August was a great month for sales on Lake Winnipesaukee.

There were:

• Eighteen waterfront sales at an average price of $827,589.

• They sold at an average of 97% of their assessed value

• They sold at an average of 91% of the asking price.

• The highest sale was $1.669 million.

• There were 6 sales over $1 million.

Last August there were 14 sales on the big lake, but the average sales price was bit higher at $1.1 million. Six of those sales were over the $1 million mark as well but a $3.1 million boosted the average sales price. Anyway, it is good to see waterfronts selling well given the lackluster sales for the rest of the Lakes Region Market.

The least expensive sale was at  300 Cow Island  in Tuftonboro. Cow Island is sometimes called Guernsey Island as it was once used to quarantine cows brought from Europe (so the story goes). This property was a 1954 vintage, four bedroom cottage that was in great shape and had been owned by the same family since those cows were still there. The fully furnished cottage has been completely updated and has a new wrap-a-round deck. There’s also a separate furnished guest cottage and a workshop. There are two lots of record with 150’ of frontage, a large U shaped dock, and stunning views. This property was on the market for 837 days starting at $450,000 and had been reduce to $349,900. It may have been on the market a while, but it only took 7 days to close the deal after the happy new owner came ashore to look. The sales price was $329,000 which is just under the tax assessed value of $335,100.

The most expensive sale on the lake was at 76 West Point Road in Moultonborough. This 3,826 square foot, like-new Adirondack home was built in 2002 . It has four bedrooms, four baths, a great room with the requisite floor to ceiling stone fireplace, lots of wood, and a wall of glass for viewing the lake. There are master suites on the first and second floors and the lower level walkout has two bedrooms, a huge family room, and a pub where you can watch the ballgames. The detached three car garage has a finished second floor that can serve as additional guest space or an office. The home sits on a 1.5 acre lot with 200’ of frontage, a dock, and sensational sunset views. This home was listed at $1.769 million and sold for $1.668 million after only 113 days on the market. The town’s tax assessment value is $1.63 million.

Three homes changed hands on Winnisquam last month at an average sales price of $685,891. In August 2010, there were two sales at an average of $723,125. The largest sale on Winnisquam last month was at 98 Swain Road in Meredith. This 3,549 square foot, three bedroom, four bath home in Waldron Bay has an open floor plan with a custom kitchen, beautiful great room with cathedral ceilings and stone fireplace, lower level family room, first floor master with a gas fireplace and private deck, and an enclosed porch overlooking the lake. There are great lake views from every room. This home sits on a nicely landscaped .88 acre lot with 193 feet of frontage that has a sandy entry and dock. This home was listed in 2009 for $1.17 million, relisted this year at $999,950, and sold for $935,000 after just 36 days on the market. The property is currently assessed for $788,500.

Once again, there were no sales on Squam last month which is a little discouraging. There have only been five sales on Golden Pond so far this year. There are currently 24 properties available on Squam that have been on the market an average of 294 days. Maybe, someone has to make another movie up there…

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As often is the case, the least expensive sale on Winni was an island property and this time it was at 842 Rattlesnake Island in Alton. This 1987 post and beam cape and an adjoining guest cottage are connected by a large deck and have a total of 2350 square feet of living space including three bedrooms. The .92 acre lot offers some great views and has 150’ of frontage, a covered boat slip, and a sandy beach. This vacation get-a-way was priced at $499,000 and went under contract in just 15 days at $465,000. The current tax assessment is $485,300. Rattlesnake Island is two miles long and rises to about 400’ above the mean water level of the lake. The story goes that Rattlesnake Island was named after the abundance of rattlesnakes that used to make their home on the island. I read that the island was once set on fire to try and get rid of the snakes. But these buyers don’t have to worry as it has been many, many years since a rattlesnake has been seen out there. I believe they all slithered down to Washington some time ago. Isn’t it amazing when you can mix real estate, lake lore, politics, and geography all in one paragraph?

