Are you stuck with a buyer or seller who can't get off the fence?

I like averages...they have served me well over the years. Averages can be used as guidance with out committing to any guarantees. So...You see Mr. & Mrs. Buyer: The average asking price of a , average size home that sold was $234,822 in this town over the last 12 months. The Average selling price is $216,100, this means on Average the sellers are getting 92% of their asking price at this time.

What does this do for you? Its a non-committal - committal, These are guidelines, they show a pattern..but do not guarantee 100% success. Your offer will be much more likely to succeed when you look at the averages.

What should we offer? Based on the market value numbers, you will not be offending the seller at a 90% offer. If the listing agent is doing their job this offer will not be rejected...outright. It will be compared to the other recent sales, and you are likely to have an outright acceptance or a counter offer...in either case you can move forward with out starting all over again.

What if we went lower...with our offer? The great thing about averages is there are highs and lows in the field, so here again your client can decide how low to go...but they have been cautioned about alienating the seller who may be offended enough not to...counter...or even want this buyer to own their home. This can be a deeply personal decision...wrought with emotion, and I have seen sellers discard not only the offer but any desire to see this buyer, purchase their home.

Where else can I successfully apply averages to help determine values? Every home is different, but if you narrow down the closed sales search criteria enough and do this for several consecutive years patterns will emerge. You can't lump all land sales together and get meaningful data, but if you search by price per acre...for a six month period and repeat that process for each of the past 6- six month periods (3 years) you can say with some confidence what the values have been for each 43,560 square feet of land in the past 6 consecutive intervals. The same math can be applied to condominiums searched, in a very narrow range of square footage...all with the same number of bedrooms and baths (you will get a pattern). Homes are more difficult with so many different contributing facts that can affect values, but price per square foot can still be broadly applied to give a buyer or seller an expectancy range.

Do you want to sell more real estate? Get your buyer off the fence with good research and simple math. Remove the hesitation, buyers want to know they are making an informed decision...Show them the money!!

   Do the math…its simple and straight forward.

Almost everyone can see how the numbers add up!

Comparative Market Analysis Summary

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Recently Sold

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MLS# Addr Town State BR BA Fin Abv Fin Sqft List $ Sell $ Close DOM

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2772052 140 Clearbrook Lincoln NH 3 2 1,600 1,600 $259,900 $250,000 10/30/09 158
2704269 26-5 White Oak Lincoln NH 3 2 1,350 1,350 $258,900 $250,000 12/14/08 186
2663727 17-1 Granite Road Lincoln NH 3 2 1,598 1,598 $254,900 $236,000 11/21/08 502
2764981 14 Mountain Lincoln NH 3 3 1,600 1,600 $249,900 $235,000 09/10/09 164
2775926 100-12 Woodland Lincoln NH 3 2 1,344 1,344 $249,900 $240,000 11/13/09 178
2746896 23-9 West Branch Lincoln NH 3 2 1,250 1,250 $239,900 $220,000 02/06/09 118
2737066 50-1 Easterly Road Lincoln NH 3 2 1,550 1,550 $234,000 $207,000 11/09/09 450
2763242 14-3 Highwood Lincoln NH 3 2 1,550 1,550 $230,000 $226,000 06/25/09 106
2735528 19-3 White Oak Lincoln NH 3 2 1,344 1,344 $225,000 $215,000 05/27/09 271
2759730 48-1 Penstock Lincoln NH 3 2 1,298 1,298 $219,900 $210,000 06/05/09 5
2755218 26-2 White Oak Lincoln NH 3 2 1,300 1,300 $213,000 $203,000 08/28/09 243
2757182 48(G201) Lincoln NH 3 2 1,250 1,250 $209,900 $204,900 06/26/09 105
Average 1,420 1,420 $237,100 $224,742 207
Median 1,347 1,347 $236,950 $223,000 171
R.Stephen loynd

What does the CMA...tell me? The Condominiums in Lincoln New Hampshire that were 3 bedrooms 2 baths, between 1,200 - 1,600 square feet sold in the last year. Were an average of: 1,420 square feet, an asking price of $237,100 and sold for $224,742...and were on for an average of 207 days. This is a 94.78% sales to asking price ratio...So is my 70% offer going to fly?   I very much doubt it!!

Has doing the math helped me sell? - YES

Has doing the math helped me list properities that can sell? - Yes

    Do the Math!

Out with the old and in with the new...

Lincoln New Hampshire: for the past 23 seasons the North Country center for the arts was housed in a machine room once used to makes paper.

  The Old Paper mill...was turned into a theater for the last 23 summer seasons.

