New Hampshire Real Estate Sales and Training Blog

* 17 Marilyn Park Drive Listing Blog

DC REALTOR Mid Year pictures

Sat, 17 May 2008 13:02:00 -0500

We returned home late last night after a horrible 12 hour drive from DC. Traffic and weather conditions were a total nightmare. Jay even managed to get us lost a few time despite the GPS’s best efforts to give him directions…needless to say it was not a “fun” ride. :)

The conference was very good albeit it very busy. Tuesday night we attended the New Hampshire Welcome reception held at the Omni Shoreham and it was fun to mingle with fellow New Hampshire-ites and chat up the conference.

One thing that I noticed through-out the conference was technology, internet and blogs. I think the National Association of REALTORS sees the writing on the wall and is attempting to “wake-up” the masses but I think that the masses are not yet ready to wake up.

Jay and I... Twittered our conference experience and I know we were the only NH REALTORS to do so.

One cool thing to happen was we got interviewed by the Real Estate Zebra Daniel Rothamel, it is a long interview but if you want to see it follow the link to the Agent Genius site where he posted it.

We also spent some time with fellow real estate bloggers from all over the country, that’s the beauty of Blogging, even though many of us had never met in person we all felt like we knew each other.

We enjoyed a great dinner that was organized by Matt Rathbun with the RE.net/ Twitter gang and on Thursday enjoyed a presentation by fellow Bloggers Chris Elizabeth Griffith , Tony Arko and Kieth Garner known as @ktgeek on twitter.

Jay and I both attended many presentations full of information affecting real estate, the market and future projections.

I’ll be posting more about the conference later but in the meantime enjoy my picture slide show of The New Hampshire Welcome reception and some of the RE.Net World folks in DC.

We missed the ActiveRain Party hosted by Patricia Kennedy but heard that a great time was had by all.

2nd day at Mid-Year in DC

Wed, 14 May 2008 09:15:58 -0500

Tuesday I took the all day REBAC Auction course, again so I could be certified to teach it in NH. The test was a little harder than I expected but I think I did okay!

After the class I went to the NAR Bloggers lounge over at the Omni Shoreham where I met fellow blogger Daniel Rothamel from TheRealEstateZebra.com.

I had a blast talking with Daniel and Jay also joined us after he came back from the member director forum.

We ended up doing did a live video stream from the Bloggers lounge.

It was very nice meeting Daniel, Ian Smith from CRT and Keith also from CRT (center for real estate technologies)

We missed meeting a few other bloggers during the day but I’m sure we’ll catch up with them in the next few days.

After the Bloggers lounge closed we went to the New Hampshire welcome reception and spent an hour or so visiting with fellow NH REALTORS. I took a lot of pictures which I will upload later.

Today is going to be crazy...but I will take lots of pictures :) so that I can update you all.

It is going to be a very busy week in DC.

1st day at Mid-Year in DC

Mon, 12 May 2008 20:39:21 -0500

I took an all day e-buyer class today at the Mid Year meetings in DC.

The class was taught by fellow Active Rainers Amy Chorew and Melanie McLane. This was a debut of the all newly re-vamped class.

While it was hard to sit in a class all day long, I really enjoyed it. And yes, I walked away feeling that the day was well spent and that I learned something.

The class was sponsored by REBAC and is one of the electives that can be taken to complete the ABR course requirements.

Active Rain was mentioned often in the class as was realestateshows.com and other web 2.0 applications.

Tomorrow I am taking the all day REBAC Auction course and then tomorrow night Jay and I will be attending the NH weclome reception.

It's going to be a busy week in DC but when I get home I will be qualified to teach these two classes...assuming I pass the tests that is.

Wish me luck!

Attention Ethics and the REALTOR group members

Fri, 09 May 2008 20:28:02 -0500

I am thrilled to announce that Jesse Clifton has graciously agreed to Co-Moderate our group.

Jesse has been a long time active member of the group and understands the importance of keeping the group on topic.

The Ethics and the REALTOR group rules are simple. "Anything to do with the REALTOR Code of Ethics...Questions on Behavior...The Enforcement Process...Lets talk the Code..."