Just a short distance across the lake at 23 Viewpoint Drive in Wolfeboro a property willed to Massachusetts General Hospital also found a live one (some pun intended). The 1970’s vintage ranch and separate guest cottage are likely tear down candidates on this private 1.35 acre level lot that has 360’ of frontage, a sandy beach, a 60’ permanent dock and breakwater, and long range views. This property was on the market for 675 days starting at $2 million. It was eventually reduced to $1.5 million and sold for $1.4 million. The tax assessed value is $1.729 million so it seems like someone got a good deal, but Mass General got an even better one.

The largest sale on the lake for the month was a new construction by Skiffington Homes at 432 Edgewater Drive on Governor’s Island in Gilford. This 5,000 square foot, four bedroom, four and a half bath Adirondack lake home has four fireplaces, a first floor master suite, the requisite great room and gourmet kitchen, lower level walkout, bonus rooms over the three car garage, and the high quality fit and finish that Skiffington Homes are known for. This home sits on a prime 1.06 acre lot with 185’ of frontage, boat dock, and great long views. The purchase price of $3.1 million exceeded the asking price of $2.995 undoubtedly due to upgrades and changes requested by the lucky new owner.

Over on Winnisquam there was but one sale in July and that was at 24 Lakeside Drive in Belmont. This property is a 1924 square foot log home built in 1995 which has two bedrooms, two and a half baths, a living room with wood burning fireplace, lower level family room, 50’ of frontage, a sandy beach, and, most importantly, a boathouse. This home was originally offered at $524,900, reduced to $499,000, and sold for $470,000 after 240 days on the market. The Town of Belmont has the property assessed for $456,800. It looks like a neat place and I bet the buyer is having a great time this summer!

There was also only one sale on Squam and that was at 119 Keewaydin Road in Center Harbor. This 1971 vintage cape style home has 2,280 square feet of living space, three bedrooms, a finished family room in the basement, a three season porch, and a nice deck overlooking Dog Cove. The beautiful 1.08 acre lot is at the very end of the road and has 190’ of unspoiled frontage plus all the Squam Lake appeal imaginable. The new owners are planning to build their dream home on Golden Pond. This property was offered last year at $1.695 million, relisted at $1.299 million this year and sold for $1.105 million. The property is assessed for $1.61 million.

In the Three Stooges 1940 short film “No Census, No Feeling,” the Stooges are census takers (some say the census takers are now the stooges!). Curly answers a question about where he was born with “Lake Winnipesaukee.” When Moe asks him to spell it, he stammers a few syllables but blurts out “Make that Lake Erie. I’ve got an uncle there!”

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The least expensive sale on the lake was at 13 Acadia Lane in Alton. This lakeside fifties vintage, 728 square foot, two bedroom cottage was a bank owned property that has had some recent updates including a metal roof and vinyl siding. The home sits on a one third acre lot with 100’ of frontage and a dock. The home was only on the market a month before some buyers jumped on it so they could enjoy the lake for the summer. It was priced at $385,000 and actually sold for more at $425,000. Sounds like there could have been a little bidding going on for this one. The current tax assessed value is $497,200 so it would seem that the buyer still got a good deal.

On the higher end pricing spectrum, across the lake in Moultonborough at 11 Mallard Way, there is a waterfront that is about ten times larger that also has a new owner. This Adirondack style home has 7,500 square feet of living space with seventeen rooms, six bedrooms, eight baths, and a whole lot of quality! This Skiffington home was built in 2004 and features post and beam construction, a gourmet custom kitchen, a fabulous great room with soaring ceilings, five fireplaces, a large family/game room on the walk out lower level, first floor master suite, a three room suite over the three car heated garage, and sweeping decks. The home sits on a 1.1 acre lot with beautiful landscaping, great sunset views, 156’ of frontage, a perched beach, and a covered dock. This home was originally listed on New Year’s Eve in 2008 for $3.999 million and again in September of 2009 for the same amount. It was listed again in November of 2010 for $3.495 million and sold for $2.9 million after a combined total of 750 days on the market. The current tax assessed value is $2,864,300. I wonder if there was confetti dropping and they were blowing horns when this one sold?

