July 2011 housing market data from the New Hampshire Association of REALTORS® Director of Communications, Dave Cummings.
New Hampshire residential home sales rose substantially in July 2011 compared to July 2010, but the state’s Realtors stressed the same message they had been offering in prior months, when the news hadn’t been as good: Don’t consider any of it a trend just yet.
Statewide, 1,048 homes were sold in July, a 29 percent increase from the 811 that were sold in July 2010, according to data released this week by the New Hampshire Association of REALTORS (NHAR). Those homes sold at a median price of $216,000 this year, 2 percent below the $220,000 of July 2010.
The sharp increase in sales was due in part to the significant drop-off in sales of last July, which came immediately following the expiration of the $8,000 home buyer tax credit incentive.
Just as 2011 home sales through June were light compared to sales impacted by the tax credit rush through June 2010, the July 2011 sales looked strong compared to a relatively light July 2010.
“We’ve said for some time that year over year numbers won’t really tell us much until we’re completely clear of any comparisons impacted by the tax credit,” said NHAR President Tom Riley, a 35-year veteran of the real estate industry and president of Riley Enterprises in Bedford. “The further along we get in the year, the more relevant and telling these comparisons become.”
In general, Riley said, the housing market remains an issue dictated by consumer confidence. “Housing remains one of the best long-term investments available,” he said. “That hasn’t changed. What has changed is that consumers in general are feeling less secure with regard to the economy, and in many cases their own personal circumstances, and when that happens people are more likely to stay put.
“We certainly respect that, but it’s also important to point out that for those who are in a position to move, buying conditions are excellent.”
In local markets, July unit sales increased in nine of 10 counties (and stayed the same in Carroll County), while six of 10 counties saw an increase in median price, one remained unchanged, and three experienced declines.
You won't want to miss this "snug as a bug", get-away cottage in Sunapee just minutes to skiing at Mount Sunapee Resort! 2 bedrooms, 1 bath and deeded access to Mountain View Lake. Secluded back yard with deck. Kayak in the summer, ski in the winter - what more can you ask for at this price? Offered at $132,500. Visit www.MinutesToSkiing.com for more info.
The warmth of wood and beams surrounds you as you enter this elegant, custom built home. 5 bedrooms, 5 baths and beautiful views of Lake Sunapee and surrounding mountains. Open floor plan with granite fireplace in the great room. Red birch floors and multi-level living. Enjoy Brown's Hill amenities including an in-ground pool, tennis, and beach front on Lake Sunapee. Visit www.57HighRidge.com for more photos and details. Offered at $1,100,000.
Donna Forest, Listing Broker
Wouldn't you like one floor, maintenance-free living? Take a look at this Hilltop Place condo in New London, NH. Great location, close to shopping and the post office, private end unit, 2 bedrooms, 2 baths and lovely view of Mt. Kearsarge in the back yard. For more photos and details, visit www.33Hilltop.com.
Marilyn Kidder, Listing Broker
For most people, selling their home is an emotional experience. Many memories are tied up in a house. As your house goes on the market, you need to bear in mind an important thing – your home has just become a commodity. It’s property. Real estate. Your goal is to have other buyers see it as their potential home. As difficult as it sounds, failure to make this emotional disconnect can cost you buyers. Part of preparing a house for sale is to de-personalize it. Remove family photos, trophies, knick-knacks, etc. This allows buyers to visualize themselves in the space without being distracted. A house with personality is great – just try to keep the “person” out of it.
For more selling tips, visit my website www.DonnaForest.com.
Low maintenance, 4 bedroom home and yard well-designed for carefree vacations. Private setting. Slope 'n Shore Club membership includes use of a beautiful beach, tennis, picnic tables and a community rec building. A great opportunity with lake access and close to skiing for 4 season fun. For more photos and details, visit www.PleasantLakeAccess.com.
Marilyn Kidder, Listing Broker
By: Les Shu
Easy-to-install security cameras let you keep an eye on your home from afar, ensuring safety and security for you and your family.