****Please do not add your listing posts, market reports, political and religious post, self promotion type posts as they will be removed from the group.****

As always we ask that if you feel we have removed a post that should have stayed...that you please notify one of us.

Thank you all so much and THANK YOU Jesse!!!

P.S.

I am sorry this post looks so plain but I am unable to upload any photos to ActiveRain as there are some glitches in the system.

Happy Mother's Day

Fri, 09 May 2008 15:57:38 -0500

Don’t forget Mother’s Day this weekend.

If you’re looking for something a little different to do on Mother’s Day this year check out the Children’s Museum in Portsmouth NH.

The museum is offering free admission on Mother’s Day and it is a fun way to spend some quality family time. Check out their website for more details.

Then head on over to the Adams Memorial Opera House in Derry NH to catch a cute entertaining performance of Willy Wonka.

What ever you do have a Great Mother’s Day!

P.S…If you want to buy mom a new house…here are some suggestions :)

* 39 Boulder Drive Danville

* NH Waterfront Homes for Sale

* 14 Higgins Ave Sandown

First Impressions...who cares??

Thu, 08 May 2008 14:13:36 -0500

It’s May and in New Hampshire my grass is green and my flowers are starting to peek out. Yet last week I got an invite to an open house…the picture of the house had at least a half a foot of snow on the roof.

Yesterday I surfed the MLS and I noticed a listing that had recently expired, the listing photo had a few feet of snow on the ground.

Another new listing has 2 photos repeated 3 times…so 8 photo spots used up in the MLS of the same two shots, another showed dishes and clutter on the counters. Then…god forbid a lovely picture of a bathroom showing nothing but the toilet with the lid up no less! I’m happy the house comes with a toilet but really how about showing more of the bathroom or skipping the hopper shot all together.

Remember how we were all taught about the importance of making a first impression? Today, depending on what survey you believe up to 90% of home buyers search or use the Internet to find a house.

First impressions…each time a listing is viewed on line a decision will be made based on that photo. A decision to make an appointment or to inquire about more information, or the decision to by pass the home completely.

What does your on-line listing photos say about you and your house? What does it say about the professionalism of your agent?

I wonder if the Sellers of the listings I looked at yesterday know what their online first impression is?

I wonder if they care?

The biggest obstacle to climbing the Active Rain ladder to success

Tue, 06 May 2008 00:46:33 -0500

The biggest obstacle to climbing the ladder to success is weeding your way through the crowd at the bottom. I'm sure you've all heard that before but it is so very true.

Climbing the ladder to Active Rain success is not all that different and it is not hard once you push your way through that crowd hanging around on that first step.

In NH we currently have 513 members with only about 100 of them having posted a blog or two. The rest... the crowd at the bottom have done nothing but perhaps put up a profile. Some haven't even up loaded a picture or for that matter created much of a profile.

Sadly they are missing such a great opportunity, something that can truly help them stand out amongst their competition.

Working the Active Rain ladder to success is not rocket science but more like The Golden Rule...do unto others as you would have them do unto you. It's simple really.

I'm no expert...but here is my take on it, I know you didn't ask but...

Write posts that you would enjoy reading...hint if they bore you...they'll no doubt bore other people!

Always remember who your audience is...are you talking to other real estate professionals or the consumer
Keep your posts short if at all possible
Don't steal other's blog posts
Don't steal other peoples photos
Try and write at least 2 to 3 posts a week
Don't be a link freak...I've been guilty of this, but really nothing turns people off more than a post that is over dressed with links...linking every other word in a post just feels like a walking billboard
Don't be a point whore... I'm sure this is controversial but write from your heart and not just to get 200 points

Do you like reading comments on your posts?

If so then do unto others as you would have them do unto you...leave them a comment or two. AR is not a one way street.

Even a dog does not poop in their own play ground... Active Rain belongs to all of us ...keep the yard clean and be nice to your fellow bloggers. Think twice if not three times before you hit the "post it" tab...make sure your written words are conveying what you really want them to.

