The Shiners that inhabited the murky water at the end of the dock kept my kids busy. Their fluorescent bobbers jerked in starts, the empty hooks baffled the kids, and I hurried to re-bait the hooks as quickly as possible.

Soon an old-timer stopped to watch the simple joys of kids fishing. He reminisced about his early fishing days in the 1950’s; we recounted our own fishing conquests (in generic terms), and shared a moment of silence when the time was right to just watch youthful enthusiasm.

Several wood ducks swam in vicinity and Maya soon lost interest in fishing. Supplied with an old loaf of bread, she fed the ducks and spoke kindly to them in earnest.

Water parks and arcades are okay, but then again, so is a can of worms, a fishing pole, and a loaf of bread.

– happy fishing from Ryan the Realtor

RYAN’S FREE REPORTS ON THE WEB

As a youth I avoided summer school like the plague, but yesterday I worked with students from the Enriched Learning Center earning credits towards an early diploma. Granite State College provided the venue for laughing and learning.

The curriculum included an overview of the coursework to become a licensed realtor and then marketing and mock telephone activities. A question and answer session however proved most useful.

One sharp lad offered, “What works best in sales?”

My answer was simple, “Find people that need real estate service and be honest with them.” We further discussed the importance of providing service to clients and keeping lines of communication open.

As a means of communication, search Ryan the Realtor’s website that provides recent sales activity, free reports, and lakeside listings.

– Your Real Estate Consultant for Life

Ryan Mahan



As your Real Estate Consultant I think it’s important that you know my allegiance is with the Boston Celtics. Yes I am a New England kid from Maine that maybe longed for a city with a big-time professional sports team to call his own, but recent events in the NBA prove that my faith and support of the Boston Celtics is warranted and goes much deeper.

Let’s start with pain and loss after game seven so I can entertain any Laker fans. I’m no coward. My Celtics were bruised and hurt but yet they walked off the court with dignity and as a team. No one’s individual pain was larger than the collective team.

Then see Kobe Bryant immediately after the game on a solo interview professing his pleasure of earning one more title than Shaqueel O’Neal. Did Kobe earn the title alone? Was he the only Los Angeles Laker to hit a clutch three-pointer? While a tremendous athlete, what Kobe Bryant lacks entirely is class.

And Phil Jackson might be able to light up another victory cigar but has to worry about his heart condition while keeping his players out of jail (Ron “Arrest” Artest). Oh, by the way, check out his new rap album. What a joke.

The Celtics not only have more class but the leaders are all 30-something and know a thing or two. Garnett, Allen, and Pierce realize that coming back together as a unit was of greater importance than lucrative deals in Florida or following the self-proclaimed Lebron “King” James to Miami. Lebron, you have to win a title first before you can call yourself the King! And his own website www.lebronjamesworld.com are you kidding me? Do you need more marketing power Lebron?

I would not count the Celtics as “over the hill” in 2011 and you can guarantee the focus is on the team versus any individual. Miami, you can have the “King” Lebron James and I’ll remain true to Celts of Boston.

Buying a home or condo is a major financial commitment, so before you sign a Purchase & Sale agreement make sure that you are making the right decision. Here are the major factors to consider:

Price: Yes, you are pre-approved to buy the post and beam home with gorgeous views to Mt. Washington, but are you comfortable with the mortgage payments. Will you still be able to afford your yearly vacation to the Caribbean or Nantucket? You want to be able to own a 2^nd home and still afford all of the other things in life that make you happy. Nobody wants to be “house poor.”

Condition: This factors into the pricing. Would it make more sense to buy a slightly more expensive new home, or are you willing to save on the initial asking price and pay for repairs afterwards? Some “fixer-uppers” can end up turning into money pits way out of your budget. There are a lot of gorgeous older homes in New Hampshire, but keep in mind when restoring an older home, you will most likely need to add 20%-40% on the contractors initial bid (and time frame!) as there are always unexpected items that need attention.

Size & Layout: How many bedrooms do you need? Are you expecting to have a lot of weekend guests? Would an open layout work well for your needs, or do you like to have several stand-alone rooms? Keep in mind when buying a vacation home that your closet needs and living space in general will be significantly different than in your primary home. You might really enjoy staying in a cute and cozy cottage with awesome river frontage that allows you to do some family bonding that you usually can’t, due to hectic real life schedules. A wise trade-off.

