Mt. Sunapee is opening for the season on Tuesday, November 30 with top-to-bottom skiing and riding on Upper and Lower Blast Off providing over 6,000 continuous feet of terrain for advanced skiers and riders. The Sunapee Express Quad will be operating daily. Snowmaking will continue as temperatures permit to open additional terrain. Ticket prices Tuesday are $46 for adults, $34 for young adults and seniors and $26 for juniors and super seniors. Mt. Sunapee hopes to have top-to-bottom skiing and riding on South Peak by Friday, December 3. The Learning Center will not be open over the weekend for teaching lessons, however. Another exciting winter season has begun at Mount Sunapee Resort. Welcome back!
Monthly Archive for November, 2010
Find out if your home is squandering precious energy and costing you money. By following up on problems, you can lower energy bills by 5% to 30% annually.
What you’ll need:flashlight, screwdriver, paint stirrer, tape measure and, not just for serenity’s sake, a stick of incense.
1. Hunt down drafts. Hold a lit stick of incense near windows, doors, electrical outlets, range hoods, plumbing and ceiling fixtures, attic hatches, and ceiling fans in bathrooms—anywhere drafts might sneak in. Watch for smoke movement. Note what sources need caulk, sealant, weather-stripping, or insulation.
2. Check attic insulation. Winter or summer, insulation does the most good when it’s overhead, so start with the attic. First, do you have insulation? If the insulation you see covers the tops of the joists by several inches, you probably have enough. If the insulation is only even with the tops of the joists, you probably need to add insulation.
3. Check wall insulation. Remove electrical outlet covers to see if your wall contains insulation. Shut off power to the receptacle before probing beside the electrical box with a wooden paint stirrer. Check some switch boxes as well. Their higher wall location lets you see if blown-in insulation has settled.
4. Look for stains on insulation. These often indicate air leaks from a hole behind the insulation, such as a duct hole or crack in an exterior wall. Seal gaps with caulk or spray foam insulation.
5. Inspect exposed ducts. Look for obvious holes and whether joints are sealed. Heating, ventilation, and cooling (HVAC) ducts are made of thin metal and easily conduct heat. Consider insulating them. Uninsulated or poorly insulated ducts in unconditioned spaces can lose 10% to 30% of the energy used to heat and cool your home.
6. Check anything that goes through an exterior wall. Examine dryer ducts, plumbing lines under sinks and vanities, anything that pierces a wall. Any gaps around it should be sealed with spray foam insulation or caulk.
Taken from an article by Jane Hodges for houselogic.com, a service of realtor.com
Back in the “good old days”, buyers who were pre-approved usually spent less than a month looking for a home; typically, they would see 15-20 houses. In today’s market, it’s not unusual for buyers to look at two or three times that number and still not say “yes” to one of them. With the number of homes available, buyers become overly concerned that they have not yet seen the “perfect” home. News media reporting has also helped convince them that there is a “better deal” around the next corner.
Here are some tips which might help buyers be more efficient in their search:
-Look at enough properties to get acquainted with the local market and its likelihood of meeting your expectations. Also, be sure to have your agent provide you with data regarding the performance of the market in your area, including sold statistics.
-Let your emotions help you. Too many buyers have forgotten that buying a home should be a satisfying and rewarding emotional experience, as well as a sensible purchase. Without emotion entering into your considerations, it will be much harder to make a decision. Go ahead, fall in love with a house! Then be sure it is a good purchase for you.
-Decide if a distressed property is really right for you. Purchasing a property which is under foreclosure or short sale circumstances can be a complicated and trying experience. Buyers will need a very good agent and a lot of patience and flexibility to be successful.
-Don’t focus too heavily on price. Yes, price is an important consideration, but it isn’t the only one. Sometimes focusing on getting the “very best” price keeps buyers from considering all the other benefits of purchasing a home
-Be ready to negotiate. The first step is to make an offer at a price you are comfortable with…but be prepared to consider a counter-offer from the seller. Negotiation is part of the process and can be the open door to a successful purchase. Typically, in the current market, sellers are still finding that they are the ones who need to do more negotiating, so, go ahead, give it a try, you never know where you might end up!
-Get plenty of advice but trust the professionals. Now, more than ever, buyers need the experience and guidance from a real estate professional who knows the market in his/her area. Friends and family can certainly offer good ideas for consideration, but, in the end, trust the professionals.
-Don’t let negative comments about the housing market scare you off. Despite the fact that there still seems to be bad news being broadcast about the real estate market, serious buyers should keep their eyes on the target. This is a “perfect storm” for buyers: historically low interest rates, high inventory, motivated sellers…you can buy more now for your dollar than at any time in recent history.
Go on out and buy a home! You won’t regret the decision!
Based on an article published on line, November 17, 2010, by RISMEDIA, the Leader in Real Estate Information Systems
You can find this tag line on the NH Department of Resources and Economic Development’s web site at Welcome to New Hampshire. If you’re planning a visit to NH for a vacation or house-hunting, it’s the perfect place to start. You can make your reservations right on line. The site is designed around the current season and, there is an absolute wealth of information to be found. Some of the many subjects covered are Arts & Entertainment, Shopping and Antiquing, Family Attractions, What to do, Where to Eat…etc. For example, in the Arts & Entertainment section, you’ll find a brief description of NH’s music and arts scene, but there are also separate links to “Music”, “Galleries”, “Museums”, “Theatre”, “Film”, and “NH Made”. There’s even a NH Brewery Location Map! There are plenty of pictures and even some suggested itineraries suited for the season, and what could be more appropriate than “Yankee Dollar Stretchers”? You’ll find yourself going back many times. Come visit us in the New London-Lake Sunapee Area when you get here! The Best Team in Town | Coldwell Banker Milestone Real Estate
Thanksgiving is just around the corner and that means that Christmas will be coming quickly on its heels. Then, before we know it, it’s time to start pulling together all our tax information. Sure, taxes aren’t due until April 15th, but we all know what a process it is. We also all know that some of the frustration and “pain” can be avoided by getting a jump on it. So, to help give you that early start, here are some web sites which will give you some great tips, whether you’re a first time homebuyer, someone who owns a vacation home, or an investment buyer who has purchased a home at foreclosure. Remember, always check with your own tax advisors, but these articles might provide you with some discussion points. Good luck!
