and elsewhere, always ask questions about what to do during the holidays with regards to their decorations.  That’s a great question and one that should be taken seriously, by both the agent and the sellers, whether you’re selling a condo or a home.

Less is best, as the saying goes.  Not all potential buyers will appreciate a heavily decorated home, nor will all potential home buyers have the same taste you have in decorations.

The goal is to get your Portsmouth home or condo sold…

….and you want all buyers to be able to see your home and not be caught up in looking at your decorations.  Some fresh greens in a few areas, and maybe some holiday-colored candles would be something festive and simple to use.  Some nice white lights add a nice touch, and also serve to light the outside of your house as a welcoming gesture.

A recent article in the Portsmouth Herald has some great tips for holiday decorating – “Selling Your Home? Go Easy On Holiday Decor”.  Use this as a professional guide to help you with your holiday decorating.

Would you like information on the New Hampshire or Maine real estate market?  Do you have questions about the buying or selling process? Give me a call at 1-888-349-5678 x 3839 or send me an email and let’s talk Portsmouth NH real estate!

Servicing the New Hampshire towns of Portsmouth, Newcastle, Rye, North Hampton, Hampton, Stratham, Exeter, Greenland, Newington, Dover, Durham and surrounding areas, and the Maine towns of Kittery, Kittery Point, Eliot, South Berwick, York, and surrounding areas.

If you are, then you know competing for today’s buyers is quite challenging, to say the least.

Want to increase the chances of those buyers wanting to make your Portsmouth home theirs!

You need to go the extra step or two to make your house as welcoming and inviting as you can, and that means from the curb to the inside.

In a recent article in the Portsmouth Herald, an article “Staging Helps Home Sale Speed and Price”, the author talked about the benefits of making sure your home is properly presented to potential buyers, and ways to go about doing that.  Be sure to check out that article for more detailed information on the staging process and how it can help in the home-selling process.

Getting your Portsmouth NH home sold in today’s real estate market….

….means working with your experienced professional NH REALTOR – setting the proper price and setting the right presentation of your home.

For buyers in today’s market, it’s the EXPERIENCE they feel when they view your home, and you want that to be the very best it can be, from the first moment they lay eyes on your home from the street.  That exterior curb appeal has to be such that it makes them want to come see the inside of the home.  Once they’re inside, you want your entryway to speak to them and beckon them in further.

Getting things right from the start – price and presentation – will help your home sell quicker than the competition and typically for the most money the market will bear.  It’s all about attention to detail and the experience!

Would you like information on the New Hampshire or Maine real estate market?  Do you have questions about the buying or selling process? Give me a call at 1-888-349-5678 x 3839 or send me an email and let’s talk Portsmouth NH real estate!

Servicing the New Hampshire towns of Portsmouth, Newcastle, Rye, North Hampton, Hampton, Stratham, Exeter, Greenland, Newington, Dover, Durham and surrounding areas, and the Maine towns of Kittery, Kittery Point, Eliot, South Berwick, York, and surrounding areas.

Yes, you read that correctly!

The first time you sell it is to other agents working with buyers.  When you have your home on the market, you want the agents who are showing it to really try to sell YOUR home and not your competition.

The second time you sell it is to the buyer.  Typically most homeowners think the buyer is the only one they have to sell to, but if the agents aren’t sold it, the buyer may never get a chance to see it.

The third time you have to sell your house is to the bank or mortgage company’s appraiser.  Appraisers today are pretty conservative and their appraisals are being scrutinized like never before.  They really have to make sure they can justify and support the value they come up with.

Recently, we’ve found ourselves having to deal with second appraisals.  Some banks and mortgage companies have been ordering a second appraisal to be done, oftentimes after the mortgage commitment date has passed.  So, that means homeowners could be subjected to having to sell their homes four times.

There’s so much competition on the market in many areas and in most price ranges that it’s imperative you price your home to sell right from the start.  You might reach an agreement with a buyer on a price you’re both happy with, but that price must also pass muster with the appraiser, and then perhaps a second appraiser.

Get your Portsmouth NH home or condo SOLD!!

Your local Portsmouth NH REALTOR who has the knowledge and experience to give you the best advice on pricing and getting your home show-ready is doing just what you’ve hired them to do – help you to reach your goal of getting your home or condo sold.  Your best sold price is likely to happen in the shortest amount of time if you’ve priced your home correctly in the beginning and if you’ve taken extra effort to make sure your home creates a great first impression on the buyers and their agents who are interested in seeing it.

If you’re thinking about selling your Portsmouth NH area home, I’d welcome an opportunity to show you how I can put my proven track record of success to work for you!

Would you like information on the Portsmouth New Hampshire real estate market?  Do you have questions about the selling process?  Give me a call at 1-888-349-5678 x 3839 or send me an email and let’s talk real estate!

