Current Use Tax Status In New Hampshire New Hampshire has a reduced taxation status category for unimproved property (land) that is called “Current Use”. This pertains to property that is also referred to as “open space”     The local officials set a reduced value on the land which then creates a much reduced annual real estate tax bill. The land needs to be a minimum of 10 contiguous acres. When a property owner wants to remove the property from “current use” status, there is a 10% penalty due. This is assessed on the current value at the time the property is removed from current use. The land use change tax rate is "10% of the full and true value" of the land that no longer qualifies The 10% land use change tax is not based upon the amount of taxes saved over the years in which the ... 12/22/2010

Understanding the NH Real Estate Property Tax Cycle In the State of New Hampshire, NH real estate taxes are assessed by the local town assessing office. The annual tax is based on a tax year from April 1 through March 31, with tax bills generated usually in June and December. The June bill covers the period April 1 through September 30. The December bill covers the period October 1 through March 31 The June bill has the taxpapyer pay one half of the estimated annual tax due. The Town will have established its tax rate by the second billing done in December. Since the town established its annual bill rate in time for the second bill generated in December, the full annual tax is billed and the lst payment already made is credited to the annual tax bill. In Bedford the last tax valuation ... 12/21/2010

I have the big fancy Sony we use for shooting our listings and I wanted to pick up one that I could keep in my purse for those last minute photos or "opportunities" that pop up. I went to Walmart and purchased a Sony Cyber-shot which is 14.1 megapixels, has an optical 4X Zoom and here it is real estate friends, a 26 MM wide angle lens.  It also has a Carl Zeiss lens. Boy was this camera made for me...talk about point and shoot, "easy breezy" as Ralph G. says. Has some fancy features too and takes video. It was $139 and worth every penny. I will pick up an extra battery to keep with the camera, the one that comes with it seems to drain pretty quickly. Check out the great job this camera does... Berries in Window Box Crisp point and shoot shots Detail Telephoto Wide Angle    This room is ... 12/21/2010

Bedford NH  Real Estate Office in Reconstructed Cape Style Property In the Spring of 2010, the newly constructed Cape Style office and rebuilt barn at the corner of Route 101 and Hardy Road, was completed and open for business.The buildings are a delight, reconstructed with the detail and feel of a true New England Cape style reproduction.  It was rebuilt on the original footprint and  sits quite close to Route 101.  Step inside and you will be impressed with the quality of construction as well as the attention to detail.The colors selected are soft and true to the colonial period.  Step into the barn and you will find a blend of technology with a true barn feel. The beams, which date back to the 1800's,  were saved and integrated into the new construction...large transom windows allow ... 12/21/2010

With the year coming to an end, you should be thinking about 2011 and your business plan. Here is a great article from Tara Neslon on Trulia about what to do now to sell in 2011. Thanks Tara,   It's resolution time, folks.  Last week, we offered some immediate action items for those who want 2011 to be the year they become homeowners.  By popular demand, this week it's sellers' turn!  Whether you are simply trying to decide whether to sell your home next year, or it's been on the market before and you are trying to revamp your approach to get it sold next year, here are 5 things you can do during what's left of 2010 to position yourself for home selling success in 2011.1.  Reality check yourself . . . before you wreck yourself (and the sale of your home, that is). The age-old real estat... 12/21/2010

Some helpful information to give clients or potential clients.   Six Selling Myths Uncovered   Myth #1:  You should always price your home high and negotiate down.    Truth:  Pricing too high can be as bad as pricing too low.   If you list too high, you'll miss out on buyers looking in the price range where your home should be.  Offers may not even come in, because buyers who are interested in your home are scared off by the price and won't even take the time to look at it.  By the time you correct the price and list your home at its fair market value, you will have lost that window of opportunity when your home draws the most attention from the public and real estate agents; i.e. the first 30 days that it is on the market.  A well-trained real estate agent who looks out for your best i... 12/20/2010

So today I was talking with a newer agent in my office and she had her first listing appointment scheduled and she was extremly nervous. I told her, regardless of anything, try to remain confident and to keep in mind that you know more than the seller and that is why they are meeting with you. I told her even if you do not know something or are asked a question that you don't know the answer to, just remain confident and tell them that you will research and let them know. She was afraid that they would see how nervous she is and that she would stumble through the appointment. I told her that I remember going on my first appointment and how I felt the same way and after I actually got the listing and sold it, the seller's told me that I presented myself very well and was extremly knowled... 12/13/2010

