Love living in New Hampshire

Love living in New Hampshire

We’ve lived in New Hampshire for many years and still even after all this time we can honestly say we never tire of it.  One of the many awesome things about being a New Englander is how close everything is, so when you want to explore beyond the borders of New Hampshire you have many options.

Exploring beyond New Hampshire

I often tell people that one of the most precious things about living in southern NH is that within 30 minutes or so I can be on the coast or within an hour and half be in the mountains.  It doesn’t matter what time of year it is, life in New Hampshire is truly special. If you’re a camper like us you can hop in you’re RV and camp along the shore or head to Maine, Vermont and of course points south. If you come for a visit… you’ll want to stay!

Life is good in New Hampshire

Life is good in New Hampshire and so is real estate. We have some incredibly priced homes to meet all budgets and with interest rates as low as they for a buyer ready for home ownership the time is ripe.

Call or e-mail us if you’d to chat about your home ownership options. I think you’ll be surprised at what might be awaiting you.

Contact Jay and Monika McGillicuddy, NH REALTORS

Jay and Monika McGillicuddy

Prudential Verani Realty

2 Main Street Hampstead NH

603-327-0246 direct line

603-434-2377 office

Hampton Beach 10th Annual Sand Sculpture contest

Hampton Beach Sand Sculpture Contest …an awesome event!

Don’t miss the Hampton Beach 10 th Annual Sand Sculpture competition. The fun starts Friday, June 18th when 300 tons of imported sand is dropped on Hampton Beach and the sand artists get to work on creating their master pieces. If you can’t get there during the day have no fear as the  entire area is illuminated for night viewing through June 30th.

We’ve gone and enjoyed the show for the last few years and we’re always amazed at what can be created with some imagination, talent and sand.

It’s a Hampton Beach crowd pleaser

Last year we had a blast looking at all the creative Sand Art and so did thousands of other people, this is a popular event so expect crowds and parking issues.  Don’t miss the incredible finale on  Saturday June 26 at 8pm at Sea Shell Stage.

2010 Hampton Beach Sand Sculpture Competition

Come have an amazingly good time at the Hampton Beach Sand Sculpture competition

Jay and Monika McGillicuddy

Prudential Verani Realty

Maplewood Ave

Portsmouth NH

603-327-0246 direct line

603-434-2377 office

Portsmouth NH a great city to live in

Portsmouth NH a great city to live in and to play in

If you live anywhere in southern New Hampshire you will find yourself not too far from one of the most beautiful cities in New England, Portsmouth.

Yesterday my husband and I took a ride out to the coast and visited beautiful downtown Portsmouth, a waterfront city that boasts plenty of shops, restaurants and hotels along with some great companies that make this city by the sea thrive.

We parked our car at our real estate office, Prudential Verani’s Portsmouth office on Maplewood Ave and from that location we walked all around the waterfront as we made our way out to Peirce Island in time to see the Tall Ships Boat Parade that was scheduled for 1 pm.  The Tall Ships visit Portsmouth every year and  it’s always a pretty big event. This year the Portsmouth Tall Ships Festival is early which makes for a fun filled Memorial Day weekend and what better place to kick off summer than in Portsmouth NH a jewel by the sea.

The three day event has something to offer everyone, you can visit the Tall Ships on the state pier and walk around and enjoy the lovely flowers in Prescott Park. You can also visit the  Strawbery Banke Museum and enjoy some of the beast seafood around or of course you can go shopping. You’ll find the downtown area full of unique shops and restaurants to fill every need.

Welcome to Portsmouth NH, you’re going to love it here!

Video of the Portsmouth Tall Ships Boat Parade on May 28 2010

Jay and Monika McGillicuddy

Prudential Verani Realty

Maplewood Ave

Portsmouth NH

603-327-0246 direct line

603-434-2377 office

Top 12 Women Real Estate Bloggers 2009

Top 12 Women Real Estate Bloggers

I was recently honored to have been included on the Top 12 Women Real Estate Bloggers 2009 list. To say that I was surprised would be an understatement, I am still in shock over it.  I am extremely lucky  to have met most of the other woman who have made this years list and feel incredibly honored to be amongst them.  It’s an honor I will treasure forever.
This is the 4th annual Sellsius list and Joseph Ferrara from Sellsius decribes this years list on his site this way:

Sellsius’ 4th Annual Top 12 Women Real Estate Bloggers for 2009 were chosen for at least a year of blogging (some have many years), pushing the envelope, using video, and other things of more import, to me– community service, charity, and education– sharing beyond the written word.  Many I have met. Others I hope to meet.

Sellsius Top 12 Women Real Estate Bloggers 2009

Colleen Kulikowski BuffaloRealEstateNews

Mary Pope-Handy The Valley of Heart’s Delight

Dru Bloomfield AtHomeInScottsdale

Diane Guercio. a/k/a HeyAmaretto

Amy Chorew The  TechByte

Kaye Thomas. ManhattanBeachRealty

Jessica Riffle Edwards. CarolinasFinest/HotPropertyBlog

Susie Blackmon.  Bucking The Real Estate Trend

Elaine Reese. Central Ohio Real Estate News

Genea (Gena) Riede. Sacramento Real Estate Voice

Kim Wood West of Philly Burbs

and yours truly…

Monika McGillicuddy New Hampshire Real Estate Blog.

