This well-built, half cape on 7+ acres is less than 10 minutes to the center of New London and a very short drive to a lovely town beach on Pleasant Lake for swim lessons, play, relaxing, and catching up with friends. Attractive finish features and very comfortable living space. Nicely landscaped with year-round Whitney Brook at the rear of the house. Privacy with convenience. First floor master bedroom with private bath. Near conservation land with great, interpretive walking trails. Offered at $334,800. For more details and photos, visit www.3BRCapeon7Ac.com.
Marilyn Kidder, Listing Broker
January residential unit sales in New Hampshire were ahead of the prior January for the third consecutive year, as 656 single family homes were sold in the Granite State last month. According to MLS data released by the New Hampshire Association of Realtors (NHAR), that number represented a 20 percent increase over the 549 homes sold in January 2011. The median price of those homes, meanwhile, continued to lag slightly behind, having dropped 4 percent, from $207,000 in January 2011 to $198,500 in January 2012. “Although it’s human nature to look for that one defining month that signals to everyone that the recovery in the housing market is afoot, that’s just not the nature of this economy,” said NHAR President John Rice, a 40‐year veteran of the real estate industry and an agent with Tate & Foss Sotheby’s International in Portsmouth. “As we continue to hear from economists, we’re probably in the early stages of a slow upward climb. Rice said he was encouraged by the fact that the 656 January sales were the most since 2007, but he pointed out that this mild winter, particularly compared to last year’s frigid and snow‐caked January, has likely played a role in the uptick. “We’re happy to report positive news in terms of the market, but we also need to be clear about the context,” Rice said, “and right now the context is that we’ve had positive conditions compared to last year.” The drop in median price continues to be influenced by the foreclosure market. The New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority reported 368 foreclosure deeds recorded in December 2011, the highest December number since NHHFA began its reporting in 2005. In terms of local markets, eight of the state’s 10 counties saw unit sales increases in January compared to a year ago, including a 108 percent jump in Sullivan County, 45 percent in Belknap County and 36 percent in both Cheshire and Rockingham counties. The state’s largest county, Hillsborough, witnessed a 14 percent sales increase. Median price, meanwhile, saw increases in four of 10 counties, the largest of those being 22 percent in Coos County. January 2012 data residentialJanuary 2012 data condo With inventory still relatively high, interest rates low and prices competitive, Rice said he would not be surprised to see an excellent spring in terms of sales. “No predictions, but the market is certainly ripe for a continued increase in activity,” he said. “Those looking to buy a home have excellent opportunities right now.” Source: Press Release NHAR, Dave Cummings, NHAR Director of Communications, Concord, NH
Cozy arts and crafts style, 3 bedroom home offers character and charm. Located on a lovely, picturesque, tree-lined road in an area of fine homes. Enjoy the views of Mount and Lake Sunapee on your long Farmer's porch. Bead board, hardwood floors, two fireplaces. Offered at $320,000. Give Chris McKee a call to schedule your viewing - 603-526-4116. For more photos and details, visit www.BurpeeHillBungalow.com
Chris McKee, Listing Agent
Another year has flown quickly by, and it’s time to share with you the Summary of New London Sales for 2011. Note, that in order to include non-MLS transactions, we draw statistics from The Registry Review, as well as MLS. There is some good news in the market’s performance of 2011: condominium sales began a nice recovery, including 4 sales at The Seasons; the number of waterfront/access property sales increased; and total transaction numbers actually eked up about 4.5%. MLS stats for condo and residential sales show an increase from 60 to 73, and an increase in the listing to selling ratio from 90% to 92%. The average days on the market increased from 178 to 206, however, I believe this is a function of older inventory selling. Conversely, more homes sold for <$300,000 in 2011 (26), than in 2010 (16), creating a drop in average price; and total dollar volume inched further downward, despite the increase in number of sales. While this marks the 5th straight year of the decline of total dollar volume since the highs of 2006, it is telling to note that, after the first big drops of 2007-2008, the subsequent decreases have not been dramatic. A couple more sales in the over $300,000+ range, and these decreases could have been washed out. It is also the case that one or two large sales can skew the market. Therefore, I have not included the sale of a single family home for $2,450,000 or the $15,000,000+ commercial sale of the New London Shopping Center. My optimism that 2011 would be the year of change didn’t prove true. There were signs, but just not enough momentum. I do believe 2011 will be the last year of the downward trend. Many forecasting services are predicting constant or rising home prices in 2012. Nationally, buyer and seller traffic was up in late November and December (we were really busy!), which is also a very good sign. The commitment to keeping interest rates low seems to be there. I do believe that, if the news continues to be good, and buyers have reason to feel more confident, many of them, who have been sitting on the sidelines waiting for the “right” moment, will chose to buy a home in 2012. Coldwell Banker Milestone had a very successful and productive year in 2011, proving that our consistent performance continues to yield good results for our buyers and sellers. As always, your referrals are gratefully received, and you can be assured that “The Best Team in Town” will deliver extraordinary service and results. 2011 New London Stats Summary. Marilyn Kidder is Broker/Owner of Coldwell Banker Milestone Real Estate. Feel free to give her a call for professional advice on any of your real estate needs - 603-526-4116.
If you're getting ready to put your house on the market, it is important to make sure it photographs well. Since 90% of buyers start their search online, good pictures are essential to grabbing buyers’ interest. Before your REALTOR® arrives to take photos, here are some tips to help maximize your online exposure.
