July was a good month for Winnipesaukee waterfront sales, at least when compared to last year. There were a total of six Winnipesaukee sales at an average of $955,333 compared to only half that number last July although the average sales price in July 2009 was higher at $1.82 million. Two of the six sales posted last month were island properties and those do obviously bring less money that mainland homes.

The least expensive home sold is at 260 Rattlesnake Island in Alton, NH.  This is an 1,166 square foot cottage with three rooms, two bedrooms, and the description in MLS said it had only a half bath. I guess maybe there was an outside shower or the bath tub was the lake? The cottage sits on a .7 acre level lot with 103 feet of frontage and nice southwesterly views. There is also an outbuilding on the property that would make a great bunk house for the in-laws. This property was originally offered at $429,000, reduced to $359,900, and sold for $324,000 after 432 days on the market. The property is currently assessed for $376,500, so that seems like a fair deal.

A beautiful 2,127 square foot contemporary at  368 Sewall Road in Wolfeboro also changed hands at $1.48 million after 349 days on the market. This home was originally listed at $1.95 million and subsequently was reduced to $1.875 million. The town has the current tax assessment at $1.677 million. This beautiful home at the entrance to Jockey Cove has 144 feet of sandy bottom frontage, an 8’ x 35’ crib dock, and broad views across the lake toward the Belknap Mountains. It has an open and spacious interior boasting thirteen rooms, four bedrooms, and two and a half baths. The exterior has nice perennial gardens, stonewalls, and a great patio area taking advantage of the wonderful views. Nice!

The highest sale in July was at 36 Broadview Terrace  in Gilford. This Governor’s Island, 5,000 square foot contemporary has a bright and open floor plan featuring a great room with cathedral ceilings, stone fireplace, hard wood floors, and a wall of windows to take in the view. There are four bedrooms, five and a half baths, and a bonus room with wet bar for entertaining. This home sits on a .74 acre lot with 100 feet of frontage with a covered U-shaped dock. This property was originally offered at just under $2.6 million, then reduced to $1.995 million in March, and found a buyer at $1.7 million after a mere 641 days on the market. With an assessment of $2.035 million it seems like the new owner got a fair deal.

There was only one sale on Winnisquam last month which equals the one sale posted last July. The honors go to a six room, three bedroom cottage at 74 Black Brook Road in Meredith. This knotty pine paneled cottage epitomizes what lake living is all about. There is a great stone fireplace in the living room, a basketball court outside, and 130 feet of sandy frontage. What more could you want? Well, maybe a pitcher of Margaritas out by the lake? This little place was only on the market for 19 days and closed 17 days later. So, possibly there really was a pitcher of Margaritas waiting there! It was listed at $499,000, assessed at $369,500 and sold for $477,000. Es tiempo de fiesta, Señorita!

June was a pretty good month for Winnipesaukee waterfront sales with a total of eight happy new homeowners finding a home to dock their boats on the shores of the big lake. This doesn’t quite measure up to the eleven sales last June, but the average sales price came in higher at $1.38 million compared to an average of $771,773 last June. There were five sales over $1 million last month compared to three last June.

The least expensive home that sold on the lake was at 56 Braun Bay Road in Moultonborough. Originally listed at $1.2 million, it was reduced to $895,000 and sold at $830,000 after 754 days on the market. This home is a 1,660 square foot, six room, three bedroom cottage that was completely and tastefully remodeled in 1996. The home has a nice eat in kitchen, living room with fireplace, loft area, a nice deck offering great views of the lake and mountains beyond, and a two car garage with a playroom above. The cottage sits on a .42 acre lot with 100 feet of frontage, a sandy beach, and a covered dock. I bet the new owners have enjoyed it immensely during this recent heat wave.

