Concord NH~Joni~Merrimack County

 Part II - Preparing For Showings And Waiting For Offers

Preparing for Showings is completely anxiety ridden. Presenting a home that looks as if nobody lives there is is an effort ...but it is also a step in separating yourself from the personal aspects of your home.

I am not a perfect housekeeper....my house definately looks lived in.I even have my share of chachkies! But, a week before the listing would be active I found myself entering and re-entering each room, as if I were a stranger, trying to see through another's eyes. I packed away many things and bought new valances and pillows for the Living Room (Red....a concession to some Feng Shui advice). I put on a new comforter ensemble I had been saving for a year! (found it on sale!) and it's matching curtains. It is a beautiful satin set but nothing I would normally use because we have two dogs who sleep on our bed.Much to my family's chagrin...I took all of the frequently used items such as toaster oven, coffee maker, blender etc. off of my counters and put them in a large bin in a closet. The kitchen looked great.....and it really wasn't that difficult to go get the items as needed! I felt compelled to vacuum before every showing and should have bought stock in Windex as I sprayed and polished everything in sight!

One would think it would get less anxious as time went on but every showing was as frantic as the last....picking up and hiding the traces of normal life!

We have been fortunate in having quite a bit of activity and great feedback. We have had five different prospects request second showings.

Every time there is a second showing my husband and I have allowed ourselves the luxury of going out to do drivebys "just in case". Picking out properties to see when we have an offer....don't want to waste a minute! But.....the offers don't come.

The frantic cleaning cycle begins again!

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Edit: In between starting this post and now.....we have received an offer! It was less than the asking but doable....we accepted and are now doing drivebys "For Real"! My next installment will be Dealing With Home Inspection and Finding A New Home!

Concord NH Realtor

 My buddy Rich Dansereau just tagged me for the newest round of Meme's that is going around!

This one is kind of fun because it's easy (very easy) ....I don't know what my response is going to say about me. Perhaps someone is going to analyze the results?....Actually it reminds me of the "Come As you Are " party's we had when I was younger. Inevitably when the phone call came I had on a baggy shirt, no makeup (but dabs of Noxema) and rollers in my hair!

 So with out furthur ado....here are the rules!

The concept is quite simple. Here is how it works.

1. Grab the nearest book.

2. Open the book to page 56.

3. Find the fifth sentence.

4. Post the text of the next two to five sentences.

5. Don't dig for your favorite book, the cool book or the intellectual one. Pick the Closest.

6. Tag five people to do the same

*The one book that this can not be is the Bible*

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This is no where near as impressive as the poem quotes that just happened to be on Rich's desk! As my luck would have it...and true to form...I happened to be on the computer and reading a cookbook...I'm thinking of doing a Holiday Open House and was looking for easy appetizers!

Using a wooden spoon or potato masher, lightly mash some of the beans to thicken the soup. Stir in lemon juice. Season with Salt and Pepper. Before serving, sprinkle with Parmesean.(to store, refrigerate up to three days, in an air tight container)

The next group of victims lucky friends will be:

Joan Whitebook  

Carole Provenzale

William Johnson (sorry William)

Tom Braatz 

Steve Shatsky 

Concord NH Realtor

This past Friday, November 14th 2008, the Concord NH Board of Realtors held its Annual Charity Auction.

This years proceeds were to benefit, for the second year in a row, The Womens Rape and Domestic Violence Center. The auction was held at the Holiday Inn, downtown Concord.

The Fund Raising Favorite started around 11:00 with registration and an Auction Preview. There were many great items....including lots of fun Gift Baskets. The item of most interest was a sharp looking Old Towne Kayack! It was very popular! There was a brief Business Meeting and then to the "fun"....

We had a delicious Buffet Lunch and a cash bar!  Hmmm all of those people standing there are from my office!

 Our enthusiastic Auctioneer, Paul Wilmott has generously donated his services every year to this worthy cause!

                                 As you can see the Gift Baskets were very elaborate and very popular! The re-occurring theme seemed to be relaxing getaways for two!

As of today the Auction total has not been released but I am sure they did well. It lasted till after 4:00 PM and most people stayed till the very end!

This is an extremely popular event with local Realtors and I'll bet many are already preparing for next year!

Concord NH Realtor Local Information

Noah's Ark has always been one of my favorite Bible storys. I think it's because it appeals to my imagination...all those animals!

And the fact that they think they have discovered what may be the Ark, in the desert....!!

So when I received a FW Email about Noah... instead of deleting as I usually do...

I'm passing it on to you! (You're gonna love it!) 

