Looking for something to do in Portsmouth?? 

We have three great theatrical treasures here in Portsmouth New Hampshire, and two of them offer year-round enjoyment for residents and visitors alike!

The Music Hall is a historic theater that was built in 1878.  It's the oldest theater in New Hampshire, and the second oldest theater in New England.  This beautiful 900 seat theater is one of only fifteen theaters built in the 1800s still in use in America. 

In its early years, The Music Hall was home to vaudeville performances and silent film shows.  Today, it offers a wide variety of offerings, from films, comedy, concerts, evenings with authors, and so much more.

In 2004, the theater went through a multi-phased, multi-million dollar restoration that returned this gem to its turn-of-the-century splendor.  Much of the beauty and original structural construction and design was able to be restored, as well as upgrades to technology, stage systems, and patron amenities that will enable this beautiful theater to continue offering fabulous programs for many years to come.

This is the stunningly beautiful restored arch above the stage.  It's called the "proscenium", and you just have to see this in person to see just what an amazing restoration job this was.

In 2003, the US Senate voted to include Portsmouth' Music Hall in the "American Treasures" because of its preservation and restoration work.

Some of the upcoming events are "A Vintage Christmas"; "A Celtic Yuletide"; "Holiday Pops with the NH Symphony Orchestra"; and "Clara's Dream - A Jazz Nutcracker".

Just a couple of blocks away from The Music Hall is another of Portsmouth's special little gems - The Seacoast Repertory Theater.  This theater in the round was orginally built as a beer and grain warehouse in 1892.  It was renovated into the theater we know today back in 1979.  Because of the size of this theater and due to it being a theater in the round, you'll experience a much more intimate setting here.

Boston Magazine has selected The Seacoast Rep Theater for their "Spotlight on the Arts Award for Best Year Round Theater" in the Seacoast.  They've won this award several times for their premier entertainment offerings.

Some of the upcoming plays on the calendar here are, "Miracle on 34th Street"; "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory"; "The Spitfire Grill"; and a varierty of
other plays.  The schedule here usually has 3-4 different plays offered each month.

Both The Music Hall and The Seacoast Repertory offer annual memberships as well as ticket sales for each individual event.

We are very fortunate here in Portsmouth to have both year-round and summer theaters!
Our beautiful Prescott Park has offerings all summer long that include concerts, plays, story-telling, art shows, chili and chowder cook-off festivals, and more.

Come and visit us, and check out all three theaters!  With all the various offerings each has to offer, you'll certainly find something everyone will enjoy.  Once you've been here to visit us, you'll fall in love and want to make this area your home!! 

Ann Cummings

All About Portsmouth New Hampshire Public Schools

 "The purpose of the Portsmouth schools is to educate all students by challenging them to become thinking, responsible, contributing citizens who continue to learn throughout their lives."

Most buyers I work with moving into the Portsmouth New Hampshire area have questions about the schools - where they are, what the curriculum is like, what the student-teacher ratios are, what programs are offered at the different schools, etc. 

I've put together information on all of the elementary schools here in Portsmouth, as well as information on the Middle School and the High School.   You can access that information in here in this link. 

You'll find all kinds of information in the various links I've included on the schools that I hope you'll find very helpful as you explore and discover Portsmouth.

Ann Cummings
Portsmouth NH

MAKE YOUR HOME AS SAFE AS YOU CAN

Unfortunately, crime is no longer isolated to certain areas, it's become an issue that seems to be at the forefront of the news everywhere we turn.  And it can very unexpectedly land on your very own doorstop with no notice.  Take heart though, there is no need to feel you can't do anything about it!

Here are some simple but smart steps to take that can greatly increase the security of your home:

 ~~~  Keep your doors locked and make sure all doors have deadbolt locks of at least 1 inch to 1 1/2 inch.

 ~~~  Have 'pry-proof' locks on your windows.  I found some of these at both Home Depot and Lowes recently.

 ~~~  Keep the bushes and trees in your yard and right around your house trimmed so your windows and doors can be seen by your neighbors.  This helps in not having hiding places for potential intruders.

