care contemporary condo is in pristine move-in condition!  The updated kitchen boasts granite countertops, tile backsplash, and stainless steel appliances.  The sunny living room is the perfect place for relaxing with a good book by the propane stove.  Large deck offers plenty of space for outdoor entertaining.  3 levels of living space lets everyone spread out, but most likely you will be out enjoying nature or the lake.  Carefree living at its best!  Was $169,900, now $134,900.  Call today for your private showing.

DeWispelaere1Donna Forest, Listing Broker, 603-526-4116

Known for service, trusted for results – Coldwell Banker Milestone Real Estate.

Top Ten Common Repair Costs

In the life of every home, repairs happen. Here are the top 10 most common repairs that, sooner or later, your house will require.

Congratulations on buying your first house. Now, you have to learn how to keep it in good repair. To be safe, you should set aside money every year — 1% to 3% of your home’s purchase price — for repairs and maintenance.
The good news is that most repairs are simple, inexpensive, and DIY-friendly. If you can fix stuff yourself, you’ll only pay for the cost of materials and save a bundle on these common repairs and replacements.
1.  Replace Toilet Fill Valves That annoying sound of water continually filling and draining from your toilet tank is often caused by leaky fill valve, which a plumber can replace, stopping water waste and restoring quiet. Plumber rates vary widely around the country, from $45 to $150 per hour, and the job will take about two hours — the minimum some plumbers require just to take the job. Labor: $50 to $200 Materials: $11 to $23 Total: $61 to $223 Related: Home Maintenance 101: 7 Things Every Homeowner Should Know 2.  Repair a Leaky Faucet The water torture drip-drip-drip from a leaky faucet won’t just drive you insane, it can drive up water bills, too. Depending on the type of faucet you have, fixes typically involve replacing damaged rubber washers (10 for $2), O-rings (10 for $2), or a faucet cartridge ($8 to $30). Labor: $95 to $300 Materials: $2 to $30 Total: $97 to $330 Related: The WaterSense Label: What to Look For 3.  Replace Ceiling Fan If you’ve got a ceiling fan, sooner or later the motor will burn out, the blades will warp, and fashions will change, so you’ll need to replace it. Replacing isn’t a big deal, because upgraded wiring, a reinforced ceiling box, and a light switch with ceiling fan controls are already in place. What you’re paying for is an electrician’s time — one or two hours — and a new fixture. Labor: $50 to $200 Materials: $54 to $1,000 and up Total: $104 to $1,200 Related: Ceiling Fans: Know the Spin Before You Install 4.  Repair Drywall Nicks, gashes, and smashes inevitably mar your beautiful walls. You’ll have to patch and paint to make them look as good as new. A painter can do both jobs and will probably give you a flat rate that will include patching or filling blemishes, then sanding, priming, and painting. Painters charge $25 to $62 per hour for labor or $2.68 to $4.60 per square foot including materials. Figure it will take about three hours to repair a wall, including drying time for the patching compound and paint. It’s a good idea to save up painting chores so you have enough to keep a painter busy while repairs cure. Materials include paint at $12 to $50 or more a gallon, which should cover about 350 square feet; plus another $10 to $50 for brushes, rollers, drop clothes, and drywall patching compound. Labor: $75 to $186 Materials: $22 to $100 Total: $97 to $286 Related: Patch a Drywall Hole 5.  