I am a self-proclaimed nerd, and I love to tweak my websites. In my mind I have plans for…oh…at least a dozen more sites. The only thing delaying me is that whole `26 hours of work to do in this 24 hour day` thing comes into play, as well as my completely self-taught `skills` (*ahem*) of web design and code writing.
This past week I did manage to get up a new website about one of my favorite listings, 595 Maple Grove Road in Madison NH. This home was built in 2001 with all the nice perks like radiant heat in the flooring, central vacuum and high end kitchen appliances. However, walking in it has the look and the feel of a wonderful older home. From the custom cabinetry with punched tin accents and a soapstone sink in the kitchen to the two Rumford fireplaces and the charming screened porch, this house is just lovely. I do not use the term `lovely` very often, but it is indeed the term that comes to mind when I show this house.
Sometimes it feels like finding the right buyer for a property is like finding a needle in a haystack…
I have had one particular lot of land on the market for almost a year now. Land usually takes longer to sell than a residential home anyway, but I have had so much activity on this lot… at least a few calls or emails a week (which is quite a bit!), but nobody serious enough to make an offer. Usually if a property is shown a number of times and there are no offers, we have to assume that there is a pricing problem. In this case, though, the price is not the issue.
This lot is a very unique lot. A total of about 13 acres, smack dab in the middle of a few hundred acres of conservation land. The lot includes a logging road almost a mile long, 50 feet of frontage on Ossipee Lake, and hundreds of feet of frontage on both sides of the Bearcamp River. And…did I mention the conservation land? It is surrounded the `Bearcamp Woodlands`, a conservation area maintained by the New England Forestry Fund. It is a fabulous property.
What you can not do, though, is build on this lot. Maybe in the future you will be able to when they develop a super clean and tiny and effective septic system and they relax the NH Shoreline Protection Act. But for now (unless you know someone very important and really enjoy jumping though hoops)… you can not.
So, as I was saying, I have been getting a lot of activity on this lot. Mostly buyers – unrepresented buyers – who assumed they could build on the lot. If the buyer was represented by an agent, the agent would have been able to see that the lot would not support a septic and would be able to explain to them the Shoreline Protection Act and all of the red tape involved with building on or even remotely near the water these days. Do you think, really, that a 13 acre waterfront lot priced at $79K is not going to have some sort of issue?
I have always known that this lot will make an incredible camping spot, vacation spot, get-away-from-reality spot for one lucky family. River frontage where the river is wide, crystal clear, and deep, perfect for swimming. Lake frontage with views into a Loon Sanctuary. And, of course, amazing privacy. LUCKILY, though, I do think I have found the perfect buyers…(or more accurately…they found me!).
You do not know how happy it makes me that these folks are realistic about the lot. They know they will never subdivide. They know they will never built a mansion. They know they may never be able to build at all. They know that locals have been walking down this logging road for generations, and are probably still going to no matter what . They are exciting about finding that perfect camping spot for family weekends and campfires and (hopefully) lot of s`mores! They are realistic and excited about what they are getting – and that could not make me happier.
I am amazed every time one of our little local towns gets national attention! Wolfeboro does get the majority of it, I admit, but for good reason! This time in was featured in Budget Travel magazine in an article about wonderful summer lake towns. We all know that Wolfeboro is the Oldest Summer Resort in America!
Summer Lake Towns – Budget Travel
Shared via AddThis
Well, it is officially summer! It will be very interesting to see what the summer real estate market will have in store for us.
Quick Stats:
As usual these days, there are plenty of active listings to go around. Both Carroll and Belknap active listings are up about 7% over last month, but that is to be expected with new listings coming on for the summer. Carroll County had a relatively strong month with Pendings increasing 7% and closings increasing 35% (woot, woot!!), while Belknap did not do quite as well with Pendings down 15% and closings down 10%. Come on Belknap, stay with us!
Average Sales Price:
The Average Sales Price in Carroll County is down to $169,900. It was $179,000 the prior month and $200,500 this time last year. Average Days on Market:
This year Carroll County is quite sporadic with regards to the average time on the market. As you can see it has been quite up and down for the past few months. This month`s downward trend is a good sign… let`s hope it continues!
Absorption Rate:
And…the ever important absorption rate. Carroll and Coos still have the highest rates with 29.5 and 28.6 months of inventory on the market, respectively. Hillsborough County once again has the lowest rate with 14.2 months.
The rates are up pretty much across the board. I would like to think that it is because of the influx of new spring/summer listings. We shall see!
Statistics Copyright 2009 Northern New England Real Estate Network, Inc. The reproduction of these statistics is done with the permission of NNEREN. The statistics referenced herein are based solely upon listings submitted to the multiple listing service database of NNEREN and do not include all properties sold and marketed for sale. ALL INFORMATION DEEMED RELIABLE BUT NOT GUARANTEED. Any analysis or commentary related to these statistics is that of the commentator, and not that of NNEREN.
