It seems like this October just flew by! We have had one of the better Fall’s in a long time…no early frost to ruin the beautiful colors. With the holidays just around the corner we are entering the “slow period” up here. Typically real estate activity becomes less intense from November until after Christmas then we get some good ski season traffic.  Home sales this past month were down 25.5% compared to October ‘08 sales.

I’ve been getting pretty excited about the upcoming ski and season and just checked out Mount Sunapee’s website–they have officially switched over to their “winter” version of the site!  The season is fast upon us so I thought I’d share this cool video of a few guys doing some crazy jumps at the Mount Sunapee Terrain Park.

Historical Sales For Our 16 Local Towns

• 46 Listings went under agreement this October

Andover NH

• $173,900- 36 Maple St, Andover NH
• $197,000- 31 Severance Rd, Andover NH

Bradford NH

• $103,000- 11 Greenhouse Lane, Bradford NH
• $135,000- 42 Cheney Hill Rd, Bradford NH

Grantham NH

• $155,000- 1 Slalom Dr, Grantham
• $216,000- 43 Fairway Dr, Grantham NH
• $325,000- 19 Robin Lane, Grantham NH

New London NH

• $150,000- 15 Scythe Shop Rd, New London NH
• $245,000- 76 Farwell Lane, New London NH
• $395,000- 75 Parkside Rd, New London NH
• $395,000- 742 Pleasant St, New London NH
• $500,000- 16 Wallula Rd, New London NH
• $1,891,000- 188 & 189 Hastings Landing Rd, New London NH

Newbury NH

• $92,000- Newbury Heights Rd, Newbury NH
• $246,600- 17 Red House Rd, Newbury NH
• $670,500- 20 Highland Ave, Newbury NH
• $703,000- 138 Bowles Rd, Newbury NH

Newport NH

• $65,000- 135 South Main St, Newport NH
• $102,000- 21 Beech St, Newport NH
• $150,000- 14 Old Goshen Rd, Newport NH
• $161,000- 55 Pinnacle Rd, Newport NH

Sunapee NH

• $266,000- 90 Mary’s Rd, Sunapee NH
• $1,150,000- 1106 Lake Avenue (Georges Mills), Sunapee NH

Sutton NH

• $171,000- 390 North Rd, Sutton NH
• $220,000- 000 Shaker St, Sutton NH
• $275,000- 91 Pound Rd, Sutton NH
• $276,000- 514 Baker Hill Rd, Sutton NH

Unity NH

• $158,750- 279 2nd NH Turnpike, Unity NH
• $252,500- 811 Unity Springs Rd, Unity NH

Warner NH

• $178,000- 15 Roslyn Ave, Warner NH
• $190,000- 35 Roslyn Ave, Warner NH
• $210,000- 3312 Route 114, Warner NH

Washington NH

• $279,500- 70 Lakeview Terrace, Washington NH
• $315,000- 52 Beech Way, Washington NH

Wilmot NH

• $174,500- 6 North Wilmot Rd, Wilmot NH

There were no sales in October for the following towns:

Croydon, Goshen, Lempster and Springfield

*All data used is from NNEREN MLS and is subject to Human Error : )

So it’s not official yet but it looks like there’s a good chance the tax credit will be extended.  Below is what’s currently proposed.

Source from CNN Money:

The latest idea under discussion is a credit worth up to $8,000 for first-time homebuyers and up to $6,500 for homeowners looking to trade up to a bigger primary residence and who have already lived in their current home for five years. (CNN: Senate compromise may be in the works.)

To qualify for the full credit, however, homebuyers must have adjusted gross income of less than $125,000 ($225,000 for married couples filing jointly).

In addition, the credit would only apply to homes sold for $800,000 or less. Contracts to buy a home must be signed by April 30, 2010, and the deals must close by June 30 in order for a buyer to qualify for the credit.