Remember hearing... Don't put all your eggs in one basket? Well it's the same with Blogging...get out there beyond the walls of Active Rain and travel the Blogosphere...start an outside Blog, read outside blogs but remember not everyone plays nice in the sandbox.

So blog smart!

There are some topics that should be off limits or at least proceed with extreme caution if your going to throw it all out there.

Don't talk money...like in how much you charge unless your willing to feel the sting
Don't throw sand at other agents...don't use names and real life events without disguising the people and the places
Don't disparage others...make sure you know your facts if you're going to write negatively
Better yet...why don't you look for the positive and write about that instead
Do abide by all fair housing, antitrust rules and regulations, real estate commission rules regarding advertising, your company office policy (if they have one) about agents on-line presence

The Golden Rule applies to everything in life and while there is a lot more to blogging than a simple golden rule, like understanding things like SEO and tags ...if you don't have the Golden Rule part down, you'll never get to a point where understanding SEO and tags will make a hill of a difference.

You'll just be hanging around with the crowd at the bottom!

Serving Southern New Hampshire and Rockingham County

Follow me on Twitter.com @monimcgill

14 Higgins Av Sandown NH * New Price*

Sun, 04 May 2008 15:14:37 -0500

Opportunity Knocking with this four bedroom Cape style home Now With a NEW PRICE!!! MLS # 2709508

Offered for sale with the exclusive Prudential Value Range Marketing plan - Seller will entertain offers between $234,900 - $269,876

This is very aggressively priced and looking for buyers with imagination and not afraid of using a little elbow grease. Paint, carpet and some minor upgrading will make this home shine and be an exceptional value.

Warm and inviting with all appliances included means you can move right in and make this Sandown New Hampshire home your very own.

Built in 1973 this home has had some updating through-out the years.

200 amp electrical, glass top range, wood stove, brick fireplace, 2 full baths, 4 bedrooms, 2 car detached garage,in ground pool (needs liner), out buildings,hot tub, deck plus 2.92 acres of land ideal for horses. Excellent commuting location and ideally located in Sandown New Hampshire .

This is a a great opportunity for buyers looking to "buy right" in a buyers market. Very easy to show just call or e-mail us and we'll arrange a private showing. Working with a Real Estate Agent...not a problem just let us know their name or give them a call...we'd love to set up an appointment for you!

Serving Southern New Hampshire and Rockingham County

Follow me on Twitter.com @monimcgill

Visit our Listing Blogs at...

One of those days...

Sat, 03 May 2008 19:34:30 -0500

Ever have one of those days where no matter what you do it comes out wrong? No matter what you do you can't get warm?

I know we all have those days and I know that tomorrow will be better. It always is...but in the meantime I do what I usually do... to find comfort.

I look through my picture folder and relive those memories. And tonight I found a little video clip that I shot during our vacation in Bar Harbor Maine last August.

We vacation in Bar Harbor every August and stay at the same campground on the same camp site at the waters edge.

Our site sits on Western Bay and we are protected by a dotting of islands that buffer us from the open ocean. We camp with a group of good friends and it is something that I really look forward to every year.

I'm counting the days till we go again!

Tonight I found this video and it made me feel warm and happy so I uploaded it to VEOH and decided to share it with you all.

It's kinda shaky...but I think it gives you an idea of what our little piece of paradise is like.

NH Celebrates The Old Man In The Mountains

Thu, 01 May 2008 20:15:36 -0500

May 3 2003 is a day many New Hampshire residents will never forget...like remembering where you were when JFK or Bobby got shot...9-11 and Martin Luther King...of course that day is nowhere near the same tragic scale and magnitude of those events, it is a day that traumatized the state of New Hampshire.

It is the day that the Old Man fell.

It sounds a bit strange to be celebrating an event that changed the face of our state but that is indeed what will happen this weekend.

There will be a huge celebration in Franconia Notch State park this weekend...actually five years to the day that the Old Man fell.

There will be all sorts of events, music, food and outdoor activities at The Old Man in the Mountain Festival and Salute which will be held to honor his passing.

