Hampstead New Hampshire is called a picture perfect community by many. It's location is what attracted us many years ago, close to Boston yet a million miles away in lifestyle.

I used to be an avid skier and living here made that so very possible...when my kids were younger I took them skiing often. In fact their photos are used in my post about skiing in New Hampshire called New Hampshire's White Powder . Jay and I are both ocean lovers and water babies so this is also an awesome location for those activities as well, my blog talks all about the fine lakes in Southern New Hampshire Living .  The best of the best is really what living here is all about...you can just about get to anywhere in a reasonable amount of time.

I have lived in Hampstead since 1972 and Jay since 1984 and we watched as the town has grown from a small village to a bustling little (by some standards) community. 

Not only a picture perfect community but a small town that is full of historical pride and is able to successfully balance all the charms of yesteryear while offering all the modern conveniences, of a much larger town…shopping, community activities, and town beach and recreation fields Hampstead still retains that small town feel.

A growing community for sure but one that can still be called a community rather than a town. That's what makes living here so special.

I have put together a little virtual tour with some photos we've taken while out and about...we hope we've been able to show you a little bit of what we "feel" about Hampstead New Hampshire.

Kingston New Hampshire

Kingston is a pretty little town with a rich history. Long famous for being the home town of Dr. Josiah Bartlett, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. Those of you that watch  The West Wing will recognize the name as the fictional U.S. president.

Driving through Kingston one finds many beautiful old homes dotting Main Street where the town Common is also located. Kingston is ideally located much like it's neighbor Hampstead it is within easy reach of Boston, The White Mountains of New Hampshire and the ocean beaches. Kingston also boasts a state park interested in learning more about Kingston read my blog A little bit about Kingston.  We've put together a little virtual tour about Kingston using some photos we took...we hope you enjoy it.

Prudential Verani Realty

Hampstead NH 

New Hampshire...Apple picking time!

By Monika McGillicuddy

New Hampshire...Apple picking...Home Picking time!

Waiting for a good deal to come along before you make a decision to buy a house? 

Good news is that your wait may finally be over. It seems unlikely that interest rates are going to go down in the near future in fact they may increase by spring. Housing economists are saying we've bottomed but the most importantly it looks like other buyers are starting the home search ...our Internet stats show an increase in buyers searching on our web site. 

Traditionally Spring is when the market comes alive...but to capture and take advantage of the lower prices maybe now is when you should start buzzing around.

Check out our web site for available homes by following this link and if you want to read a great article about home buying and why now might be your window of opportunity check out this article written by Blanche Evans of Realty times magazine . 

Jay wrote about Prudential Verani's Internet stats and comparison to last months stats on his blog called Our Company's Internet Advertising stats....some good food for thought
 
Remember....If you need the help of qualified buyers agents give us a call....we'd love the business! We offer a no obligation Buyer Counseling session...meet with us and let us show you how we may be able to help you save money and find the home of your dreams.  No obligation ...you don't like us ...no problem.
 

 Jay and Monika McGillicuddy

Prudential Verani Realty

Hampstead NH 

New Hampshire Year End Market Report

By Monika McGillicuddy

The New Hampshire Association of REALTORS just released our market summary. This document is pretty fascinating especially if you're a home seller in New Hampshire.
Peter Francese does a great job analyzing all the data provided by NNEREN which is our MLS system.
Interesting stats for Rockingham County being down 24% in total units (excluding condos) sold compared to 2005 yet the average sales price for Rockingham County was only down 1% compared to 2005.
Rockingham County had the biggest hit in declining sales followed by Hillsborough County which had a 22% difference from 2005 figures. The December 2006 home sales figures available from NNEREN show that Statewide, about 2,900 fewer homes (an 18 percent drop) were sold in 2006 compared to 2005. But the average sale price remained close to 2005 figures at $306,000, compared to $311,000 the previous year a 2% drop.

Looking for more NH market information check out my other blog for great consumer tips.

The report is reprinted below in it's entirety with permission from NHAR.