Location: You fell in love with the Mount Washington Valley  after years of coming up to ski at Attitash Mountain, Wildcat, and Mt Cranmore. And then you came up for a week in the summer and had an absolute blast hiking the Presidential Mountain Range and swimming in the Saco River. So, where do you want your home base? Is it better to be in North Conway Village, drive to the mountains in the morning and walk to dinner at night, or would you rather wake up on the ski trail or the lake and walk out your back door to recreate first thing in the morning?

All of these are questions that you need to answer, but by choosing an agent from Joy Tarbell Realty who is knowledgeable about the different neighborhoods, lakes, mountains, and ski areas in the Mount Washington Valley you have made your first good decision. Our REALTORs© can help you answer questions, but ultimately, you need to decide what your priorities are. Click here to print out a chart made up by the National Association of Realtors that will help you compare your top 3 homes and narrow it down to your 1 favorite.

Mt. Washington Valley and North Conway Health Care

In my younger years I was either an excitable boy or I had a run of bad luck. Either way you swing it, I have been admitted to over six hospitals in my life. From intensive care in Fairbanks Memorial to torn abdominal muscles in Maine Med. Folks “from away” might presume we locals don’t know the difference between poor and exceptional health care, but I do know the difference and want to share my latest experience at North Conway Dental.

Perhaps the White Mountains are a little more evolved than some may think.
I split a molar a long time back, had a root canal and won’t bore you with the details, but I expected several trips to the dentist chair to get my long awaited crown on tooth #30, lower right.

After getting hit with five Novocain shots, Dr. Low ground my molar to make a nice flat surface (a bit uncomfortable but I’m a man and a stolid warrior). At this point I thought we’d match calendars and wait for the lab to design my crown, but no, I was delighted.

The Doc takes a photo, brings my magic tooth up on a computer, and begins shaping my new crown. Once finished, he walks to a bread box-looking-machine and inserts a piece of porcelain. He closes the clear window and two drills go to work.

Now these drills create a high amount of RPM’s and heat so four jets of water continually douse the drill and control the temperature. After fourteen minutes of drilling and water, my new crown drops from the porcelain block and is ready for placement. What started as a porcelain block of cheese was now becoming a part of my body, my temple. The technology is called SIRONA. I wish I had the patent!

The coolest part is yet to come, the machine is not perfect. Dr. Low’s steady hand completed the finishing touches to be certain the upper and lower teeth maintained proper contact. Man and machine fuse body and porcelain in North Conway, New Hampshire.

For those retirees hoping to relocate to Mt. Washington Valley, know that our hospital and dental services are excellent. You won’t need to make an appointment at the Mayo Clinic to get your bridge work done.

– stay cool,

Ryan the Realtor

MILE 54.5

This mile-marker on 302 in Hart’s Location has become more meaningful to my family than the Department of Transportation may have conceived. Here the upper stretches of the Saco runs cool between large boulders and long slabs of granite perfect for plunging into summer currents and then drying in the sun like a gecko or desert lizard.

But my family most resembles a centipede as we aim our cannon-ball-butts in the perfect pockets of deep water and then drift lazy in our life vests. After all, Maya at four years of age is entitled to some assistance, and once comfortable, a PFD allows Mom and Dad some time to relax.

But the fun doesn’t stop there: boogie boards, butt-sliding on wet granite runways, and kayaks to paddle in the deep pools make this afternoon the complete adventure. A cooler with lunch sustain the young ones in the afternoon heat.

I encourage friends of Ryan the Realtor to make this trip. Look for a well worn path 350 yards after the White Mountain National Forest sign but there are a few ground rules:

1. Leave the place better than when you arrived

2. Don’t wear a wet suit in July as a visitor did yesterday. The offense was so
evident I could not even comment.

In regards to Hart’s location, this house below is a dream.  Come and see this natural playground today.