On the other end of the price spectrum, a vintage cottage at 304 Woodlands Road in Alton with two separate lots of record totaling 2.79 acres sold well below the $2.4 million asking price at $1.9 million. The property has expansive lake views, a total of 565 feet of shorefront, and a deepwater boathouse. There is a new five bedroom septic system servicing the cottage with another five bedroom septic design included for the other lot. You can expect to see a couple new homes there in the future…

The highest sale on Winnie in June was at 45 Swan Point Road in Moultonborough. This high end, Craftsman style lake home has 6,000 square feet of living space including 6 bedrooms, eight baths, a designer kitchen, great room with cathedral ceilings and fireplace, game room, and all the other requisite amenities expected at this price point. There is even a 700 square foot, three season pavilion sitting steps from the water on a point of land that provides gorgeous views. There is no need to go back to the main house for lunch as inside the pavilion you’ll find a kitchen, dining area, and half bath. This home sits on a very private 1.73 acre lot with 668 feet of frontage with a sandy beach, three docks, and a boat ramp. The home was listed at $3.49 million and sold for $3.15 million after 421 days. My kind of place.

Waterfront sales over the first 6 months of 2010 are ahead of last year with a total of 39 sales compared to 30 last year. The average sales price is up considerably from $839,858 in the 1st half of 2009 to $1.25 million so far this year. The total sales volume year to date comes in at $48.7 million compared to just $25 million over the same period last year. There were nine sales over a million in the 1st half of 2009 compared to nineteen so far this year. It seems that perhaps there is some confidence returning in the marketplace with buyers realizing that Winnipesaukee waterfront is a sound and safe place to invest.

There was only one sale on Winnisquam in June. Located at 30 Broadview in Sanbornton, this like new, 1,963 square foot contemporary home built in 2005 has six rooms, three bedrooms, and two and a half bath. The home sits on a .12 acre lot with 55 feet of frontage and has a nice sandy beach with great views down the broad part of the lake. This property was listed at $399,900 and sold for $389,000 which was well below the assessed value of $468,500. Sales are definitely up in the first half of 2010 on Winnisquam with seven sales at an average sales price of $521,571 compared to just two sales in the first half of 2009 at an average of $341,250.

Currently there are over 260 waterfronts for sale on Winnipesaukee including island properties and almost 30 on Winnisquam. That is one very large boat load of expensive real estate. Let’s hope the great weather continues to heat up the interest in these properties and we have a banner summer season!

Winnipesaukee Waterfront Sales June 2010

There were four Winnipesaukee waterfront sales in May, 2010 with an average sales price of $1.727 million compared to eight transactions last May at an average $799,438. So while total number of sales were down the total sales volume for the month actually went up. In the first five months of 2010 we had 31 transaction on the big lake with an average sales price of $1.217 million compared to just 19 for the same period last year at an average of $817,275. This is a great start to the summer season!

The largest sale on Winnipesaukee in May was at 46 Rocky Winds Drive in Moultonborough which was listed for $4,295,000 and sold for $3,900,000. This spectacular Adirondack lake home was built by one of the premiere builders in the Lakes Region, Skiffington Homes, and has 8,000 square feet of living space, seven bedrooms, eight baths, gourmet kitchen, five fireplaces, elevator, and…well just about every amenity you could possibly want. This impeccable home sits on a 1.2 acre lot with 200 feet of water frontage, a sandy beach, a permanent 50’ U-shaped covered dock and westerly views. I expect the new owner will have a fantastic summer! So will Joe Skiffington…

Another fine property at 124 Beede Road in Moultonborough that was originally offered at $1.595 million, was reduced to $1.35 million, sold for $1,198,500 after 250 days on the market. This home is a 3,594 square foot, three bedroom contemporary home built in 1996 that features a large open floor plan with a huge great room with a stone fireplace, a first floor master, and a wall of glass looking toward the lake. It also features two huge decks for outside entertaining, 304 feet of frontage with a sandy beach and a U shaped dock.

Over at 118 Pendleton Beach Road in Laconia a deal was struck on a 3,510 square foot, four bedroom contemporary that was built in 1979. Originally offered in 2008 for $1.699 million it sold for just about its assessed value at $1.15 million. The least expensive waterfront property sold in May was at 12 Wagon Wheel Trailin Meredith. This 1940’s vintage lake cottage on a level .33 acre lot had 90 feet of frontage, great westerly views of the bay and a sandy beach. The new owners plan to live there a while and eventually replace it with a new structure. This property was on the market for $699,000 and sold for $660,000 which was $108,000 below assessed value.