Jay and Monika McGillicuddy

Prudential Verani Realty

Hampstead NH  

						JANUARY 2007
	Reno to New Hampshire: Let's market our state to more than just tourists -by Peter Francese The Chancellor of the University System of New Hampshire, Dr. Stephen Reno, has put forth this great idea: a big marketing campaign aimed at convincing just 10 percent more of our state’s college graduates to stay here after they graduate.
						... Over the next few years, we hope that more young people, who now number 125,000, may want to stay here.
	He estimates, rather conservatively, the benefit over the next five years would be about 3,100 more workers and, with their $45,000 average annual earnings, an economic lift of over $600 million.  But, he adds: “The success of a retention program in New Hampshire will depend absolutely on our ability to inventory, post and market exciting and rewarding jobs, and make students aware of these opportunities. … It will take more than a village to get this done.”
	He’s right about the village part. This is a terrific idea, but what will happen when these recent college graduates go looking for a place to live and find nothing they can afford? There are a lot of reasonably priced condominiums they could buy or rent, but the bulk of them are age restricted to residents 55 or older.   New Hampshire Realtors can do their part by taking every opportunity to remind every planning board or town board members with whom they come in contact that providing workforce housing for the next generation is essential for the future of our state’s economy.  And also remind them that allowing workforce housing will not increase their property taxes, because our school age population is shrinking. Over the past five years, the Census Bureau estimates that the number of 18- to 24-year-old young adults in our state has increased by 20,000 people, a 19 percent jump compared to a 6 percent increase in all residents.  Over the next few years, we hope that more of those young people, who now number 125,000, may want to stay here. But if towns in our state don’t provide enough affordable starter homes or rental units for them, you can be sure there will be plenty of both types of housing in the magnet states of the South Atlantic region that have been, and are, attracting so many of our young graduates. * * * * * The December 2006 home sales figures are now available from NNEREN, and here’s what they show:  Statewide, about 2,900 fewer homes (an 18 percent drop) were sold in 2006 than in 2005. But the average sale price remained pretty close to 2005 — at $306,000, compared to $311,000 the previous year. The sales data also shows that statewide about 1,000 fewer condominiums were sold in 2006, also an 18 percent drop, with average price of $207,000 versus $204,000 in 2005. The relative stability of prices here compared to elsewhere suggests that at least in this state, potential buyers in the spring of this year may not be as concerned about a future decline in the value of their home as they might have been in mid-2006. The most recent (2005) Census Bureau population estimates suggest that demand for housing in New Hampshire from retirees and second home owners is likely to remain strong for quite some time. The Bureau estimated a 15,000-person increase in New Hampshire residents ages 65 or older. That’s a 10 percent rise from 2000 to 2005, compared to no increase at all in the other five New England states. That suggests quite a few retirees are moving here from other states in this region. The age group with the highest incidence of second home ownership are people ages 55 to 64.  The Bureau estimated a 25 percent jump in that age group, both nationwide and in New England.  Nationwide, that meant a 6 million person increase. But in the other five New England states, which had virtually no population increase since 2000, that 25 percent jump meant an increase of over 280,000 persons ages 55 to 64. Most of this age group are Baby Boomers (who are now ages 43 to 61).  Here’s what Dr. Karl Case, a noted real estate economist, said about them in a recent report for the Boston Federal Reserve Bank’s New England Public Policy Center:   “Boomers look at housing as previous generations looked at cars and TVs: rather than owning just one house, in many cases they own two, and sometimes three or four.” As the housing market recovers its footing, it would seem that one of the bigger drivers of demand here in New Hampshire will be second or even third homes. But Dr. Case also points out that a large fraction of future primary home housing demand in New England and elsewhere is likely to come from immigrants. So the next time you hear someone bashing immigrants and suggesting that we must cut off all immigration, remind them that it may very well be a first or second generation immigrant who will purchase their house when they need to sell it. Trends in New Hampshire residential home sales (excluding condos): 2005 to 2006 percent change County Units sold 2006 Change from 2005 Average price 2006 Change from 2005 Belknap 838 -15% $329,000 1% Carroll 915 -13% $342,000 7% Cheshire 882 -6% $237,000 2% Coos 410 -5% $135,000 7% Grafton 932 -11% $267,000 -1% Hillsborough 3,497 -22% $320,000 -1% Merrimack 1,439 -18% $284,000 -1% Rockingham 2,622 -24% $377,000 -1% Strafford 1,256 -19% $268,000 -3% Sullivan 545 -9% $234,000 -4% Statewide 13,338 -18% $306,000 -2%   Statistics are based on information from the Northern New England Real Estate Network (NNEREN) for the respective periods shown for the respective regions in the State of New Hampshire or all towns in the State of New Hampshire.  All analysis and commentary related to the statistics is that of the New Hampshire Association of REALTORS® and not that of NNEREN

Trying to figure out where buyers come from?