In case you've never heard of the Old Man, let me tell you a little about my old man.

He was a very old man indeed, some say he was born an estimated 2,000 plus years ago during the post-glacial period.

Even though he was very old his passing was deeply mourned by New Hampshire residents as well as those of its sister New England States.

The Old Man in the Mountain.

What a sight he was...so majestic...so proud. He sat boldly on the shoulder of Profile Mountain, which juts out into space, some 1200 feet above Profile Lake.

His profile was not to be missed by anyone visiting New Hampshire's Majestic White Mountains.

We have often pulled off the highway to stop at the viewing station simply so we could look at him, take pictures and just marvel that he was there.

Riding up route 93 is just not the same without him.

He was a natural phenomenon...not created by man, but cherished by many.

The joy never wore off...never became a yeah so what...been there done that type of attraction.

And then one day when we least expected it, he was gone...simply gone.

We didn't have a chance to say good bye or take one last photo.

We knew he was ailing a little bit and had heard about tentative gentle repairs being done and minor mending needed but no one expected that he would fell.

The Old Man of the Mountain, whose stony countenance simply vanished overnight and was discovered missing on May 3, 2003.

I'm sorry if you never got to see him in real life...my shots don't do him justice at all.

I've included some links that have great photos of New Hampshire's Old Man in The Mountain for your viewing pleasure.

RIP

Serving Southern New Hampshire and Rockingham County

Online Videos by Veoh.com
Online Videos by Veoh.com

Follow me on Twitter.com @monimcgill

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Pawtuckaway Lake... A New Hampshire Gem

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 20:03:01 -0500

I love Pawtuckaway Lake in Nottingham NH. It is a good size lake and for a kayaker there are miles of shore line and coves to explore. Jay and I have been out on the lake and let me tell you it is a joy to paddle.

Pawtuckaway Lake is incredibly popular with a little over 800 acres of water and miles of shore line.

Pawtuckaway State Park is also located on the shores of Pawtuckaway Lake and is home to a very popular campground. This is an awesome state park which has 5,500 acres of land, not only ideal for camping but you can spend the day hiking or biking the park exploring the many trails.

You can picnic, fish, swim on a sandy beach and boat to your hearts content. It is a perfect place to enjoy a day or stay the week...you won't tire of it or get bored.

The town of Nottingham also has a town beach which is for residents only and the state of New Hampshire offers public access both at the State Park and at the boat launch area for all to enjoy.

Fishing and boating of any kind are very popular on the lake and it can get pretty busy out on the water in the summer time. Public access with boat launches and 803 acres of lake make this very desirable…so be sure to get there early!

There are currently 5 waterfront homes for sale on Pawtuckaway Lake ranging in price from $429,900 to $799,000, so if you’re on the market for waterfront living this is a must explore area.

If you’d like more information about NH waterfront homes for sale give us a call or send us an e-mail, as you can see there is an abundance of choices available and New Hampshire Waterfront is truly ideal for Sun-Sational Living.

We spent a fun night with friends and fellow NH Blogger, Judy Tuscano, on Pawtuckaway Lake recently, it was quiet on the lake as the season hasn’t really begun and it was so beautiful. I couldn’t resist filming a couple of videos.

Enjoy another amateur Video production by Monika…

Serving Southern New Hampshire and Rockingham County

Follow me on Twitter.com @monimcgill

Visit our Listing Blogs at...

Collettes Grove, Big Island Pond a southern NH gem

Sun, 27 Apr 2008 20:44:51 -0500

Big Island Pond is located in Southern New Hampshire in the towns of Atkinson, Hampstead and Derry NH.

It is a very popular 500 +/- acre lake, with 15 miles of shoreline and clear waters as deep as 75 feet that. Big Island Pond enjoys a great real estate reputation, meaning that property values traditionally have remained strong.

Big island Pond is a private pond with no public beaches or access other than a day fishing permit. The pond has one campground located in the town of Hampstead called Sanborn Shore Acres which is family owned campground that is always booked solid, mainly due to its prime waterfront location in Southern NH.

