Sunapee

Like Spring Skiing?

Mt. Sunapee logoThen you'll want to get your tickets for Springfest at Mt. Sunapee Resort, April 2 and 3!  A weekend of spring skiing and riding, great spring events and an acoustical evening with Marc Roberge from O.A.R. and Chadwick Stokes of Dispatch performing on April 2.  Doors open at 6pm and performance is at 6:30pm.  Tickets are $39 and are limited.  For more details, go to www.mountsunapee.com

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

Six Tips for House Hunting

HR.Donna_3144House hunting is an emotional experience. There is no “perfect” house and you need to keep in mind it’s a decision-making process that involves trade-offs between each property. Here are some key concepts to remember:

  1. Get pre-qualified before going out to look at homes.       This way you won’t fall in love with a house you can’t afford.
  2. Think about not only how the house will meet your present needs but how it will work for you in the future as well.
  3. Consider all the pluses and minuses of the location and how it fits into your lifestyle, including travel time to work, schools, etc.
  4. Set priorities. Put more emphasis on your needs vs. wants.
  5. Ignore bad décor. Be prepared to look at potential; cosmetics are easily changed.
  6. Don’t forget resale. Choose a home that not only appeals to you but also is likely to appeal to others down the road.

It is important to work with a good REALTOR® who knows the neighborhoods and local information. If you are planning to buy a home, contact me and put my 21 years of experience to work for you as your Buyer’s Agent.  Donna Forest 603-526-4116; Donna@DonnaForest.com; www.DonnaForest.com

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

Looking for some Good Music?

Sunapee Coffee HouseCome out to the Sunapee Coffeehouse, Downstairs at the Sunapee Methodist Church, 9 Lower Main Street in Sunapee, NH, Phone: (603) 763-4301 (Fridays after 6pm), All Events: 7:00PM on Friday night.  This Friday, Marylou Ferrante will entertain.

She performs pre-war blues from the 1920's & 30's on guitar, mandolin & banjo. She covers major artists from the delta to east coast piedmont style players such as Tommy Johnson, Charlie Patton, Memphis Minnie, Lottie Kimbrough, aka "Kansas City Butterball", Irene "Chocolate Brown" Scruggs and mandolin players such as Yank Rachell. Steeped in traditional music Marylou's performances bring to life these artist with their stories and songs.

Marylou was described by music critic and writer, Daniel Gewertz, in the Boston Herald, as the Bay State's finest female acoustic blues interpreter.

"Marylou is a killer. I have watched her grow, and now she's taking over. Blues lovers look out!"... GUY DAVIS

Visit their web site for the upcoming list of performers, www.sunapeecoffeehouse.org

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

Start Prepping Now!

HR.Donna_3144If you are thinking of selling your house this spring, now would be a good time to start preparing.  Most homes could benefit from sprucing up and de-cluttering.  Putting a house up for sale without prep usually means a lower price and longer time on the market.  Here are a few tips so you can be ready for the spring market.

  1.   De-clutter.  Remove/rearrange furniture so rooms appear larger.
  2.   De-personalize.  Pack up collections, clear knick-knacks, remove personal photos, etc.
  3.   Paint.  Freshen up rooms; use nature and spa-inspired colors.
  4.   Modernize.  Update cabinet hardware, replace lighting, paint dark cabinets.
  5.   Make repairs.  Both large and small.
  6.   Deep clean.  Make every surface shine from baseboards to ceiling fans.

Looking for more advice on how to entice buyers?  Contact me to arrange for a personalized list on how to enhance your house before putting it on the market.  603-526-4116, Donna@DonnaForest.com, www.DonnaForest.com

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

Got Your Skis and Snowboards Out?

Mt. SunapeeHead over to Mt. Sunapee where the snowmaking continues and the trails and lifts are open!

Eight lifts are operating today including three quad chairs (two high-speed quads to the summit) and three carpet lifts at South Peak serving 106 acres of terrain across all five mountain areas. The Learning Center is offering all  children’s and learn-to-ski/ride packages. Snowmaking will keep on truckin’ and for the weekend they expect to have at least 32 trails, 8 lifts and 117 acres of terrain. Skiing surfaces are machine groomed loose granular and packed powder on a 12-24” base.