Interested in learning more about the tax credit? Check out this post of mine Next Steps To Getting Your Tax Credit

I’ve recently been trying to take advantage of some of the great fall foliage we have here in New Hampshire and wanted to try to capture that for a subdivision I have listed in Hooksett. What I love the most about this development is that you get the “North Country” views that we’re used up in the Darthmouth/Lake Sunapee Region. You can actually see part of Mount Sunapee, Mount Kearsarge stands right out, Monadnock, Crotched and Stratton are seen from most of the lots. The best part is that you are just outside of  Manchester/Concord and can easily take advantage of all the great “city” conveniences while enjoying your sweeping mountain views!

http://www.QuimbyMtn.com

Our company recently worked on producing a video to try to capture the Lake Sunapee Region and what makes it so special for those of us who live, work, or vacation here. Please check it out below and let me know what you think!

Thank you for your contributions to this awesome video.

• Will Hurley from Outspokin
• Marcie Vierzen & Amy Witner from Artisans
• Jay Gambel from Mount Sunapee
• Ron Brown from Banks Gallery

Below is a Youtube video I put together of some of the pictures that I have taken in the Sunapee Region. You’ll see photos from the top of Mount Kearsarge, Mount Sunapee, Lake Sunapee, Pleasant Lake and Highland Lake. There are also pictures from various view lot subdivisions in the area like High Meadow, Granite Ridge at Prospect Hill, Southview and Greystone.

Fall is fast upon us! Every day the leaves are getting so much more color. Definitely one of my favorite times of the year. This past month sales were up 22% and we had 41 listings go under agreement.  As of today there are 695 listings on the market in the Sunapee Region with an average list price of $426,777 and an average price per square foot of $223.

Here are a couple of great local events that are happening next weekend

Warner Fall Folliage Festival
http://www.wfff.org/

Free Green Home Seminar & Timberpeg Hybrid Green Home Open House
http://www.boninarchitects.com/upcomingevents.html

We recently had a company BBQ on Pleasant Lake-This was the view!

Historical Sales For Our 16 Local Towns
January 2006-23 Sales
January 2007-29 Sales
January 2008-27 Sales
January 2009-15 Sales
February 2006-26 Sales
February 2007-30 Sales
February 2008-25 Sales
February 2009-15 Sales
March 2006-35 Sales
March 2007-38 Sales
March 2008-17 Sales
March 2009-29 Sales
April 2006-46 Sales
April 2007-28 Sales
April 2008-21 Sales
April 2009-29 Sales
May 2006-56 Sales
May 2007-53 Sales
May 2008-34 Sales
May 2009-32 Sales
June 2006-59 Sales
June 2007-46 Sales
June 2008-30 Sales
June 2009-36 Sales
July 2006-48 Sales
July 2007-43 Sales
July 2008-40 Sales
July 2009-46 Sales
August 2006-51 Sales
August 2007-54 Sales
August 2008-34 Sales
August 2009-32 Sales
September 2006-43 Sales
September 2007-47 Sales
September 2008-36 Sales
September 2009- 44 Sales

• 41 Listings went under agreement this September

On Saturday September 19th from 10am to 2pm I will be hosting a BBQ Open House at a view lot subdivision that I have on the market. The lots are conveniently located just 10 minutes from New London and 15minutes from Mount Sunapee. All of the lots have views of Lake Sunapee, Mt. Sunapee and some even get views of Ledge Pond. For those who are able to attend you will have the opportunity to:

• Walk the Various Lots For Sale
• Learn About New Construction Financing
• Discuss and Review Various House Plans
• Lot Sizes Ranging From 5Acres to 15+Acres

To assist with any questions you may have with new construction financing, design, building costs we have the following professionals onsite:

• Kim & Jeremy Bonin of Bonin Architects http://www.boninarchitects.com/
• Jay Tucker of Old Hamshire Designs http://www.oldhampshiredesigns.com/
• Elizabeth Dabrowski of Sugar River Bank https://www.sugarriverbank.com/
• Dan O’Halloran of Colby Real Estate http://www.ohalloranrealestate.com/

We would love to know if you are planning on attending. Please either email me at dano@colbyinc.com or RSVP via this link  http://twtvite.com/lon3sf

This link will take you to 3 of the lots that we have on the active market. Additional lots will be made available for sale during the event and the developer is significantly discounting the lots for attendees. Granite Ridge Lots

Can’t wait to see everyone on the 19th!

