Prudential leads in seller satisfaction…

A study done by J.D.Powers and Associates on Home Buyers and Home Sellers satisfaction was recently conducted and Prudential took the lead!

The survey measured the satisfaction level that home buyers and sellers had by looking at the factors involved in the home-buying and selling experience. Three key factors looked at in the buyer process: agent (65%); office (21%); and services (13%). Four factors were looked at for the home-selling experience: agent (43%); marketing (38%); office (12%); and services (7%). The survey reinforced the importance of the role of the agent in the whole process and stated that ” Despite Popularity of Online Home Buying and Selling Tools, Real Estate Agents are Key to Customer Satisfaction”.This is something I have long promoted…no matter how cool the internet is you still need a local expert when buying and selling real estate. Of course finding that local expert, one who has all the right tools is crucial. Jay and I have worked hard at developing a great custom marketing plan one that includes an impressive internet plan and some good old fashioned ‘traditional” real estate marketing. Interested in finding out more about our marketing plan? Just send us an e-mail and we’ll e-mail you a copy of it.

Hampstead NH Sales for First Half of “08 vs ‘07

Home sales in Hampstead NH for the first six months of this year versus the same time from last year.

The chart below shows the difference from this year to last year.

Hampstead has seen 8 more residential sales this year as compared to last year.

Prices on average are up by nine thousand dollars but the dollar per square foot is down twenty dollars. Days on the market also have shrunk by almost two weeks compared to sales from last year during the same time frame.

With sixty seven homes on the market and my memory is correct I think inventory is down from last year at this time.

2007	Comparable Properties Summary Analysis
Jan through June	Price		$/SqFt		DOM
Total	Average	Median	Average	Median	Average	Median
Recently Sold 20	$318,070	$320,500	$147	$143	142	129
2008	Comparable Properties Summary Analysis
Jan through June	Price		$/SqFt		DOM
Total	Average	Median	Average	Median	Average	Median
Active 67	$324,578	$319,900	$167	$149	137	75
Recently Sold 28	$327,275	$356,000	$127	$122	119	88
Under Contract 3	$306,600	$319,900	$170	$130	88	54
Contingent 5	$217,915	$205,900	$159	$149	125	82

Beach bus…Need a ride to the beach?

I love going to the beach and I’ll be the first to admit it…I don’t take those spontaneous rides to the beach anymore. At $4.00 a gallon- who does? Even with a Hydrogen Generator in my car I think twice about taking a car ride. So I was pretty surprised to find out that we actually have a beach bus! The beach bus services the towns of Epping, Exeter, and Hampton NH this summer. They have a regular schedule, take cash only and will drop you off right at Hampton Beach. For me that means I could drive to the Epping Park and Ride right on Route 125 in Epping, leave my car and hop on the beach bus. No parking hassles and no feeding the hungry meter. The bus from Epping to Hampton would cost $3.00 each way, which is nothing compared to paying for parking for the day. Plus they have limited space for a bicycle. Now that would be fun!

New Hampshire and a “rare” tornado

We don’t have things like Tornadoes…not in New Hampshire anyway. This past Thursday was different. We had some real nasty weather, windy and rainy all day. Mixed in that nasty weather was a tornado…it was sighted in Atkinson NH but hit the ground with devastating effects in Barnstead and Epsom NH and then traveled up to the Lakes region. A woman died protecting her baby grandson as the house they were in tore to shreds. Unreal! Miraculously there were no other deaths.
Yesterday Jay and drove up to Laconia to re-take some photos of a listing we have up there and on the way home encountered the aftermath of that rare NH tornado. I felt bad taking pictures and shooting the videos…like a tourist gawking at a celebrity or something…but I’ve never seen anything like this in NH before and I hope I never do again!

Epson NH Tornado July 24 2008 from monika mcgillicuddy on Vimeo.

Northwood Lake NH Tornado aftermath from monika mcgillicuddy on Vimeo.

New Hampshire stands out again

“Prices are rising but closing a sale is harder” in other words closings are still down even when compared to last year which was by no means a great year. Closings may be down but maybe that has something to do with the fact that buyers are encountering competition from other buyers. Competition means someone loses and I can tell you that in a multiple offer situation there is always someone who loses. Multiple offers are happening in our area and happening often. Homes need to be in excellent condition and priced very aggressively to see multiple offers and when that happens the seller wins.

It’s an interesting market we are in and I think this down turn has hit every one harder than the last one but we’re on the turn…a very slow turn, one that might take a few years to make but slowly we’re turning. If you are a buyer don’t sit on the fence too long as interest rates are rising and NH just might be quicker to recover than other states.

The New Hampshire Association of REALTORS Market Trends report was just published and reprinted below with permission. As always it’s interesting reading. Read more

I’d love to stick my nose up at the gas companies

Wouldn’t you?  Jay and I average out about $200.00 a week in fuel bills for our two vehicles.  Being in real estate requires us both to travel everyday and most of our driving is in town locations. Which is hard on the gas mileage and pocketbook for sure.  Along comes the H2GO Economizer…now, I’m a skeptic, always have been one. As nice as the get rich quick schemes sound they simply are just a rip off, so when Jay and his buddy Brad Yasika started talking about Hydrogen fuel and saving money at the gas pumps I just sorta shrugged it off.  Jay was persistent and now I’m driving around with the H2GO Economizer in my Ford Explorer and seeing amazing results. Interested in reading more about the H2GO Economizer check out the story on the Real Estate Golfer and maybe you can save money at the pumps too.

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