Foreclosure and Short Sales updated

Our Foreclosure and Short Order sales list has been updated. Check the list out… New Hampshire Foreclosure and Short sales and if  you’d like more detail or would like to set up a showing just give us a call.

Don’t forget you can also search New Hampshire Listings right here on our Blog and while you’ll need to sign in to do so we promise that we will never sell your information OR hound you in anyway. We Hate Spam worse than you do!!! Our only request is that when you are ready to book an appointment  that you contact us…we would be honored.

New Hampshire Foreclosure guide…don’t borrow trouble in 2009

The following guide to Foreclosure in New Hampshire was provided by Andrew Cadorette who is the education coordinator for the New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority.

If you  are a New Hampshire homeowner who has fallen behind but wants to keep their home then this article is for you.  Please read it carefully because there is help available and there are proactive things you can do to prevent a foreclosure.

If  you no longer wish to stay in your home, listing it for sale as a short sale is an option but that also has draw backs. Feel free to contact us for more information about listing your home for sale as a  Short Sale.

For more information about New Hampshire Housing Authority you can contact Andy at 603-488-0915 or e-mail him at acadorette@nhhfa.org

A Guide To Foreclosure In New Hampshire

Foreclosure is the act of your lender repossessing your home for your failure to fulfill your mortgage obligations. If you do not take steps to prevent foreclosure, you will lose your home.

In New Hampshire a foreclosure sale of your property can happen very quickly. New Hampshire is a power-of-sale foreclosure state. This means that your lender does not need to take you to court in order to foreclose. Instead, your lender will sell your home at a foreclosure sale, using the proceeds of the sale to pay off your loan. Typically, your lender will send you a letter giving you 30 days to “cure,” which means to bring your loan up to date. If you fail to cure, your lender will accelerate your mortgage obligations, which means that your entire balance becomes due. To complete the foreclosure sale, your lender must take the following steps:

• At least 25 days before the scheduled foreclosure sale, the lender must send you a notice of the scheduled foreclosure sale.

• At least 20 days before the scheduled foreclosure sale, the lender must publish a notice of the sale in a newspaper in circulation in your town or county. The notice must be published once a week for three weeks in a row.

• The lender must conduct a foreclosure sale at your home, or another location if specified in your mortgage.

A third party, or the lender itself, may purchase your home at the foreclosure sale.

Solutions & Options
Loss of your home from a foreclosure will hurt your credit, family, and future ability to purchase a home. When you are facing foreclosure, time is of the essence. If you want to save your home, do not ignore foreclosure notices! Take simple steps such as the following:

• Contact your lender

• Seek out professional counseling services and/or a lawyer

• Consider your options carefully

• Educate yourself about foreclosure and current consumer protection laws

Some alternatives to foreclosure that a professional home ownership counselor may discuss with you include:

• Forbearance – This is when a lender allows you to skip a payment, or allows you to make a special repayment plan. If you enter into a forbearance agreement, get it in writing from your lender, make certain you understand the agreement, and be sure you can meet your new financial obligations.

• Loan modification – Some lenders may be willing to change the terms of your mortgage. For example they may extend your loan term or reduce your interest rate.

• Partial claim – If you have mortgage insurance your lender may be able to make a partial claim against your mortgage insurer.

• Pre-foreclosure sale – If you cannot afford your mortgage, selling your property prior to the foreclosure sale may be your best option to avoid a foreclosure and keep your equity. Work with your lender to minimize deficiency balances.

• Bankruptcy – Sometimes bankruptcy, particularly filing under Chapter 13, can save your home from foreclosure. To consider this option, try to meet with a lawyer as soon as possible.

• Deed-in-lieu of foreclosure – Use this as a last resort. Your lender may be willing to accept your property in lieu of foreclosure. Giving your home back to the lender will hurt your credit, but avoids a foreclosure.

Rescue Scams
Beware! There are people out there who will try to profit from your misfortune! These people may contact you by mail or telephone, or even knock on your door offering you quick and easy solutions to your problems. If the deal sounds to good to be true, it probably is!