1. Walk to skiing at Attitash Mountain. By using the underground tunnel you don’t even have to face street traffic.
2. Onsite rental program allows you to rent out your condo while you aren’t using it to earn income while avoiding the headache and work of renting it out on your own.
3. Amazing onsite amenities include: indoor and outdoor pools, tennis courts, basketball court, playground, hot tub, sauna, and a fitness facility.
4. Matty B’s Restaurant is onsite, so you don’t even have to drive to go out to dinner and have a nice meal.
5. Attitash Mountain has awesome summer activities like a water slide, rock-climbing wall, mountain biking, and the famous Alpine Slide. They are also in the process of building New Hampshire’s only Nor’Easter Mountain Coaster for even more year round fun.
6. The condos come in all shapes, sizes and price ranges so you are sure to find one that fits your needs and budget. Check out our listings for River Run condos for Sale.

If you want to learn more about River Run at Attitash or Attitash Mountain in general please give us a call at 603-356-7200 x11 or email Joy@JTRealty.com.

See you on the mountain this summer!

VROOM… VROOM… VROOM… the sound of the bikes whizzing past our office day. Yep, its bike week in the Mount Washington Valley.  “Rally in the Valley” week is coming to a close, but it doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy riding your motorcycle through the White Mountains all summer long. With all of our scenic roads, gorgeous vistas, and plenty of restaurants and shopping,  North Conway NH is the perfect bike weekend getaway town. The Kancamangus Highway, that stretches from Conway NH to Lincoln NH with amazing views and scenery the whole way, is a world famous ride that everyone needs to experience. Once you come visit the Mount Washington Valley, you’ll be hooked, we promise.

Just for all of you bikers out there, I have picked out a handful of homes currently for sale with lots of garage space perfect for keeping your motorcycle safe from the elements and a little added work-space in case you need to do a quick tune-up.  Check them out by clicking here, then give us a call at 603-356-7200 or email info@JTRealty.com to set up an appointment for the next time you are here.

Ride safe and enjoy!

We have all seen the taglines, “Why rent when you can own?” and probably thought it was just another real estate sales gimmick.  I can prove that it’s true. Let’s take our one-bedroom condo listing at the Radio Station Condos as an example. It is listed for $87,500. Here is a cash flow analysis to show you how much it will cost you to own, keeping in mind that the average rent for an upscale one-bedroom apartment with 620SF in the Mount Washington Valley is $650 – $700/month. This condo could be $656/month BEFORE tax deductions!

$87,500 Sale Price

$17,500 20% Down Payment

$70,000 mortgage

Expenses:

$1,908 Property Taxes

$1,200 Annual Condo Fee ($110/month)

$4,769 Mortgage Payments ($397.45/mo 30 year mtge @ 5.5%)

$7,877 Total Annual Expenses

$   656 Monthly Payments

Deductions:

$  947 Annual Principle Reduction

$  534 28% tax bracket deduction prop taxes

$1,160 $4,142.98 annual interest at 28% tax bracket

$2,642 Tax Savings & Principle Reduction

$5,236 Actual Annual Cost

$ 436.32 Actual Monthly cost after taxes! Compare that to renting!

On average, by owning this gorgeous, straight out of a Pottery Barn condo, in Conway Village, with Saco River access you could be SAVING $150 to $200 a month. Plus by buying in a down market you are likely to make money when you decide to sell.

Sounds like a no brainer to me. A showing appointment is the first step towards saving you money every month.

A Quiet Paddle on the Lake

by Suzie Laskin

I am not a “morning person”. I am not usually awake at 6 AM. But this morning, the sun was bright, the sky was blue and the dogs were licking my face. I was awake and I knew this was the morning I’d been waiting for. I needed to get an early morning photograph of my new listing on Lower Kimball Lake. That’s the time when the sun shines on the house from the lake side, when I could get the perfect shot I needed to show this home in the best light.  So I loaded up my kayak and was out on the lake by 7AM.

What a beautiful morning it was-clear, still water, cool morning breezes and no sounds but the birds. I was hoping to see a moose, but no such luck this morning. I got my shots of the home and then enjoyed paddling across Lower Kimball Lake in the early morning. The view of the surrounding mountains was remarkable. I was the only one out there and it was a real treat. Maybe I should get up early more often.

Kayak on the Lake