The Paper Mill Theater was born from the ashes of the Franconia Paper Mill the areas largest employer from the mid-1800’s through the mid 1970’s.

When Former New Hampshire Governor Sherman Adams came back to Lincoln New Hampshire to build a ski resort, many in the timber and paper industry didn’t have his vision. Fast Forward over 40 years, Loon Mountain Ski Resort is the largest ski ticket seller in the state and attracts visitors year-round. The North Country Center for the Arts new play house will be named after Sherman Adams Daughter Jean Hallager. Jean’s playhouse will boast 15,000 square feet – 250 seats and will cost over 2.5 million to complete. The New Entertainment venue will be on land donated from the town of Lincoln and will sit adjacent to the old Machine room #1, which is being torn down to make way for future expansion plans near the entrance to Loon’s new South Mountain ski area (base lodge, lift & ski slopes done).

We have waited a long time to see these old building come down and make way for the exciting Arts center and the towns new River walk park along the Pemigewasset River. By 2012 much of the anticipated ski area expansion, 20 acre park and new commercial building plans will be completed and this will forever change the face of this sleepy ski resort town that was once a paper mill town. I have high hopes for the town of Lincoln NH, Loon Mountain Ski Resort and the NCCA performing art center as a year round destination for future generations to enjoy the beautiful White mountains of New Hampshire

The first Part of the Foundation walls were poured on Monday November 16th, 2009 in a dedication ceremony attended by nearly 100 patrons of the arts...we are all very excited to have Jean's Playhouse in full operation over the next few seasons.

Rustic , Chalet, Log  and Adirondack Homes...simple ski chalet have gotten bigger and much more complicated than the early days of "Camp". The early Adirondack style was a summer camp, using what ever local material was available to build. These vacation get aways where in remote places and more often than not the stone, tree bark, and local species of timber were employed to build your "camp".

A Colorado Log home shipped from across the country...stone covered foundation, and a heated driveway to keep the ice melted are construction methods available to clients that want custom conveniences in their vacation  homes. People have fallen in love with the look and feel of the rustic cabin and can have as much or as little built in to their homes these days, with out the constraints of just using local timber and material.

Stone and exposed beam are employed in the Public as well as private areas of the modern ski home, featuring over 4,200 square feet of living space...and offer slope side access to your home at Loon Mountain's South peak Resort (in Lincoln NH).

All of the land I walk is technically build-able...if you have enough money and the ambition you can build anywhere. With the cost of material, labor and site work these days....compared to the value of existing resales, I would suggest buyers look at the current inventory before they settle on building. There are some wonderful properties that families just don't get to enjoy as much as they used to.

When you discover affordable farm land with stone walls, open fields and incredible views building your dream home with all the amenities and modern conveniences your family wants...is a sign building is the way to go.

Custom Post & Beam designs. log and Adirondack style homes are a great way to incorporate natural exposed materials. But these homes also have to be energy efficient and rely heavily of good insulation and high-tech heating & cooling systems. The trick is to make your modern home appear rustic and complete the exterior with wood and stone products that are still reminiscent of a camp. If you are looking for a ski home, vacation condominium or a custom designed post and beam in the White Mountains of New Hampshire give me a call.

The use of Birch bark is a nice touch.                       A wooded setting with views frame this home perfectly.

www.cargillconstruction.com

 Most of the homes above where built by our parent company. For more of our Portfolio of homes designs and use of natural material check out our in-house builders web site.

Working on a short sale in a project where the last sale was over a year ago, I advised the seller of the likely selling price and asked for the price adjustment...subject to his lenders acceptance on a short sale offer.

90 days from listing date (showing this was still not a give away price) a 90% offer is made, with the only condition being the seller lender accepting the short sale. Two months in to the process two superior locations, of twice the size sell for twice as much as the current short sale offer.

Along comes a distant BPO (done of $50- sight unseen), and the value is set at double the offer. My Offer is declined end of discussion. I tell the seller, "sorry this is your banks decision - game over". This loan had a 3 yr. balloon note clause whose date has already passed, there is no place to go, the lender tells me we are better off foreclosing on the property...Based on the BPO which they will not accept from me-is flawed.

Everyone loses, except maybe the next agent to receive the listing post foreclosure...they will offer a new opinion of value upon listing and once its bank owned it will be negotiated...without the flawed data that killed the short sale option.

Whats the harm you ask?, The seller has a foreclosure on his record, the bank has the added expense of the foreclosure (as they wouldn't take the property as a deed in lieu of) and the buyer will move on to another property...The bank, the seller, the buyer and the listing broker (me) all lose out on the opportunity to get this deal off the books and retire another bad loan.      Why?...a $50 BPO done by an out of town agent, who the lender wouldn't tell me who it was...and even if I knew wouldn't change the opinion now anyway.