Here are some of the foreclosure rescue scams you may be offered:

• Deals that let you stay in your home – Some foreclosure rescuers will offer to bring your mortgage up to date and let you stay in your home until you can pay them back. Victims of these scams often don’t realize that they have actually sold their homes, turning themselves into tenants with very high rental payments! They end up facing eviction and losing all of their equity. If someone offers to pay off your mortgage arrears and let you stay in the home, read EVERYTHING you sign very carefully. The rescuer may be stealing from you by walking away with most or all of your home equity!

• Unethical consulting services – Some foreclosure rescuers try to pass themselves off as legitimate foreclosure counselors. They may charge you for services you can easily do for yourself, or take steps that actually hurt you. Do your homework on any foreclosure counseling service. Ask if the company is accredited and by whom, and find out how long it has been in business. Research the company to find out if it is a fake.

• Bait and switch/fraud – Some foreclosure rescuers will simply lie about what they will do for you. Protect yourself! Refer to this flier for a list of free home ownership counseling services and regulatory agencies. Contact these credible sources for assistance if you need advice about foreclosure.

Protections
The New Hampshire legislature recently enacted a law, RSA 479-B, designed to protect you from misleading foreclosure consulting services. Companies offering to pay off your mortgage arrears or provide foreclosure consulting services must comply with this law!

In general, a foreclosure consultant shall not enter into any agreement or provide any services on your behalf until you have executed a foreclosure consulting contract. A foreclosure consulting contract must:

• Be written in the same language that you speak;

• Fully disclose the exact nature of the foreclosure consulting services to be provided to you, and the total amount and terms of the foreclosure consultant’s compensation;

• Be dated and signed by you and the foreclosure consultant in front of a notary public or justice of the peace; and

• Be accompanied by a “notice of cancellation,” which tells you how to cancel the contract.

A foreclosure consultant who is going to take title to your home must also give you a “notice of loss of ownership” which sets out the terms of the transfer in detail and notifies you of your right to cancel the transfer within five business days.

This is a very limited description of the protections offered to you by RSA 479-B. For a full understanding of the law, contact an attorney or visit www.dontborrowtroublenh.org.

Counseling Services
If you need home ownership counseling, contact the home ownership center nearest you:
AHEAD Inc.
161 Main Street, Littleton, NH 03561
Tel: (603) 444-1377
www.homesahead.com

CATCH
79 South State Street, Concord, NH 03301-3521
Tel: (603) 225-8835
www.catchhousing.org

Cheshire Housing Trust
39 Central Street, Rm #303, Keene, NH 03431
Tel: (603) 357-7603
Email: chthome@monad.net

The Housing Partnership
1555 Islington Street, Portsmouth, NH 03801
Tel: (603) 766-3120
www.housingpartnership.org

Laconia Area Community Land Trust
658 Union Avenue, Laconia, NH 03247
Tel: (603) 524-0747
www.laclt.org

Neighborworks of Greater Manchester
20 Merrimack Street, Manchester, NH 03101
Tel: (603) 626-4663
www.mnhs.net

Neighborhood Housing Services of Greater Nashua
50 Tolles Street, Nashua, NH 03060
Tel: (603) 882-2077

Free Legal Advice
New Hampshire Legal Assistance
1361 Elm Street, Suite 307
Manchester, NH 03101
Tel: (800) 562-3174
www.nhla.org

Legal Advice and Referral Center
PO Box 4147
Concord, NH 03302
Tel: (800) 639-5290
www.nhls.org

Banking Regulators
If you feel you are a victim of a predatory lender contact:

State Agencies
New Hampshire Banking Department
64B Old Suncook Road
Concord, NH 03301
Tel: (603) 271-3561
www.nh.gov/banking