- De-clutter your house. Pay attention to the small details like removing refrigerator magnets, soap & sponges by sink, and towels hanging on the stove. Also, stash-or throw-all your piles away.
- Watch out for strong colors as they may not show well in photos. You may want to consider painting walls a more neutral palette or replacing too bold/busy bedspreads. Ruffles and curtains may need to go as well.
- Avoid having too much furniture in a room – remove excess pieces.
- Make each room as light & bright as possible.
- Pay attention to the exterior. Good landscaping and a fresh coat of paint will look great on and off camera.
Talk to your REALTOR® to make sure they are using a camera with a wide angle lens and that they are putting as many photos as possible online. You can count on me for this kind of good advice which will help your property stand out in the market and get the attention of serious potential buyers. Give me a call – 603-526-4116!
Donna Forest, Broker Associate
It's not perfect, but it's a great price for New London! $178,000 for this 4 bedroom, 2 bath ranch in a great location with easy access to the medical center/hospital and shopping center. Wood floors, some renovations started. A great opportunity if you're looking for a project with "home" work! Call 603-526-4116 to schedule your showing.
Donna Forest, Listing Broker
It is commonly said among REALTORS® that the first offer is often the best offer. And for good reason! You would be surprised by how frequently we see sellers who are unable to come to terms with the first offer made, then end up selling the property at a later date for much less. Usually the seller argues that the property has been on the market for such a short time, there must be more buyers out there willing to meet the price. Sellers often get attached to that last $1000 – when buyer and seller fail to agree, the sale is lost for a tiny percentage of the overall price. My advice to sellers? Give serious consideration to the first offer and try to make it work if at all possible. Hanging on to the property and paying taxes, mortgage, and maintenance for another few months may eliminate any perceived increase in selling price. With the current market, sellers need to seriously consider a viable offer, especially if it is the first one presented.
Please feel free to contact me for any of your real estate needs, 603-526-4116, donna@donnaforest.com.
Donna Forest, Broker Associate
By: Jamie Goldberg Mulling a kitchen remodel but want to keep costs low? You’re au courant with today’s trends that emphasize options and high-tech wizardry at affordable prices.
New Hampshire was home to a 2 percent increase in residential unit sales in 2011, while the median price of those homes fell by 6 percent, according to data released by the New Hampshire Association of REALTORS.
There were 10,714 residential unit sales in 2011, following 10,529 sales in 2010. The year‐over‐year increase was, in part, fueled by an 8 percent jump in December 2011 (923 sales), compared to 2010 (855). The median price of New Hampshire residential home sales, meanwhile, dropped from $215,000 in 2010 to 201,700 in 2011.
“We’re certainly seeing stabilization in terms of the number of sales,” said NHAR President John Rice, a 40‐year veteran of the real estate industry and an agent with Tate & Foss Sotheby’s International in Portsmouth. “On the price side, we have a continued inventory issue. With so many homes available in most New Hampshire markets, buyers are still able to be very selective, and many are reluctant to buy if the price isn’t just right.”
The standard for evaluating inventory is “months supply,” meaning the length of time it would take to sell off the current inventory based on the number of sales in the prior month. Typically, six to eight months is considered a balanced market, while less than that constitutes a sellers’ market and more is indicative of a buyers’ market.
There is currently an 11‐month supply of housing inventory in New Hampshire. “It’s been as high as 21 months supply within the last two years,” Rice said. “We’re generally trending in the right direction, but we still have a gap between where we are and a balanced market.”
In local markets, December unit sales increased in eight of the state’s 10 counties, including an 8.5 percent jump in Hillsborough County, the state’s largest. Median price fell in all but three counties, Cheshire (22 percent increase), Belknap (22 percent) and Coos (4 percent).
December 2011 data residential
As for condominium sales in New Hampshire, there was a 3 percent drop in unit sales from 2010 (2,635) to 2011 (2,549), while the price of those sales fell 6 percent, from $165,000 in 2010 to $155,000 in 2011.
Source: Dave Cummings, New Hampshire Association of REALTORS® Director of Communications
PARSIPPANY, N.J. – According to Nielsen and comScore Media Metrix, the two global leaders in digital measurement, Coldwell Banker branded websites had the highest number of unique visitors among all national real estate franchise brands for full-year 2011. This marks the second consecutive year that the Coldwell Banker brand ranked No. 1 in Web traffic among all real estate franchisors. “The Coldwell Banker brand is clearly top of mind when consumers go online and search for a home,” said Michael Fischer, chief marketing officer, Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. “Consumers know our great brand and have shown a desire to utilize the suite of online tools seen throughout the Coldwell Banker network at the national and local levels.” According to Nielson, Coldwell Banker websites had 17.5 million unique visitors in 2011, which was more than 28 percent higher than the next nearest franchise brand competitor (13.7 million). Similarly, Coldwell Banker branded websites (26.1 million unique visitors) had the highest Web traffic ranking among real estate franchisors in the comScore Media Metrix full-year ranking for 2011, easily outpacing its next nearest competitor by 21 percent (21.6 million unique visitors). The Coldwell Banker brand continues to place an emphasis on developing its website into a hub for consumers to find and prepare for the home buying and selling process. Recent additions include the lifestyle search page and first time home buyer resource center. Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC accessed the aforementioned information through its subscription to both Nielson and comScore Media Metrix. The rankings encompass all consumer Web traffic (unique visitors) to national and local websites operated by the franchise brands as well as by their franchisees.