The sales I used to set the asking price 5 months ago...were not even noted in the "new Broker opinion of value" they gave me the comps over the phone (but wouldn't send me the report) but wouldn't look at the 5 other listing still for sale at the subject project with asking  prices in the same neighborhood (as the subject) .

We are in trouble here when the lenders make counter offers for more than they are owed for their payoff, then outright decline market value offers based on flawed BPO's....Hire a licensed appraiser if you don't believe me? Did it ever occur to you the person doing the BPO thinks they'll get the listing and ask for a price drop later?

    Thanks Wells Fargo you are doing a great job, make sure you reflect this in your next request for government bailout money

Despite the groans of the slow market, and repeated claims that its a worse market than last year...lets take a look at actual numbers.

 All Closed sales in the first 3/4 of the year (January 1st- September 30th 2008)

Land sales: 9 closed sites, Asking price 193,200 - Selling Price 175,800 ( 91% ratio)  Day on market 262.

Home sales 6 closed average asking price $387,400 - Average selling $351,800 ( 91% ratio) DOM 319

Condominiums 49 closed, average asking $250,800 - Average selling $235,600 (94% ratio) DOM 202

Condominium sales fared well in the market as the best of the asking price to selling price ratio, and the shortest number of days on the market compared to the other two categories. Total sale first 9 months of 2008 for all real estate in Lincoln NH 64 units sold (compiled by Realtor transactions).

All Closed sales in the first 3/4 of the year (January 1st - September 30th 2009)

Land sales: 5 closed  sites, asking price 188,300 Selling price $171,000 (91 % ratio) days on market 104

Home Sales: 10 closed Average asking $167,200 Average selling $155,800 ( 93%) days on market 193

Condominium sales: 42 closed, asking $222,300 average selling price $205,400 (92% ratio) DOM210

Selling prices were down considerable in the homes sector, but with twice as many single family homes sold over the prior years number, and total sales for all units counted as Realtor transactions 57.

I do believe the bright spot will still come before the end of the year, with a few sales closed and pending for the final quarter of 2009...in the higher end of the price range.

This home closed two weeks ago in the Landings project here in Lincoln NH for the price of $1,850,000. Several other sales are pending over $500,000 and three new homes are under construction at south peak resort in Lincoln...slope side at Loon Mountain with price tags all over $1,500,000.

    South Mountain Pemi Base Camp....nearby several new custom homes are currently being built.

The Conclusion is the low end is selling with less days on the market , the high end is moving, and the middle of the market have more competition...so buyers seem to be under little pressure to make a buying decision.

All of the Home inspectors I have ever recommended are Members of Either- NACHI (National Association of Certified Home Inspectors) /or/ ASHI (American Society of Home Inspectors). In addition to those affiliations and certifications the State of New Hampshire will require they be licensed by the New Hampshire Board of Home Inspectors, by January 1, 2010.

I have had a few inspection issues missed over the years and welcome the additional education and certification that a licensing body will bring to the practice of home inspections. Check out the attached NH.Gov web site for more information.

November 16, 2009

Mandatory licensing of home inspectors in effect Jan. 1

All New Hampshire REALTORS® should be advised that pursuant to New Hampshire statute RSA 310-A:189, all home inspectors practicing or conducting home inspections in the State of New Hampshire must be licensed by the New Hampshire Board of Home Inspectors by January 1, 2010.

New Hampshire RSA 310-A:189 reads as follows:

310-A:189 License Required. Beginning January 1, 2010, no person shall practice as a home inspector or conduct home inspections in this state without a home inspector's license issued by the board.

Information regarding licensure as a home inspector in New Hampshire, including a listing of New Hampshire licensed home inspectors and other pertinent information, can be found at www.nh.gov/jtboard/homeinspectors.htm.

I promised more pictures from my trip, but there is always more to the story...that can't be captured in photos. Ever ask a rhetorical question and wish you hadn't that about sums up my feelings about Ugly Americans on Vacation. You see we were heading out on an excursion and were on a bus with a couple from New York, I casually asked how is your stay? The Wife went in to a tirade about the paying extra for a ocean view and having a tree in her way. (This is the view from the common area beach we all had...sucks huh?).

I'm sorry I asked, but the Europeans we met had no such issues they were on Holiday. The English, French Italian and Canadians were there to connect to their loved ones not waste the negative energy on petty issues with their rooms. They were a school of fish happy to be taken by the current...and the world is their oyster.