New Hampshire Department of Justice Attorney General’s Office
Consumer Protection and Antitrust Bureau
33 Capitol Street
Concord, NH 03301
www.doj.nh.gov
Federal Agencies
Office of the Comptroller of the Currency
Consumer Assistance Group
1301 McKinney Street, Suite 3450
Houston, TX 77010
Tel: (800) 613-6743
www.occ.treas.gov/customer.htm
Office of Thrift Supervision Consumer Affairs Office
1700 G Street, NW
Washington, DC 20552
Tel: (800) 842-6929
www.ots.treas.gov
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
Division of Consumer and Community Affairs
20th and C Streets, NW, Stop 801
Washington, DC 20551
Tel: (202) 452-3693
www.federalreserve.gov/pubs/complaints
National Credit Union Administration
Office of Public and Congressional Affairs
1775 Duke Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
Tel: (703) 518-6330
www.ncua.gov/consumerinformation/index.htm
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Division of Compliance and Consumer Affairs
550 17th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20429
Tel: (877) 275-3342
www.fdic.gov/consumers/index.html
This article was prepared in partnership with New Hampshire Legal Assistance and the New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority.

Don’t Borrow Trouble NH is a coalition of organizations who have joined together to prevent predatory lending in New Hampshire. The campaign is administered locally by New Hampshire Housing with funding support provided by Citizens Bank.

DON’T BORROW TROUBLE® is made possible by Freddie Mac. For more information about Don’t Borrow Trouble NH call 866-623-1302 or visit them at www.dontborrowtroublenh.org.

Hampstead NH Christmas Parade Video

Hampstead NH Fireman’s Christmas parade December 14 2008…A Christmas in Candy Land. Due to the NH Ice Storm I’ve been very delayed in getting this video posted.

Hampstead NH Ice Storm Videos

Along Route 121 in Hampstead heading towards the center of town. Video taken Dec 12 2008

Traveling east on Central Street in East Hampstead NH. Video taken on Dec 12 2008.

Along Central Street in East Hampstead NH Dec 12 2008

West Road in Hampstead…a real mess. Dec 12 2009

All those crappy MLS pictures…a pet peeve

I am constantly surfing our Southern NH MLS and always notice listing photos and whether or not there are virtual tours of the homes.  Some of the MLS photos that agents put in are absolutely pitiful.  I don’t understand why no one holds them accountable for those crappy MLS photos… not their manager and not the sellers! I don’t get it!

I’ve seen photos with dirty dishes left on the counters…never mind all sorts of regular day to day clutter on the counters and floors. Or how about the lovely bathroom shot showing nothing but the toilet with the lid up no less! I’m happy the house comes with a toilet but really how about showing more of the bathroom or skipping the hopper shot all together.  One particular MLS listing photo shows a lovely dining room table with all the listing paperwork, file and pens all spread all over the table….only thing missing was a  picture of the sellers signing the paperwork.  I thought maybe it was a temporary MLS photo…you know in the excitement of getting the listing. Nope I was wrong! That picture was still up there 8 weeks later.

What ever happened to the idea of making a good first impression?  Today up to 93% of home buyers search or use the Internet to find a house. First impressions…each time a listing is viewed on line a decision will be made based on that photo. A decision to make an appointment or to inquire about more information, or the decision to by pass the home completely.

Think about this, when was the last time you used the yellow pages to find a business?  How did you buy your last airline ticket?  If your home is on the market you must ask yourself what does your on-line listing photos say about you and your house? What does it say about the professionalism of your agent?

Start 2009 off right …you can’t afford to hire a sloppy lazy agent. This real estate market requires an agent that will think outside the box, one that will highlight your home and position it to be noticed and stand above the crowd.

Visit our some or our Listing Blogs as an example of our custom marketing plan.

• 9 Casey Road
  
• 12 Dixon lane
  
• NH Waterfront Homes for Sale

If you’re thinking about selling your southern NH home, please give us a call and let us show you our Unique Market Advantage Plan designed especially for our clients. Our custom plan will guide you through the process of selling your home from start to finish.