The highest sale on the lake last month was also in Moultonborough at 31 Wallace Point. This beautiful 10,000 square foot lodge style waterfront has fifteen rooms, seven bedrooms, nine baths, a grand living room with fieldstone fireplace, cathedral ceilings and exposed beams, a lower level family/pool room plus a lower level living room, and master suites on the first and second levels. This magnificent home sits on a professionally landscaped 1.89 acre lot with 235’ of frontage that has a sandy beach, two bay boat house, plus a permanent 58’ crib dock. As with many homes in this market, this one took a while to sell, too. It was originally listed in 2008 at $6.495 million, in 2009 at $5.295 million, in 2010 at $4.795 million, and this year at $4.495 million finally selling at $4.325 million after a combined total of 367 days on the market. The current assessed value is $3.639 million. Anyone see any trends here?

There have been a total of 41 Winnipesaukee sales for the first half of 2011 at an average of $1.172 million compared to 38 sales for the first half of 2010 at an average of $1.28 million. I’d say that’s holding our own in this economy!

Over on Winnisquam there were four waterfront sales with the largest being in Laconia at 126 Shore Drive This sixties vintage ranch had 3,900 square feet of living space, four bedrooms, three baths, a large living room, two fireplaces, and a family room in the walkout lower level. The one third acre lot has 100’ of frontage, a sandy beach, dock, and fabulous sunset views. This home was snapped up after one day on the market at the full asking price of $699,000 which is slightly above the current $665,000 tax assessment. A great deal in a great Winnisquam neighborhood. There have been thirteen sales on Winnisquam during the first half of 2011 at an average of $470,204 compared to just seven for the first half of 2010 at an average of $521,571. I’d say things are going pretty well on Winnisquam so far this year!

There weren’t any sales on Squam last month and only three sales through June 30th this year, but that is three more sales than the first half of last year. I’m not sure what’s going on up there but there are 24 homes on the lake for sale ranging from $399,000 to over $8 million so hopefully sales will pick up over the summer months. Maybe people have forgotten that the elusive lake trout “Walter” (or actually his descendant) is still out there. I read that “Walter” was brought over to Squam for the movie from a trout pond at the Castle in the Clouds. Ahhh, he wasn’t a Squamy after all…

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The least expensive sale on Winnipesaukee last month was at 20 Railroad Ave in Alton. This is an updated two bedroom, 744 square foot seasonal camp sitting on a .16 acre lot with 40’ of waterfront. The big selling feature here is that this small cottage has really big, panoramic views from the large deck. This lakeside retreat was listed at $429,000, reduced to $389,000, and sold for $355,000 after 266 days on the market. The current tax assessment for is Alton waterfront is $401,500.

Another completely renovated waterfront home at 177 Kingswood Road in Wolfeboro also attracted a new buyer. This 1980 vintage, 3,400 square foot, three bedroom, five bath contemporary home was put on a new foundation and stripped right down to the studs. The only thing reused were the beautiful fir floors. Everything else is new-inside and out. The home features a custom kitchen with beautiful cabinetry, granite countertops and stainless steel appliances, a lakeside living room with gas fireplace, a family room in the walk out basement, and three bedrooms all with private baths. The home sits on a level one acre lot with southern exposure and gorgeous views. There is 119’ of frontage, a sandy beach, and a forty foot dock for the new owners to enjoy now that summer is finally here. This home was on the market for 305 days starting at a list price of $1.995 million, with several price reductions down to $1.595, with an offer accepted at $1.47 million. The current tax assessment for this property is $1.352 million.

The largest sale for the month was at 112 Hopewell Road in Alton. This is a 3,192 square foot, four bedroom, three bath, classic lake home with a large wrap-around porch that is perfect for telling tales on. The home was built in 1999 on a 2.18 acre lot on Roberts Cove that offers great privacy, westerly views, stunning sunsets, 296’ of frontage, plus a U-shaped dock with breakwater. The tale of the sale on this home is a long one. It was first offered in December 2005 at $3.9 million, in October 2006 for $2.995 million, in 2008 for $3.1 mil, and in 2010 for $1.6 as a short sale. This year it was listed for $1.595 million and found a buyer at $1.5 mil after 168 days. The listing doesn’t say that it was a short sale, but the fact that it was under contract for only 39 days before closing would mean that it wasn’t. It probably just felt that way to the seller…The property is current assessed at $1,46,200.