Repair Cracked Tile Tile is hard and durable, but drop something heavy on it and it’s likely to crack — a reason to always order more tile than you need so you’ll always have spares. To replace cracked tiles, a handyman must pry out the damaged tiles, scrape away old fixative, re-glue new tiles, and spread new grout. Replacing a 2-foot-by-2-foot section of tile should take one to two hours, not including the drying time required for the adhesive to set. Labor: $30 to $125 per hour; with possible $150 to $350 minimum charge for a handyman Materials: $1 to $20 per square foot Total: $34 to $430 Related: Smart Tips for Choosing Bathroom Flooring 6.  Replace Caulk Around Tubs, Sinks, and Showers Caulk is the waterproof seal around sinks, tubs, and showers that prevents moisture from seeping through gaps and onto drywall and flooring. When caulk cracks or peels, it should be replaced immediately to prevent mold and rot. A handyman can dig out old caulk around a tub and reseal with new in about an hour. Labor: $30 to $125 per hour; with possible $150 to $350 minimum charge for a handyman Materials:  $1 to $4 for a tube of bathroom caulk Total: $31 to $354 Related: How to Remove Caulk 7.  Fix Gutters Gutters and downspouts carry water from rain and snow away from your house and onto the ground. Sometimes the weight of wet snow and soggy leaves puts too much pressure on gutters, causing them to pull away from the house or pitch at inefficient angles. A gutter contractor will clean gutters, and replace or reinstall supportive hardware and hangers. To restore the correct pitch, the contractor must detach and reattach each gutter section. Labor: $127 to $282 (depending on length of gutter) Materials: $10 for five hangers; $6 to $9 for gutter sealant Total: $143 to $301 Related: How to Unclog a Gutter 8.  Fix Out-of-Alignment Doors Over time, your house moves as its foundation settles and building materials expand and contract with changes in humidity. The movement often is noticed when doorframes shift slightly, causing hinges to creak and doors to not shut properly. Adding wooden shims to frames and hinges can bring doors back into alignment and let them easily open and close once again. Replacing worn-out screws with longer screws helps secure hinges tightly. A handyman can fix a door in about an hour. Materials will include shims and screws. Labor: $30 to $125 per hour; with possible $150 to $350 minimum charge for a handyman Materials: $5 Total: $35 to $355 Related: Cool Improvements: Replacing Your Interior Doors 9.  Repair Ice Damming If your house isn’t insulated correctly or your roof isn’t designed correctly, melting roof snow can run off and freeze around roof edges. Eventually, this can form an ice dam that creeps up your roof, damaging shingles and forcing melting water into your home. One popular solution to ice damming is to install a heating cable along the roof’s edge, which warms the area and prevents freezing. It’s not a DIY job. Roofing contractors will install the cable, and an electrician will install outlets that will juice up the cable. If you want a thermostat to turn the cable on and off automatically, that’ll be extra, too. Labor and materials: $30 to $60 per linear foot Total: $371 to $1,319 (average job cost) Related: How to Prevent Ice Dams 10.  Fix a Faulty Light Switch Sometimes you turn on the light but nothing happens; or sparks crackle, and the light turns on. It’s disconcerting, but most likely it’s an easy fix. An electrician will turn off the power, take off the faceplate, check and perhaps tighten wires; or replace the switch. All told, it will take less than an hour. Labor: $50 to $100 per hour Materials: $1 to $6 for a single pole light switch Total: $41 to $106 Related: How to Repair a Light Switch