 ~~~  Keep all of your entrances well-lit at night.  You can purchase from a wide variety of inexpensive spot-light systems with motion sensors that turn the lights on when movement takes place within certain ranges.  You can also buy sensor lights that come on at dusk and go off at dawn or some other preset time.

 ~~~  If you're thinking about a pet, a dog would be a good choice.  Convicted burglars have been interviewed and have said that homes with dogs were the homes they broke into least.  Dogs can be a great deterrent for burglars.

Ann Cummings
Portsmouth New Hampshire

Be Safe During the Holidays!!

Did you know that Thanksgiving actually began in the United Kingdom, as their Harvest Festival?  It was later brought to America by the early settlers, and from there it became a much more important holiday than it had been originally.  The first celebration in America took place in Plymouth in 1621 by the Pilgrims, which was actually a form of the UK's Harvest Festival.  The first official Thanksgiving was actually in the Virginia Colony on December 4, 1619.  The first national Thanksgiving Day was proclaimed by George Washington and celebrated on November 26, 1789.

Take a trip with the Pilgrims and see how they made it to America, how they lived once they got here, and what their Thanksgiving feasts were like back in the 1600s.

Want to learn more about Thanksgiving and the history and lore behind it?  Take this quiz and see how you do!

Want to have some fun with some turkey trivia and see how much (or not) you know about the good old Thanksgiving staple?  
 ~~  Tom the Turkey   ~~  Be a "Top Turkey"   ~~  Turkey Facts Trivia

Here's some fun things for the kids and grandkids!!
 ~~  Games, Screensavers & Storybooks    ~~    Turkey Crafts    ~~   Stories, Games, & More

What to do with all those leftovers???????
   Check out these sites for ideas for leftovers and some great recipes - lots of yummy ideas here!!
        Even those ice cream mogels, Ben and Jerrys, get into the Thanksgiving fun!

And don't forget that fabulous Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade!!  My sisters and I so looked forward to watching this parade every Thanksgiving morning while my mom was putting together a fabulous meal for us.  As a matter of fact, I still watch this parade every Thanksgiving morning.....   ;-)

My wish to all of you is for a very Happy Thanksgiving!!

Ann Cummings
Portsmouth New Hampshire

                                    WELCOME TO NEW HAMPSHIRE!!

New Hampshire was named by Captain John Mason for Hampshire, England.  It was part of the original 13 colonies, and became the 9th state in the country on June 21, 1788.  We are one of the six states that make up New England.  New Hampshire was the first state to declare its independence from Great Britain, and it was the first to set up its own independent government, having done so in January 1776.  That fierce independence that NH natives are known for was shining through way back then!

"The Granite State" is one of 4 nicknames that New Hampshire is known by, and it's also the one most people know of.  This nickname came about because of the enormous amounts of granite formations and quarries throughout the state.  The other nicknames are "Mother of Rivers", for the five great rivers of New England that originate in NH's mountains; "The White Mountain State" for the White Mountain Range; and "Switzerland of America" for the beautiful mountain scenery.  Our state is certainly a very beautiful state!

Our state motto is "Live Free or Die", and most New Hampshirites take that motto very seriously.  This motto is relatively new, having been adopted by the General Court in 1945.  According to some, our motto is probably the best-known of all state mottos because 'it speaks to an aggressive independence inherent in the American dream, and partly because of its contrast to the mild sentiments usually found in most state mottos'.

This phrase came about from a letter General John Stark wrote on July 31, 1809.  He sent his toast via letter to an anniversary of the Battle of Bennington, in which he wrote:
                   "Live free or die: Death is not the worst of evils."

To learn a little about our logo in the middle of our state seal, "The Old Man in the Mountains", visit my friend Monika McGillicuddy's blog - we're missing him more each day!!

                                    

Our state seal is the broadside view of the frigate "Raleigh", with a granite boulder in the foreground, and a beautiful rising sun in the background.  A laurel wreath surrounds the picture.  The ship signified the state's emergence as a major shipbuilding center during war years.  New Hampshire's state flag has the state seal centered on a blue field surrounded by laurel leaves and the nine stars for NH being the 9th state in the country.   

                      The very fragrant purple lilac is our state flower.  Oh they smell so 
                      heavenly, too!!  Our lilacs come in a variety of colors, but the purple lilac
                      is the one that is most prevalent here in NH.  When they're in bloom, I
                      like to grab a bunch of them and bury my face in them so I can inhale