It would be our honor….Jay and Monika at 603-548-7728

Why should Kingston NH be my next home…

Last year I asked a long time Kingston resident Kathy Radford what it was that made the town of Kingston New Hampshire so special to her.

I’m often asked by potential home buyers about towns and why they should consider a certain town as their new home. That’s hard for me to answer because our market area covers several southern NH towns

As a New Hampshire REALTOR and a New Hampshire Real Estate Blogger, I find it fascinating to talk to the local folks and get their take on their town.

So when potential buyers ask questions about what it is like living in a town and what better than having someone who lives and knows the town intimately answer that question.

The following is a reprint from the article I wrote last year….

I have written about Kathy Radford and her art in the past. If you missed it you can read it here… Kingston NH Hidden talent (opens in a separate window)

Aside from being a busy artist and photographer Kathy and her husband also own Radford Courier Services, which specializes in rush/same day deliveries.

Kathy has been a Kingston resident since 1970 when she and her husband moved north from Belmont, MA. Her husband she says, being brought up in Sudbury, MA didn’t like city living and they would always go to the White Mountains, one of their favorite places, for vacations each year. Kingston was always was a stop off point along the way.

Kathy explained that back then they would stop at the old Mill Stream Restaurant, which is currently The Pond View Restaurant.

Back in the 70’s, she said it was just a small hamburger stand with old fashioned barrels as tables and chairs.

The Pond View is still owned by the same family, but it has evolved over the years and it is now a wonderful upscale restaurant but still maintained by the original family.

The senior owners were also the towns EMTs and drove the only ambulance in town.

Kathy says that they always enjoyed talking with the locals at the hamburger stand and one day they met Gordon Brown there, who had his real estate office across the street in the A-Frame.

Gordon Brown is a real estate icon…his daughter Barbara also a REALTOR is a good friend of ours.

Eventually, Kathy goes on to say they bought their Kingston NH home through Gordon Brown Real Estate.

When I asked her why she bought in Kingston she told me more than I expected to hear and I quote her.

“We absolutely fell in love with the warm country charm of the town with the town plains dotted with all the historic homes and the wonderful old Church on the Plains, the Town Hall, the bandstand and the majestic old Sanborn Seminary.

Kingston’s proximity between Boston and the White Mountains with the added bonus of the Seacoast area thrown in made for the perfect spot to raise three children in a relaxed friendly community where everyone was your friend.

We were limited to southern NH because my husband had to commute to Norwood, MA every day to work in the family run trucking and warehouse business.

The Town Clerk and Chief of Police knew everyone in town on a first name basis. I might add we are fortunate enough to still have the same wonderful and accommodating town clerk, Betti Ouelette, who is a walking book of knowledge.

Whenever you have a question about something in Kingston, Betti always has the answers. She is the only town clerk, that I know of, that calls local residents near the end of the month to remind them that their auto registration is about to run out at the end of the month.

She is the most caring and giving town clerk I have ever heard of. A pearl comes one in a million and that is exactly what she is to the town, a true pearl. She has given so much to the town over the years; no one will ever be able to fill her shoes.

For many years we have attended the Kingston Carnival Days with its huge bomb fire every year where they would place a car on top and set it on fire to see how long it would take for the car to fall.

This was always the highlight of the year and drew huge crowds from both NH and MA.

Kingston has grown over the years, but I think we have always tried to maintain our quaint little country town quality of life.

We’ve come a long way through the years, from having a high school that had split session classes where half the students went to school in the morning and the other half went in the afternoon, to the sprawling new high school complex it is today.

I hope we never lose our wonderful small town country charm and close community ties that have made Kingston what it has always been and continues today. “

I was so impressed with Kathy’s willingness to share her thoughts and feelings about Kingston that I knew I had to publish her words as she said them. Thank you Kathy for an excellent description of Kingston!

Check out some of Kathy’s art work www.betterphoto.com?kathyinnh or catch her displaying her art at many local craft fairs or holiday bazaars. All photos used in this post are copyrighted by Kathy Radford and used with her permission.

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