 (click on the pic)

Concord NH Realtor

It  is now a little after 12:00 AM and the folks in the small town of Dixville Notch, New Hampshire are upholding their status as "First In The Nation"

Dixville Notch has not gone Democratic since Hubert Humphrey in 1968!

There are 22 registered voters!

The results are in!

Ralph Nader       1

John McCain      6

Barak Obama     15

Is this a sign of what is to come?

Don't Forget To Vote

Concord NH Realtor

Every family has at least one...one member who stands out from the others by reason of their talent! Our Grandmother had six children,those children had families and as a result I had 21 cousins. Peggy was one of them. 

She and I were only a few years apart and while we did not see each other often...we shared a comfortable bond.

Peggy was always a bit of a Bohemian....marching to a different drummer. What stood out about Peggy was the fact that she took all of her life experiences and infused them into her Art. I have always admired that ability. I think that is why her projects are so intriguing.

Several years ago Peggy did an exhibit that included a piece called "She Told Me Where To Find Them". It was dedicated to me and her memory of my showing her how to find Salamanders in the woods. One of the many lazy Summer pastimes at our Grandmother's New Hampshire cottage. So in a way....I will have a place in posterity!

  A True Free Spirit             

Peggy has led a full and adventurous life....she is a Professor, a World Traveler, an Artist-proficient in many mediums- and a Mom. She has not wasted one bit of the talent God gave her.

I just received a notice of her latest work and exhibit. It is a total departure from what she has done before!

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 Held Sacred: An explanation of forgiveness through the lens of Byzantine Iconography                                  

I was led to this work by a number of questions:*

• What doors close and what doors open in our internal world in order to enable someone to commit an act of violence against another? 
• When is it justifiable to use violence:  war, self defense, protecting one's property, loved ones, innocents?
• How many people have been murdered by others in the name of God?
• Does it not seem hypocritical that those who lead the victorious are not "brought to justice" for war crimes? 
• Are we ALL "the same in the eyes of God" and what does that mean? 
• What is the role of forgiveness in breaking the cycle of violence? 
• And, what is the role of grace in the process of forgiveness?

A traditional diptych icon, two panels joined by a hinge, often depicts images that are linked thematically, such as the Angel Gabriel and the Virgin Mary.  I have used this device to link murderer with victim.  Elements of the two panels echo each other, in way that underscores the shared humanity of the two figures.  My intent is that this will prevent the viewer from dismissing the assassin as inhuman; pure evil; an abomination.  My hope is that the viewer will instead consider perpetrator and victim as two members of the human family, and will be led to consider what it would mean to forgive the perpetrator.

* (Maggie McMahon)                                                                                         

  If you have plans for a cultural night out  please stop at the Curtis R Harley Art Gallery and see the McMahon exhibit. (And say hello to Peggy for me!)

Concord NH Realtor

Two heads are better than one, there's strength in numbers, there's more than one answer to every question and no one knows all the answers! Common sentiments....you need to remember!

The past few months I had been working with a really enjoyable young couple looking for their first home. They knew exactly how much they wanted to spend. They had pre-qualified with a Credit Union (because of the volatility of the Banks these days) and they were flexible about their wants.

Two no, no's.....short sales and foreclosures. They had a time frame they wanted to work within.

After a few "almosts"  We finally found just what they wanted. Great condition, good commute location and nice privacy. We put in an offer and they went home to wait for my call. 

I will save you the gory details...just let me tell you we were done the Home Inspection before we were told by the Listing Agent that this was a Short Sale! My Buyers were very upset. They had given notice at their apartment, hired movers and st up the usual appointments with gas,electric etc. The Listing Agent said he had a verbal OK form the Lender but nothing in writing and before we could absorb that fact.... the closing date was postponed.

I was doing my best to re-assure. I was trying to make sense to them of why I couldn't contact the lienholder. I was trying to assure them that the Lienholder really wanted to sell. I had to explain why there are no Guarantees!

This is a very pro-active couple! They wanted to do SOMETHING! I asked them if it would be helpful to have a sit-down with my Broker and try to come up with some "Action Steps"..... That gave them hope! My Broker came up with the idea of putting the Seller and his Agent on notice. He suggested they write a letter listing all the things they were unhappy about, the biggest being the lack of disclosure of the situation.

The letter was very long, very detailed and set out  exactly what their next steps would be. But even more powerful was the fact that they felt they had some control over their situation. They were so grateful and said that no matter what happened they felt that they had our whole office in their corner and could tell that my Broker really cared about what they were going through during what should be one of the happiest moments....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~There is a happy ending to the story! Turns out it wasn't a short sale! The hang-up was the Listing Agent fighting with the Lien-holder over his commission (causing the closing date extension). The letter forced his hand and we were able to close before the end of the month.

