I need to get my accounting under control. I know there are a number of accounting software programs such as Quicken but sometimes these programs give way to much to work through and make using them cumbersome or others don't have enough of the "bells and whistles". Is there anything you use to track your expenses and income as well as mileage and that you have found easy to use? How many of you do your own taxes using one of these products?

I have Microsoft "My Pictures" on my laptop running XP. My wife has Microsoft Vista on her laptop and it didn't come with "My Pictures". We have loaded in Picasa 3 and a few other programs that holds your picture files. Each one seems to be difficult to easily upload pictures to our MLS system. "My Pictures" on my laptop is simple and works every time.

Maybe she and I are doing something wrong especially with Picasa, as we have to save the pictures we want to upload to MLS to send to the desktop in order to upload.

Oh yes we just got the new iPad2. Do any of you use your iPad for uploading to your MLS and if so is that easily done?

Any suggestions would be most welcome.

I'm getting ready to take the next step into video for my listings as well as for my blogs. There seems to be a myriad of cameras out there, but I would like your suggestions as well as what add ons should I get.

I was looking at the Canon Vixia HF200 and the Canon Vixia HF20.

Recently I was asked to view and give my opinion of value on a small piece of land with an 1840's house and barn on it. As I went to the property in the beautiful New England town of Tamworth, New Hampshire, I had no idea that what I would see would stimulate so many feelings of my youth when in my twenties I had dreams of just such a property to live on. There's the hippie in me I think, as I was in my twenties during all of the 1970's.

I've always been a lover of old. Old houses, antiques, paintings, records, boats, cars, stamps, stone walls and so many other things have always stimulated in me those questions of who built this, who used this, who saved this, and who valued this as much as I do now?

What I ultimately found on this beautiful early spring morning was a truly captivating property.  The house and barn were empty and unlived in probably for well over fifty years, but the cape style home in need of major restoration still showcased the wooden floors, wood stoves, hand hewed beams and the patina of time with a magic that was perfect for what it was. The barn, though listing slightly had those dirt floor, and  wooden stall characteristics along with the wide doors that typify early New Hampshire barns with room for a horse, cow, chickens and few goats or lambs. What was most intriguing about the house was that it was built to house a family who worked at the old mill; a mill structure that no longer stood. I kept thinking about how small in height people back then must have been compared to today, as the house was small by most conservative standards. I also thought about how hardy these people were working at the mill and making ends meet with none of the things we take for granted in our lives.

The property abuts a brook, which on this day had become a raging river, as well as the Bear Camp River. Here is where I really felt reminiscent. I looked longingly at the brook and thought of the fun it would have been in my younger years living in such a spot with those three distinct swimming holes polished into the granite by rushing water. I had not seen such fine swimming holes before this and I thought of hot summer nights in July in one of those three swimming holes with friends and family, which captivated me for many moments.

Call me a dreamer when it comes to such things, but experiencing these feelings about not only the wonderful brook and river, but the gardening possibilities of which I'm passionate about, as well as the work I would have done on the cape and the barn made for a delightful time on a day when I didn't expect much unlike any other day.

My REALTOR wife just had a deal fall apart because the buyer's children came and saw the condo, and then told their parents not to buy it for them to come and stay because they wouldn't be using it that much.

I see and hear this more and more, "I bought this place becuase I thought my kids would be coming to use it, but it hasn't happened and now we're going to sell it." my wife and I work in a primarily seocnd home market in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire.

The lesson from this happening far to frequently is having the talk with your children and getting a real sense of their desire to vacation with their parents and in a place that the parents obviously love, but may not be the children's thing.

The children saved their parents a lot of money, though the agrivation for the seller was very unfortunate.

We at Maxfield Real Estate in the three offices (Wolfeboro, Center Harbor and Alton) around the Lakes Region of New Hampshire voted unanimously to do away with our traditional Holiday Christmas Party and donate the money that would have been spent to the food pantries in the towns our offices reside in. With the economic hardship so many are facing and the food banks running consistently low on food, it is another reason why working at Maxfield Real Estate and the men and women there once again showed that we care about our communities.

Maxfield Real Estate has a We Care Program that has for many years donated a portion of every commission to a local non-profit of the buyer's or seller's choice. In 2008 over $50,000 was turned over to these non-profits.

Wishing you all Happy Holidays!

Just taking the opportunity to wish you all the best on Thursday. It is one of my favorite holidays with the gathering of family and those wonderful aromas that lead to a sumptuous meal. There is so much to be thankful for!

Now if there were only some good football games on :)

I hear this over and over from those listing their property at the point we determine what the price of the property is going to be first listed at. I've done the market for them,have counseled them on the reality of what homes similar to theirs have sold for as well as what they are competing against in a similar price range, what I feel is the high price that we can test the property at, as well as the range that I believe they will likely see offers being made. Still after all that more often than not they still want to list over the high price because they're "not going to give it away."

I want to say to them you are not going to give it away and someone will end up paying you a significant amount of money for your property, just not over pay for it. I also don't want to tick them off by debating them in greater detail after they have been shown the facts already.

What have you said in this instance?

Gorgeous Lake Winnipesaukee waterfront property, views from south to southeast, 102 feet on the water, large sandy beach, 2 bedroom cottage plus bunk house, level lot, 40 foot dock, deck & cottage just feet from the water, fireplace, gradual sloping sandy waterfront is very child friendly, must be seen to be fully appreciated! Newly Priced at $669,000.

Cottage just feet from sandy beach!

Open Water for All Your Boating Enjoyment

View of Antique Swallow Boathouse (National Historic Register) from the 40' Dock where Antique Boats Come all Summer Long.

The Living Room with Lake Views

Loons by the Beach

Cottage Steps from Beach

For more information contact Steve Bush (603)455-7428 or Carol Bush (603)387-4733, or our website www.lakesregionhomesinfo.com.

Unique Rust Pond waterfront...perfect for a family compound or possible B & B...converted 19th century barn, now a wonderful 5 bedroom year round residence, plus 3 seasonal cottages each with 2 bedrooms, all in a beautiful and private lakeside setting, 244 feet of water frontage, a huge sandy beach, dock and lovely lake views.

Call 603.387.4733 to speak with Carol Bush or 603.455.7428 to speak to Steve Bush about this beautiful property in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire.

19th Century Renovated Barn

3 cottages facing waterfront

Wolfeboro Waterfront - Rust Pond

One of the beautiful rooms in the barn