The ebb and flow is rhythmic, you simply can't hurry up and have fun...you have to slow down and see what happens next.

The sun set at nearly the same time every night, it didn't care if you have gotten enough towels in room and if you ran back to miss the crowd at dinner you missed this completely.

The building behind the blue umbrellas is where we stayed...I was forced to get up before noon, because the Reggae music started, and the sound of blenders is hard to resist.

New Friends from Toronto, but both born in Italy. Franco decided to take his wife (Fiorenza) for a surprise 40's birthday he told her to pack a carry-on with clothes for a swim and casual dinning...Oh and bring your passport. This is the joy of spontaneous travel, a Holiday to re-connect not to disconnect or complain about the little things.

You may be a shark at home...but you are a small fish when you are surrounded by ocean.

This tree provides shade for anyone who sits beneath its branches...and it doesn't care where you flew in from.

If you feel like you need a vacation after you get back from a trip...you are doing something wrong.

The Rest of the World has it right a two week Holiday really puts you in the right  mood, there is no need to rush through your trip only to return to work more stressed than when you left. So the next time you plan a trip remember no one likes an Ugly American...and a Holiday is more fun with out a schedule and a check list.

We stayed at the Almond Beach Village in Barbados...and found the time for a little golf as well.

I have been out of the "Loop" for this past week, as my wife and I took a much needed Vacation to the island of Barbados. Many of you know we live in the sticks so getting to the Airport takes some planning. The night before our scheduled 6am flight we stayed in a airport hotel in Boston.

Sun setting on the city of Boston...A picture of things to come.

A November to remember, winging in to a Caribbean island was A nice way to start our first day, 12 degrees above the equator (Hot..Hot...Hot).

The First night at our island home...warm ocean water, moist breezes and something frozen with a touch of rum

The Reef in front of our place was perfect for a little snorkeling (and I'll share some of my underwater pix later).

My wife Vonni and I at one of the Many fine dinning options. I have a deal with my wife not to publish anything about being away in any of my social network platforms. We live in the sticks but no sense in telling the world we will be away from such and such a date...and the house will be vacant for a period of time.

  Excellent trip to the Almond Beach Village in Barbados, nice vacation and I'll share a few more stories after I unpack and answer the 458 emails and 42 voice mails I got while I was away...and promised not to go on line for a week.

More to come stay tune...sorry again to my friends for dropping off the map without a word, but these days there is no other way to get out of town.

Cannon boast the oldest continuously operating Aerial Tramway in the country, don't be nervous the towers, cable and cars have been updated and replaced to strict code a few times since the originals.

Most of the slopes were obscured in the clouds, on this State owned resort. This is a New Hampshire Tradition rugged steep and often icy. The locals like it that way it keeps the ski bunnies in the lodge and hardy skiers on the trails. We feel if you can ski this North Eastern Mountain you can ski anywhere in the World and handle the changing conditions. This was Bode Miller's Training Ground, our native son two time World cup Champion and two time Olympic Silver medalist skied here as a child and cut his teeth on Cannon's challenging slopes.He has a farm near by where he grows organic produce and trains in the off season.

I can't begin to keep up with Bode on the ski slopes, But I have played many rounds of golf with him and we are pretty equal with clubs in our hand. I wanted to wish Bode the best of luck in the upcoming (and most likely last) winter Olympics.

This was a late Summer hike with Cannon Mountain in the background, still can't see the whole mountain its hard to pick a day that the top of the hill in visible.

Do you think the hard part is over once the sales contract is signed?...Think again?

Service begins when the P& S is signed. It doesn’t matter what type of property you are working on, you are the expert…don’t leave your client's to care to chance.

It’s a slipper slope those words have many different meanings. When it comes to selling land it can mean outside vendors want to get their job done as easily as possible. The buyers envision the home in a particular location which would require the excavator doing a test pit 200 feet off the road. It would have been much easier to do the pit 50 feet off the road. The contract would have been valid, once finding a place that supports a septic system. But when the house gets designed a new test would be required in the area the leach field must be located in …for a gravity fed (down hill system).

 So no we are not doing it the easy way we are doing the work the way that doesn’t require it to be done twice at the buyer’s expense (which is the right way).

 I had to stand over a test pit with a soil scientist and an excavator operator while it snowed today.

I’m not trying to run rough shot over the deal, but let me see the good faith estimate…before the closing (when there is time to work with a lender on fees). Let me get you a second quote for repairs that come up in the inspection, these are some of the items a real estate expert can help you with.

Locating the best place for your septic system can be the all important in preserving the view you fell in love with.