There was only one sale one Winnisquam in May which was over at 262 Shore Drive in Laconia. This home was built in 1974 and has 4,472 square feet of living space, seven bedrooms, and four baths. The .85 acre lot has 340 feet of frontage, a sugar sand beach, three docks, and southwestern exposure. Originally offered in 2008 at $1.075 million, it sold for $837,500 which was $112,000 less than its tax assessment.

You can always find the vey latest listings on Winnipesaukee right here at Lakes Region Home!

MLS #2836717  Moultonboro, NH

Offered at $849,000

This large Winnipesaukee waterfront home has great sunset views, crystal clear water, 111 feet of shore front, and a large L shaped dock. It is the perfect base for all your Winnipesaukee adventures!

The home features an open floor plan that is absolutely wonderful for entertaining with a large kitchen which flows nicely into the dining and living room areas that boast awesome westerly views. Rounding out the first floor space you’ll find a finished family/game room, a large bedroom, bath, and a room that would make a perfect office or library. Outside there is a huge deck that can host the largest party on this side of the lake!

Upstairs you’ll find the master suite (and a tub with a view!) plus another large bedroom (both with decks overlooking the water). You will also find plenty of additional sleeping quarters for your new found friends and family in three addition rooms that serve as sleeping quarters. You will, in fact, be able to comfortably accommodate a small army of your friends without any problem!

There is a large finished room in the basement and another bath plus a large storage and utility room with bulkhead access outside.

This home is nestled in the pines on a .43 acre lot on a very desirable part of the lake. This property will make a great vacation retreat especially for larger or extended families. You may even find that you have family you didn’t know you had! The home currently is used as an income property and has an extremely good rental history if you are looking for an investment opportunity.

April was another good month for sales on  Winnipesaukee when compared to last year. There were ten sales on the big lake at an average sales price of $1,057,900 compared to only five in April 2009 at an average of $946,000. Sales ranged from a low of $340,000 to $3.8 million with a median sales price of $618,000. For those homeowners that think they have to wait until summer to sell their waterfront because no one is around, all of these homes went under agreement in the winter proving that the buyers are out there looking at waterfronts in the snow. There is never a bad time to sell a good waterfront in Lakes Region.

There were three sales over the $1 million mark. The largest was a newly constructed, 8,000 square foot Adirondack style home at 140 Alpine Park Road in Moultonborough. It was constructed by Scott C. Fuller Development and was originally on the market for $4.6 million, reduced to $4.295, and then brought $3.8 million after 414 days on the market. It goes without saying that this home is high quality throughout and provided all the bells and whistles one would expect in this price range. There are eight bedrooms, seven full baths plus one half bath, the requisite gourmet kitchen, great room, home theater room, exercise room, screened porch, large deck, and fabulous sunsets. The home sits on 2.8 acres with a 288’ sandy beach and separate docking area.

Over at 7 Wyanoke Gate Lane in  Wolfeboro, a 3,662 square foot contemporary style home constructed in 1986 that was originally listed for $2,295,000, then reduced to $1.795 million, and sold for $1.53 million. It was situated on a 1.66 acre lot with 152 feet of shorefront with a great sandy beach. This property was only on the market for 159 days. Rounding out the sales over a million dollars is the property at 58 Governor Wentworth Highway in Tuftonboro. This is another contemporary home built in 1986 and has 2,400 square feet of living space on 2.72 private acres with 58 feet of waterfront. It was originally on for $1.96 million, reduced to $1.595 and sold for $1.5 million.

Things had been relatively quiet over on Winnisquam but there were four sales in April which is a good sign. The lowest sale came in at $304,000 for a 1,500 square foot, 4 bedroom cottage at 109 Tucker Shore Rd in Belmont. It has a quarter acre lot with 50 feet of frontage. The other three sales were all in Sanbornton: a 864 square foot, two bedroom cottage at 334 Black Brook Rd sold for $357,500; a very nice five bedroom log cabin with great views at 36 Broadview Drive brought $515,000 (originally offered at $749,000 last year); and the highest sale was at 51 Lower Smith at $643,000 for a older 2,393 square foot colonial with four bedrooms and three baths on an acre lot with 141 feet of frontage and a boat house! Its current assessment is $799,000 so I’d say the buyer got a good deal.