By Monika McGillicuddy

It can be frustrating selling a home in this market and wondering just where all the buyers are...so if you're a  home seller this information will be helpful to you.

That National Association of REALTORS® publishes a yearly report on Home Buyers and Sellers, they also break this report down to reflect the individual states.

This typically reveals some very interesting facts about today's New Hampshire home buyers, and since Jay and I sell real estate right here in Hampstead NH this type of information is fascinating to us and we thought to you as well.  Southern NH is typically a hot market due to it's proximity to Boston but like the rest of New Hampshire this market has cooled.

Some of the details from this report:

For example did you know that the average buyer purchases a home 15 miles from their previous residence... I didn't know that!  That means that people really don't move very far and that the potential new owner of your house could be living in the same town as you do.  All the more important is that yard sign of yours. Make sure especially as snow approaches that your sign is clearly visible from all angles. Please...please keep shrubbery trimmed around the sign...nothing is as frustrating for the REALTOR® professionals and potential home buyers as a hidden for sale sign! You want your house to Pop...don't hide the sign!  While I'm on my rant about signs make sure yours is in good condition and clean...nothing irks me more than a dirty faded yard sign or one that is falling down. If your home is on the market currently take a good look at your yard sign...does it need some sprucing up? Call your REALTOR® Professional and have them come take care of it.

Did you know that 89% of New Hampshire's home buyers purchased their home through a REALTOR® Professional? 89% now that's a huge percentage if you ask me...of course I'm probably a little prejudiced since I am a REALTOR® Professional..but I still think that's a huge percentage! Hey don't get me wrong, I'm not saying don't try to sell on your own if that's what you want to do but consider the facts...89% that means that 11% came from some other source...maybe from your For Sale By Owner sign or maybe not?? Oh by the way out of that 11% something like 4% are people you already know.

So now think about this...28% of the home buyers learned about the home they purchased through a REALTOR® Professional and 47% learned about it through the Internet...that means that you need to be sure your REALTOR® Professional has a strong company website...47% of your buyers found their home on the net and then contacted an agent! Wow!

Folks you need to check out your real estate companies website...don't let anyone fool you about this one. Yes the personal touch is still needed..Thank goodness for us...remember 89% bought their home through a REALTOR® Professional BUT 47% found their home on the Net! You betcha...a solid web presence is crucial to your success!!!

Lets look at the rest of the story.
We know that:
28% of the buyers found the home they bought from a REALTOR® Professional.
47% found the home they bought from the Internet.
12% found the home they bought from a yard sign.
AND get this 2% from print newspaper advertisement.
6% from a friend, relative or neighbor.
3% directly from the sellers.
1% from the home builder or their agent.
1% from a home book or magazine.

So where do you think your buyers are? I bet their surfing the web, watching and waiting but I do think that while this market has been very slow here in New Hampshire...2007 will  be a good year in real estate.

Prices will be much more affordable and that means that maybe your children will be able to afford to buy a home in the town/area they grew up in and that I think is a very good thing! 

Need more information about New Hampshire's real estate market e-mail me or search homes available.

Monika and Jay McGillicuddy

603-548-7728

copyright Monika McGillicuddy 2006

Is Perception.... Reality in New Hampshire's Housing Market?

By Monika McGillicuddy

A special addition of the New Hampshire Association (NHAR) of REALTORS® Market trends written by Peter Francese was just released. It is pretty interesting and I've reprinted it below in it's entirety with the blessings of NHAR.  The comparison used is buying a flat panel HDTV and buying a house..While still expensive people still buy the TV..don't they? Even though those High-def TVs have come down in price since last year...they are still pricey and everyone knows that prices could likely be lower still next year,

yet people buy. Peter goes on to say it is a "phenomenon worth noting" because it is a comparison that relates to the New Hampshire housing market. 

Buyer's who are not in a hurry will wait it out because they believe prices will likely come down and be more affordable in the future...it is a far cry from the attitude of just last year when buyers bought quickly in fear of prices rising.  Last year multiple offers were the norm and buyers frantically tried to out bid each other to buy their dream home.   Peter goes on the explain the importance of the ratio between wage increases and home prices.  This is something to consider as we try and figure out where New Hampshire home prices are going.  Questions about the market or homes contact me here or e-mail me. To read the latest state wide market report full of stats, visit my blog here .

December 2006

Consumers' perceptions are key to home buyer actions

by Peter Francese