Price Well, Sell Soon 

Unfortunately, the month of April won’t be remembered as the month that things turned around in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire as far as home sales go. The sales that closed in April were a result of buyer activity in February and March so it isn’t very surprising that the numbers came in so low. Most REALTORS® in the Lakes Region will attest to the fact that there really wasn’t much going on in those two months other than shoveling and cleaning up after seemingly endless snow storms. April’s total of 46 residential sales in the twelve towns listed was 30% lower than April of 2007. For the first 4 months of the year we stand at 172 sales which is about 25% of the total for the same period last year in these same towns. The average sales price has also dropped for the same period from $402,478 in 2007 to $373,502 so far this year or about a 7% drop from last year.

There were four homes that sold this month exceeding the $1 million mark and the Town of Moultonborough gets the top honors with total of 7 sales with an average sales price of $1.029 million. The highest sale was for a $3.1 million to be built, 4,300 square foot, 13 room, 5 bedroom waterfront home on Eagle Shore Road in Moultonborough.  

Reports from across the country show that average sales prices for homes are down. We may still see some downward movement on pricing on some properties here in the Lakes Region, but for the most part I believe that home prices have pretty well bottomed out.  It seems like housing might be the best bargain out there right now given the fact that just about everything else seems to be going up in price. The real encouraging thing that I have noticed is there have been a lot more homes going under contract over the past few weeks. Our office had four properties that came on the market recently that were priced well and showed real value to potential buyers. Those four listings were on the market for 5, 18, 20, and 37 days!  That proves that buyers are out there and they are paying attention. It also proves that if a homeowner is willing and able to offer his home at the correct price point it can sell pretty quickly!  What a great concept…

RESIDENTIAL HOMES SOLD APRIL 2008

For the towns of Alton, Barnstead, Belmont, Center Harbor, Gilford, Gilmantion, Laconia, Meredith, Moultonborough, New Hampton, Sanbornton, Tilton

Staying Warm
 
Everyone is feeling the pain at the pump these days as gas prices escalate almost on a daily basis.  Here in the Lakes Region of NH, like just about everywhere else that is cold, we are also faced with higher home heating costs and it is taking a big bite out of everyone’s wallet no matter how they choose to heat their homes. I think it is pretty safe to say that the home of the future around here won’t be the huge, open concept, McMansions with two story foyers and soaring ceilings. We might be headed back to something more akin to our parents three bedroom and one bath ranch. Or at least something far more energy conscious. The EPA has established standards for what is called an Energy Star Rated home.  Energy Star Rated homes use  20%-30% less energy than a regular home.  These homes feature tighter construction to eliminate energy wasting drafts, efficient insulation, high performance windows, more efficient and properly sized heating systems, and energy efficient lighting and appliances.  This focus and attention on energy use coupled with a somewhat smaller size structure and perhaps some alternative energy sources will help offset the future’s higher energy costs. Check out http://www.energystar.gov/ for the info on Energy Star homes. There is also a lot of tips and info there for homeowners that have older homes that would like to take steps to lower their heating and energy bills.
 
A “Not So Big House” is a smaller scale, high quality home featuring much more efficient use of space. The “Not So Big House” concept comes from author/architect Sarah Susanka and is also the title of a series of books. She promotes building homes for everyday living with a focus on quality over quantity. A “Not So Big  House” offers comfortable, efficient living spaces, attention to detail, character, and quality of construction.  By eliminating square footage in the form of rooms that just aren’t used as much in today’s modern lifestyle, such as formal living rooms and dining rooms, these homes also promote energy savings.  You can visit www.notsobighouse.com or Google “Not So Big House” to learn more of this design concept.  Just as smaller more fuel efficient cars will replace many of the gas guzzling SUV’s, home building trends will also move toward smaller more energy conscious homes. And who says that just because we may have to think smaller and more energy efficient it doesn’t mean we still can’t enjoy the ride. Just as you can get all the bells and whistles in a smaller car, you can put plenty of high end amenities in a smaller, energy efficient home for far less than the cost of a McMansion. 

RESIDENTIAL HOMES AVAILABLE AS OF MAY 2, 2008

 Towns of Alton, Barnstead, Belmont, Center Harbor, Gilford, Gilmanton, Laconia, Meredith, Moultonborough, Northfield, Sanbornton, and Tilton