Waterfront homes for sale on Big Island pond currently range in values $289,900 to $800,000 and there are 7 waterfront homes available in MLS.

Big Island Pond has an excellent commuting location with easy access to all major routes both north and south.

The Pond has a rich history dating back to 1665 and the famous Abenaki Warrior Chief Escumbuit. It is a pond that can be enjoyed in all seasons as in the fall the waters are lowered and many folks enjoy ice skating once the remaining water has frozen solidly.

I recently closed on a HUD owned home in Collettes Grove and while doing the final walk through before closing I went down to check out the community beach.

The water was so calm that I decided to film a little video. Jay and I have been out on Big Island Pond many times and really love the pond.

The video was shot on April 25^th and the pond waters had not yet risen to normal levels and the docks were not in nor had the little beach been cleaned up. But still it was very pretty.

My buyers bought a 2 bedroom home with a good sized kitchen and a huge great room plus a 2 car detached garage all located a few minutes away from the community beach.

Even though it was a Bank owned home, a HUD home, the sale went relatively smoothly with the exception of some near major hiccups from the internet lender. Thankfully we were able to work through the issues and closed on time.

My buyers are now proud owners of a home they can enjoy and call their own. It sure beats renting and they even have a lovely beach a few minutes away.

Enjoy another amateur production by Monika…

Serving Southern New Hampshire and Rockingham County

Follow me on Twitter.com @monimcgill

Visit our Listing Blogs at...

I'm Addicted!

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 07:06:00 -0500

I woke up yesterday morning just like I do every morning but when I walked into my kitchen I faced a catastrophe... Jay told me we had No Internet!

I had a busy morning planned and had go teach a web 2.0 class, so for the first time in I don't know how long I left for work without checking my e-mail or my blog sites. It was a really weird feeling that left me feeling very disjointed!

After my class was over I drove to my office just to get on the Internet, check MLS and book showings for tonight. I work from home so driving to the office to do those things are unheard of.

Later, when I got back home, we still didn't have Internet. I started feeling anxious.

After trying to diagnose the problem for a few hours we finally discovered that our modem thingy had died! BUT...It was Wednesday...Jay's Golf league day and you guessed it he didn't have time to fix it.

Before he left for golf he was able to get one computer working but only if plugged into the cord...but that computer itself was sick...very slow and not worth being chained to a desk to use. I could check e-mail on my Treo but it is just not the same.

I love my wireless.

So I spent Wednesday April 23rd totally net free...no ActiveRain, no reading my Feed reader.

I didn't know what to do with myself!

I was home alone, I felt weird, nervous and just plain miserable.

Then I realized the truth and knew that I had to take a bold step and admit it!

My name is Monika and I'm addicted to the Internet!

Serving Southern New Hampshire and Rockingham County

Follow me on Twitter.com @monimcgill

New Hampshire Waterfront..ideal for Sun-Sational Living

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 16:38:26 -0500

Southern New Hampshire is lucky to be home to many lovely lakes and ponds and since Jay and I love to kayak it’s the perfect spot for us to live. We’ve enjoyed kayaking on many of our lakes. Some are private so you would need to know someone who lives on the water or in some cases just lives in that town. Like Hampstead’s popular Sunset Lake which is open to all residents, so no need to live on the water to have access to it.

There are many fantastic NH waterfront homes for sale in all price ranges all over Southern NH. If you’re interested in purchasing a New Hampshire waterfront home or just looking to a find a lake or pond to enjoy for a day or two you come to the right place.

Buying a NH waterfront home can be exciting and working with a buyer agent who understands the lakes and towns will help you narrow down the selection to that prefect lake or pond that will meet all your needs. I’ve listed a few of our local ponds and lakes but there are many more options for NH waterfront lovers.

If you’re into fishing and flat water boating…like kayaking New Hampshire’s Fish and Game department has a pretty complete list of public access ponds for fishing but of course boating counts as well. Need information about depths of these ponds check out the Depth maps.

Some of our local ponds and lakes are listed below. There are many more we’ve been out on and love dearly.

