Is Now the Time to Sell in Lincoln NH?

Let’s review what has happen over the past 10 years from 2009 to 2019. Steve Loynd, Alpine Lakes Real Estate Inc., managing Broker in our Lincoln New Hampshire office has reviewed and analyzed the last 10 years market conditions. In 2009 there were 73 unites (single family and condominiums) that [...]

With limited inventory available on the market you should take special care when interviewing Realtors you want to work with whether you are selling or buying a home. Here's a few questions to ask those potential agents.

1. What’s your experience with selling property?

There’s no right or wrong answer requiring a full resume, however, you may wish to know if the Realtor sells real estate full-time or part-time and how long they’ve been in the industry.  It’s also reasonable to ask how they resolve issues such as discovering a lien after the fact, disputes with property lines, negative property inspection prior to closing etc.

For first-time home buyers, the process can be completely overwhelming. There are contracts, deadlines, inspections, deposits, etc. When you outgrow that first home and decide to sell it and buy something better suited for your current situation you might think it’ll be a piece of cake because you’ve already done it once.  Not so fast . . . the process will be equally overwhelming if not more due to regulations put in the place since you purchased your first home.

First, you need to sell your existing home and determining where you’ll live until you find and close on a new home. It’s possible to find a home before you’ve sold your existing residence, but it can be tricky to pull it off, so you may choose to get the first home sold before making an offer on a new one.

Real estate investing involves the purchase, ownership, management, rental and/or sale of real estate for profit. Being a real estate investor isn’t always glamorous but it’s a great way to make your money work for you and build wealth over the long-haul.  There are several ways to consider investing in real estate, buying properties with the intention of renting them to generate income,1031 Exchange or buy, fix, and flip to other buyers. 

When considering investment options think about this, when you buy a stock, it simply sits in your brokerage account and, hopefully, increases in value. If you invest in a rental property, there are many responsibilities that come along with being a landlord. When the furnace stops working in the middle of the night, it's you who gets the phone call. If you have the skills and don't mind handyman work, this may not be barrier; otherwise, you may need a property manager which, of course, affects your profit.

Credit affects all people; young, old, rich or poor. Credit reports and scores can impact all aspects of our lives; loans, credit card offers, renting an apartment and even job opportunities. Because of this, it’s critical that you understand how credit works and what factors create your credit score.

Are you a homeowner who’s thinking about selling, yet you may feel you missed the prime selling season and may have to put off listing your home until the Spring?  Don’t despair, there are many good reasons to go ahead and list your property now, you just need to have a strategic plan, so it doesn’t sit on the market all Winter. According to the National Association of Realtors, Existing home sales have increased from November to December an average of 4.5% in the past three winters. This means that although there will be less inventory available, buyers are still out there buying at a steady pace. That’s great news for homeowners wishing to sell during the colder months. The key to attracting buyers during this time of year is to be prepared and have an established strategic plan to prepare your home for sale.

You’ve done your due diligence, found a superb real estate agent and have stored away your personal items to declutter your home, now it’s time to prepare for all those showings your agent will bring your way.

While NH real estate sales rose from April to May by 3.7%, year-to-date, they are down 1.2%. The reality is there are just not enough homes on the market for the number of buyers looking to make purchases and that’s a serious problem.  The most desirable homes, the ones that are selling, tend to be smaller, and more affordable, slowing the median increase.

When some people decide to buy property outside that state in which they currently live, they may be doing it with a lot of knowledge already.  They could have the resources of friends and family already living there, or the experience of having visited and spent significant amounts of time in the state.

For others, however, the choice to buy real estate- whether it’s a commercial property, single home, a condo, or even bare land- can seem daunting without some knowledge of the new state. 

Of course, there is some research you can do for yourself. You'll have to narrow it down to the state and maybe a county or region on our own.  But when you get down to choosing a city or town, the best source of information is going to be a well-qualified real estate broker.

Many subdivisions have strict by-laws to prevent owners from pitching a tent on their site and camping out. This Covenant comes in the form of “no” a temporary shelters provision. One step further we often see no mobile homes, or a minimum square footage requirement. These guidelines were intended to ensure a homogeneous design and value of homes in a given neighborhood. They were and are still a good idea in most cases.

Your Mortgage lender analyzes these five “steps” when considering your loan application and you can help the likelihood of being approved for a loan by knowing them. 

You think you’re getting a great deal when you purchase a For Sale by Owner (FSBO) property, but buyer beware – things aren’t always as rosy as they seem.  Here’s a real-life example of just one of the many things that can go wrong.

I had a seller on the sale of a condo in the White Mountains. My seller listed their property with me and during the normal disclosure reported that they had no mortgage on the property. As the transaction moves forward and it comes time to close, we should expect a simple transaction and no lender to chase for a discharge, right? Wrong!

“Many times, in the past buyers have called about properties they want to view and potentially buy, only to find out that a financing option was not available due to the fact the access is on a private road. We have informed the sellers a solution which is to get everyone on the road to sign a joint maintenance agreement. This would state who would take care of the plowing, and general upkeep of the common road, and the financial responsibility. This document would need to be recorded and run with the property deed. The problem is not everyone is willing to do that, after all, why put yourself on the hook for this expense if your neighbor is willing to plow for free because that individual has a truck and plow?”

Real estate tax assistance is real and you should see if you qualify! The Low & Moderate Income Homeowners Property Tax Relief program offered by the New Hampshire Department of Revenue was created to decrease the economic burden of the State Education Property Tax on certain at-risk taxpayers.

Spring has arrived and a deep spring clean-up is a must after a long winter when our homes have been completely closed up. Beyond the obvious regular cleaning tasks, here are a few hacks to use for a deep cleaning.

Use lemon to remove wet stains; rub one half of a lemon stains. The citric acid helps remove hard water marks. Remove water stains with lemon for a natural faucet fix.

Whether you're considering listing your home for sale or plan to hold on to it through your retirement years; keeping your home maintained and updated will increase its value. The best plan of action is to focus your time and resources on one room at a time.  Begin by making a list of all the things in each room you want to fix or upgrade and calculate the hard costs plus your time for each project. Knowing these two things will help you plan which room to begin with.  In addition to having a plan for each room, you should equally put together a plan for the exterior of your home. 

If you want to sell your home in the least amount of time and at the best possible price, work your way through this checklist to make sure you are presenting your home in its best possible light.  A few minor touch-ups can go a long way towards making a favorable impression on potential buyers - and perhaps cinching a deal. A clean, well-maintaintained home will always sell faster and for more money.

Spring and summer months are known to be great months to sell due to the warm weather and extended daylight; however, homes can sell in any month if they are priced right for the market area and appeal to the right buyer.  There are always serious buyers out there, the key is attracting them to your property. Here are 5 good reasons to list your home now:

First Impressions, your home must sell itself, an attractive home, well maintained and sparkling clean is most appealing to potential buyers

OUTSIDE

A pleasing exterior appearance is essential for that critical first impression. These simple suggestions will help show off your property to its best advantage.

Think of prospective buyers as your guest and prepare the inside of your house accordingly

It’s a seller’s market; I don’t need a real estate agent to sell my house. I can throw a for-sale sign up and start moving next week. Stop! Have you really thought that through? Do you really know what a real estate agent can do for you? Let’s take it from the top and talk about the big three; money, liability and [...]