                      that heavenly scent.......if you've never smelled fresh lilacs, you're really
                      missing a real treat of Mother Nature!!

These are just a few historical tidbits about my state of New Hampshire!  Check out the links I included to learn even more, and even better - watch my blogs for more posts about this place I call HOME - Portsmouth New Hampshire!!   

Ann Cummings
http://www.portsmouthnewhampshirehomes.com/

Shop Till You Drop!!

If you love to shop, you'll love the Seacoast areas of New Hampshire and Southern Maine!!  We've got every kind of shopping you can imagine!

Shopping in New Hampshire is tax-free, but with all the outlet shopping in Kittery, Maine, you can save more at the outlets than the tax you'll pay there!!  And everyone likes to save money!! $$$$

If you take this bridge from downtown Portsmouth New Hampshire north, you'll cross over the Piscataqua River into Kittery Maine.  Kittery has about a 2 mile stretch on Route 1 where both sides are lined with outlet shopping of every kind you can imagine!  You can buy just about everything here in these outlets except groceries, but you can get food products at several shops.  Don't fear, you won't go hungry!

There's so much shopping, I can't imagine that everyone won't find something they've got to have.  The Maine Outlet plaza is the largest in the area.  Tanger Outlet Center in Kittery is loaded with great shops.  And there are several others as well.....plan to spend some time here and some money!

Don't forget to stop and enjoy some of the great area restaurants while doing all this shopping!  Fresh local seafood is everywhere, and some of the local favorites as well as favorites with visitors are Bob's Clam Hut and
The Weathervane Seafood Restaurant.  Both of these restaurants offer up the freshest of local seafood, including world famous Maine lobster served in a variety of ways. 

After all that shopping, you'll need to enjoy some sustenance, and what better way to do that than with our fresh local foods - lobster here is THE BEST!!  Fresh, sweet ....  oh I'm getting hungry as I write this!

Come to the Seacoast areas of New Hampshire and Southern Maine - I guarantee you'll have a fabulous visit and you'll leave wanting to come back for more.......perhaps you'll even want to make this slice of heaven your new home!!   ;-)

Ann Cummings

KIDS ~ CRAYONS ~ WALLS ~ Do they go together???

  If you've got kids, then you know how crayons, kids & walls are like magnets to each other!!

Removing crayon marks from walls is trickier than it may first seem.  Unless your wall artist has used the new washable crayons which come off with just plain old soap and water, more drastic measures seem to be the only ones that work.

Don't use abrasive cleaners!  They usually damage the paint's finish, and will leave a dull spot where the coloring marks had been.  The only thing you can do if you've used an abrasive cleaner or scrubber is to repaint.

Another point - don't paint over the crayon marks.  The color from the crayon marks will bleed right through the paint.

The good old pencil eraser comes to the rescue!!  Most of the crayon will come right off.  You might need to use a toothpick or something similar to get the tiny remnants out of the textured spaces in the paint.  Then all you have to do is clean up the shreds of the eraser when you're done!!
                                                                               Easy as a simple pink eraser!!

www.AnnCummings.com      www.PortsmouthNewHampshireHomes.com

                     Credit Do's & Don'ts !!

Once you've found that special house and you've gotten a final written contract on it, there's still alot to do before the closing.  Emotions run high, excitement levels are running very high, and you're so excited about making your soon-to-be new house all yours.  The tempation to run out and buy new furniture, appliances, etc. is so strong........but DON'T!!!!

Don't do anything to jeopardize your credit report!  And that means don't buy ANYTHING until AFTER the closing!  Many buyers don't realize that not only do lenders pull your credit report in the beginning when they start your loan process, but they also pull another one just days before the closing to verify that nothing has changed substantially.  They look for big purchases on credit, new loans taken out, big influxes of cash into your accounts, etc.  Keep everything normal, as in don't do anything during the loan process that you wouldn't ordinarily have done before you started the loan process.

Here's a list of the Top 10 Do's and Don'ts that I prepare and give all my buyer clients.  I do this to help make sure everything goes as smoothly as possible and to ensure we don't encounter any surprises at the end. 

Ann Cummings

Portsmouth New Hampshire on Saturday mornings is a great place to be!!  We have a really wonderful Farmer's Market, put on by the Seacoast Growers Association.  Our market runs from early May to the first weekend in November, every Saturday, from 8am to 1pm.  The parking lot of our Portsmouth City Hall, 'up on the hill' is the place to be! 

