This is one of our favorite locations to visit while on vacation in Maine. This show was put together a few years ago but not much has changed.

Due to the tax credit being extended back in late ’09 it sure did help sales this spring. But, so far this 2nd quarter sales have slacked off and it  should be interesting compared to the 2nd quarter of last year.

Look for the first half year stats in the first week of July.

The following year Bill’s ex-wife had taken ill and was now unable to take care of their three boys, Peter, Paul and Patrick. Peter moved in with my cousins and lived with them. Paul went to Canada and lived with his mother’s relatives and Patrick moved in with us. Two years later my mother and Bill married and now Patrick was part of our family.

Patrick had the most gorgeous curly hair as a kid and was your typical three year old. But, one thing he had that most kids didn’t have was Hemophilia. Every time Patrick fell down he would bruise very easily and have continuous internal bleeding until we could inject him with a blood factor that would stop the bleeding. As a little kid this was quite often and very painful for my mother who took care of Patrick.

Patrick would never be able to play the sports that we could all play as kids and take for granted. He couldn’t play football, baseball, basketball, hockey or even dodge ball because any physical contact would mean internal bleeding and a black and blue body.

Patrick led more of a normal life than most would think, but as he got older all the bruising and falling down had taken a toll on his knees and he had a hard time walking. His leg was extremely hard to bend and he always walked with a limp.

One thing Patrick had to have a lot of was blood clotting factor concentrates that helped stopped the internal bleeding. These were little bottles that we got from the hospital and Patrick would get injected with this blood clotting factor to help stop the bleeding and save his life.

The early eighties brought us the scare of HIV/Aids and due to Patrick’s Hemophilia he would be very accessible to contracting the HIV virus from blood transfusions. Sure enough our fears came true around 1985. Patrick needed a blood transfusion and contracted the HIV virus from tainted blood. I never found out for a few years as the family kept it hush hush.

As the years rolled on Patrick led as normal a life as he could and became quite ill in 1999.  One of his goals was to live to see the ball drop in 2000, the new millennium. As the Christmas season neared in 1999 Patrick became extremely ill and fell into a coma. The doctors told us to gather the family as Patrick was slowly slipping away and may never regain consciousness again.

We were able to contact his brother Paul, who was living in Seattle at the time and had not seen Patrick for many many years and I had never met Paul as well. Paul was able to fly in right away.

We all were in Patrick’s  hospital room when Paul and his wife walked in and Paul walked up to Patrick’s bed to say his goodbye’s when all of a sudden Patrick woke up and sat right up to say hello to Paul.  This was a miracle and shocked us all as well as the doctors. I know it is hard to believe but if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes I probably wouldn’t have believed it as well, but I did.

Patrick stayed awake and celebrated Christmas with us and in the next few days he started to slip away again and on January 1st, 2000 at 4:00 pm Patrick passed away.

Patrick was able to see the new millennium as he so wished.

May you rest in peace Patrick we all miss you.

My Grandfather Jeremiah Joseph McGillicuddy worked most of his life as a steam fitter and ended up passing away with Lung Cancer caused by asbestos. Below is Mr. James’ article in it’s entirety.

Located in the Northeastern part of the United States, Maine is known for its extravagant scenery, mountains, rocky coastline and of course its appetizing seafood cuisine. The road to owning a home is a wonderful experience, but one that requires new responsibilities.

Gaining assistance from real estate adviser can help in dealing with making that all important decision. Many properties will also require repairs or remodeling. Asbestos is a natural fibrous mineral used in millions of homes throughout the twentieth century as a form of insulation, piping, roofing and flooring.

Potential Maine home buyers, re modelers or those looking to lease or purchase a commercial property built before 1980 should be aware that the potential for asbestos materials to be present exists. This does not mean you should jump out of your seat because asbestos exposure is easily prevented by taking simple precautions.

If any suspected asbestos is in good shape, it’s posing no apparent risk. If it’s in bad shape, it could be a problem. If a home inspector suggests removal is necessary, it must be performed by a licensed abatement contractor who is trained in handling hazardous materials. They can perform the removal in public facilities, homes and work places. At the present time, there is a growing list of green insulation alternatives which replace the need for asbestos.

The inhalation of its fibers can cause a rare lung-ailment known as malignant mesothelioma, which accounts for three percent of cancer diagnoses in the United States. Mesothelioma survival rate varies from patient to patient for many reasons. These include age of diagnosis, latency period and cigarette smoking.

Maine Going Green

Recently, congress passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act into law. Included in this act were extensions to the tax incentives placed for energy efficiency in 2005, as well as new credits for

Homeowners who remodel or build using Eco-sustainable methods. Some of the measures that are eligible for tax credits include added insulation to walls, ceilings, or other part of the building envelope that meets the 2009 IECC specifications, sealing cracks in the building shell and ducts to reduce heat loss. Storm doors paired with U-factored rated wood doors are also eligible.

Recycled building materials that are healthy alternatives to asbestos include the use of cotton fiber, lcynene foam and cellulose. With an increase in technology and public awareness, the United Nations Environmental Program states that the use of recycled building materials such as cotton fiber insulation can reduce energy use by 25 percent.

Of interest to those involved in real estate, a citizen based environmental advocacy group called Environment Maine, is combining independent research and a tough minded strategy to overcome the opposition of special interests who seek to undermine pro environment approaches. Focusing to rid Michigan of asbestos use and other harmful materials, they also focus to protect the water and open spaces. Environment Michigan is working hard to give the state the healthy environment that the people deserve.