Over on Winnisquam there were five sales which is actually a banner month for this lake! That puts the tally for the first five months up to fifteen sales compared to ten for the same period last year. Three of the five sales occurred on Leighton Ave in Laconia which is a little unusual. The largest sale was at 140 Leighton Ave North in Laconia. This Japanese influenced contemporary home built in 1980 has 1,580 square feet of living space, three bedrooms, two baths, a massive stone fireplace in the living room, a sauna, and a newly remodeled kitchen with granite countertops, cherry cabinets, and Jenn–Air appliances. The home literally is on the water as the decks actually overhang the lake. You can imagine how great the views are! The house sits on a .85 acre lot with 369 feet of frontage. There is even a Japanese Tea House straddling a babbling brook that is accessed by a small bridge. Kind of makes you want to watch a rerun of Karate Kid. It was a bit of a struggle to get this property sold. It was listed originally in 2009 and 2010 at $799,000 and at $749,900 this year. It was reduced to $649,000 with a deal accepted at $605,000 after a total of 977 days on the market. The current tax assessment on this property is $645,200. I bet the former owner was happy to finally say “Sayōnara” to this one…

Right now there are about 275 waterfront properties available on Winnipesaukee and 27  on Winnisquam from as little as $189,000 to just over $10 million with lots of deals in between. Maybe you can find your own great deal on the water this summer!

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The least expensive property sold on the big lake was in Meredith at 7 Stonedam Island Road. This was a bank owned contemporary built in 2005. It has 2,880 square feet of living space, three bedrooms, three baths, and a great room with cathedral ceilings and lots of glass looking out at Sally’s Gut (I am not referring to former owner’s wife—that’s part of the lake). The home sits on a .48 acre lot with 143’ of frontage. The property was offered at $664,900 and quickly went under agreement in 31 days for $670,000. The current tax assessment on the property was an even $1 million leading me to believe that the new buyer must have been dancing around the closing table.

Over in Alton, at 42 Tranquility Lane, a nice 4,400 square foot Adirondack home built in 1997 also found a new owner. This home was constructed utilizing vintage materials from an old mill and summer camps. It features five bedrooms including a first floor master, four baths, cathedral and wood beam ceilings, additional living space and kitchen on the lower level, great views down the broads, and wonderful sunsets from the huge porches. The home sits on a manicured .60 acre lot with 147’ of shorefront with a breakwater and dock. This property was originally listed in July of 2008 for $1.777 million, relisted in 2010 at $1.499 million, reduced to $1.299 million, and finally sold for $1.075 million. The current tax assessed value was $1.317 million.

The highest sale of the month was at 88 Powers Road in Meredith. This turn of the century lodge style home was built in 1900 and sits literally on the water’s edge.  Ah, what you could do back then! This rather small and cozy, 8,100 square foot home has eight bedrooms, five baths, exposed wood beams and cathedral ceilings, massive stone fireplaces, a great wrap-around porch, and wonderful lake views. The 3.6 acre lot has 200 feet of frontage, manicured lawns, and a nice sandy beach. There’s also a five car garage for your “flivers” and a two bay boathouse to keep the woody in. Now this 110 year old home is pretty remarkable, but it only took the last 10 years of its grand life to find that elusive new buyer. It was originally listed (at least according to the MLS) way back in 2000 at a cool $6 million. It has been listed continually every year since at different price points as high as $6.7 million in 2007. The most recent listing price was $2.495 million which enticed a buyer to make a deal at $1.83 million. The current tax value on the property is currently $2,349,101 which makes me think of Real Estate 101; if the seller had the home priced correctly to start with, it might not have taken a full decade to sell it.

