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!

Fabulous Winnipesaukee Waterfront Contemporary

85 Pinnacle Park Road, Meredith NH

MLS# 4004940   Offered at $945,000

Enjoy stunning views and fabulous sunsets from this Winnipesaukee waterfront home sitting on a .8 acre lot with 158′ of frontage that sports a cabana, a 29′ x 4′ dock, a couple of moorings, and a coveted 14′ x 30′ boat house. The water is crystal clear & has good depth for all your toys.  What more could you possibly want? You will probably spend a lot of time sipping drinks down under the cabana unless, of course, you are out on your boat enjoying the lake!

This comfortable, open concept lake home has a fantastic living area with hard wood floors, a beautiful stone gas fireplace, great woodwork, and a wall of glass looking out at the bay. You won’t miss the fireworks from here!

There is a gourmet kitchen with granite counter tops & stainless appliances that opens into a dining room which flows out onto a large deck perfect for watching the sunsets and barbequing. This is a home that is perfect for a casual lifestyle centered around enjoying all that the Lakes Region has to offer!

The upper level is dedicated to the master suite complete with another stone gas fireplace, a luxurious master bath, and a private deck overlooking the lake. You will undoubtedly have a lot of trouble getting by the upstairs deck without at least spending a moment to take in the view!

On the lower level there is a family room with great views which makes a great place for the kids to hang out. Outside there’s a 2 car garage with storage above plus a full basement underneath. The lot is nicely landscaped and low maintenance so you can spend more time enjoying the sun. There is, however, a small Koi Pond– no fishing allowed!

So if you are looking to spend your summer on the lake this could just be the place! So come check it out and make this great home, your lake home this summer!

Winnipesaukee and Winnisquam 3^rd Quarter Waterfront Sales Report –Lakes Region of NH

 It is great to report that the waterfront sales on Lake Winnipesaukee and Lake Winnisquam seem to have held their own over the summer season despite a downturned economy and general reluctance on the part of everyone to buy just about anything. Astute buyers still recognize that waterfront properties are a great place to invest their money. Unlike the stock market and other investment opportunities, buying a waterfront is a tangible, secure investment right now and is something that can really be enjoyed.

In the 3^rd quarter of 2009 there were 26 sales on Winnipesaukee (including island properties) at an average price of $1,076,621. There were 7 homes sold at over $1 million with the highest sale being the property at 55 Broadview Terrace in Gilford that changed hands for a mere $6.5 million.  This is a 11,464 square foot, 6 bedroom, 8 bath home constructed in 2005 sitting on a 1.59 acre lot with 270 feet of frontage. Obviously, this is a fantastic home with all the amenities and quality one would expect at that price.

Year to date, there have been 55 waterfront transactions on the big lake at an average price of $960,961 with a total sales volume of $52.85 million. That represents about 40% of the total sales volume for all the residential properties in the towns that share the waterfront on Winnipesaukee. So how does that compare to last year? In 2008 there were 53 waterfront transactions over the same time period with an average price of $1,314,639 and a total sales volume of $69.68 million. That sales volume represented about 39% of the total sales volume for the same period last year. Pretty consistent.

Sales on Lake Winnisquam got off to a real slow start in the first six months of the year with only 2 sales. However, in the 3^rd quarter there were 9 transactions at an average of $529,667 and a total volume of  almost $4.8 million. The highest sale was at 87 Collins Brook Rd in Meredith at $740,000 for a 4,572 square foot, 14 room, 6 bedroom home, with 170 feet of frontage. The 11 transactions year to date on Lake Winnisquam came in at an average price of $495,409. That average is down from the $620,250 average posted in 2008 but the total sales are up from 8 sales in the first three quarters of 2008.

As with the residential market in general, the average prices on waterfront properties are down a bit signaling that there are some good deals out there for those buyers looking for their slice of the Lakes Region waterfront pie. Currently there are 27 properties available on Winnisquam ranging from $275,000 to just under $2 mil. On Winnipesaukee there are over 130 properties available where you can spend as little as $200,000 for an island property and just under $400,000 for a mainland direct waterfront access. So if you are looking for a waterfront retreat now is the time. I’d be happy to help, especially if you want to match that $6.5 million sale last month!