What a wonderful way to meet new friends, catch up with old friends, and just pleasantly spend the morning checking out all the locally grown produce and fresh foods!   Everything for sale there is all 100% locally grown, and you can meet the owners there, proudly displaying their fruits, veggies, baked goods, flowers and plants.  You can also try (and buy) prepared foods there, as well.  Some of our now-famous locally grown companies got their start at the Farmers Market, giving out samples of their foods.  And, it's also a great place to buy crafts and fine arts as well - great gift-buying and fresh food shopping all in one place!!

This season was the 30th year of the Seacoast Growers Association.  They are a non-profit organization who put on Farmers Markets in 6 different Seacoast areas.  They grow and sell 100% of their products at these markets.   I can tell you, it does make a difference knowing you're buying locally grown really fresh products - they don't get any fresher than this!

To learn more about Portsmouth and the surrounding areas, be sure to visit my website - while you're there, check out real estate for sale in New Hampshire and Maine.  My other blog has some additional great information about Portsmouth and surrounding areas - feel free to browse my posts. 

Ann Cummings

I read a post on another blog that talked about building traffic to your blog(s).   One of the ways mentioned was to set yourself up on directories such as Technorati.  And as part of doing just that, I'm copying some code here in this post to try to accomplish just that.

Technorati Profile

Here's to this helping me out with my blogs and getting more exposure!

Ann Cummings

Winter's coming, whether we want it to or not!  And that means it's time to get your house ready for cold weather.  Getting it ready now will help in several ways:

          - It will help save on energy costs;
          - It will help provide worry-free maintenance;
          - And it will help to keep you and yours warm & cozy
               inside.

 Inspect the exterior of your home, and create yourself a fortress:

     - Walk around the outside of your home and check for areas
          that might allow water to get in, things that are broken, or
          things needing repair.
     - Check your storm windows and your doors.  Caulk and
          seal any openings and gaps to keep cold air out and to
          keep warm air inside. 
     - Look for any overhanging or dead tree limbs and have them
          removed.  If these get coated in ice, they'll become
          heavy & break off and hit your home.
     - Shut off water to outside faucets, and drain those faucets. 
          This will help to prevent any freeze-ups in those pipes.

Create a warm and cozy home inside - you'll love coming home and knowing you and your family will be nice and protected:

     - Have your fireplace checked out professionally for dirt and soot build-up
     - Have your furnace serviced and any parts replaced that are needed
     - Have your air filter replaced if you have forced air heat
     - Have the fins vacuumed in your baseboards if you have baseboards for heating
     - Have your furnace replaced if it's old and not functioning as it should

Having your home as fine-tuned as it can be, before the cold sets in, will help to ensure a warm and safe winter for you and your family.

Ann Cummings
Portsmouth New Hampshire

 Making a good first impression with your home when it's for sale     
is very important, whether it's for an open house or for showings. 
You put on your best clothes for special occasions, and your home
should be dressed up in its best as well!

Here are 5 simple things you can do to dress your home in its best:

    1)  Clean away clutter 
          - Take all post-it notes, pictures, menus, magnets, etc. off the refrigerator
          - Keep all countertops free of small appliances
          - Put away toys in the closet or tucked away out of sight
          - Remove newspapers & knick-knacks from coffee tables & countertops

    2)  Keep it Simple
          - If there are unusual or wild colors on the walls or furniture, it's a good idea to mute them with neutral
               paint or perhaps cover that day-glo orange couch with a neutral slipcover

    3)  Music to Their Ears
          - Play some light instrumental or classical music in the background, softly - sets a nice calm ambiance
               for the showing

    4)  Light up the World
          - Appropriate lighting in each room - open up blinds and/or heavy curtains - have lights turned on
               to show the home at its best

    5)  Warm Welcoming Smells
          - Light a lightly scented candle, bake a pie or cookies, etc - creates a nice positive effect
               The way your home smells greatly affects buyers subliminally, and scents and smells create positve
                or negative memories.

Ann Cummings
888-349-5678 x 3839

    MUSIC IN THE SEACOAST AREAS!!

A new website has been born, as of October 31st, featuring local bands in and around Portsmouth New Hampshire, including the towns of Dover, Durham, Somersworth, York, etc.  The bands featured are from New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts.

www.whosplayin2nite.com features links to venues in the area with live music, and also features links to the bands' individual websites.  This website will be updated weekly so you'll know who's playing where and when, as well as show reviews.