Servicing the New Hampshire towns of Portsmouth, Newcastle, Rye, North Hampton, Hampton, Stratham, Exeter, Greenland, Newington, Dover, Durham and surrounding areas, and the Maine towns of Kittery, Kittery Point, Eliot, South Berwick, York, and surrounding areas.

I had a client say to me the other day that they’re not just buying a home in Portsmouth, they’re buying into the Portsmouth community as well.  And that part of what they’re buying is very important to them.

If you’re thinking about buying a home in Portsmouth NH, or any other community, you’re buying into whatever that community has to offer.  That’s part of what you’re paying for.  You could take the basic 4 walls of any house, and plop them down in a variety of communities, and that 4-walled box will have a different value in each community.  Part of what goes into the value of each community is what that community has to offer.

And here’s what Portsmouth New Hampshire has to offer those who call Portsmouth home:

• we have a fabulous downtown area, loads of shops, galleries, restaurants, museums, and more
• we have a beautiful waterfront park, Prescott Park, where we can watch plays, hear concerts, take part in a variety of festivals, art shows, and more
• we have Saturday morning Farmer’s Markets from May through November where you get all kinds of locally grown produce and locally made products, and meet old and new friends
• we have a gorgeous huge new library with all kinds of programs open to all residents
• we have great schools, 3 elementary schools, a middle school and a newly renovated and expanded high school
• we have beautiful churches throughout the town, many with historic roots
• we have lovely parks scattered all around town and have been awarded a “Tree City USA Award”
• we have a wide variety of homes in Portsmouth, choices in styles, ages and price ranges to suit everyone
• we’re right here on the Atlantic Ocean and the Piscataqua River – awesome waterfront and a working port
• we have a fascinating outdoor living history museum – Strawbery Banke.
• we have loads of history all around us here, so if you love history, you’ll feel right at home
• we have THE best seafood ever
• we have loads of things to do in and around the Portsmouth NH area
• we have great city festivals and fairs
• we have super friendly residents who love living here and will help you learn all about Portsmouth NH living
• we are in a super location for commuters – easy access to highways going north, south and west
• we’re only an hour or so from great winter ski areas
• we have lots of fun antique stores in the area
• we have a great walking town to call home – sidewalks in most places with friendly neighbors calling out greetings as you pass by
• we have glorious springs, spectacular falls, fun-filled summers, and winters that can bring snowy winter scenes

Can you tell how awesome living in Portsmouth New Hampshire really is??  Come check us out – you’ll want to make your home in Portsmouth, too!

Would you like information on the Portsmouth New Hampshire real estate market?  Do you have questions about the buying or selling process?  Give me a call at 1-888-349-5678 x 3839 or send me an email and let’s talk real estate!

Servicing the New Hampshire towns of Portsmouth, Newcastle, Rye, North Hampton, Hampton, Stratham, Exeter, Greenland, Newington, Dover, Durham and surrounding areas, and the Maine towns of Kittery, Kittery Point, Eliot, South Berwick, York, and surrounding areas.

If you’re looking for that special home in Portsmouth and you want to be on the water, here’s a sampling:

Portsmouth NH Waterfront Homes For Sale:

–  $960,000 – Riverfront home with its own dock and boat ramp, large 1.5 acre lot with over 600 feet on the water.  Lots of recent improvements, and expansion possibilities – great location for your waterfront business as well.

–  $995,000 – Riverfront home with its own dock, private quiet location, walk to downtown, beautifully landscaped grounds, 135 feet of water frontage, wonderful views.

–  $8,500,000 – Island setting for this stunning waterfront estate, fabulous grounds, luxurious interior, dock, pool, so much to offer in this custom home on the water.

Portsmouth NH Waterfront Condos For Sale:

–  $620,000 – Beautiful pond setting for lovely condo with great views of Mill Pond and downtown Portsmouth skyline, garage parking, manicured grounds, walk to downtown areas.

–  $684,900 and up – Lovely Tidewatch Condos, waterviews and frontage on Sagamore Creek, variety of floorplans, close to downtown, beautiful appointments, Victorian-style exteriors.

–  $699,900 – Downtown waterfront condo with terrific views up and down the river, garage parking, just steps away from all kinds of restaurants, shops, parks, galleries, and more.  Nicely updated and freshly painted.

–  $750,000 – Riverfront downtown condo with private deck to enjoy the views from, elevator, off-street parking, with shopping, dining, parks, and more just steps away.

–  $982,000 and up – Fabulous riverfront penthouse units ready for you to come make your own – designer ready to help create the space you want, amazing views everywhere you look, garage parking, balconies, all in the heart of downtown Portsmouth living.