Over on Winnisquam there were two waterfront sales in March bringing the total number so far this year to a total of four. There was just one sale on Winnisquam in the first quarter of 2010 so we are already doing four time better! One of the homes that sold was a classic, cozy three bedroom cottage with a knotty pine interior at 57 Collins Brook Road in Meredith. It sits on a .49 acre lot with 132’ of frontage across from the Loon Sanctuary. It had all the important amenities one would want including a bathroom, outside shower, dock, a boat house, and a shed with a beer fridge! It was listed for $425,000, reduced to $409,900 and sold for $365,000 which is over the $282,900 tax assessment. It must have been the beer fridge? The other sale on Winnisquam was at 24 Bayview Drive in Belmont. This totally renovated ranch style home with a full finished walk out basement has 2,068 square feet of space, three bedrooms, two baths, cathedral ceilings, hardwood floors, fireplace, an eat in kitchen, dock, and 112 feet of shorefront. It was listed at $549,000 and sold for $530,000 with a current tax assessed value of $419,400.

A quick look at happenings up on Squam Lake for the first quarter revealed just two sales which is two more than the start to last year! The sale of significance was at 30 Laurence Road in Holderness which is known as the L.J. Webster Estate. This outstanding example of historical architecture and luxury has 7,353 square feet of living space, sixteen rooms, six bedrooms, and six baths. This impeccable home sits on a private 20 acre parcel surrounded by pristine pastures and woodlands. It has 200 feet of shorefront on Squam and views of the lake and mountains from every room in the house. This is the epitome of a luxury home from another era. This property was originally offered at $4.3 million, was reduced to $3.9 million, and sold for $3.045 million. It sounds like a place you could really get used to…

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Not surprisingly, the least expensive waterfront that sold last month was an island property and it was located at 291 Cow Island in Tuftonboro. This home was a built in 1980 and it has 1,424 square feet of living space, three bedrooms, and a bath. The home has some upgrades and some work yet to be finished. The 4.17 acre lot is very private and has a newer three bedroom septic, dock, and 104 feet of frontage. This property was Fannie Mae owned and was originally offered at $250,900, reduced to $179,900, and then sold for $180,000. It was on the market only for about three months. The current tax assessment is $364,600, so I am sure the new owner is quite happy with his purchase.

Over at 3 Stonedam Island Road in Meredith, a property that was originally listed way back in April of 2007 for $1.49 million finally attracted a buyer. Unfortunately, the buyer came far too late to help the owner because he didn’t own it any more…the bank did. At the time the property was listed back in 2007 it assessed for $946,700. The home was then relisted in 2008 for an even higher t price tag of $1.649 million and then again for $1.399 million. The home is a 2,842 square foot contemporary built in 1974 and has three bedrooms, three baths, large family room with brick fireplace, and a huge master suite. The home sits on a .17 acre point of land with 180 degree views and 145 feet of shoreline. The home was foreclosed on and listed at an even $1 million with subsequent price reductions that brought it down to $629,900. It finally sold for $595,000 which is 62% of the current tax assessment is $960,200.

The largest sale for the month was at 9 Worcester Island Road in Wolfeboro. This 1969 vintage home has 2,374 square feet of living space with four bedrooms, two baths, an open floor plan, two fireplaces, finished lower level with guest quarters, a screened porch, and a large deck to sit on and gaze out at the lake . The home sits on a level .81 acre lot with 150’ of shorefront, permanent dock, and a sandy beach. It sounds pretty perfect to me. This home was originally listed at $1.09 million, was reduced to $899,000, and then sold for an even $800,000 which is 85% o the current tax assessment of $944,700. This property was on the market for 553 days.

There was only one sale on Winnisquam last month, which is one more than last February. That sale was a 3,341 square foot cape located at 70 Weed Road in Meredith. This well maintained home was constructed in 1988 and has three bedrooms, four baths, a first floor master suite, lower level family room, a deck, and patio. The beautifully landscaped .33 acre lot offers long views of Winnisquam, a perched beach, a dock, and 100 feet of shoreline. This property was originally listed back in July of 2008 for $827,000, relisted in February of 2010 for $719,000, and then reduced to $679,000 enticing a buyer to do a deal at $624,000. This property sold at about 12% higher than the assessed value of $555,300.