What a great way to be able to check out what's going on each week in the area for live music!

                    Ann Cummings

   Splashes of Color!!!

        Ann Cummings

Your lawn continues to build its root system during the dormant season, so a few measures taken during the fall will give you great results next spring and summer.

Turn fall leaves into a nutrient-rich mulch by using mulched leaves and turn them back into the turf.  I have a leaf blower that is also a mulcher that works beautifully for this.  There are also mower deck systems that can do this as well.

If your lawn has had a lot of traffic over the summer, your soil may have become compacted.  Aeration can be a big help with this.

Dethatching with a vertical cutting machine that scores the ground 1/4" to 1/2" and then reseeding your lawn will allow it to fill in over the winter.

After you aerate or dethatch, fertilize and water so the nutrients can easily reach the root system.  About a month before your lawn goes dormant is the best time to fertilize.

A little preparation now will pay off all next year.  A healthy lawn enhances the value of your home and cuts down on weeding. 

When it's time to move, contact me!  I'll help you weed through your options in the Portsmouth New Hampshire area real estate market by giving you tips and suggestions to help sell your home faster and enhance the value of your home!

WELCOME to my wonderful part of this great world we live in, Portsmouth New Hampshire and the surrounding areas of coastal NH and southeastern Maine!! 

I appreciate you stopping by my blog and checking out my posts.  You'll find all sorts of posts here, some to do with life, most to do with real estate.  Stop by, visit, and feel free to comment and/or ask questions.  I love blog visitors, and want you to feel welcome in my world, real estate in Portsmouth New Hampshire!!

Thanks for visiting for a bit, and for checking out my world!
Ann

Ann Cummings

Here's a fun little tidbit I read today:

New Hampshire has 54.3% of its households comprised of married couples.  This info is based on a 2005 survey that was done, American Consumer Survey Group.  Utah has the highest percentage of married households, at 61.5%, and Idaho is second highest at 56.3%.

Additional numbers from that survey show that 85% of the highest income households in New Hampshire are families, and that 2/3 of those families have 2 incomes, husband and wife both working.  Americans are continually choosing to get married, unfortunately the majority don't stay married, according to the latest census numbers.  That's not good!!  ;-(

How did some of the other New England states fare in this survey?  Massachusetts and Vermont both had 48% of their households as married couples, while Rhode Island showed 46.8% as married households.  The national trend apparently is for less than 50% of the households to be made up of married couples.

So, I guess in love and marriage, New Hampshire, the "Granite State", ranks third overall!

Selling rental properties offers up some different challenges than selling most other types of property.  We usually find ourselves dealing with tenants because the property owner wants to offer the property for sale with the tenants in place.  Doing so, or trying to do so, continues to produce income for the current owner.  From the REALTOR's perspective, we would actually rather try to sell it either empty, or with the owner living in it.  It is so much easier to sell that way, from our perspective--showings are much easier to get set up and we aren't dealing with tenants who don't want the property to sell.  Many times, tenants make it very difficult to show a property for several reasons: they are paying a lower rent than market rents and therefore don't want the property to sell; they just don't want to move at all because they really like living where they are and they're fearful that the new owner may ask them to leave; etc. 

If you own a rental property, I always advise that you to speak with the tenants first BEFORE putting the property up for sale.  You want to work to get their cooperation in getting your home sold, if at all possible.  Ask them if they have an interest in purchasing the property.  I've had sellers receive pleasantly surprising answers when they ask this question, the tenants are, in fact, interested in buying the property.  However, if they aren't, work with them on how the showings will be set up, and offer them some type of incentive to work cooperatively with the REALTOR working to sell the property.  These incentives can vary widely, from a discount on the rent, letting them out early from their lease, and any other incentive that you can come up with that works for both you and the tenant.  I had one seller give the tenant a gift card to a local restaurant that he knew the tenant frequented.  He gave him this card to have dinner there for the times that the property needed to be shown during either lunch time or dinner time.  I thought this was a very creative idea! 

Always keep in mind that the goal is to make it as smooth and easy to get prospective buyers in to see the property as possible.