Start building your lakefront home and family memories on crystal clear Lake Sunapee, the 5th largest lake in New Hampshire with 70 miles of shoreline. This 3.2 acre parcel offers 103 ft. of shorefront with shallow, sandy bottom at the shore. Come enjoy all that the Lake Sunapee Region has to offer.
Monthly Archive for July, 2010
Before getting started, it’s a good idea to hire a professional remodeler for a workable plan and better results, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). A professional has the expertise and skills to assist the consumer and help to keep the budget in check.
Here are five tips for planning a successful home remodel that you can enjoy for many years to come.
1. Compile a list of ideas and draft a budget for the work. Prioritize your wish list: Maybe you don’t have the budget for your dream remodel, but professional remodelers can maximize your dollars by doing the work in phases, suggesting budget-friendly products and materials and implementing creative design solutions.
2. Look for a professional remodeler to help plan the project.
Start by searching NAHB’s Directory of Professional Remodelers at www.nahb.org/remodel. You’ll get a list of nearby remodelers to contact. Asking friends and neighbors for names of qualified remodelers will also help you find a match with someone who can handle your project and would be comfortable for you to work with.
3. Check the references and background of the remodeler.
After you start speaking with remodelers and find one or two who match your project’s needs, be sure to conduct some background research. Remodelers who are members of professional organizations tend to be more reliable, better educated and more likely to stay on top of construction and design trends.
4. Agree on a contract.
Talk over the details of the home remodeling project and begin reviewing the contract. You’ll want to check the remodelers’ insurance coverage, ask about any warranties on their work, know who is responsible for obtaining any building permits and understand the process for making any change orders after the contract is signed. Make sure that you and your remodeler see eye to eye before you sign on the dotted line.
5. Take advantage of the energy efficiency tax credits.
If your remodel includes replacing windows or doors, adding insulation, installing new roofing, upgrading heating or air-conditioning units, updating the water heater or installing energy generating products (such as solar panels, heat pumps or wind turbines) then you can take advantage of federal energy efficiency tax credits through 2010 that will help defray costs and maximize your remodeling budget while reducing home energy bills.
Source: RISMEDIA 3/12/10
If your home is on the market, it might be useful for you to be aware of the following statistics regarding Home Buyers. The source of this information is the 2009 National Association of Realtors Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers.
Active home search (median):
- Number of weeks searched: 12
- Number of homes seen: 12
First-Time vs. Repeat Buyers:
- First-time buyers: 47%
- Repeat buyers: 53%
- Median age of first-time buyers: 30
- Median age of repeat buyers: 48
Buyers who definitely would use same agent again: 81%
Actions taken as result of Internet home search:
- Drove by/viewed a home: 77%
- Walked through a home viewed online: 61%
- Found agent used to search/buy home: 28%
Information sources used in home search:
- Internet: 90%
- Real estate agent: 87%
- Yard sign: 59%
- Open house: 46%
- Newspaper ad: 40%
- Home book or magazine: 26%
Source: 2009 National Association of REALTORS® Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers
Make your appointment today to see this comfortable cape nestled in the trees in the Eastman community. 3 bedrooms, 2 full baths. Visit www.3Slalom.com.
Concord, NH – The NH Energy and Climate Collaborative recently released the NH Climate Action Plan Annual Progress Review 2010. The NH Climate Action Plan was completed in March 2009 by the NH Climate Change Policy Task Force established by Executive Order of the Governor in 2007. For the past year, the NH Energy and Climate Collaborative, a group of 18 leaders from the business, non-profit and public sectors, has volunteered to track, report and communicate progress towards implementation of the recommended actions outlined in the NH Climate Action Plan. The results of these collective efforts and the state’s progress on implementing the goals of the NH Climate Action Plan are outlined in the Climate Action Plan Annual Progress Review 2010, which may be viewed at http://m1e.net/c?82384231-f43DdQ0k.hqZo%405434956-Oc5dYhhPp2tbk .
The Climate Action Plan includes some 67 recommended actions for addressing the state’s energy needs while also strengthening the economy and reducing the threats of climate change. One recommendation called for the creation of the New Hampshire Energy and Climate Collaborative to help track and support the plan’s implementation. The collaborative has over the past year:
• Served as a hub for information on statewide energy and climate action in New Hampshire.