Home sweet homeowner tax breaks
Tax Tips for Homeowners | DoItYourself.com
TurboTax® – Buying a Second Home – Tax Tips for Homeowners
Tax tips for Homeowners of short sale or foreclosed properties
Located right in the Harbor in the old Flanders-Osborne stable at 74 Main Street, the Historical Society houses rotating exhibits of items from Sunapee’s past: the grand hotels, the steamboats, industrial and agricultural equipment, and much more.
At 7pm on most Thursday evenings in the summer, they offer a “cracker barrel” talk–a discussion of some aspect of Sunapee history. Check the Upcoming Events page on their web site for dates and topics.
They also hold quarterly meetings year-round that include programs related to Sunapee history.
Admission is free; donations are welcomed and appreciated!
Visit their web site at: Sunapee Historical Society
Daylight Savings is this weekend. If your home is on the market in the New London/Lake Sunapee Area, many would be buyers will only be seeing your home in the dark. Well-executed outdoor lighting will cast your home in the best possible light and add an abundance of curb appeal. It can also add value. However, it’s not just about aesthetics, lighting for security is also important.
Here are some elements of successful outdoor lighting:
Mimic moonlight: The “moonlight effect’ is a naturalistic look that features light no more intense than that of a full moon, but still strong enough to make beautiful shadows and intense highlights.
Highlight trees: Illuminated from below or with a light mounted in the tree itself, trees make stunning features.
Use up-lights: Up-lighting is dramatic because we expect light to shine downward.
Have a focus: The entryway is often center stage, a way of saying, “Welcome, this way in.”
Stick to warm light: The purpose is to showcase the house and its landscape rather than create a light show.
Add safety and security: Stair and pathway lighting help eliminate falls. Motion-detecting security lighting is helpful when you get out of your car at night, and it also deters intruders. Landscape lighting on timers can also illuminate shadowy areas. The moonlight effect can have a security function as its soft, overall lighting eliminates dark areas that might hide an intruder, unlike overly bright lights which create undesirable pockets of deep shadown.
Switch to LEDs: Now the light source of choice for lighting designers.
A little attention to some outdoor lighting options could make your house stand out from the crowd, especially at this time of year. And that’s just what’s needed to help you get it sold!
This article was based on one by Dave Toht for NAR’s houselogic.com, published in March of 2010. Visit the site for more great ideas. Toht has written or edited more than 60 books on home repair and remodeling, including titles for The Home Depot, Lowe’s, Better Homes & Gardens, Sunset, and Reader’s Digest.
The August 23, 2010, issue of RISMEDIA online daily newsletter included an article by David S. Jones, discussing the pros and cons of reverse mortgages. Jones, the senior editor for the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University, took much of the material from an article in the July issue of Tierra Grande magazine by Dr. James Gaines, research economist for the Real Estate Center.
Although these mortgages may not benefit everyone, there is no doubt that they are becoming more popular. They use, as a basis, the home’s current value, borrower’s age and existing interest rates. The loan can come as a lump sum payment, spread out in specific amounts or as a line of credit, or both.
Pros of a Reverse Mortgage
• There is no fixed due date.
• As long as the home remains the borrower’s principal residence,
no repayment is required
• Loans are payable upon death, sale, ceasing to live in the home or failure to keep taxes, insurance or maintenance current.
• Borrowers cannot be foreclosed on.
• Reverse mortgages are nonrecourse loans. The amount owed can never exceed the selling price.
• Borrowers continue to hold title to the property.
• There are flexible payment options.
• Loan proceeds are not taxable.
• Underwriting and approval do not depend on the borrower’s current income or employment status.
• Would-be borrowers are required to meet with an independent financial counselor prior to getting a loan.
• The lender’s lien on the property is removed if the lender fails to make loan advances according to the agreement.
Cons of a Reverse Mortgage
• Homeowners must be at least 62 years old, own their home outright or have high home equity.
•Typically, reverse mortgages provide around 65 percent of the home’s value.
• The loan, all accrued interest and costs are due when the borrower dies. Usually, the home would need to be sold to repay the loan at this time. If an heir wishes to retain the home, the full amount due must be paid off, even if it exceeds the current value of the home.
• To offset fairly high up-front costs, borrowers often need to stay in the home at least ten years.
• Borrowers are responsible for all other ownership costs.
• Homes can be foreclosed on if borrowers cease to live in them for 12 consecutive months or default on any obligation, such as maintenance, taxes or insurance.
• Generally, reverse mortgages can have more complicated terms and conditions and can also generate fairly aggressive solicitation for other products and services.
For a comprehensive explanation, read “Reverse Mortgages: Alternative Home Equity Funding” by Gaines and former Center research assistant Beth Thomas. It can be found online at http://recenter.tamu.edu/pdf/1939.pdf.