PS- Yours truly will be manning the grill so the food is guaranteed to be great!

Directions
From I89 Exit 12 head towards Georges Mills-Sunapee on Rte 11. Take 1st right after gas station and take immediate left onto Prospect Hill. Granite Ridge is on the right with immense stone entrance. If you see Prospect Hill Antiques, you’ve gone too far!

We’ve finally had an amazing week of fantastic weather!!! This has definitely got to be one of the most un-seasonal years I’ve ever experienced here in NH. Besides ski season, fall is my absolute favorite time of year up here and with fall just around the corner, there are tons of local happenings going on throughout NH. Check out the following links to some cool events that are coming up soon.

Sunapee Harbor this past week

The 94th Annual Hopkinton State Fair – Sep 3-7
The Hopkinton State Fair has become a large, top-ranked agricultural fair in New Hampshire. It is well known for their agricultural exhibit as well as the fine entertainment which it furnishes every year. Click here for more info on the Hopkinton Fair

This link will take you to a list of all the Fairs that are going on throughout NH http://www.nhfairs.com/fairdates.htm

6th Annual Taste of Manchester – Sep 9
Explore the very best of downtown dining and retail at the Taste! One ticket gives you entry to over 20 retail/merchant locations who will play host to some of downtown Manchester’s most scrumptious restaurants who will be serving up delicious ‘tastes’ from their menus Click here for more info

Wicked Wine & Brewfest – Sep 12
Wicked Wine and Brew Fest is a unique tasting event featuring New Hampshire and New England wineries and breweries. The event will also include local NH vendors, musicians and artisans. Click here for more info

NH Highland Games – Sep 18-20
The NH Highland Games is the largest Scottish cultural festival in the Northeast and is presented by The New Hampshire Gathering of the Scottish Clans, Inc. Click here for more info

Mount Sunapee Skyrides! – Oct 3-4, 10-12, 17-18
Take an aerial sky ride to enjoy the breathtaking summit scenery. Jump onboard our Summit chairlift and enjoy the trip as you ascend to the summit.  Get off at the top and take time to experience the view. Eat your bagged lunch, read a book, or simply relax at the peak and when you are ready to head back down jump on the lift and enjoy the view all the way to the bottom. Click here for more info

Fall Foliage Festival, Warner – Oct 10-11
The Festival is Warner’s invitation to share the natural splendor of New Hampshire’s vibrant autumn colors while enjoying food, entertainment, carnival rides and fine crafts along the main streets of Warner. The Festival is organized and operated by hundreds of local volunteers and money raised will go towards community projects. Click here for more info

Below are all the sales for August. Looks like we are just a couple transactions short of last years numbers…still not out of the slump yet!

Historical Sales For Our 16 Local Towns
January 2006-23 Sales
January 2007-29 Sales
January 2008-27 Sales
January 2009-15 Sales
February 2006-26 Sales
February 2007-30 Sales
February 2008-25 Sales
February 2009-15 Sales
March 2006-35 Sales
March 2007-38 Sales
March 2008-17 Sales
March 2009-29 Sales
April 2006-46 Sales
April 2007-28 Sales
April 2008-21 Sales
April 2009-29 Sales
May 2006-56 Sales
May 2007-53 Sales
May 2008-34 Sales
May 2009-32 Sales
June 2006-59 Sales
June 2007-46 Sales
June 2008-30 Sales
June 2009-36 Sales
July 2006-48 Sales
July 2007-43 Sales
July 2008-40 Sales
July 2009-46 Sales
August 2006-51 Sales
August 2007-54 Sales
August 2008-34 Sales
August 2009-32 Sales

• 42 Listings went under agreement this August

Whether you have recently bought a “fixer upper” or have just been trying to figure out the best way to cut down your heating bills, you need to take a look at a new program that PSNH is offering.

If you meet their eligibility requirements and you are one of the first 200 PSNH customers, the benefits are incredible!