• Created connections among institutions, individuals, and networks that are active in the state’s energy and climate arena.
• Provided a forum for problem solving on energy and climate issues in the state that are not addressed by existing institutions, individuals, and networks.
• Shared stories through a variety of communication avenues.
Many efforts have been occurring throughout the state over the past year since the release of the New Hampshire Climate Action Plan that are directly related to the plan and support its goals and recommended actions. Some of these efforts include:
• Auctions of allowances for emissions of carbon dioxide from electric power plants conducted under the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative raised $24 million for energy efficiency projects in New Hampshire between September 2008 and June 2010, which in the first round of grants resulted in:
o More than 30 energy efficiency training opportunities.
o More than 709 people trained in energy efficiency.
o 500 energy efficiency projects complete or underway.
o More than 185 buildings received energy audits or benchmarking information.
• In fiscal year 2010, the Renewable Energy Fund disbursed $1.34 million to 237 homeowners for distributed electric generation facilities such as solar photovoltaics and wind turbines.
• The Green Launching Pad, administered by the University of New Hampshire, was established to provide a mechanism for start-up green companies to obtain some funding through a competitive technology program.
• Through the Municipal Energy Assistance Program, 47 New Hampshire towns are measuring and beginning to manage energy use and become project-ready.
Retail Merchants Association of NH, through its Energy • Efficiency Program, met its year one goal of enrolling 25 businesses into its energy retrofit demonstration project.
• The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) was created to stimulate the economy and these grants will inject a total of more than $70 million into New Hampshire’s economy for energy related projects.
To learn more about the Annual Progress Review and how to get involved in implementation efforts, visit the Collaborative’s website at http://m1e.net/c?82384231-ZNOWcW94KBO6g%405434956-xlAwFpu8LkAVw or contact Stacey Doll, Coordinator for the NH Energy and Climate Collaborative at (603) 271-6947 or at stacey.doll@des.nh.gov .
This message brought to you by the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, 29 Hazen Drive, Concord, NH 03302.
Recently, the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services released
“A Shoreland Homeowner’s Guide to Stormwater Management”
This publication provides very valuable and helpful information to shoreland homeowners.
Concord, NH – The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services has released a new document to assist landowners entitled A Shoreland Homeowner’s Guide to Stormwater Management. If you are a shoreland homeowner, your property may produce stormwater runoff that directly impacts the quality of our waters. A Shoreland Homeowner’s Guide to Stormwater Management provides several simple and cost effective practices shoreland homeowners can use to reduce and prevent polluted stormwater runoff from roofs, patios, lawns and driveways. These practices can be used to meet the provisions of the Comprehensive Shoreland Protection Act (CSPA), which helps protect the state’s surface waters by placing limits on development that contribute to stormwater runoff. The guide also includes general information about what state environmental permits, if any, are necessary for incorporating these practices.
The guide consists of an introductory document and nine guidance sheets for the installation of: dripline trenches, drywells, new infiltration steps, retrofit infiltration steps, infiltration trenches, paths and walkways, rain barrels, rain gardens and water bars. A copy of the guide can be found online at http://m1e.net/c?82384231-klGDQjV33whCA%405360100-Na3ieO9JDQRow
The guide was prepared by the DES Shoreland Protection Program and the DES Lakes Management and Protection Program in partnership with the Upper Valley Lake Sunapee Regional Planning Commission. Funding for the guide was provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act under Section 604(b) of the Clean Water Act. The guidance sheets contained in the guide were provided by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection.
For more information on A Shoreland Homeowner’s Guide to Stormwater Management, please contact Laura Weit-Marcum at 603 271-8811.
This message brought to you by the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, 29 Hazen Drive, Concord, NH 03302. Comments or Questions can be directed to Jim Martin at james.martin@des.nh.gov.
Sunny 3 bedroom cape set back from the road can enjoy even more room by finishing off the basement or bonus room above the garage. Oak cabinets, pantry, garage–all on 3.10 acres. Visit www.56Southgate.com for photos and details.