By:  Lisa Kaplan Gordon - is an avid gardener, a member of the Fairfax County Master Gardeners Association, and a builder of luxury homes in McLean, Va. She’s been a Homes editor for Gannett News Service and has reviewed home improvement products for AOL

Read more: http://www.houselogic.com/home-advice/repair-tips/home-repair-costs/#ixzz3k7vzJw8w Follow us: @HouseLogic on Twitter | HouseLogic on Facebook

Why Pay Rent - You Can Afford to Own This!

  • Aug 28, 2015

If you are looking for a good home at a good value, then give this one a look.  Small but practical, its move-in ready.  Offering an efficiently designed eat-in kitchen with a back pantry/laundry room, a sunny living room and newly carpeted floors.  A large basement provides great storage and you also can enjoy the convenience of a 2 car garage.  Close to Exit 10, I-89, this location is perfect for going north or south.  Wood in the back and small lawn around the house - yard work is a breeze.  Stop paying rent and begin home ownership here!  Offered at $168,000.  For more information and photos, visit www.RanchinNH.com.

MlodzianoskiBestDonna Forest, Listing Broker, 603-526-4116

Teamwork from the Team that works – Coldwell Banker Milestone Real Estate.

Price Reduction - Sunapee, NH

Don't miss out on this immaculate antique cape with new kitchen, master suite addition, new windows and numerous upgrades.  Historic charm in Sunapee village with town water and sewer, 4 bedrooms, 3 baths.  Walk to Sunapee Harbor and ski at Mt. Sunapee ten minutes away!  Was $330,000, now $325,000.  For more information, visit http://tour.circlepix.com/home/Z9H2NN.

WhiteAnne Marie Appel, Listing Agent, 603-526-4116

Real estate markets are local, and we have the real scoop on ours. Coldwell Banker Milestone Real Estate

 

Waiting to Buy Could Cost You

HR.Donna_3144CroppedIf you’ve been on the fence about buying your first house or moving up to a larger one, waiting until next year may ultimately mean more money out of your pocket. Why? Not only are home prices rising, the interest rate you pay on a mortgage is also expected to increase. The higher the rate, the greater the payment will be.  Let’s look at an example of how this impacts a mortgage payment. Say you found your dream home today and are getting a loan for $250,000. Current mortgage rates are around 4% so the monthly payment is $1194 (principal and interest only). By this time next year, rates are projected to increase to around 5% and home prices are also expected to increase about 4.3%.   To buy that same house, you now are getting a loan for $260,750 and the monthly payment is $1400. The difference in payment is $206 more a month! Over the course of a year, that is $2472. Hmm, I’m sure you could think of plenty of things to do with that kind of extra money! Bottom line, if you seriously want to buy, waiting until next year does not make sense. Contact me if you want to take advantage of today’s rates and pricing to find your new home.  www.donnaforest.com, donna@donnaforest.com, 603-526-4116.

Real estate markets are local, and we have the real scoop on ours. Coldwell Banker Milestone Real Estate

Looking for a Home with Great Views?

In the country, yet just on the edges of town, this contemporary deck home offers southwestern exposure with 180 degree views including Mt. Sunapee, Mt. Kearsarge, the Village of New London and a solid glimpse of Pleasant Lake.  Beautifully crafted with maple, mahogany and cedar, and gracious open and light-filled spaces.  Master bedroom with private bath and walk-in closet on the main living level.  Abuts a large conservation area with many trails for hiking.  A very exciting opportunity!  Offered at $539,000.  For more photos and details, visit www.PanoramicNHViews.com

LloydMarilyn 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.

New Listing - Newport, NH Home for Sale

  • Aug 07, 2015

This classic cape with a wraparound porch has great curb appeal and a fantastic yard!  Harvest the fruits of their labor from the number of trees planted over the years - many varieties of apple trees, peach & plum, blueberry bushes and lots of pretty perennial gardens.  Enjoy those hot summer days swimming in the in-ground pool.  The screened porch is a great place to relax as well and has a view of Mt. Sunapee off in the distance.  Very convenient to the lake and Mt. Sunapee for summer and winter fun.  Also has direct trail access for the snowmobile enthusiast with plenty of room to store them!  Offered at $285,000.  For more photos and details, visit http://tour.circlepix.com/home/DTV9EN.

TrumanJane Snow, Listing Agent, 603-526-4116

Known for service, trusted for results – Coldwell Banker Milestone Real Estate.

Happenings at Mt. Sunapee

Mt. Sunapee logo2You have until this Sunday, 8/9, to visit Mt. Sunapee Resort and view the annual League of NH Craftsmen's Fair.  The Fair showcases the work of more than 350 craftspeople's items made by hand. It's the place to see an incredible variety of beautiful, one-of-a-kind craft items that are functional, decorative, and built to last. And don't forget the Adventure Park at South Peak!  You'll find disc golf, mini-golf, guided canopy tours, an aerial challenge course and more! Visit their web site and come enjoy the local fun, www.mtsunapee.com

You’ll be moving in the right direction with Coldwell Banker Milestone Real Estate.

Categories

Search For a Home

or
Cancel