Here is a good article that I came across by Tracy Love and Rudy Nelson that might help you out when writing your blogs. Great information if you are trying to target high paying clients.   By Traci Feit Love and Rudy NelsonRISMEDIA, December 11, 2010-Do you have any idea how many--if any!--new high-paying clients you get for every hour you spend blogging? What's that? You have no idea? We need to talk. Building a client-based business isn't easy. But if you're spending hours every week on an activity that's not generating qualified leads, you're making it harder than it has to be. You're keeping yourself from making money by wasting the most valuable resource you have: your time.Wouldn't you rather spend your time as efficiently as possible, so you can have that "life" you thought you ... 12/12/2010

Many cities and towns in New Hampshire do not provide town water outside of city limits and some cities don't provide municipal water at all. It is very common in New Hampshire for properties to be services by NH drilled wells.  There are different kinds of wells, but the most common in NH  is a drilled well. Most wells for residential use are 100-500 feet in depth, depending on the amount of water flow into the well.An average gallon per minute yield is about 5-6 gallons a minute; a poor yield would be 1-2 gallons per minute and would require a deeper well to provide adequate water supply   .A deeper well with a  low flow rate can provide an adequate supply since  a typical 6" pipe will store 1.5 gallons of water per foot.  So a 500' well could provide over 600 gallons of storage in th... 12/10/2010

Here is some good information from an article from Tara Nelson on Trulia.   There are lots of purchases that are highly prone to impulse buying: shoes on sale, puppies at the pound, and carrot cupcakes with cream cheese buttercream frosting come instantly to mind. (But that's just me.)But houses?  Not so much. Savvy, regret-free homebuying can take weeks or months of financial and lifestyle research and planning.  If you want 2011 to be the year you become a homeowner, here are 5 things you should be doing, as we speak.1.  Minimize your holiday spending and save your cash. Instead of using the holiday sales to acquire a new winter wardrobe of cashmere sweaters, hold the discretionary spending down so you can give yourself the gift of homeownership!  If you are serious about buying a hom... 12/09/2010

So I recently just encountered this situation with a seller of mine. They has some bold colors on their walls and didn't think anything of it. I mentioned to them that they need to change the colors in order to make the house more appealing to buyers. They didn't see anything wrong with the colors, but then again, most seller's think their house is fine to sell the way it is. So after explaning to them that we need to make the house more neutral and appealing to buyers, they finally agreed and then asked my option on what colors to use. Now, I usually tell seller's to keep it neutral. Well, I have worked with home stager's and they have said the same thing, however, I have had them also say sometimes certain colors attract. I recenly came across this article on realtor.com and thought i... 12/08/2010

Well, The cold weather is here and there were a few snow flurries the other day, which means, winter has arrived. Most people take their homes off the market for winter to then put back on in the spring, however for those seller's trying to capture the serious winter buyers, here are some great ideas from Melissa Tracy of Realtor Magazine that will help with your curb appeal. Yes, it's still possible to create great curb appeal when it's cold and gray outside. By Melissa Dittmann Tracey | November 2010 During summer months when gardens are in bloom and the sun is shining bright, curb appeal comes naturally to many homes. But when the autumn chill turns to winter cold and the sun sets earlier in the day, it becomes more difficult to create that inviting exterior look that grabs buyers fr... 12/08/2010

If you have read some of my past blogs, then you know that I am a true believer in Home Staging. Staging, I have found, really does work and is a must in this market. I recently came across this article about vitual staging and wanted to share it. I personally don't feel that this is true staging and I can see why it would be deceiving. Check it out and let me know your thoughts. A recent article from The San Francisco Chronicle ("Virtual Staging Sparks Sales of Vacant Homes" by Judy Richter) took a look at the growing trend of real estate professionals using virtual staging to move listings. Virtual staging is where you take an empty room and then digitally enhance it with furniture to make the space more inviting. For example, a stager may digitally add some artwork, chairs, tables, a... 12/07/2010

