A question often asked is WHY DID THAT HOME SELL AND MINE DID NOT? Selling a home does not take an army, but a simple mixture of a hard working Listing Agent, condition and price. When selling a Condominium you are selling a way of life. One that the Buyer chooses for less maintenance, no grass to cut, no snow to shovel and often amenities such as a pool and clubhouse. With our market here in the Manchester NH area, some homes sell very quickly whole other will sit on the market for months.  For those Sellers whose homes have sold, they know the reason. Last winter I had a similar scenario which I wrote in my blog How dare you sell my neighbors house that fast. Who do you think you are? So recently when I got a call DEMANDING to know why I sold their neighbors Condo and not theirs, the ... 12/15/2012

As the market in the Manchester NH area turns from a BUYER'S Market to a SELLERS Market, there is a disturbing trend that may be hurting Buyers rather than helping them. With the amount of homes on the market less than half of only a few years ago, I am seeing multiple offers within days on some of my new Listings. Therefore Buyers who make bad offer are losing out on their dream home. The newest trend is for Buyer agents to attempt to bypass the Listing Agent and submit an offer directly to a seller who has their home listed. This trend has upset sellers and Really upset the listing agents. Instead of helping a Buyers chances, it is hurting them. The biggest trend should not be to try to take a shortcut. But the BIGGEST TREND should be to make better offers. Please see my TOP 3 TIPs fo... 12/14/2012

As economist's both national and here in the  Manchester NH area Look at how Foreclosures will affect the 2013 Real Estate market, the major factor is none of them may have Listed, Sold or negotiated a Bank Owned Home Sale. I truly believe that those with the most insight are those agents that complete a great deal of Broker Price opinions. They show a snapshit of the next 3 months in a given area. When we look at 2013 there are several factors to evaluate. The first being the fact the Banks slowed down Foreclosures to allow for workouts, modifications and Short Sales the first 3/4 of 2012. Therefore it is no surprise November at the highest level of foreclsoures for the year. 2012 showed a sharp decrease in homes on the market with a sharp increase in home sales. Interest rates are st... 12/13/2012

What is the magic formula to get a SHORT SALE Approved? Here in the Manchester NH area, one of the largest trends is Short Sales continue to come on the market but at a slower pace than a year ago. The facts are more are that a Home Owner may only have 1 chance at approval before facing FORECLOSURE.   It is a hard reality to face, but often the blame should not solely be placed on the bank. It is usually a combination of causes starting with the Home Owner making a poor choice who to list with. The other leading causes of a denial is the Seller is the price was simply too low. That the short sale package was incomplete. That the home was vacated. That the home was rented. That there was 2 mortgages or multiple liens on the home. Lastly that the home owner did not cooperate to make the s... 12/12/2012

One of the must do visits is to SANTA'S VILLAGE. Touted as the most magical Christmas location, it is located in Jefferson. Iy is located in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. The Santa's Village web site reports:Santa greets every child, and listens ever so attentively to all the wishes and wants of the season. Mrs. Claus joins in on the hospitality and offers some warm wassail for all their guests. If you visit, be sure to stay 'til after dark when the beautiful lighting throughout the park displays a sense of well-being and warmth on those cooler nights. Dress warmly as it gets snuggly cold on the Skyway Sleigh Monorail or the Merry Christmas Ferris Wheel. 14 rides are operating and the festivities are all geared to ChristmasPhoto courtesy of www.Santasvillage.com This another rea... 12/12/2012

What is TRENDING today 12/12/12 ? Here in the Manchester NH area, one of the largest trends is the complete opposite results of 2 homes for sale in the same neighborhood. The market continues to improve. The amount of homes on the market is decreasing. Interest rates are at Ultra Lows and Buyers are buying at a steady pace. WHY are some homes selling within days of listing and others seem to sit on the market for month and months with little to no activity? The key to the answer is who the Home Owner/Seller chose to LIST their Home. There is a difference when it comes to Listing Agents and in many cases means the difference between your home selling or sitting on the market. The TOP TRENDING Tips of 12/12/12 for Listing your home are: 1. HIRING A LOCAL LISTING AGENT who is FULL TIME and... 12/11/2012

The BOSTON POPS will be presenting their Annual Christmas and Holiday Concert in Manchester NH on Saturday Night Dec. 15, 2012. The concert will be at the Verizon Wireless Arena. The Boston Pops web site reports Kick off your holiday season with Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops at the Verizon Wireless Arena on Saturday, December 15th!"America's Orchestra" joins nationally acclaimed vocal group Five by Design whose style embraces unforgettable melodies, lush harmonies, and swinging rhythms. Enjoy unique takes on classic favorites and brand new originals, plus a special visit from Jolly Ole' St. Nick and a time honored audience sing along. Treat yourself and your loved ones to a holiday tradition that millionscherish! Photo courtesy of the Boston Pops website This another reason why NH ... 12/10/2012