Network cameras
Internet-based network cameras are a quick solution in setting up home surveillance. They connect to your broadband connection and don’t require difficult wiring or mounting.
Logitech’s Alert lets you view either real-time or recorded footage—with audio—of the inside and outside of your house through your iPhone, Android, or BlackBerry smartphone, and the system is expandable by adding additional cameras. You’ll get text or email notifications on your phone or computer if the camera's motion sensor is triggered.
Panasonic’s BL-C131A goes one step further by giving you remote pan and tilt control from your smartphone or computer, allowing you to view in eight different positions.
The Alert 750i Master System starts at $299.99. (A similar device from D-Link costs $119.99.) The Panasonic BL-C131A costs around $300.
Riding the Z-Wave
If you have a Z-Wave-based home automation system installed, you can add wireless cameras to create a security network inside and outside of your house.
ADT’s Pulse is a complete home alarm system that uses Z-Wave cameras for home monitoring from your iPhone, BlackBerry, or Android. ADT Pulse service plans start at $48 a month, not including installation and cameras.
Schlage’s LiNK offers its Z-Wave Wireless Camera as an option to its electronic locks. Like ADT’s Pulse, you can also perform additional home management functions with compatible Z-Wave products like thermostats. Schlage LiNK starter kits cost around $300, and the Wireless Camera costs around $150.
Similar wireless security cameras are available for X10 home automation systems.
DIY camera
You can turn a basic computer webcam into a surveillance system using free downloadable software from Yawcam and EyeSpyFX. You’re required to have your computer remain on, but once set up you can log in remotely from another computer—say, at work—and view streaming video of your home. Just position the camera at what you want to monitor.
Yawcam offers motion detection and can send a snapshot to your email when triggered, while EyeSpyFX lets you view footage from dedicated iPhone, Android, and BlackBerry apps.
An affordable webcam like Microsoft’s LifeCam VX-2000 costs about $30 or less.
A writer covering the latest technologies and trends for a variety of national publications, Les Shu is currently automating his home with the newest doodads to make it smarter than he is.
Visit Houselogic.com for more articles like this. Reprinted from HouseLogic.com with permission of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®
By: Theresa Klisz
Backyard pests--squirrels, rabbits, moles--can destroy your landscaping and lawns. Here’s how to get rid of the ravenous critters.
Rabbit rascals
Calling cards: Ravaged vegetables, beheaded borders and flowers (especially tulips), and gnawed trees, such as red maple, honey locust, and evergreens.
Protection: Install 2-ft.-high fences that extend to the ground or below ($50 for 100 ft. of galvanized poultry fencing). Surround young tree trunks with plastic tree guard cylinders ($10).
Change habitat: Eliminate piles of brush, barricade cozy spots under sheds, and flatten back-lot debris piles where rabbits nest. Ivy, wisteria, and periwinkle will curb the munching, and fragrant herbs like thyme and lavender will turn them away.
Squirrely pests
Calling cards: Bumps in the night because they nest in your attic; power loss due to frayed wires; missing vegetables and flower bulbs; quickly emptied bird feeders.
Protection: Plug house entry places, such as gaps around utility pipes, broken windows, and uncapped chimneys. Cover wires with plastic pipe that will rotate, causing the squirrel to fall ($2.50 for a 2-ft. section). Sandwich bulbs underground between two layers of wire mesh ($175 for 100 ft. of 24-inch wire mesh).
Change habitat: Trim tree branches 6 to 8 ft. from buildings so squirrels can’t jump onto your roof. Switch to squirrel-proof tilting bird feeders ($25 and up) or domed feeders that close when weight limits are exceeded. Don’t plant oak trees--acorns are squirrel caviar.
Gopher/mole problems
Calling cards: Dirt mounds, lawns pocked with ankle-breaking holes, power loss due to damaged underground utilities; weakened trees due to gnawed roots; missing plants.
Protection: Install mesh fencing 18 inches deep with one-half inch or smaller openings (25 sq. ft. for $175). Trapping is the best way to eliminate gophers and moles. Scissor-jaw or choker-loop traps will snag star-nosed and hairy-tailed moles ($15 for two). Gopher traps look like a twisted mess, but they quickly snap and trap ($15 for a pair). Both can be cleaned and reused.