Buying a Southern NH Bank Owned home

Southern NH Bank Owned Pitfalls

We often get asked questions about buying southern NH bank owned homes and what potential pitfalls there could be. While it’s hard to know in advance exactly what you’ll face, being prepared for almost anything is a wise idea. Some bank owned homes offer excellent opportunities for the prepared buyer and others can be a nightmare. With the $8,000 tax credit expiring soon many buyers are out actively trying to find a home and ban owned homes are very tempting.
I published this article back in April and thought it might be wise to republish it.

Pitfalls of Buying a Southern New Hampshire Bank Owned Property

There are a few pitfalls when buying a New Hampshire Bank owned property that you should be aware of. Currently the Bank REO (real estate owned) side of real estate is thriving. There are literally hundreds of bank owned homes on the market in New Hampshire and more coming daily.

A recent question sent to us via e-mail really had me thinking that maybe people really don’t know the risks involved.

This is part of an e-mail question I received…

“We found a two year old foreclosure home that appears in great shape. I know that looks can be deceiving. Anyways, the Owner/Bank only has “As Is” on all the disclosure paperwork and not allowing me to have an inspection done. By the way, a few weeks ago they finally went to de-winterize the place and found out that the furnace wasn’t done correctly and now needs replaced. Is there a requirement that I can find out what is “As Is”???”

My answer is… I’m not an attorney and you might want to hire one. But let’s look at “As Is” from my real estate agent perspective. Repeat after me…Monika is not an attorney, she is not advising anyone…get an attorney if in doubt.

Okay now “AS IS” usually but not always means that the Bank/Seller mostly likely has never lived in the home and is clueless about its condition.

Typically the buyer has the right to have a home inspection by a qualified person within a specified time frame. “AS IS” would mean that the Bank/Seller may not fix anything or renegotiate the price in the event anything turned up during the inspection. AS IS clauses are usually clearly spelled out in the agreement.

Sometimes the Bank/Seller will require the buyer to de-winterize the property at the buyer’s expense and then re-winterize it after the inspection. Often times a HUD foreclosed home will also require the buyer to turn on the unities in their own name and then turn off utilities and put them back in HUDS name afterwards….all at the buyers expense. Sometimes that can include putting fuel in the tank to be able to run the heating system for inspection…again at the buyer’s expense.

Being asked to sign a contract with an “AS IS” statement is pretty common when buying a New Hampshire foreclosed home but usually there is also an inspection clause allowing the buyer the right to inspect and to walk away from the home if the home inspection is unacceptable. An ” AS IS” clause not allowing an inspection no matter how good the place looks would make me run away.

I’m not sure if the person asking the question had a buyer agent representing them or if they bought directly from the Bank’s agent but buying a bank owned home without representation is not wise in my opinion. There are things a buyer agent can do that the listing agent simply cannot.

We closed on a bank owned home recently, after some investigation we were able to track down a former owners property disclosure of the property and while it was from a former owner and held no legal weight it still gave us a glimpse at some information we would otherwise have never known. Don’t expect the listing agent to do that for you. They won’t. Can you expect a buyer agent to try and track that information down? Yes… but realize that sometimes it’s simply not to be found. But a good buyer agent will make every effort to help their client make the right decisions.

Buying a New Hampshire foreclosed home or short sale can be a fantastic opportunity to own a home at a greatly discounted price but please don’t go it alone. Representing yourself sometimes can be a costly mistake.

Jay and Monika McGillicuddy, NH REALTORS
603-548-7728 or 603-548-7685

New Hampshire Real Estate Blog

Jay and Monika McGillicuddy

Prudential Verani Realty

2 Main Street Hampstead NH

603-327-0246 direct line

603-434-2377 office

New Hampshire Association of REALTORS 2010 President

New Hampshire Association of REALTORS 2010 President Monika McGillicuddy

I’ve been a little neglectful of my blog as I’m sure some of you have noticed. My life has been a little hectic lately and more than just real estate wise but it’s all in a good way. The real estate market has picked up especially in the 1st time home buying arena but I’ve also been busy in the REALTOR Association level.  Many of you know that both Jay and I are involved REALTORS and have been for many years. For us being a REALTOR is much more than simply a means to making money.  We’ve always believed that the way to make a difference is to be involved and that sitting on the side lines complaining does nothing to make things better.  So we both have taken an active role not only in advocacy for buyers, sellers and fellow REALTORS but also in protecting private property rights for all NH home owners. That involvement has paid off in more ways than we could ever have imagined.

Monika McGillicuddy installed as NHAR 2010 President

This past September 21st I was installed as the 2010 President of the New Hampshire Association of REALTORS with Jay, my parents and children by my side. It was a special night for me as many of my REALTOR friends, fellow REALTORS from my office Prudential Verani and about 100 colleagues from all over New Hampshire attended the banquet.

2010 will prove to be a year “On the Rise”

I look forward to helping lead NH REALTORS in the year 2010, as together, we face challenges that are yet to be defined. One thing I feel pretty sure of is the fact that our real estate market will continue to improve and while I’m sure things will still be challenging we are definitively ” On the Rise”  2010 will be a better year for many.

Never too busy for you

While my duties as President will keep me busy at times, I still need all of you. Listing and selling real estate in southern NH is what I do day in and day out. Your referrals and continued support is very important to me and I will never be too busy for you. So remember if you or any one you know is in need of real estate service give us a call.  Jay and I would be honored!

My Installation was held on Monday September 21 2009 at the Grand Summit Hotel and Resort in Bartlett New Hampshire. I was installed by my husband and past 2004 NHAR president Jay McGillicuddy.

Monika and Jay McGillicuddy, REALTORS

603-548-7728

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