She is not one for early mornings but she day in and day out is either heading to Concord for meetings or taking her buyers out to show homes. Then when she gets home she takes care of everything that needs to be done around the house. A true Champion.

She is always working on the computer, if she isn’t out with clients, enhancing her online presence whether it be by blogging or Social Networks.

I think she is hooked on RE Bar Camps. RE Bar Camps are when a group of real estate agents get together and share their knowledge  in a peer to peer enviremont. She has been to ReBar Camp’s in Virginia, Philidelphia and Boston. All great experiences for learning. At the Boston event she won a free pass to to RE Tech South another gathering of agents for learning the most in Real Estate Techonolgy. I am sure she is counting the days to March 26, 2010.

Page views are up from last year. Also, showings have doubled which is a great sign that buyers are out there looking. Home Sales in Derry, NH are up 20% from last year. So, looking at these stats confirms to me that sales are picking up and as we know NOW is the best time in history to buy  a house. Interest rates are at an all time low and inventories are still up so that means there are plenty of homes for buyers to view and prices have declined to about 2002/2003 prices.

The green bars represent how many homes were on the market for that given month. The blue represents how many were sold in that given month and the pending sales are the ones with the red line through it.

While she wasn’t on for a long time she was, I hope, able to communicate some crucial information. You can listen to the show here.

There is no doubt that January saw a major market stall as many people put home buying on hold in anticipation of what President Obama would do once he took office.  Early February saw some mass confusion due to the up and down real estate stimulus package potential of a $15,000 tax credit.  Some buyers moved forward in anticipation by making offers contingent upon the 15,000 tax credit becoming a reality.

Of course we all know that did not happen.

The reality is that people buy homes not sticks and bricks, they buy lifestyles, they buy a dream and while everyone wants their home to appreciate in value, it’s important to remember that long term real estate is an excellent investment.

Are we at the bottom? I really don’t know but I do know that investors have stopped looking and have started buying! Which tells a very important story.  If  you’re a buyer “On the Fence” don’t let this opportunity slip by you.  It would be pretty sad to look in the rear view mirror someday soon and kick yourself for missing this opportunity.

The last week of  February in our Londonderry office alone, we had 24 homes go pending in one week alone.

That’s a lot of homes and to me that speaks volumes.

The chart below shows a 10 year history of the Rockingham County real estate market.

Below are Prudential Verani Realty’s newest web stat  numbers for January of 2009. We are still experiencing a decrease in buyer online activity. What is good is our listings are getting more showings than last year and that tells me we are still seeing activity even during these tough economic times.  Monika and I have been a lot busier this year than than this same time frame last year.

What’s interesting is page views per visit is close to last years. Also, showings on our company listings has exceeded twice the amount of last year and close to what happened in ’07.

Now is the best time to buy in over 40 years as interest rates are the lowest we have seen in decades. Inventories are up and buyers have plenty to choose from and also prices are down to about 2003 /2004 prices.

NOW IS THE TIME TO BUY

Well, Danville, NH  stayed the same in volume compared to last year and I am sure there will be a couple more sales posted Monday or Tuesday as firms have 48 hours to post their sales from the time the property closes.

If your home is priced to sell it will sell quickly.

Prices on average are down as well along with price per square foot. Days on Market have increased.

Home sales in Chester, New Hampshire for January 2009 vs January 2008.

Well, Chester, NH  has not sold a single family home this year compared to last year and I am sure there will be a couple more sales posted Monday or Tuesday as firms have 48 hours to post their sales from the time the property closes.

If your home is priced to sell it will sell quickly.

Well Atkinson, NH  has stayed the same in volume but doubled it’s sales from last year and I am sure there will be a couple more sales posted Monday or Tuesday as firms have 48 hours to post their sales from the time the property closes.

If your home is priced to sell it will sell quickly.

Prices on average are down as well along with price per square foot.

Well Hampstead, NH  has doubled it’s sales from last year and I am sure there will be a couple more sales posted Monday or Tuesday as firms have 48 hours to post their sales from the time the property closes.

Days on market tell the big story, if your home is priced to sell it will sell quickly. If three months is quick. I would say it is compared to the same time last year.

Prices on average are down as well along with price per square foot.

I was able to go out during the day and shovel the driveway a few times so I wouldn’t have to shovel it all at once.

The next inch was all sleet and my driveway was coated with ice.

The next morning I was able to walk on the driveway with no problem as there was still a dusting of snow on top of the sleet.

I brought the trash down to the end of the driveway, a bag in each hand, when all of a sudden I fell to the ground with my feet coming out from underneath me. What a bummer as it really hurt my right hip and I also got  a nice raspberry on my right arm. I am beginning to really hate winter.

On Wednesday I noticed the bathroom ceiling sheet rock was splitting. I knew right then and there that time was needed to get on the roof and shovel the snow off to relieve the ice dams that were forming.  Out comes the ladder and the roof rake.

I am not a big fan of heights and my roof is not that high only about a story and a half. No sweat right?

I was able to get a lot done on Thursday on the northwest side and  I needed two sets of gloves as they got soaking wet pretty quickly.

One thing to always remember never rake the roof on the side that the wind blows. Gets a little chilly when the snow blows back in your face. The good thing is the ice dams have been relieved an no further damage will be done.

This is where I started Thursday.