Here’s your winter checklist! You look outside one day and it's bright and sunny and the next day snow begins to cover the leaves you forgot to rake. That's right, winter is just around the corner and you need to get your home ready. Also check wood floors just inside patio and exit doors for signs of water entry. Probe through the carpet or check under the doors from the basement or crawl space area for signs of dampness. Look for rotting sub-flooring, floor joists and sill plates (the wood that rests on the foundation wall). If possible, check behind the insulation for signs of rotting or infestation. Vinyl floor covering can be discolored from mildew trapped between the vinyl and wet sub-flooring. Caulk and seal around window and door openings. Fill cracks and openings in concrete drives, walks and patios. Have the heating system and flue inspected by a qualified heating technician. It is very important to change or clean the furnace filter on a regular basis. If the furnace has a built-in humidifier, have the humidifier cleaned. Treat the humidifier each month during the heating season to resist mold growth inside the air system. Have the chimney cleaned and inspected by a certified chimney sweep. Store fire wood two to three feet off the ground and away from the home's foundation. Wood piles invite unwanted guests all year long. Garden hoses should be drained and stored inside. If you have shut-offs for the outside hose faucets, they need to be closed for winter. Do not leave a garden hose connected to an outside faucet. Even an anti-freeze faucet will freeze and eventually leak if a hose is left connected all winter. Drain the gasoline from lawn mowers, weed eaters, etc. Remove grass, dirt and all debris and store for winter. Stuff a paper towel in the gas tank, leaving enough of the towel exposed so the towel can later be removed. Store the equipment with the gas lid off. The tank has to be drained with no gasoline or gasoline fumes present before the paper towel is stuffed inside. The towel keeps the inside of the tank dry and ready for next spring. Never store gasoline or equipment containing gasoline inside the home, garage or basement.
From a prospective homebuyer’s view, clutter translates into an undesirable home. Cluttered homes often appear smaller. They look darker, and tend to smell from the excess dust. Too much “stuff” around can be an immediate turn-off because the combined effect suggests that all of the home’s other features will be rundown, decayed and in need of much repair. The opposite is also true: homes devoid of clutter and kept clean give the impression of being well maintained and not requiring much work. Clutter compromises the ideal image and prospective buyers view the home in terms of cleaning and maintenance. 1Y0-A05 Properties with clutter translate into increased time on the market and lower values, not only because the clutter decreases the perception of size, air and light, but also because it makes buyers think that there will be a lot of work involved in maintaining the property. If you need help to de-clutter, call a professional. This initial cost will be recouped with a higher selling price and faster sale. For more helpful hints, go to: http://www.realtor.com/Basics/Sell/PrepHome/GetReady.asp
The Kearsarge Regional School District includes the towns of Bradford, Newbury, New London, Springfield, Sutton, Warner and Wilmot. As of 10/1/09, the enrollment from these towns totals 2,135 students. There are separate elementary schools (K-5) in Bradford, New London, Sutton and Warner. Springfield also has its own Kindergarten program. In March of 2007, the district opened a new and beautiful 123,321 square foot middle school in North Sutton. The old middle school in New London had become functionally obsolete, and 80 acres were purchased to include future growth. If you have not taken a drive around the new school and its well manicured playing fields, you really should do so! There are three grades there- 6,7, and 8. Each cluster has its own classrooms and common area. Stop in and take the tour of the impressive gym, cafeteria and library. Other spacious rooms house international languages, band, chorus, music, tech. ed and family and consumer science. There are about 460 happy students attending this school! Kearsarge Regional High School, also in North Sutton has a freshman academy wing that allows the freshmen to acclimate themselves to the school before blending in with the upper classmen. There are many wonderful activities going on there on a daily basis. One huge asset at this school is Project Climb. Hiking, canoeing and bike trips are enjoyed tremendously by members of this group. The High School Chorus goes to Disney World each Spring Break and performs on stage. They have won many awards! Their sports teams participate at the Class I Level for athletics. The school district has a website (Kearsarge.org) that is easy to access, should you need any further information.
