Conway Lake Foliage

Jaxson’s first day of preschool

The mornings are getting a little crisper up here in the mountains, and my husband took the air conditioners out of the windows this weekend. Traffic is getting easier to tolerate, advertisements for county fairs are flooding the radio, and I think I caught a little bit of red and orange peeking out of some green leaves looking out over the vista yesterday afternoon. Fall is upon us, and it isn’t looking like it is going to be a slow transition between seasons.

While the fall is arguably the most beautiful season, and certainly a personal favorite of mine, rather than sit back and enjoy the apple cider I always find myself getting excited for the holidays. My son, Jaxson, started preschool this week, and will be enjoying his first winter break come December. It is so great to live in this area, where no driving is necessary to enjoy the winter favorites that tourists come from miles to take advantage of. And it is especially nice not to have to pay for a vacation rental! I have met several tourists over the years, and am always amazed at the people that continue to visit the valley year after year. I can’t even tell you how many people I have heard say “I’ve been coming here in the winter since I was a kid!” And yet these people continue to stay in hotels, or other rentals in the area, at inflated “in season” costs. When you are referring to a place with 4 equally fun and beautiful seasons, it isn’t often you will run into “off season” prices. The solution? A vacation home! I know what you are thinking, that you can’t afford a second mortgage, but you would be surprised at some of the options that are available to you. It isn’t every day that you can go on vacation, especially if you have children and a full time job. Don’t waste time and energy worrying about the quality of your rental, check in, check out, and crossing your fingers that the pictures you saw online weren’t taken five years and thirty keg parties ago.

Let us help to take the stress out of your vacation, and find you your home away from home, no matter what your price range is.

Emily

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 JtRealty Lakefront to Mountainside 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.

No, you aren’t dreaming… You can actually buy a buildable lot in Intervale NH for only $38,000 that has underground town water and utiltities, and winter views! PLUS the Developer is willing to pay your first 12 months of mortgage payments for you!

At this price why not buy 2, 1 to build your new home on, and the 2nd to sell when the market turns around!

Come and see us on Saturday, October 10th, call Joy at 603-356-7200 x11 or email Joy@JTRealty.com for more details. Check out the price list, we beg you to see if you can find a better deal than this!

Builders, Vacation Home Seekers, and Valley Residents are all encouraged to stop by!