So things seem to be kicking into gear on the lakes and we’re off to a great start for 2010. With over 240 properties for sale on the big lake and over 20 on Winnisquam there is something out there for every waterfront buyers taste, lifestyle, and pocketbook! Check them out…

For Winnipesaukee Sales Details Click Here :  Winnipesaukee    (PDF FILES–USE BACK ARROW TO COME BACK TO WEBSITE)

For Winnisquam Sales Details Click Here :    Winnisquam (PDF FILES–USE BACK ARROW TO COME BACK TO WEBSITE)

For the latest Lake Winnipesaukee Listings Click HERE!

Looking for a truly unique vacation home, summer retreat, or possible business in the Lakes Region of NH?

“Fernside” is one of the oldest homes in the historic section of The Weirs. Built in 1889 by Jasper & Mary Avery, Fernside remained in the same family and was operated as a guest house until November 2007 when great granddaughter, Beth Lavertue died at the age of 88. After her passing, this remarkable old inn was painstakingly and lovingly restored to its former glory, evoking the charm and simplicity of a by-gone era.

Beth had many stories to tell about growing up around her great grandmother, Gram (Mary) Avery and grandmother, Rose Avery. They were hard working women who tended to the home and were great cooks using fresh foods from the garden and bartering for milk or eggs and other sundries as needed. The guests at Fernside were well fed. Life was much simpler, but was much harder than we imagine. The history of this home and its owners is displayed throughout the home with pictures and maps which add to the charm and atmosphere of this remarkable property.

There are six charming bedrooms, a bath complete with a claw foot tub, a sparkling kitchen, dining room, den, and a parlor for evening storytelling. But the best yarns will probably be heard on the wrap around porch with views of Winnipesaukee. The lovely yard features perennial gardens and flowering bushes.

This wonderful home is located in the heart of the Lakes Region and within a short distance to all Lakes Region attractions, restaurants, and activities. There are plenty of exciting things to do, but you will probably find yourself enjoying the simpler things of times gone by like sitting on the porch watching the boats go by, reading a book,  or perhaps playing a board game in the parlor. This home has that kind of affect on you…

The property is located in the commercial resort zone which would allow various business opportunities for a new owner and the front porch is the perfect place to plan your new venture. Schedule an appointment to visit Fernside soon…

MLS #2830908  414 Lakeside Ave, Laconia, NH   Offered at $299,000

“Ice-Out” on Lake Winnipesaukee was officially declared on Wednesday, March 24, 2010 at 2:00 pm and was the earliest ice out ever recorded. While the global warming advocates will undoubtedly point to rising temperatures caused by increased concentrations of greenhouse gases, I know better. The following statistics will prove beyond a shadow of doubt that the early ice out was caused by an unseasonably hot month of waterfront sales! Well, at least compared to last March when there was only one sale on the Big Lake. We had eight sales on Winnipesaukee with an average sales price of $1,020,675 last month. It was the best March that we have had since way back 2005 when there were 13 sales at an average of $904,308. OK, so March wasn’t blistering hot as far as sales on the lake go, but it is sure better than it was last year.

For details of the above sales click here: Waterfront Sales March 2010

But we are definitely off to a pretty good start in 2010. During the first quarter there were 17 Winnipesaukee waterfront sales at an average of $1.21 million compared to just 6 sales during the first quarter of 2009. The best prior start was in 2007 when there were 25 sales in the first quarter at an average price of $1.75 million. Activity has been pretty strong as far as waterfront inquiries and the number of showings are up as well. As of April 14, there were 230 Winnipesaukee waterfront properties available (including island property) at an average asking price of $1.86 million. Of those, 97 were priced below $1 million and 19 were below $500,000.