Come and enjoy all that Portsmouth NH living offers!

If you’re interested in buying or selling homes or condos in the Portsmouth NH real estate market, let me know. I love helping people achieve their real estate goals!

Do you have comments or questions about the Portsmouth NH real estate market? Please feel free to leave a comment – I’d love to hear from you! Give me a call or send me an email, and let’s get started!!

Servicing the New Hampshire towns of Portsmouth, Newcastle,
Rye, North Hampton, Hampton, Stratham, Exeter, Greenland, Newington,
Dover, Durham and surrounding areas, and the Maine towns of Kittery,
Kittery Point, Eliot, South Berwick, York, and surrounding areas.

Send me an email or give me a call at 1-888-349-5678 ext 3839.

If you’re thinking about buying real estate in the Portsmouth NH and Maine Seacoast areas, here are some important things to know about credit scores and how that impacts your ability to obtain a home mortgage.

Your credit score is more important today than ever before, and if you’ve got a good credit score, you want to do everything you can to protect that good score.

Credit scores are a good indicator of how likely a person is to pay off their debts on time.  The more likely your credit history shows this to be, the better the mortgage program will be that you qualify for.  The higher your credit score, the better you look to mortgage companies and banks.

Credit scores range from 350 to 850, and the higher your score, the
lower the risk you pose.

This is how credit scores are categorized:

• Reason for Great Concern –  620 and under

• Excellent Score –  760 and higher (this number has been increased to closer to 800)

• Good Score – 720 – 760

• Average Score –  680 – 720

• Reason for Concern –  620 – 680

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Would you like information on the New Hampshire or Maine real estate market?

Do you have questions about the home buying or selling process?

Give me a call at 1-888-349-5678 x 3839 or send me an email and let’s talk real estate!

Foreclosure homes are all the rage now for buyers currently looking to take advantage of today’s real estate market, with everyone thinking they’re getting a bargain.  And that’s the case here in the Portsmouth NH homes area as well.

Sure, some really are a bargain and don’t need as much work as others do.  Because foreclosed or bank-owned homes are priced the way they are, those prices are one of the driving forces in today’s real estate market when determining the proper price of privately-owned homes.

Oftentimes, when you compare a foreclosure home that has been let go and has been deteriorating because no one’s been there to care for it with a privately-owned home that has been properly cared for, you can see that regular homes present some great opportunities for home buyers in the Portsmouth NH area as well.

For those looking for foreclosed bank-owned  homes opportunities, here[s a sampling of what’s currently for sale in the Seacoast areas of New Hampshire and southern Maine:

• –  375 Winnacunnet Road  Hampton NH - 3 bedroom 2 bath ranch for $239,900.  Hardwood floors, spacious rooms, needs updates – great potential.

• –  24 Granville Road in Barrington NH - 3 bedroom 1.5 bath multi-level home on 1 acre lot – needs TLC.  $160,900.

• –  420 Calef Highway in Barrington NH – 3 bedroom 2 bath colonial style home on 2 acre lot – needs paint & has plumbing issues.  $139,900.

• –  58 Oak Street in Dover NH – 3 bedroom 1 bath cape on an in-town lot, needs new furnace and TLC.  $166,200.

• –  11 Huckins Drive in Madbury NH – 3 bedroom 2 bath ranch with 4-car garage, on 1.33 acre lot.  $189,900.

• –  25 Francesca Way in Nottingham NH – 3 bedroom 2 bath cape in Dunbarton Estates, very nice condition, 1.5 acre lot – $249,900.

• –  156 Blackwater Road in Somersworth NH – 4 bedroom 1 bath cape with 2 car garage on 1/2 acre lot – $149,900.

• – Downtown Portsmouth Condo Portsmouth NH – 3 room 1 bedroom condo in good condition – $189,900.

• –  Hampton Beach Condo Hampton NH – 3 room 1 bedroom condo just steps to the beach and ocean – $99,900.

• – Hemlock Forest Condo Dover NH – 2 bedroom 1 bath townhouse condo, end unit with fireplace, needs work – $109,900.

• –  North Hampton NH Contemporary Ranch home - 3 bedroom 3.5 bath home, 2 car garage on 3.75 acre lot – beautiful gourment kitchen, great master suite, loads of recent upgrades done.  Plumbing issues, water damage.  $454,900.

This is just a small sampling of homes currently for sale in and around Portsmouth NH, offered as bank-owned foreclosure homes.  If any of these have potential interest for you, or if you’d like to explore additional homes for sale, give me a call or send me an email.

Servicing the New Hampshire towns of Portsmouth, Newcastle,
Rye, North Hampton, Hampton, Stratham, Exeter, Greenland, Newington,
Dover, Durham and surrounding areas, and the Maine towns of Kittery,
Kittery Point, Eliot, South Berwick, York, and surrounding areas.