Congress has changed the rules – effective as of 2009 – for vacation homes and rental properties. Here’s what you need to know about paying the piper. 1Y0-309 Congress has pulled the rug out from under vacation and rental home owners planning to squeeze tax-free profit from their second homes. Under current law, you could sell your primary residence and take up to $250,000 of profit - $500,000 if you file a joint return – tax-free, as long as you owned and lived in the place for two of the five years leading up to the sale. Then you could move into your vacation home or a rental property and, by living in it for at least two years, get a second bite of the tax-free apple. Even profit that built up while it was a vacation home or rental could dodge the IRS. No more. To help pay for the big housing bill passed this summer, Congress has changed the rules so that some of your gain will be taxable of you convert your vacation home or rental unit to a primary residence after 2008. The portion of the gain to be taxed is based on the ratio of non-qualified use – the time the property is used as a vacation home or rental unit after this year – to the total amount of time you owned the property. Assume you bought a second home in 2000. Let’s say you convert it to your primary residence in 2011 and sell it two years later. In this example, the home would be used as a vacation property for two years after 2008, so one-seventh of the profit (two out of the 14 years you owned it) would be taxed at capital gains rates. The remainder of the gain – up to $500,000 for couples – would be tax-free. This tax law change could be even more significant if you buy a second home after 2008. In that case, none of the time it is used for vacations or rental income qualifies for the tax exclusion. But if you convert it to your principal residence, the longer you live there, the less the profit from a sale will be taxed. And you can avoid the crackdown altogether if you move in before the end of this year, says Raffaele Mari, a CPA in Corona Del Mar, CA. But what do you do with your current home? You could rent it to general case flow and buy some time before selling it in this slow housing market, Mari says. The tightening doesn’t apply in reverse: You’d still qualify for tax-free profit on the home as long as you sell it within three years to meet the two-of-five-years test. 1Y0-731 Source: Mary Beth Franklin, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, Kiplinger.com
Here's how to do it right wherever you live, plus what all the numbers on containers mean Fact: Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to run a TV for three hours. So, yes, it pays off. Here’s how to do it right wherever you live. Collect newspapers in a paper grocery bag or in tied bundles, depending on your community’s guidelines, and set them out on pickup day. (It takes up to 75,000 trees to produce one Sunday edition of the New York Times.) Don’t recycle wet cardboard. It can clog sorting machines. Throw it away to keep it from contaminating the rest of the load. Don’t recycle bottle tops; they’re not made from the same plastic as recyclable bottles. But if you forget, don’t sweat it. They’ll be sorted down the line. (The energy saved by recycling one plastic bottle can power a computer for 25 minutes.) Rinse cans, but crushing isn’t necessary. The aluminum can is the most recycled item in the United States, as well as the most valuable. It can be recycled again and again, and so efficiently that a can is regenerated and back on the shelf in as little as 60 days. Don’t fret if you can’t get the lime out of the beer bottle or the last of the peanut butter from the jar. The recycler’s machinery will zap all contaminants. But do empty and rinse glass jars and containers. Wondering about the little numbers on your milk container? They identify what the container is made of — and what it will be in its next life. 1 PET (polyethylene terephthalate): Soda bottles; recycled into pillow fill. 2 HDPE (high-density polyethylene): Plastic milk bottles, detergent bottles; recycled into new detergent bottles. 3 PVC (polyvinyl chloride): Take-out boxes, shampoo; recycled into drainage and irrigation pipes. 4 LDPE (low-density polyethylene): Grocery bags, shrink wrap; recycled into new bags. 5 PP (polypropylene): Yogurt containers, bottle caps; recycled into plastic lumber. 6 PS (polystyrene): Packing peanuts; recycled into plastic lumber, cassette-tape boxes. 7 Other: Includes squeezable ketchup bottles and microwavable dishes; these items can’t be recycled. Reproduced from www.realsimple.com
In the New London/Lake Sunapee area real estate market, or any market for that matter, overpricing a home in a buyer’s market is definitely not a good strategy for selling. Today’s buyers are very cautious about overpaying, are more discerning and are less likely to accept defects found on inspections. With the abundance of properties on the market and price reductions seen on a daily basis, buyers are taking longer to buy and are pickier about what they buy. Sellers should not aggressively price their house in anticipation of buyers making offers. Most buyers won’t waste their time offering on a listing over-priced for the market – especially when there are other choices. In fact, other agents will use your over-priced listing to help them sell the well-priced listings. In this changing market, sellers are no longer in the driver’s seat. Comparable sales from even a few months ago may not be applicable for today’s market. For best results, rely on your realtor for a realistic price assessment. [caption id="attachment_52" align="aligncenter" width="117" caption="Donna Forest, ABR"]
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Another non-profit organization manned entirely by volunteers which adds greatly to the richness of the New London Area’s offerings is The New London Outing Club (NLOC). The NLOC was founded in 1947, when a group of community members started to look for someplace for local residents to ski which would also be a draw for visitors in the winter. Eventually, a true, and much loved, ski area, King Ridge, grew out of this effort. In the years since, the Outing Club has expanded into many areas of outdoor (and, now, indoor) recreation for both young and old alike.
Facilities include Woodward Park (for tennis, baseball, horseshoes, bocce & soccer-to name a few-and just plain fun); Knights Hill Nature Park, a wonderful nearby area of trails and programs about the world around us-like star-gazing; and, the latest addition, The Outing Club Indoor Center which provides a year-round indoor facility for the community for activities from knitting to “Old School” games nights for adults. The area is very fortunate to have this incredible resource.