The highest sale on Winnipesaukee in March was the property located at 68 Sewall Road  in Wolfeboro which was on the market for $4.9 million and sold at $4.295 million. This is an elegant, vintage waterfront home built in 1903 that has been updated with all new systems. The home has 6,630 square feet of living space, seven bedrooms, eight baths, a grand dining area, a formal living room as well as a family room, and great porches to enjoy the views. There is also a beautiful boat house with guest quarters above. The home sits on a 1.1 acre lot with 247 feet of frontage. This is great waterfront property in a great location in the oldest summer resort town in America! Congratulations to the happy new owner!

There was only one sale on Winnisquam in March and that was at 14  Lakeside Drive  in Belmont.  This property consists of a 1960 vintage main house and separate year round guesthouse on an acre lot with 76 feet of frontage with western exposure. Both structures have been completely remodeled. The main house features an open concept design with cathedral ceilings and features a gourmet kitchen with granite countertops. Great sunset views. This home was on the market for $625,000 and found a new buyer at $605,000

There was also only one sale on Newfound Lake at 311 Deer Path Lane  in Bridgewater. This four room, two bedroom, seasonal cottage was built in 1951 and sits on a half acre lot with 105 feet of frontage. It was originally listed at $625,000, reduced to $549,000 and then sold for $520,000.

So the ice is out, the days are getting warmer, and waterfront buyers are hopefully going to keep the temperature turned up high during the coming sales season! If they keep it up maybe the lake won’t freeze at all next winter…

April showers bring May flowers and more real estate listings, but the unseasonably warm and sunny days have also brought out the buyers. Let’s hope they actually buy something! The number of single family homes in the towns in this Lakes Region report jumped from 993 last month to 1070 as of April 1. That number is also up compared to the 1000 homes listed as of April 1, 2009. Based on the number of homes sold in the last 12 months, this total is equivalent to 17 months worth of inventory. We are fortunate to have a good mix of properties and great offerings in every price range and with 28% of the listings priced under $200k there are a lot of affordable homes on the market.

For those following the lake front listings, there are 211 homes available on Lake Winnipesaukee (including island property as of April 3) with an average asking price of $1.85 million. A little under half of these listings are on the market for less than $1 million. Over on Lake Winnisquam there are 18 waterfronts available with an average asking price of $650,833. I’ve read several articles lately that say vacation and luxury homes sales are rebounding in many parts of the country so let’s hope for a great summer here as well.

The wonderful world of real estate is a very challenging place right now to say the least, for buyers, sellers, lenders, and REALTORS® alike. It seems like the normal hurdles that we face in every transaction have become magnified because we just don’t get as many offers on homes as we used to. The biggest hurdle may be getting a showing on a property. Stress levels have increased for sellers in particular (real estate agents have always had to go for therapy) and buyers seem to enjoy tormenting them with the ever popular “low ball offer”. But, in some circumstance, sellers should think very seriously about your first lowball offer!

So what is a “low ball offer”? Well, it can be viewed differently depending on your perspective on the matter. Assuming we are talking about a seller, let’s see if we can make some sense out of it. Let’s say you have been trying to sell your home for $359,00. Mr. Seller’s property is very, very nice and he has remodeled every square inch with the highest quality materials, replaced all the systems, and made it the best and most unique domicile on the planet (his agent knows all of this because Mr. Seller has told him ten times). It has been on the market for 237 days, but Mr. Seller has also had it listed before with two other agencies for a little over $400,000. Despite the fact that there have been two homes sold in town for $325,000 that were pretty similar and every bit as nice Mr. Seller’s, he is standing firm on the conviction that his home is worth more because, well…because he says so and the price is the price. Remember when you were a little kid playing baseball? Seems like the worst player was always stuck way out in right field. That’s where Mr. Seller is…

But Mr. Seller’s home really does show beautifully and after the third showing on it (yup, three showings in 237 days—pretty good right?), he gets an offer. It is a solid deal with standard contingencies and good buyer. But the buyer, through his very astute Buyer’s Agent, makes the offer at $310,000. You see, the buyer’s agent did his homework. He saw the two recently sold properties for $325,000 and also observed that Mr. Seller’s home was assessed for $315,000. To the buyer, this is not a “low ball offer”, but the right offer. To Mr. Seller, it was time for a tantrum, a token small counter offer, and then a rejection of the deal. To use another baseball analogy the offer was not low, it was really in the strike zone