Check out these videos to learn more about how the government’s $8,000 home buyer tax credit might help you:

• $8,000 tax credit for homebuyers – Channel 6 Portland Maine

• Clock is Ticking For First-Time Homebuyers – Wall Street Journal MarketWatch

If you’ve already owned a home in the past, as long as it’s been at least 3 years since you did, you might qualify for this tax credit.

If you currently own land or own a vacation or second home but not a primary home, you may qualify for this tax credit.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 established the $8,000 Federal Housing Tax Credit. This is a real tax credit, and it applies to homes or condos bought as primary residences from January 1, 2009 to December 1, 2009.

“The average homeowner is 38% more wealthy than non-homeowners” – Ron Phipps, NAR First Vice President

For more detailed information on this tax credit, the National Association of Home Builders has put together a detailed package of info.
Are you ready to find that perfect home or condo? Today’s environment with great interest rates and lower home purchase prices makes this a fabulous time for most people to think about purchasing real estate.

Send me an email or give me a call, 1-888-349-5678 x 3839, and we can get started talking real estate and find you that perfect home or condo here in the Seacoast areas of NH and southern Maine!

Servicing the New Hampshire towns of Portsmouth, Newcastle,
Rye, North Hampton, Hampton, Stratham, Exeter, Greenland, Newington,
Dover, Durham and surrounding areas, and the Maine towns of Kittery,
Kittery Point, Eliot, South Berwick, York, and surrounding areas.

With the Fed’s most recent actions regarding interest rates and home mortgages, the home mortgage rates available now and for the foreseeable future are basically rock-bottom!  This truly is what could be considered a ‘perfect storm‘ for home buyers.

If you’ve been sitting on the fence about whether to buy now or wait a bit, take advantage of what’s there just waiting for you -

• amazingly low interest rates,
• lower prices on Portsmouth NH homes and condos, and
• interesting negotiating opportunities.

When you see that home or condo in the Portsmouth area real estate market that’s perfect for you, snap it up because if you don’t, there will be other buyers looking at the same properties you are, and it may just be perfect for them as well.

This video from “Good Morning America” talks about home mortgages and where rates are headed for now – “Good News For Homeowners“.

Interest rates are already, as of today, in the 4’s percentage-wise.
How awesome is that???!?!?!?

Are you looking to buy or sell real estate here in the Portsmouth NH area?  If so, send me an email or give me a call – I’d love to talk to you about the real estate market and your interest in buying or selling here in the Portsmouth NH real estate homes market!

Call TODAY and let’s get started finding you that perfect home or condo!

Servicing the New Hampshire towns of Portsmouth, Newcastle,
Rye, North Hampton, Hampton, Stratham, Exeter, Greenland, Newington,
Dover, Durham and surrounding areas, and the Maine towns of Kittery,
Kittery Point, Eliot, South Berwick, York, and surrounding areas.

By now, unless you’ve been living under a rock or just plain out of country, you’ve heard myriad details about President Obama’s “Stimulus Plan”.

Home buyers I’m working with in the Portsmouth NH real estate market area have been asking how and when they’ll get their $8,000 to help them buy a house.   Clearly all the reports have just muddied the waters for home buyers instead of clearing things up.

For buyers and sellers in the Portsmouth New Hampshire real estate market interested in learning the nuts and bolts of this $8,000 tax credit for home and condo buyers, here are the bullets of the plan:

1. - for first-time home buyers or those who’ve not owned a primary residence in the last 3 years;
2. – for the purchase of primary residences only, and for those purchased from Jan. 1, 2009 through December 31, 2009;
3. - is an $8,000 TAX CREDIT, not money given to you for your purchase;
4. - does NOT have to be paid back like 2008’s $7,500 tax credit.

The National Association of Home Builders has put together some great questions and answers on the Federal Housing Tax Credit that may help clarify other questions you might have on this tax credit.   Check it out for additional details.

If you’d like to read more information on the Federal Housing Tax Credit, additional provisions can be found here –>  Stimulus Law Provisions.

Are you ready to find that perfect home or condo? Today’s environment with great interest rates and lower home purchase prices makes this a fabulous time for most people to think about purchasing real estate.

Send me an email or give me a call, 1-888-349-5678 x 3839, and we can get started talking real estate and find you that perfect home or condo here in the Seacoast areas of NH and southern Maine!

Servicing the New Hampshire towns of Portsmouth, Newcastle,
Rye, North Hampton, Hampton, Stratham, Exeter, Greenland, Newington,
Dover, Durham and surrounding areas, and the Maine towns of Kittery,
Kittery Point, Eliot, South Berwick, York, and surrounding areas.