The New London/Lake Sunapee area has much to offer both residents and visitors, among which are dozens of stimulating and intriguing, mostly non-profit, organizations dedicated to a wide variety of interests. One of these is the New London Historical Society. As you will see if you visit their web site, the NLHS is an entirely volunteer organization which was founded in 1954. Their one-building site has dramatically expanded over the years to include many buildings moved there from around the area. Their mission is to preserve and present the history of New London which they do through a very wide variety of programs and presentations throughout the year, from hearth-side baking to Model “T” snowmobiles, and a lot in between. The NLHS also offers great ways to get involved, including helping the Tuesday Work Group do lots of odd-job projects around the campus, learning how to be a docent, helping with the newsletter, baking for an event, helping with acquisitions, etc. Check it out! We’re very lucky to have such a great organization both preserving our local history, as well as keeping us in touch with it. Marilyn Kidder 10/30/09
Although home appreciation has leveled off in some markets, sellers can still get good prices for their homes. The sale may take a bit longer, but a little creativity can help sellers move homes without having to drop the price. The professionals at Coldwell Banker Milestone Real Estate offer the following suggestions for sellers who want to speed the process: Price Your Home According to the Current Market. Just because a house comparable to yours sold for a very high price last year does not mean you will be able to realize the same price when selling your home now. Work with a full-service real estate professional to determine the appropriate, competitive listing price for your home. Remember that in this market, your sales associate will encourage a list price in accordance with others currently on the market, rather than those previously sold. Be Thankful for Appreciation. While price appreciation has slowed, it is important to look realistically at the financial gains you have made over the years you have owned your home. According to the National Association of REALTORS®, over the last six years the median sales price of a single-family existing home in the U.S. appreciated 7.6 percent annually. Make Your Home More Marketable. When a buyer sees your house for the first time, a critical first impression is made. If applicable, maximize curb appeal by trimming trees and planting flowers. A fresh exterior coat of paint might also prove valuable. Consider neutral colors for interior walls and carpets. Dark colors on walls, along with unnecessary clutter, make rooms look smaller. Conduct a Full Home Inspection. If repairs are required, it is a good idea to go ahead and fix the problems. Potential buyers will cast an extremely critical eye over your home and, in a situation when more houses are available on the market, they may take a pass on a home that needs too many repairs. Be sure to have the home inspection report available for prospective buyers itemizing all of the repairs that have been made and the associated cost for each. Offer a “Seller’s Contribution.” A seller can sweeten the deal by offering assistance to the buyer in ways that do not require lowering the asking price. These tactics can help your home to stand out from the crowd. For example: Offer to buy down the interest rate on the buyer’s mortgage or to pay a portion of the closing costs. Cover the buyer’s mortgage payments for up to the first six months. Depending upon the size of the mortgage, the buyer can save several thousand dollars and the seller still gets the original asking price for the home. It is generally more financially advantageous to do this than dropping the asking price by $30-, $20- or even just $10,000. Many condos and houses across the country belong to homeowners’ associations that require annual dues. Paying the first year’s fees could be a big incentive to a buyer nearing the limit of his or her liquid assets. Don’t Worry. Properly priced homes that stand out from the competition are selling and demand for homes is still at historical highs.
What would Granny do? Rediscover the joy of green and cheap solutions!1. Line Dry Your Sheets and Towels Indulge yourself by sleeping each night on pillowcases and sheets freshened by sun and breeze, both of which naturally disinfect and lift stains. You'll also save energy, since automatic dryers use 6 percent of household electricity. 2. Get a Rain Barrel Buy a fab-looking rain barrel from a garden store, such as a space-saving model that 'pops up,' or simply use something old. You'll reduce the amount of storm water that runs off your property and into overburdened sewers, causing erosion and spreading pesticides, oil and other toxins. Use the water for plants and save on your water bills. 3. Reinvent the Root Cellar You don't have to live with a dirt-floor cellar to take advantage of stocking up on fresh vegetables and fruits during harvest (when prices are cheap). All you need is a cool, dark place that won't freeze; it could be under a stairwell, or in a corner of a basement, garage or shed. Pack clean, dry produce -- such as carrots, beets, potatoes and winter squash -- in boxes surrounded by sawdust, sand or straw. You want good air circulation and relatively high humidity (earthen floors work well, or put out trays of water or damp cloths). Remove spoiled items immediately and keep apples separate, since they promote ripening. 4. Supplement Your Heat with a Wood Pellet Stove Pellet stoves are vastly more efficient than traditional fireplaces or woodstoves, and produce very little smoke and ash. They are easy to install in many settings, and don't require a masonry chimney. They use a little electricity (to run fans and controls), and slowly burn wood pellets that are made out of recycled, compressed sawdust that would otherwise be thrown out by mills. 5. Rediscover Borax and Baking Soda People have been cleaning and bathing with mild, naturally occurring baking soda since ancient Egypt. It is great for scouring and deodorizing many surfaces, from tile to toys and hands. Borax is an element that forms crystals in arid regions. It makes a good cleaning agent, disinfectant, mold killer and stain remover, from the laundry room to the bathroom. Both substances are cheap and readily available. 6. Repel Moths with Aromatic Herbs To protect your fabrics, use cedar shavings and blocks or cheesecloth bags filled with cloves, rosemary, eucalyptus, lavender, cinnamon sticks, bay leaves or other herbs. Your favorite sweaters, not to mention your drawers and closets, will smell fresh and clean. You'll avoid mothballs, which contain a pesticide the EPA links to cataracts, liver and neurological damage. 7. Use Vintage Dish Towels Avoid paper towels, and have fun finding and collecting vintage and funky dish towels from garage and estate sales, auctions and online. You can even get different sets for the seasons and holidays. You'll add a splash of color (and a conversation piece) to your kitchen and table. (www.TheGreenGuide.com)