Get out in the fresh air and enjoy the ride!

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

End of the Year (Almost) Market Update!

HR.Donna_3144As we near the end of 2015, I thought it would be helpful to know how our local market has fared. Looking at the past 11 months, we continue to move in a positive direction. In the 10 area towns, the total number of sales are up 14% from last year. Prices are about the same with the average price of all home sales only being down by 1%. These figures vary from town to town, but the combined data shows forward momentum. For example, in home sales under $1 million - Newbury sales are up 41% from 2014 with the average selling price about equal. Sunapee sales are 3 ahead of last year with the average sales price down 13%. New London’s volume is down 34% but prices are up almost 7%.

Nationally, home sales are up 3.9% through October compared to the same time period in 2014. Lawrence Yun, National Association of REALTORS® Chief Economist stated, “As long as solid job creation continues, a gradual easing of credit standards even with moderately higher mortgage rates should support steady demand and sales continuing to rise above a year ago." What does all this mean? Properly priced and prepared homes will continue to sell and waiting to buy will only cost you more money. Contact me if you would like to know the specific sales data for your town!  603-526-4116, www.DonnaForest.com, Donna@donnaforest.com

Figures are based on information from the Northern New England Real Estate Network, Inc. for the period 1/1/15 through 11/30/15 and 1/1/14 through 11/30/14.

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

Homeowners Insurance: Time for an Annual Checkup

It’s time for your annual check-up. The good news is that for this one, you won’t have to don one of those revealing hospital gowns — and you may walk away with a healthier pocketbook.

We’re talking about a homeowners insurance check-up, a task you should complete once a year, ideally around renewal time. This will ensure your policy still provides the right level of coverage for your family, and your premium isn’t costing you more than it should.

Remember, homeowners insurance is essential. The coverage is designed to protect your home and its contents, as well as shield you from liability for accidents and such on your property.

Block out an hour of your time, call an insurance agent, and get answers to these three important questions.
What type of coverage do I have? The most effective type of coverage is known as “replacement cost,” which covers, up to your policy limits, what it would take today to rebuild your house and restore your belongings, says Jerry Oshinsky, a partner at Jenner & Block in Los Angeles who has represented homeowners in litigation against insurers. “Extended” replacement cost coverage provides protection to your policy limit, say $500,000, and then perhaps another 20% of the cost after that. Percentages vary, but in this example you could recoup up to $600,000 on a $500,000 policy, assuming your losses reach that high. Extended coverage can compensate for any unanticipated expenses like spikes in construction costs between policy renewals. Now harder to find due to the industry shift toward extended replacement coverage, “full” or “guaranteed” replacement coverage covers an entire claim regardless of policy limits. A less attractive alternative is “actual cash value” coverage that usually takes into account depreciation, the decrease in value due to age and wear. With this type of policy, the $2,000 flat-screen TV you bought two years ago will be worth hundreds of dollars less today in the eyes of your claims adjuster. Kevin Foley, an independent insurance broker in Milltown, N.J., favors replacement cost coverage unless you can save at least 25% on the premium for going with actual cash value coverage instead. Even if you have replacement cost protection for your dwelling and personal property, don’t assume everything is covered. Structures other than your home on your property — such as a detached garage or swimming pool — require separate coverage. So too do luxury items like jewelry, watches, and furs if you want full replacement cost because reimbursement for those items is typically capped. How much coverage do I really need? OK, now that you’re clear on what type of policy you have, you need to figure out how much policy you truly require in dollar terms. Let’s say you purchased your home five years ago and insured it for $200,000. Today, it’s worth $225,000. Simply increasing your coverage to $225,000 may nonetheless leave you underinsured. Here’s why. The key to determining how much dwelling coverage you need isn’t the value of your home but the money you’d have to pay to rebuild it from scratch, says Carlos Aguirre, an agent for Liberty Mutual Insurance in Arlington, Texas. Call your local contractors’ or homebuilders’ association and inquire about the average per-square-foot construction cost in your area. If it’s $150 and your home is 2,000 square feet, then you should be insured for $300,000. There’s no rule of thumb for how much your homeowners insurance should cost. Insurers use numerous factors—age, education level, creditworthiness—to determine pricing, so the same policy could run you more than your neighbor. In recent years the average annual premium was $804. Oshinsky advises against scrimping on insurance because big increases in coverage probably cost less than you’d think. He recently purchased a liability policy that cost $250 for the first $1 million in coverage. Adding another $1 million increased his premiums only $12.50 more. How can I lower my premiums? The higher your deductible, the amount you pay out of pocket before coverage kicks in, the lower your premium. Landing on the appropriate deductible level requires remembering that insurance should cover major calamities, not minor incidents, says Foley, the independent insurance broker. Most homeowners should be able to absorb modest losses like a broken window pane or a hole in the drywall without filing claims. If you can, then you’re wasting money with a $250 deductible. Foley’s rule: If you’re a first-time homeowner and don’t have a lot of savings, moving up to a $500 deductible will probably stretch your budget. However, if you live in a ritzy home and drive an expensive car, then you should be able to afford a $1,000 deductible. In Milltown, N.J., for example, the premium for a $200,000 home with a $500 deductible would be $736, according to Foley; moving up to a $1,000 deductible drops the annual premium to $672. That’s $64 in savings. Every major insurer offers discounts to various groups, such as university employees or firefighters. Figure about 5%. Ask which affiliations would entitle you to a discount and how much. If an AARP membership would result in a $50 savings, pay the $16 dues and pocket the $36 difference. Many insurers also offer discounts ranging from 1% to 10% or more for installing protective devices like alarms and deadbolt locks, for going claim-free for an extended period, or for insuring both your car and your home with the same carrier.
Visit Houselogic.com for more articles like this.  Reprinted from Houselogic.com with permission of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