Angle Pond located in Sandown NH…There is no public access, you would need permission to launch a boat from the Angle Pond Camp ground. This campground offer season camping sites as well some limited transit sites.

Beaver Lake located in Derry NH
Public access is located on route 102, Beaver lake is good sized at about 134 acres. No personal watercraft allowed.

Big Island Pond aka Island Pond and is located in Atkinson , Hampstead and Derry NH
This is a very popular private pond with day access for fishing only, a permit and key is required and can be purchased at Don’s Market in Hampstead. 500 acres makes a delightful kayaking pond…if you’re lucky enough to know someone who lives on the pond. If you’re into camping there is a Campground again mainly seasonal sites but they have a few transit sites and this is also a waterfront campground.

Lake Massabesic located in Auburn NH
Public access Rte 121 and Rte 28, no swimming allowed as this is the drinking water supply for the city of Manchester NH but for boating…fishing and kayaking this is absolutely awesome… 2900 acres makes for a full day of exploring.

Powwow Pond Located in Kingston and East Kingston NH and is 246 acres, great for fishing…many fisherman I know call this a paradise for them and boating. Pow Wow is a weedy pond so swimming might be limited.

Great Pond Kingston NH is a very popular 204 acre lake with State park access and boat launching.

Country Pond Kingston and Newton NH 306 acres . Very limited access…we’ve never been out on this lake.

Sunset lake aka Washpond Hampstead NH 151 acres pond with access for Hampstead residents only. Jay and I can kayak this lake in about an hour.

Pawtuckaway State Park Located in Nottingham NH…This is an awesome state park which offers 5,500 acres for camping, exploring the many trails, picnicking, fishing, swimming and boating. The park sits on the shores of the 803-acre Pawtuckaway Lake. We love kayaking here…fishing and boating is very popular. Public access and 803 acres of lake plus boat launches make this very desirable…get here early!

If you’d like information about NH waterfront homes for sale give me a call or send me an e-mail , as you can see there is an abundance of choices available and New Hampshire Waterfront is truly ideal for Sun-Sational Living.

Serving Southern New Hampshire and Rockingham County

Follow me on Twitter.com @monimcgill

NH Waterfront Homes for sale

Sun, 20 Apr 2008 09:05:45 -0500

Yesterday was a busy real estate day for us in NH.

Jay wrote a purchase offer for his buyer clients on a lovely house and we took a new waterfront listing on Powwow Pond at 31 Circuit Drive in Kingston NH. MLS # 2716150

This home is gorgeous and is an exceptionally well crafted custom home with over 3500 sq ft of living space.

The owners spared no expense in creating this one of a kind dream home with amenities galore.

I fell in love with the kitchen…gleaming granite, stainless appliances, tile floor,8 burner gas stove,wine cooler…you name it this home has it.

The master bath is my second favorite room in the house…I can just imagine soaking in the jet air tub with glass of wine while looking out the windows at a nature lovers paradise.

Powwow Pond is a quiet pond and it connects to the Powwow River where one can enjoy kayaking and canoeing while watching the wildlife and snapping pictures of Atlantic white cedar swamps which are known to harbor many birds, including downy woodpecker, brown creepers, magnolia warblers, black-throated blue warblers, to name just a few.

The Powwow River is also a habitat for waterfowl, including black ducks, bufflehead, mergansers, wood ducks and for wading birds.

This may not be for you if you’re into big fast power boats but if you want a retreat, a place to kick back and relax…this is it.

We’ve built a blog site for 31 Circuit Drive Kingston NH at http://NHwaterfronthomesforsale.com so check it out and if you'd like more information on 31 Circuit Drive just e-mail us.

Serving Southern New Hampshire and Rockingham County

Follow me on Twitter.com @monimcgill

Visit our Listing Blogs at...

Spring has Sprung in NH

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 13:01:58 -0500

Everything and everybody is bursting with sunshine and activity...oh the joy of spring! I love it!

Not only is the weather cooperating but the NH real estate market is as well. Everyone I talk to reports the same thing...It's busy in NH. Real Estate most definitely is local!!

And in my local area buyers are out there looking and buying real estate and sellers are pricing their homes to get them sold.