So all in all, February was a pretty good month for waterfront sales. And there were some bargains, or they were at least perceived to be, by the buyers. But when someone buys a property for one half of the assessed value is it really a steal or is the tax assessment way too high? When someone pays more than assessed value (as is often the case with waterfront property) did he pay too much? That is hard to answer because every property is unique and the market is forever moving. Sellers (and owners that aren’t selling) are always unhappy when their properties are assessed for more than they can sell it for and others are equally unhappy when they are assessed lower than what they have invested in the property. All I can tell you for sure is that a property is worth exactly what someone will pay for it and that can be more, or less, than the tax assessment. That kind of sums up Real Estate 101…

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The largest sale on Squam this year was the property at 238 Route 3 in Holderness. This stunning, vintage lake home was constructed in 1928 for Mrs. George Schraft and had only two subsequent owners. The home has twenty four rooms, eleven bedrooms, and eleven baths so it would be safe to say there is plenty of room for everyone. Features include a beautiful living room with a walk-in stone fireplace and coffered ceilings, paneled walls, a large breakfast room with stone floors that opens out to a patio, leaded glass windows, and numerous fireplaces. Boats are docked in a two bay boat house that has a finished room with half bath above and there is also a five bay garage for the land yachts. This property was listed originally at $9 million and has a tax assessment of just over $4 million . It was only on the market thirty four days before a deal was struck at $6.85 million. The new owner has a truly special and very remarkable piece of Squam Lake.

Another large sale this year was at 23 Shad Bush Road in Holderness. This 2,511 square foot, four bedroom, two bath ranch home sits right on the water’s edge on a private, southerly facing 7.22 acre lot with 422 feet of shorefront. The property has a well appointed kitchen, a large living room with exposed beams and a wall of windows providing great views of the lake, a sunroom, separate guest quarters, a nice patio to sit on and listen to the loons, and a two car garage. This property was originally listed at $3.3 million, was reduced to $2.2 million, and sold for $1.8 million after 783 days on the market. The town has the property assessed for $2,223,400 so it seems that the new owners got a pretty good deal.

The three other sales on Squam were at 159 River St in Ashland for $350,000, 861 Us Rt 3, Holderness for $400,000, and 48 Kesumpe Road for $745,000 proving you don’t have to spend millions to enjoy your summers on Golden Pond. There are a half dozen or so listings currentl available on Squam for under $1 million with others ranging up to $3.2 million. Click here to see all the current Squam Lake Listings!

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December 2010 turned out to be a very strong month for waterfront sales

The least expensive property that sold in December on the big lake was at 469 Weirs Boulevard in Laconia. While this three bedroom home is located across the Boulevard from Paugus Bay, it does have a waterfront lot on the water with 96 feet of frontage, three docks, and a deck with its very own Tiki hut. This 1,540 square foot home has an eat in kitchen with hardwood floors and stainless steel appliances, a nice living room with views of the lake, a grand master suite on the upper level, a finished basement, and a one car garage under. This home was originally listed at $425,000, was reduced to $375,000, and sold after 306 days on the market at $299,900 which is 81% of the current tax assessed value of $371,600. That’s a great deal with instant equity!

Down in West Alton at  52 Woodlands Road a new 4,000 square foot, four bedroom, five bath Adirondack home also has some happy new owners. This beautiful, energy star rated home constructed by local builder Jason Drouin features two master bedroom suites plus two additional suites, a gourmet kitchen (of course) with all the bells and whistles, a wet bar and fieldstone fireplace in the living room, a nice screened porch and southerly views. The home sits on a level .32 acre lot with 103 feet of shoreline and a U shaped dock. There is an addition 17 acre parcel across the street that has a detached two car garage and 30’ x 35’ accessory building for storing all the toys. This property was originally listed at $1,995,000, was reduced to $1.75 million, and sold for $1.65 million after 538 days on the market.

The largest sale in December was at 49 McLeod Road in Alton. This property is a spectacular 23 acre family compound with three lots of record, a circa 1914 year round main home and four charming vintage cottages with a total of eleven bedrooms and 5,000 square feet of living space. The property has a private, tranquil setting with its own pond, 650 feet of shoreline, a sandy beach, covered boat dock, and long range views with beautiful sunsets. It was originally offered at $4.1 million, was reduced to $3.95 million, and sold after 471 days on the market for $3.5 million. The property is currently assessed for $1,918,516.