Change habitat: Since they like easy-to-tunnel, well-watered lawns, try compacting soil and cutting down on irrigation. But moles and gophers are so adaptable that habitat changes won’t keep them out, just slow them down.
Deer disturbance
Calling cards: Flowering plants nibbled to the nubs; leaves torn from plants from ground level to 6 ft.; 2-inch gouges on tree trunks; hoof prints that resemble a broken heart.
Protection: Fencing at least 8 ft. high; homemade and commercial repellents that taste and smell bad; barking dog.
Change habitat: Replace tasty fruit trees with spruce and pine. Swap lilies for ferns and rosemary. Add switch grass and ribbon grass--they’ll avoid these ornamentals. Bonus: Works for bunnies, too.
Theresa Klisz lives in Northern Virginia and was a general-interest features editor and writer for a national wire service. She serves on her community association board of directors.
"Visit Houselogic.com for more articles like this. Reprinted from HouseLogic.com with permission of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®."
By: Joseph D'Agnese
Protect against break-ins with a security check that shows where the entrances to your house—your doors—are vulnerable.
Think like a burglar
First, stand back: is your front door visible from the street, or is it obscured by bushes? A door that’s covered by shrubbery offers thieves the perfect chance to break in without being seen.
Trim back or remove shrubbery that offers cover for potential intruders.
Upgrade strike plates and deadbolts
Open all doors and check the strike plates, the metal fittings that catch bolts and latches. Chances are, they’re fastened to the soft wood of the door jamb with two screws only. Not good. Upgrade security with four-screw strike plates ($3) and 3-inch screws that bite all the way into the stud behind the jamb.
When conducting your home security check, make sure exterior doors have deadbolts that throw at least a 1-inch bolt. Ask your locksmith to upgrade to Grade 1 or Grade 2 locksets and deadbolts ($25 to $80), the most secure options.
Check garage doors
Back doors and garage doors are more likely to be attacked than the front door. If you have an attached garage, disable the automatic opener and lock the garage door before you go away on a long trip. The door leading from the garage into the house should be outfitted with the same hardware as exterior doors and kept locked at all times.
Patio doors are vulnerable
Sliding doors leading to a patio can be a home’s weak spot. To beef up security:
- Closely inspect the doors and their hardware.
- Replace any missing or broken locks.
- Consider installing locking pins to prevent the doors from sliding.
- Get into the habit of locking the doors, not just the screen, when patio doors are unattended.
Replace your entry door
Check the construction of your entry doors. Those made of steel, solid wood, and impact-resistant fiberglass are all good choices for security. If you must have glass, make sure it is tempered or reinforced for added strength. Expect to pay $1,400 to $2,300 for an exterior replacement door, including installation.
Strengthen the lock on your outdoor storage shed
Don’t ignore the doors on your outdoor storage shed, especially if you store tools there; they could be useful to a burglar. As with house doors, the best option is a secure deadbolt. If your shed doors are unable to accommodate a deadbolt, a heavy-duty slide bolt ($15 to $25) secured by a padlock is a good substitute.
Joseph D’Agnese is a journalist and book author who has written numerous articles on home improvement. He lives in North Carolina.
Visit Houselogic.com for more articles like this. Reprinted from HouseLogic.com with permission of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®.
A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of attending a wine tasting at the summit of Mt. Sunapee. My sister was visiting from California and she had never been on a chairlift, so I thought this would be fun for her. She was scared when she saw that chairlift coming, but had a blast!
This summer Mt. Sunapee has hosted several different dinners at the top of the mountain outside the lodge. The wine tasting was excellent! There were appetizers and three courses, prepared by their Executive Chef, paired with three different wines. It was a beautiful night, gorgeous views and sunset and great food and wines.
There's only one more scheduled for September 1, which is a beer pairing with beers from the Harpoon Brewery in Windsor, VT.