Interest rates are excellent, flowers are blooming and if you listen carefully you can hear the birds chirping with happiness. Spring has definitely sprung in NH!

It's pretty in NH right now as mud season is behind us and hopefully we won't see any more snow until 2009...won't that be sweet!

Looking to buy or sell real estate in southern NH...don't hesitate as there are some excellent opportunities out there.

Happy Spring!

Serving Southern New Hampshire and Rockingham County

http://www.17marilynparkdrive.com/ and http://www.39boulderdrive.com/

Follow me on Twitter.com @monimcgill

New Hampshire Property Listing Blogs

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 20:25:32 -0500

We've recently created two listing blog sites for 2 of our listings.

I'm pretty excited about them and our sellers are thrilled!

The first one took a long time to create as we are totally self taught aging baby boomer's.

I should clarify that Jay did the actual creating of the blogs... I just did the writing.

We wanted to use a blog format as opposed to a static web site and so we used a Wordpress.org platform which allowed us ample customizing.

We bought the URL's and had customized name rider signs made.

I think the information on the listing blog site really gives the buyer the total package...much more than a simple MLS sheet ever could.

In this market every little thing helps and this is just one of the many tools that we can use.

Thinking of selling your southern NH home? Give us a call and let us show you our internet marketing plan and how we can showcase your home.

Happy Spring!

Serving Southern New Hampshire and Rockingham County

Follow me on Twitter.com @monimcgill

Looking at NH Bank owned homes....

Sat, 12 Apr 2008 20:19:46 -0500

Looking to buy a NH Bank Owned Home?

Recently I pulled a list from MLS and was surprised at just how many bank owned homes were available in Rockingham County alone.

They were priced from 90k to 350k for a 3,000 sq ft home in Windham NH. That size home in popular Windham would normally be much higher in price.

There are some awesome bargains out there...but many of them are in need of work and some may have been sabotaged so a thorough home inspection is advised. It is Buyer Beware when buying a bank owned home but the forewarned buyer can buy wisely and come away with an awesome opportunity.

While MLS prohibits me from posting a list I can send it out via e-mail so if you are looking to buy a bank owned home and are not currently working with a real estate agent drop me an e-mail or give me a call and I’ll send you the list.

If you are interested in booking an appointment to see a bank owned home…we would love to work with you…representing you in the purchase.

By the way...Has anyone ever taken the time to offer you a buyer counseling session before?

If not... now might be the time to take advantage of a personal no obligation Buyer Counseling session! Call us we'd love to chat with you.

Happy Spring!

Serving Southern New Hampshire and Rockingham County

Follow me on Twitter.com @monimcgill

A Successful night...Prudential Verani Spring Seminar

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 07:26:52 -0500

Last night we held our Spring Seller seminar.

We held it in our office at Prudential Verani REALTY in Hampstead. We have two good sized conference rooms and figured we might have 10 -12 people show up.

Our goal was to have everyone in one room with 6 presenters. We had planned light refreshments and thought a 2 hour time frame would be adequate.

The reality was that we had 18 people show up and had to split the presentation up into 2 rooms and the program ran closer to two and a half hours with people mingling and talking for another 30 minutes or so.

We had some of our agents present but not in the rooms during the presentations. Our goal was not to turn it into a "sell yourself" type of event but rather make it relevant and very informative. Joe Martin and Donna Speirs pictured next to our welcome sign are two of our Verani team members who worked hard to make our seminar run smoothly.

We had a home stager, a home inspector, a lender who talked about seller concessions, a title company and one of our agents spoke about our company website and I spoke about market conditions which was a hot topic.

Our evening was very successful and judging from the comments received it is something we should think about doing on a regular basis.

We kept our costs down, planned for a small crowd and we exceeded our expectations and reached the consumer in a very meaningful way.

It felt very good!

Happy Spring!

Serving Southern New Hampshire and Rockingham County

Statewide with Rockingham County

Follow me on Twitter.com @monimcgill

The state of NH Real Estate

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 07:11:28 -0500

My State Association has been keeping track of data supplied by our MLS service.