We are all facing challenging transactions these days! This is definately when we need to turn to others for another perspetive or a helping hand....after all it's about whats best for our clients! After all more heads are better than one!

The letter was a great solution for them...It gave them a sense of having taken some control. It gave them an "Action Step"

Concord NH Realtor

PART I - THE DECISION

I have debated a while about writing this. Then I decided that there was value in the perspective. Value to we Realtors and Sellers alike!

We work with Sellers on a regular basis. We council them, persuade them, convince them, support them and give constant re-assurance. But how many of us are in touch with what they feel? How many understand what it feels like to sell your home, your memories, your young adult aspirations?

As of the middle of last July, my husband and I have listed our home For Sale. We moved to Concord NH from a very small town 45minutes to the North. We had always liked Concord and felt it would be the perfect place to raise our son. It was 1984 just before the previous Real Estate Boom and Bust.

This was our fourth house. We built our first, and re-rehabbed the next two. this one was only 5 years old, exactly the style we wanted and the location was perfect. Close to the school, near shopping, a great neighborhood and a wonderful yard! We have lived here for 24 years.

We really never planned on retiring here. I wanted something much smaller, needing less yard work, having a smaller Mortgage Payment and lower taxes! When we reached that "magical point"....we would sell the house, buy something small and re-invest the rest.  I wanted to travel!

But, as so often happens, circumstances dictated our time frame. My 64 year old husband lost his job. His company went out of business and after 30 years in sales he discovered that the answer to the  question "will ya still need me....when I'm 64"...was no! There were health concerns that meant we had to take out private health insurance and the related expenses of premiums and medicines...many medicines. Suddenly our income has been reduced by half.

I admit we probably should have made the decision to Sell back then but we tried to hold on! We got behind on our taxes, but we tried to hold on! He took a few part time jobs. We exhausted our savings and retirement and even sold a few things. But we eventually admitted that if we wanted to have anything left.....we had to Sell.

I have discovered as a Seller and what we need to know as Realtors.....is that in many cases, even if the head has made the decision, the heart is fighting it. You find a slew of projects and fixers that have to be completed before you put it on! So it gets put off a little longer. The carpets need cleaning. The house needs staging. The curtains aren't right......meanwhile it's still not on the Market! All of these improvements take money and if you're living paycheck to paycheck...it will still not be on the Market! On one hand you're frustrated....on the other relieved!

Eventually you do get to that point. The house is as ready as it will ever be. It's time! You take a deep breath and price it not where you would like it to be....but where it has to be. You take your perfect pictures, do your virtual tour and put it on MLS. Then it's hurry up and wait.

Never again will I be impatient with a Seller who vasilates. Never again will I be callous about the worth. Never again will I be judgemental about their situation.

There are many people out there selling under duress....I will be patient and caring with every one!

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My second installment will be titled: PART II: PREPARING FOR SHOWINGS & WAITING FOR OFFERS

Concord NH Realtor

  There's a new place in town. Xtra chZ opened the first week in August at the corner of Rt.106 and Pembroke Road.

  Now.....we have a lot of Pizza establishments in town so I asked the owner/operator, Nick Makris, what about his place makes him competitive? Nick didn't even hesitate in his answer "we cater to the whole family, not just the guys on lunch break" He has also told his help that no one is to leave "unhappy"....there's no skimping!

 They have more than 28 Specialty Pizzas. They also have an extensive menu of Specialty Salads! This is more than your standard Pizza  Place. There are full American Dinners Plates and even Desserts!(I can attest to the White Chocolate RaspberryTruffle....yum)

The Makris Family is not new to the area! Back in the '80's they were known as Zoeys and were at the corner of Main St. and Bridge St. They moved to Manchester in the early '90's and also expanded into Deerfield!

Nick Makris

I asked Nick  about what advertising he was relying on. He is strictly word of mouth! I can understand why....my son and his friends tried it once and now go nowhere else! Their favorite....Chicken, Bacon and Broccoli Alfredo! Fabulous!!

        Dessert Case                             HDTV While Waiting

At this time  Xtra ChZ is strictly Free Delivery and Take Out.But keep your eyes open...they have preliminary approval from the city to expand to the space next door and are planning on having 40 seats. This will be a great place to bring the family for an in-expensive family night out!

Meanwhile give them a try...you'll be glad you did!

Concord NH Realtor Local Information