To start you need to hire someone to perform an Energy Audit on your house. This typically can cost up to $500+/- and is a pretty cool process. Recently I had Rich Burns from Shakes To Shingles Inspection Services do a test at my house. They setup a “blower door” which starts sucking all the air out of the house. This unit actually measures the air flow rate in the house. Then you check the house for leaks. This part to me is especially cool because he has this “thermal camera” that allows to you see where the air is coming into the house because of its different temperature. The camera shows warmer temps in yellow, red and oranges and cold air in grey/black.

Picture from Wikipedia

Once this process is complete you will receive a report detailing the necessary changes and the estimated costs. Changes typically are:

• Additional insulation in the attic, walls and basement
• Further insulating ductwork
• Sealing numerous spots throughout the house that are letting air in
• New thermostats
• Installing new lighting — Compact Fluorescent lights (CFL)
• Installing water saving devices

Now here’s the awesome part about the program.

PSNH will issue you a rebate for 75% of the cost up to $4,000!

If you’re house meets the qualifications for the program I don’t see how you can’t take advantage of this huge opportunity.

This link will take you to information about the program on their website
http://www.psnh.com/Energy/Home_Efficiency/Residential_Retrofit.asp

Below are the eligibility requirements from PSNH’s website.

Who is Eligible?

• Customers whose homes meet the qualifying Home Heating Index (HHI) energy use rating are eligible to participate in the program. See eligibility requirement to obtain a rating of your home. Note: You will need one year of fuel bill history and the square footage of your home to determine your eligibility.
• Customers applying by phone will be screened for their HHI.  Qualified customers will be mailed a copy of their HHI score along with an application that must be completed and returned to PSNH.
• Customers accepted into the program will be required to submit two years of fuel bills and their home’s square footage with their application.
• This program is available to customers owning or renting an existing home, or owning or renting in an existing 1-4 unit apartment building in the PSNH service territory.

How to Apply

Confirm your eligibility and submit an application:

• For faster service, click here to check your eligibility online
• Or call 1-800-662-7764

When checking your eligibility, you will need at least one year of fuel bill history and the square footage of your home. Customers accepted into the program will be required to submit two years of fuel bills and their home’s square footage.

In looking at the market activity so far this year we have really seen a drop in the $750,000 and up transactions. Recently the Wall Street Journal published an article – “High-End Homes Frozen Out of Budding Housing Rebound” you can find the article here via Yahoo News

Some of the issues that are mentioned in the article are the effect of tighter restrictions and higher rates on Jumbo Loans. I have also heard that many of the larger banks are not doing Jumbo Loans at all!  Recently I spoke with Loan Officer Elizabeth Dabrowski (603-477-3865) from Sugar River Bank about this and she has assured me that they are happy to lend in the Jumbo Loans market and their main requirement is 30% down no matter the total loan amount.

As you will see in the chart below sales this year are up significantly in the Sub $300,000 market. I would attribute a fair portion of this to the first time home buyer tax credit as well as the overall affordability of today’s real estate market. This holds true for the rest of the categories below as prices have come way down and people are able to get that vacation or waterfront home at a significant discount compared to previous years.

The higher priced homes (typically lake properties) as you can see in the chart have had very little activity. In previous years we have seen a flurry of activity in the last quarter of the year for this price range, however no one has a crystal ball to tell us what the heck is going to happen!

I believe that if you are looking to purchase a lake house in this price range you are at the cross roads of a very unique opportunity. Most of these properties have been on the market for quite some time and I’m sure many of the owners are not looking forward to taking care of their property this coming winter. Additionally many of these higher end lake homes have not sold which presents quite the opportunity when it comes to negotiations.  I believe it is well worth taking the time to view and consider purchasing a lake property if a 20% +/- swing in price would work for you. It’s still a buyers market and now is the time to take advantage of it!

This link will take you to all the properties that are currently for sale on Lake Sunapee, Little Lake Sunapee and Pleasant Lake.

SunapeeRegion Lake Properties_August 2009 (this is a large pdf document that may take awhile to load at first)