New Deals for the New Year

So what’s out there for good deals in the New Year in the Lakes Region of NH? After a spin around the MLS system, here are a few more choices to look at if you are in the market for a potential deal. The MLS  provides us with a lot of data to look at including the price per square foot of properties on the market. This number is interesting to look at and can be used somewhat to compare one home to another. Land costs are included in this figure and therefore the price per square foot can be impacted greatly by the lot size and characteristics (such as being on the water or having a view). Just because a property has a low price per square foot and is offered well below the tax assessment doesn’t necessarily mean that it is a great deal, but it is good place to start looking. There maybe a reason why the property is priced so low, so you really have to see the home to determine why it is priced where it is.

If you are looking for an in town Laconia home check out the four bedroom, two and a half bath colonial at 41 Havenwood Drive. The house was built in 1988, has 2,552 square feet of living space, and sits on a .42 beautifully landscaped lot.  Features include a large master suite, eat in kitchen with fireplace, pantry, formal dining room, first floor laundry, two car attached garage, and large deck. The home has been well maintained and is located in a neighborhood of nice homes. Priced affordably at  $249,000, this home comes in at 73% of the city tax assessment and a very reasonable $97.57 per square foot. Looks like a pretty good deal!

In the under $200,000 category, the property at 3 Cyrus Lane in Gilford may be worth a look. This three bedroom, two bath ranch has almost 2,000 square feet of living space and features an open floor plan, two fireplaces, central air,  a large family room in the basement, attached 1 car garage, and a .41 acre lot in a great Gilford location. This is a short sale so the deal is contingent upon third party approval.  The property is offered at $190,000 which is 86% of assessed value and comes in at $96.84 per square foot.

On the higher end of the spectrum in both price and views, the property at 23 Serenity Lane in Meredith offers some spectacular views and the great price of $497,360 compared to the tax assessed value of $767,100. That is a very low 65% of assessment and $128 per square foot so this property seems like a pretty good deal. The home which was constructed in 1985 has 3,877 feet of living space, 4 bedrooms, 4 baths, an attached two car and a detached two car garages, and 3.94 acres with beautiful sunset and sunrise views.

Just for fun, I was curious to see what properties in the Lakes Region (excluding manufactured homes) were the highest and lowest in terms of their price per square foot. The lowest price per square foot award goes to the property at 25 Mitchell Place in Laconia. Priced at only $79,000 with 2,384 square feet of dubious living space this property comes in at a mere $33.14 per square foot. Sold in “as is” condition I suspect you will find many things to improve upon.

The distinction of having the highest price per square foot home in the area belongs a 5,500 square foot Squam Lake compound on Shultz Farm Rd in Moultonborough. This magnificent property of stone and log looks like one of the Great Camps of yesteryear but obviously with all the high end modern amenities. It is privately situated on twenty five acres with 500 ft of waterfront. At an asking price of $12.5 million, this property is the most expensive home on the market and it comes in at a lofty $2,272 per square foot cost. I guess if I could pay the $48,000 per year tax bill I wouldn’t worry too much about that…