Kids furloughed from school, bars and restaurants closed, and people told to stay at home except for essential errands—the coronavirus pandemic has already upended life as most Americans know it. Now it's expected to turn the typically busy spring home-buying season on its head as well.

Despite the extremely low mortgage interest rates, the nation could be in for a rocky home-buying season. A recession triggered by COVID-19 appears to be on the way, and the stock market has plummeted, giving many buyers pause. There are also likely to be fewer homes on the market, longer closing times, and plenty of unanticipated delays in the coming weeks.

Following an appeal by NHAR, ”Real Estate Transactions" has been added to the list of essential services in the Governor's stay-at-homc order. The real estate provision reads as follows:

Per orders of Governor Sununu  all non essential businesses are to close as of midnight tonight. A Real Estate company happens to be non essential.  Our Campton and Lincoln offices will be closed until further notice. Our Realtors on the other hand will continue to do as much as they can from the safety of their homes.

Continued communication with our clients and customers is important to all of us. What does this mean for our sellers: marketing strategies will continue to put your property in the forefront of  buyers able and willing to purchase as soon as the restrictions have lifted. 

?During this unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, Alpine Lakes Real Estate is continuing to monitor closely local and world events. With many companies closing their offices and directing their employees to work from home to help reduce the possible spread of this virus, our offices are no different. Currently our offices in Lincoln and Campton are open.

First and foremost, we are taking the safety and health of our Realtors, staff and our clients and customers seriously. We are adhering to the recommendations from our local, state, and federal governments. This is a fluid situation which we are monitoring daily to better adjust and change how we operate within our company.

As the coronavirus spreads, how will it impact New Hampshire’s Real Estate Transactions?

We reached out to many of our most trusted professionals in the field to get their feedback and yet there appears to be only a minimal impact on NH transactions. Though Bank lobbies have been closed across the state, mortgage lenders are still able to meet in person with customers if they so choose and yet there hasn’t been a significant impact on transactions already in process.