Converted Historic Mill on Andrew Brook

Brooks were essential to local mills centuries ago and this quaint, magical 1800s home can be enjoyed today with beautiful Andrew Brook flowing directly behind the house and mill barn.  Sunny and bright from the plentiful windows in the barn, all views of the brook are lovely.  The sizable deck connecting the kitchen area to the barn provides great space for easy entertaining and a relaxing private retreat overlooking the gardens.  Inviting nooks and crannies (including a secret door from house to barn) and front and back staircases make this house a unique and pleasing property.  Offered at $178,000.

???????????????????????????????Susie Moore, Listing Agent, 603-526-4116

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

Halloween Happenings!

Halloween2Halloween trick-or-treating in the town of Sunapee will be held Saturday, 10/31/15 from 5-8pm.  Central Street will be closed to traffic to allow children to go from house to house safely.  Check out more ghosts and goblins by the riverside and join the Tailgate trick-or-treating.  Cross over the covered bridge and take a stroll through the haunted woods to have your fortune told, if you dare!

New London will host their Haunted Woods on Friday, October 30.  From 5:30-6:30pm the young children can trick or treat then walk through Spring Ledge to the corn maze.  From 7:30-8:30pm the scarier version of the haunted woods will begin and is recommended for ages 12 and up.  The haunted walk takes place behind the old Kearsarge Middle School and is free of charge.

Regular trick-or-treating in New London is October 31 from 4:30-8:30pm.

Click here for a complete list of NH Trick-or-Treat times.

Enjoy and stay safe!

 

Looking for a Building Lot?

Here's an incredible value for the price!  Wooded lot with stone walls in back, adding a typical touch of New England.  Nice Neighborhood setting and located on a quiet dead-end road.  Under 7 miles to Mt. Sunapee Ski Resort and about 1 miles to I-89.  Snowmobile trails nearby for winter fun.  For the bargain priced buyer, this lot is worth a look. Abutting lot also available for the same price. Offered at $22,500.

86 5140Donna Forest, Listing Broker, 603-526-4116

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

Categories

Search For a Home

or
Cancel