Recently they came out with statistics that put in context all the hype surrounding real estate in New Hampshire.

The state of our real estate is not nearly as dismal as the news media would have us believe.

Real estate is local and my local southern New Hampshire Rockingham County market is BUSY. My office, Prudential Verani in Hampstead is busy and so are most of the agents working there.

Buyers are out and about looking and buying. Prices are very reasonable, especially in comparison to the last few years.

Check out our county stats and I've also included the other NH county stats as well.

The links open to a PDF file produced by the New Hampshire Association of REALTORS and used with permission.

Statewide with Carroll County

Statewide with Cheshire County

Statewide with Coos County

Statewide with Grafton County

Statewide with Hillsborough County

Statewide with Merrimack County

Statewide with Strafford County

Statewide with Sullivan County

Statewide with Belknap County

Happy Spring!

Serving Southern New Hampshire and Rockingham County

Follow me on Twitter.com @monimcgill

Sunday Open House A-Thon

Sat, 05 Apr 2008 19:58:03 -0500

Open house April 6th!

Come join us as we participate in the Prudential Verani Open House A-Thon.

Jay will be holding 17 Marilyn Park Drive in Hampstead open from 1-3

I will be holding 14 Higgins Avenue in Sandown open from 1-3 and then I’ll be over in Danville at 39 Boulder Drive from 3:30 to 5:30. We’d love to have you come visit!

Who knows you might even find that perfect dream home at a very dreamy price. Or if not at least you’ll get an opportunity to meet us.

Need directions call Jay @548-7685 (I can't find my way out of a paper bag) or e-mail us.

Don’t miss it!

Happy Spring!

Serving Southern New Hampshire and Rockingham County

Follow me on Twitter.com @monimcgill

ActiveRain Video Contest 2008 and 17 Marilyn Park Drive Hampstead NH

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 20:09:25 -0500

I love shooting videos, just check out my closets! I think I have a good 30 years worth of videos stock piled. I've captured all sorts of embarrassing moments for prosperity... LOL my kids hate me I'm sure.

Then I discovered Active Rain and because of it, YouTube and Veoh. So it's just a natural progression for me to start using videos to promote my listings and my market area and maybe to capture a friend or two in one of those rare moments.

Recently we listed a lovely home in Hampstead New Hampshire and I thought why not? Why not shoot some videos and take Active Bob up on the challenge...so using my Little trusty Cannon digital camera because I do not own a Flip Camera (hint-hint) I went to work.

First off...I am very much an amateur at shooting homes for sale and doing any kind of decent commentary. It might have helped had I thought to write out a script and if I didn't have this horrible chest cold. But none of that stopped me... I do like shooting from the hip! I'm sure Fred Light will get a kick out my feeble attempt...but like everything else you need to take baby steps before you can fly.

So Jay and I set out to work on creating a single listing blog for our new listing on 17 Marilyn Park Drive. The home owners love it! It was a lot of work but it was well worth it. We still have one Big wrinkle to iron out involving a Vflyer widget that we can not remove or edit but other than that we're loving the results.

The listing blog features videos and a virtual tour, property disclosures, Google mapping and town information. We think it looks pretty good and is an excellent web marketing opportunity for our sellers while offering a buyer more information than they could get on a home for sale from a typical MLS listing sheet. Plus, a single property blog as opposed to a single property static website allows communication without requiring the buyer to sign in…is very cutting edge Web 2.0 +.

Go check it out and let us know what you think. http://www.17marilynparkdrive.com/

To book an appointment to view this home or if you’re a potential NH home seller who wants more information about our customized internet marketing plan or to find out how we can highlight your home in the same manner as we have 17 Marilyn Park Drive give us a call at 603-548-7728.

To enter the ActiveRain Video Contest 2008 somewhat officially I think I need to embed at least one video here on ActiveRain but please do take a moment and go check out the listing blog! I'd love your feedback...and Yes I do have a strong Boston accent...plus I have a nasty cold...so no laughing!

Happy Spring!

Serving Southern New Hampshire and Rockingham County