Here is an interesting article that I came across from Realtytime.   Is there value in owning a home? The recently released 2010 National Association of REALTORS® Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers brings us some promising results. Today homeowners are living in their homes longer, and after several years of price declines, are seeing rises in home equity gains. It was only earlier this decade that so many buyers jumped on the investment bandwagon. They bought and sold within incredibly short time frames, and walked away with profits. But as the booms busted, many sellers found they had bought at the top of the market and as prices corrected, they lost more than just dollars. Foreclosure rates skyrocketed. Historically, however, homeownership is a long term investment, and one that brin... 12/06/2010

I read in this morning’s paper about a fellow in Nashua New Hampshire who was laid off and chose to start a new business.  His new company?  Paint it Forward…he will donate a bedroom makeover to someone in need for every 10 painting jobs he completes.  He recently donated a complete paint job to a single mom with a 4 year son with autism. I was touched by this and contacted this thoughtful entrepreneur…seems like we can send some work his way…. www.paintitforwardnh.com 12/05/2010

Crotched Mountain and Pat’s Peak are popular ski areas for Amherst and Bedford residents.. As much as the big action is up North, these are two great resources for folks in Southern New Hampshire to get away for an afternoon or full day off fun on the slopes. Crotched Mountain’s normal hours are Monday (holidays) 9am - 9pm Monday (non-holiday) 1pm - 9pm Tuesday - Saturday: 9am - 9pm Sunday: 9am - 5pm Midnight Madness (Fri. & Sat.): 9pm - 3am (Friday & Saturday nights Jan.1 - Feb. 26) And many good times have been had at during Midnight Madness. So check the snow report before you go and enjoy! http://www.crotchedmountain.com/snow_report.html   Crotched Mountain Ski 315 Francestown Road Bennington, NH   Pat’s Peak 686 Flanders Road Henniker, NH http://www.patspeak.com/winter_fun.php 12/05/2010

With the holidays here, it means time for family and friends to gather. With that being said, a lot of us have family that comes to visit from out of state and need to prepare a place for our guests to stay while they are here. This is a helpful article that I came across on about.com about creating a great guest room.   If you're like me, you love to have house guests! I like to help them feel especially welcome by preparing my guest room to make it comfortable when anyone pops in for a visit. When you start to plan your guest room, think about what you'd expect to find in a 5-diamond hotel and try to make your room measure up to that standard. Your budget may not have enough in it to let you create a getaway oasis, but you can clear the decks, arrange what's necessary, and provide a q... 11/28/2010

Not that I usually favor or promote any particular place or service, however I personally just had a phenomenal experience and wanted to share this. I have been researching and shopping around for a while for a new tv and I also wanted to upgrade my stereo and surround sound home theater system so I have spent a long time pricing and researching. With that being said, I found Paul's TV to be a Phenomenal place to shop. For those of you who are not familiar with Paul's TV, they are in all of the Jordan's Furniture stores and depending on where you live, they may be in other stores as well. I just got home from the Jordan's in Nashua, NH and I am very satisfied with my purchase. First off, Paul's TV beats anyone's prices, EVEN Best Buy. More importantly, these guys REALLY know their stuff... 11/26/2010

Living in New England, winter presents its own unique set of challenges when trying to sell your house. It is not the ideal time to put your home on the market if you live where it gets cold and rains or snows, primarily because your home won't show as well. However, there are steps you can take to brighten your home and make the showing pleasant and enjoyable for your buyers. Also keep in mind that buyers that are out looking in these cold winter months, are most likely serious buyers, so you can benefit from it as well. 1) Keep Driveway and Walkways Clear   Continually shovel a path through the snow, especially if it's still falling. Footprints on freshly fallen snow will turn to ice if the temperature is low enough, so scrape the walk. Sprinkle a layer of sand over the sidewalk and s... 11/24/2010

Bedford New Hampshire Foreclosures for Sale - Bank Owned Real Estate Bedford NH foreclosures, bank owned and REO (Real Estate Owned) are terms commonly used to describe properties that are owned by a lender (investor, financial institution; typically a bank), after an unsuccessful sale at a foreclosure auction or property obtained by a "deed in lieu." The lender will then resell the property by direct sale or market their inventory through a Realtor. The lender will price the property for a quick sale as they have no interest in maintaining a foreclosed asset.  The foreclosure process begins when the homeowner defaults on their mortgage. The first step for the lien holder(s) is to obtain the right to sell at auction. In NH, this process takes a minimum of 75-90 days and if the homeowne... 11/21/2010