As I look back on the year and ahead to 2013 for my market here in the Manchester NH area I have one conclusion. Some homes still will not sell even though the market has improved enough to show less than half the homes currently for sale then there was a couple short years ago. Last December as our market was kicking into high gear I wrote about The TOP 5 Reasons Your house is not going to sell this year!   1. PRICE: Pricing a home should not be a guess and not even an estimate. It should be based on hard facts of what has sold in your area in the last 6 months that is comparable to your home. Over pricing a home can lead to no one looking at it no matter how good the market is. With a SHORT SALE under pricing the home can lead to doom before your short sale even begins.   2. EXTERIOR:... 12/09/2012

Last year I was called to list a home, when I got there, a neighbor was tearing apart a scarecrow limb from limb with a rake. Now usually my favorite type of phone call is "We want you to list our home, can you come this morning?" I sure can.... As I type the listing contracts, I pulled the tax card and deed and noticed something... This home is next to one of the most eccentric sales i have ever had. A home I sold near a year ago to this date.  I wrote about it with of my most alarming titles blogs I am going to rip your head off.... I arrive at the home and the home owners are outside to meet me. This home is on the other side of the neighbor who fought with his scarecrow. As i glance that way I see Christmas decorations scattered about the yard in pieces. The home owner let me know t... 12/08/2012

This week the "National News" declared the HOUSING CRISIS over by running stories that homes are appreciating across the country. Here in the Manchester NH area we have known this for nearly 2 years. Finally the news media has noticed In some areas there is double digit appreciation for home values. Foreclosures are down, listing inventory is down by 1/2 to 2./3 of what it was only a few years ago and sales continue to be strong with the ultra low interest rates. SO what is the problem? If you drive around and take the time to look, there are vacant homes, here, there and seemingly everywhere. How does one know they are vacant? Well the grass may be up to your knees, in colder areas the driveway and walks go unplowed or not shoveled. The curtains or shades are missing exposing dark and ... 12/05/2012

As we end 2012, many people ask me to look into my "Crystal Ball" to forecast what will happen with BANK OWNED HOMES in the Manchester NH area for 2013. Overall in 2012 our market has seen a sharp decrease in homes on the market with a sharp increase in homes sales. Interest rates are still at all time lows and prices are increasing slightly. When we look at 2013 there are several factors to evaluate. The first being the fact the Banks slowed down Foreclosures to allow for workouts, modifications and Short Sales.With politics putting a stop to the "forgiveness of debt" home owners could face hefty taxes for the balance of what they owed and what they sold their home for when Selling their homes as a Short Sale in 2013.With banks putting the breaks on Foreclosures, there are many vacant ... 12/03/2012

When you look into your "Crystal Ball", what do you see regarding SHORT SALES for 2013? A year ago on January 2,2012 I wrote about a troubling trend with Short Sale here in the Manchester NH area. Inexperienced agents are pouring gasoline on the SHORT SALE fire that is burning through America. Now that we are end of the 2012, Short Sales are poised for a MAJOR CHANGE. When the clock strikes 2013 the law that automatically forgives the amount left over from what a person owes and what a home is sold for during a Short Sale will expire.  Home Owners who choose to sell through a Short Sale could be help responsible for the taxes on the amount of that forgiven debt.  In the beginning of 2012 I wrote about the troubling fact that agents who are NOT experienced with Short Sales are taking Sho... 12/01/2012

Are you ready for New Hampshire's Largest CHRISTMAS PARADE? Come on down to Elm Street in Manchester's Downtown Saturday Dec.1, 2012 at 4pm. Come early as the "KIDS ELF RACE" kicks off at 2:45pm followed by "The SANTA CLAUS SHUFFLE" at 3pm.   Santa themed, 3 mile run, walk, or shuffle to precede the Manchester Christmas Parade! ONLINE REGISTRATION IS CLOSED   In-Person Registration is AvailableFriday (4pm-7pm) at the Shaskeen Irish PubSaturday (1:30pm-3pm) at Veteran’s Park Search or confirm registrations HERE Want to Volunteer? Sign up HERE   What makes this parade special is the float builders from across the region and country that enter their floats in the parade. This year has a special ending where A "CIRCLE OF PEACE TREE LIGHTING" will take place at Stanton Plaza in front of the ... 11/29/2012