Over on little sister Winnisquam, there was only one sale in December at 101 Collins Brook Road in Meredith. This is a five room, two bedroom cottage built in 1938 that sits on a .65 peninsula lot near the north end of the lake. From the 472 feet of frontage you can look into the loon sanctuary making it a very nice spot on the lake. The property needs an overhaul but the call of the loons must have captivated the buyer. It was originally listed at $429,000, was reduced to $389,000, and sold for $340,000 after 221 days on the market. The current property assessment is $364,4000.

Sales were up for the year on Winnisquam if only marginally, but that’s still welcome news considering the economy. There were sixteen sales at an average price of $583,182 in 2010 compared to fourteen in 2009 at an average sales price of $496,536. That is right on par with the average number of sales on the lake over the past seven years. Winnisquam will continue to be an affordable and desirable alternative to Winnipesaukee for those looking for little more of a quiet lake experience.

Currently there are over 175 waterfront listings in Winnipesaukee ranging from $264,900 for a cottage on Bear Island to over $10 million for a couple of small estates on Governor’s Island. So if you are lucky enough to be in the market for a waterfront home, there’s bound to be something somewhere in between that will fit your lifestyle and pocketbook. There are currently nine properties on Winnisquam priced from $275,000 to just under $1 million and of course there are many more homes on the other smaller lakes in the area at even more affordable price points.  2011 just could be the year to make your dreams come true in the Lakes Region…

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The least expensive sale on the lake was actually a bank owned island property on Paugus Park in Laconia. This is a post and beam, 1,200 square foot, three bedroom home built in 2005 and is the only home on this tiny .14 acre island. The buyer doesn’t have to worry about neighbors, but the home is solar powered so he might be watching the weather some. This home was originally listed at $299,900, was reduced to $199,900 and sold for $189,500. Considering the current town tax assessment of $436,400, I would say this new owner should be very happy all by himself out there on his island!

The second highest sale for the month was at 65 Spindle Point in Meredith. This home is a 5,699 square foot, twelve room, three bedroom post and beam contemporary built in 2004. The home features an open living area, high cathedral ceilings and stone wood burning fireplace (one of four in the home) in the great room, the requisite master suite, a family room in the walk out basement, radiant in-floor heat, beautiful hardwood floors, screened porch, and even an elevator. The home sits on a wonderfully landscaped 1.39 acre lot with 170 feet of frontage on Meredith Bay and a deep water U-shaped dock. The property was listed at $2.925 million and sold for $2.6 million which was well above the assessed value of $2.055 million. This is a beautiful home in a great location!

The highest sale honors for the month of October go to the spectacular property at 59 Little Road in Meredith. This extraordinary home has 12,933 square feet of living space, 20 rooms, five bedrooms (including a first floor master suite), seven total baths, and a five car garage! This home obviously has all the high end features imaginable including beautiful wood and stone work, massive fireplaces, a gourmet kitchen, soaring great room, an in-law apartment, wine cellar, exercise room, an outdoor kitchen, and multiple decks and patios. This home sits on a 4.31 acre lot that provides total privacy and 830 feet of frontage with great views. This property was originally listed at $8.9 million, was reduced to $6.999 million and sold for $6.839 million after 419 days on the market. The town has it assessed at a$4.466 million. I wonder if these folks are looking to adopt?

There was not a lot of activity on Winnisquam in October this year, or last, as there was only one sale in each month. There have been 13 sales on the lake so far this year at an average price of $583,327 compared to 12 with at an average price of $485,375 for the same period last year. The sale this year was at 212 Black Brook Road in Meredith. This home is a very nicely done 2,200 square foot, eight room, three bedroom, contemporary sitting on a .67 acre lot with 100 feet of frontage. The home features an open concept living area with a large great room with cathedral ceilings, floor to ceiling fieldstone fireplace, a gourmet kitchen with granite countertops and stainless steel appliances, radiant in-floor heat, a screened porch, and a great deck with broad views of the lake. The home was listed at $975,000 and sold for $814,000 with a current tax assessment of $594,400.

Right now there are over 250 properties available on Lake Winnipesaukee and Winnisquam with prices starting in the $200-300,000 range for island properties. It is a great time to buy your own spot on either of these fantastic lakes!

Click Here for the latest listings on Lake Winnipesaukee!!

“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…