Many people think real estate goes to sleep during New Hampshire winters. But our real estate agents at Badger Peabody & Smith Realty see something different in Coos, Grafton, and Carroll counties. January brings a distinct subset of purchasers who aren't casually browsing—they're actively committed to securing their next property despite snow-covered landscapes and frigid temperatures.
Smart buyers know that January offers opportunities to save money that disappear when spring comes. With fewer people looking to buy, they can negotiate better deals than during the busy season, when lots of people are trying to outbid each other.
I became a homeowner fairly early on in my life; I'd just turned 25, but had been living in my house and renting it for six years prior. At the time, I wasn't necessarily looking to buy a house, but the opportunity presented itself, and with a lot of work and a little luck, I was able to make it happen. Although I didn't feel like it at the time, I was just barely figuring out life at that point and figuring out who I was, too. In many ways, I still am, and probably always will be, but I like to think that I've learned a lot since then.
My journey to homeownership was fairly nontraditional, and although I wouldn't go back and change the decision I made to buy my house, I sometimes wonder if I had waited or taken a more traditional a...
Owning additional recreational properties is always an appealing idea due to the desire to have a little home away from home for personal staycations. It is also an interesting idea for long-term property appreciation.
But in the last several years, owning a second home has become an even more attractive prospect because you can earn potential rental income through guests.
Here is how you can make the most of your second home in winter.
You may want to purchase one in an area, and with the types of features that are high value, like a hot tub, multiple rooms, skylight, fireplace, etc. You may also want to choose a place that is known for its tourism and nature landsca...
When the weather outside starts to get cooler, the real estate market tends to follow along with it. You will likely see fewer new listings than you would in spring and summer. But a slower period can actually be beneficial when buying property.
Here are some reasons why you should take advantage of the winter lull to purchase your next home.
My sister and brother-in-law bought a house over the summer, and from the start, they have wanted to change and update the kitchen. It is dated both in appearance and somewhat in functionality. While I was visiting them for Thanksgiving, my sister told me that she opted to get Thanksgiving dinner from a local restaurant rather than cook at home because her oven is so small. This is true; the oven itself is tiny, though the entire stove and oven unit itself is normal-sized. This had us talking, and put us on the topic of finding out just how old the oven truly is.
After some quick research, we determined her oven was a model made in 1982—making it over 40 years old! Albeit small, that oven works completely fine, and so does the stovetop. It reminds me of my late grandmother's house, which was a scene ripped out of a magazine from the 1970s. Each one of her appliances was that Coppertone brown from that era, but they all still worked: The fridge, dishwasher, washing machine, and dryer were all still in operation when I last was in that house, which would have been sometime in the 2010s, right before she sold it.