This blog is written for inclusion of the Active Rain picture contest. I am happy to report that in 1985, fresh off my 18th birthday I was the youngest person to pass the NH Real Estate test. The good news is, digital cameras were not invented yet, so I do not have my first business portrait. I do have my 1995 picture though. Sorry it is formatted so small, if I try to blow it up it turns blurry. This was on the 10th year of being in Real Estate.  I have to say I hated when I was younger and I never seemed to get older. Now that I am 45, I must say I LOVE IT. In 2005 this picture was taken on my 20th year in Real Estate. It was in the spring and not so tan. I just reached my 27th year in Real Estate. My blog picture for Active Rain is much less formal. It was taken on top of BIG SKY in ... 11/29/2012

Lets start the day with a question. Why did a Home Owner in Manchester NH cross the road?  Before i answer I need to set the scene and tell you this is not a riddle and no not even a trick question. A true story that happened yesterday.  I have a listing in the desired North End of Manchester. I had 4 showings scheduled yesterday and placed them all in 30 minute increments. Such as 12noon, 12:30pm, 1:00pm and 1:30pm.  I arrived at 11:45am to open the home and turn on the lights. The showings started soon after. As I am showing the home some other buyers pop in and said their agent told them to drive by and they saw me showing the home so they wanted to see it. I asked the politely to walk around the outside and as soon as I was done showing this buyer I could take them in. As my appoint... 11/28/2012

As the Real Estate world attempts to go paperless, the need for signatures remains. Signatures are what makes an offer valid or completes a contract. A signature is needed to make changes or amendments. There are many times when you need that signature now but the buyer and seller are not readily accessible to get it from.   When a Home Owner gets transferred and moves across country prior to closing on their home, it can cause extra stress and getting signatures promptly. Recently the seller was still driving cross country to their new home, they did not have a printer, no fax, no scanner and not time to wait until they got to their new home. Their hotels scanner was broken. They headed out to find a business with one to be able to print, sign and scan the docs. With a Bank Owned Sale ... 11/28/2012

When a Home Owner calls and asks "Are you the BEST agent in  the Manchester NH area?" I paused a second as the Caller continued "I always thought I should hire the BIGGEST Agent but everything I read tells me that is wrong. I should find and hire the BEST Agent in my area."   So, "Are you the BEST Agent?" they ask. Without hesitation I let the person know that my goal is to provide the Best personal and professional service through each step of the Home Selling or Home Buying Process. The most important thing is that when I close a sale, my client considers me the best in their eyes. They reward me not only with a "Thank You" but by telling all their friends, relatives and co-workers. The caller then said the have a confession. They stated they listed their home with the biggest agent 6... 11/27/2012

When you see the term "Assisted Showings only", Do you cringe? Run or Go with the flow? There seems to be an increasing controversy regarding homes that require assisted showings. With in a matter of the last few days I have experienced the best and worst of an assisted showings as a Listing Agent and as a Buyer Broker trying to show a few homes where the Listing Agent was required to be there.   First I would like to explain to the potential Buyers and Sellers what an "Assisted Showing is". An assisted showing requires the buyer and or their agent to be accompanied by the Listing Agent or a representative of. The benefits of an Assisted showing are heavily weighed to protect the home owner and their home. In my case in a vacant home, a Buyer Broker left the sliding door open to an open... 11/26/2012

No matter what town or city you drive through, whether in the Manchester NH area or your state, you can not help but notice there are empty houses that seem forgotten in the Real Estate recovery. It is common for me to get several questions every week that go something like: "How do I make an offer on an abandoned Home?"   The problem is many of these vacant homes are not for sale yet. In most cases the owner gave up and left. Their bank may not even know it yet. The problem arises that the owner usually owes more than it is worth and can not sell it. The bank does not own it yet and can not sell what they do not own. What is a person to do that is really wants to buy it? On your own: You can go to the town/city hall and look up the tax card at the assessors officer. It will show you wh... 11/25/2012

What happened to the etiquette of Home buyers when looking at Homes? When twice this week in the Manchester NH area with 2 separate Buyers they brought their pets with them to see homes. There is no handout to buyers to go along with the Agency Disclosure that states no food, no smoking, no pets and do not let your kids run wild but should there be?   Earlier in the week i had a buyer show up with their agent to see a home and she was holding her cat. It was a vacant home that required accompanied showings so I was there. When she walked up it appeared to be a stuffed animal but within seconds a squeal and off runs the cat into the home. With little concern from the Buyer, her agent scrambled to chase the cat. Fast forward to yesterday when some buyers showed up early, their agent no wh... 11/24/2012