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

                     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

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