Just like on ABC”s “Flash Forward” (where everyone on earth got a glimpse of their future) Mr. Seller saw that he would receive another offer. But he didn’t see how much the offer was for. Six months later, after considerable badgering by Mrs. Seller and his agent, he lowers his price to $329,000. He really didn’t want to lower his asking price, but his wife assured him that in his next Flash Forward he wouldn’t see anything except darkness. She had seen Florida in hers. Just like in the Flash Forward, he receives another offer. But this new offer for $250,000 is from a buyer that had been in town for a week and was looking for a deal on anything he could find that he could buy at a bargain price. This was a true “low ball offer”. I suspect Mr. Seller would jump at the first “low ball” offer if he could do it all over again.

If you are selling your home don’t go ballistic if you receive what you perceive to be “low ball” offer. Take time to really think about it, look at comparable sales, and talk with your agent. Someone might be trying to tell you something, particularly if your home has been for sale for the better part of this decade. It may not really be a low ball offer. It may be a reasonable offer. The moral of the story is; don’t get caught standing in right field in this housing market or its going to be a long game with extra innings and you are likely to lose in the end…

This wonderful waterfront property will take you back in time to when life was simple and things on Lake Winnipesaukee were just a little slower. You can almost picture a horse and buggy or your grandfather’s old Packard parked in the driveway. The kids would be playing on the beach and the barbecue would be smoking away as the old wooden boats full of island folk headed out from Glendale for the weekend…

There are simply magnificent views from this tastefully renovated 1930’s Victorian cottage in Gilford, N.H. Watch the comings and goings at the Glendale Docks from your front porch or from the sandy beach. There is 249′ of fabulous frontage on this .7 acre lot plus a wonderful 38′ boathouse with outside docking.

Just down the beach is a seasonal guest house that would be perfect for the kids or your in-laws. In addition, there is another out-building that could be converted into a bunk house making this a roomy family compound. You can put all your water toys in the 2 car detached garage/barn out behind the bunk house.

The property is service by town sewer and an drilled well. It is also located in the resort/commercial zone which allows the property to be used for a variety of business purposes if desired. This property is located in the heart of the Lakes Region and is close to all the area amenities including shopping, restaurants, and entertainment facilities.

What would be your dream business here in the Lakes Region? This property could just be for you…

MLS #2825345  Offered at $979,000

Give me a call anytime to view this and other great Winnipesaukee properties…

Sales of waterfront homes in the Lakes Region of NH are typically a little slower in the month of February which is no different than any other segment of our real estate market. But we did have three pretty good sales on Lake Winnipesaukee, but none on Winnisquam, Newfound, Waukewan, Squam, or Kanasatka!

Click here for more details on these three sales: Waterfront sales Feb 2010

The largest sale was for $1.74 million in Gilford at 122 Varney Point. This was a very nice 3,500 square foot Adironack style home built in 2008. It has five bedrooms, 4 baths, cathedral ceilings, beautiful floor to ceiling stone fireplace, spectacular lake and mountain views, and sits on  a quarter acre lot with 100 feet of frontage.

Currently there are just over 200 homes on Winnipesaukee for sale ranging from $220,000 for a property on Bear Island all the way up to $12 million for a tiny, 11,000 square foot cottage to-be-constructed at 520 Edgewater Drive on Governor’s Island in Gilford. The average price for property on the big lake currently stands at $1.875 million, but there are plenty of offerings that won’t necessarily rival the current nation deficit.

There are 86 offerings below $1 million with 16 or so under $500,000. The average price of the homes below the $1 million mark is $715,676 . Some of these are island properties of course, but it is an affordable way to have a great vacation home on Winni! There are 116 homes offered over $1 million with 57 of these in the $1-2 million range.

So whatever your price range is, there should be something on Winnipesaukee to meet your needs and budget. Let me know if I can assist you in your search!

To keep up with all the latest Winnipesaukee listings, you can alway check the main page at Lakes Region Home under my “one click search” menu.