Berlinnhrealestateblog.com: June 2009

RE/MAX and our Premier Partnership

Susan G Komen for the Cure

Partners since 2002 in the fight against breast cancer, RE/MAX is proud to be a national sponsor of the Race for the Cure Series. In addition, RE/MAX Associates can make a difference in their communities by participating in the Sold for the CureTM program which allows RE/MAX offices and Associates to support Komen for the Cure and its vision of a world without breast cancer. RE/MAX Offices and Associates can designate homes as a Sold for the CureTM properties and make contributions to Susan G. Komen for the Cure with each closed transaction.

Children's Miracle Network

Founded in 1983, Children's Miracle Network generates health care funds and awareness programs to benefit children. The nonprofit organization's 170 participating hospitals across North America help 17 million children annually. Since RE/MAX became the exclusive real estate partner of CMN in 1992, RE/MAX Associates have raised $85 million for the cause. Here in New England, RE/MAX donations support Children's Miracle Network in the following premier hospitals, Children's Hospital Boston, Bay state Children's Hospital, Hasbro Children's Hospital, Connecticut Children's' Medical Center, Vermont Children's Hospital, The Barbara Bush Children's Hospital at Maine Medical Center

2 comments • Team NER • June 29 2009 02:27PM

Why us RE/MAX to market your commercial listings?

The RE/MAX Edge

• Over 1,500 consumers visit the commercial listings side of remax.com every day, resulting in over 400,000 page views each month1

• RE/MAX continues to be the highest-ranked real estate sales organization on Google® searches for ‘commercial real estate' and ‘commercial properties'2

• Share of Voice

• National radio ads promoting commercial agents during Westwood One radio broadcasts, including broadcasts of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics

• Group listing advertisements in the national edition of The Wall Street Journal seen by 1.7 million readers

• Second-highest number of CCIM designees and candidates combined in the industry3

• The RE/MAX Commercial identity is competitively positioned with other commercial industry leaders, leveraging the best of the RE/MAX brand while incorporating distinguishing elements that speak to the commercial business-to-business marketplace

• Since 2005, RE/MAX Commercial Practitioners average more than $12 billion in commercial volume per year.4

• Global network of more than 100,000 RE/MAX Associates worldwide

RE/MAX Northern Edge Realty (TeamNER) (603) 752-0003

0 comments • Team NER • June 26 2009 05:09AM

Benefit from the RE/MAX Brand: Commercial Real Estate

RE/MAX has led in national TV share of voice for the past seven years and outpaces all other networks in the industry, generating billions of consumer impressions among our target demographic.This marketing power translates to:

• 50 percent U.S. television Share of Voice drives more than a half million consumers to remaxcommercial.com yearly.

• 1,500 consumers visit the commercial properties side of remax.com daily.

• More than 90 percent of consumers type in "remax.com" before searching for commercial properties.

RE/MAX Northern Edge Realty works hand & hand with RE/MAX International & RE/MAX of New England.

Contact RE/MAX Northern Edge Realty today to learn more about what RE/MAX can do for you.

Berlin, NH office" (603) 752-0003

Littleon, Nh office: (603) 444-3069

Visit us on line at www.teamner.com & www.yournhhomes.com & www.teamnerrealtors.com & www.remax.com

2 comments • Team NER • June 26 2009 05:07AM

RE/MAX ANNOUNCES LAUNCH OF COMMERCIAL INFORMATION EXCHANGE

RE/MAX International, Inc., is pleased to announce the launch of the RE/MAX Commercial Information Exchange (CIE), a comprehensive marketing and research tool for commercial real estate agents. CIE, powered by Catylist, provides brokers, owners, developers and investors access to practical tools such as property email services, custom marketing materials and financial analysis products.

"We're thrilled to launch the very first Catylist-driven Commercial Information Exchange (CIE) on a brokerage level," said Mark Baker, Vice President of Regional and Commercial Development at RE/MAX International. "RE/MAX Sales Associates have been asking for a platform where they can enter commercial listings one time and market them across dozens of other websites. Full Access membership to the CIE gives them this ability, along with lead capture capabilities through online traffic reports."

The CIE works in conjunction with the company's public website, www.remax.com, and all commercial listings in the CIE will be available to millions of consumers worldwide.

The CIE is available to RE/MAX Associates via the company intranet, RE/MAX Mainstreet. Through the CIE, Sales Associates are able to search commercial properties, list and market their own properties, utilize integrated mapping and aerial views, display basic demographics for listings and more.

"I'm excited about the CIE and all of my agents are checking it out. It helps further the branding of RE/MAX Commercial in the marketplace and I think it's going to be a great resource tool to work into our listing presentations and help get our properties noticed," said Matt Martel of RE/MAX Northern Edge Realty of Berlin, NH. "It's really important to maximize transactions out in the commercial marketplace, and this will help facilitate that."

The Commercial Division of RE/MAX has steadily grown over the past 20 years. Currently, there are over 3,700 Commercial Practitioners operating in 337 Commercial offices.

0 comments • Team NER • June 26 2009 04:58AM

Thank you Berlin, Gorham, Milan, Dummer & Errol, NH!

Thank you for making RE/MAX Northern Edge Realty of Berlin, NH #1 in five short years! Thanks to you we are the areas Top-Selling Real Estate Office.

Whatever your real estate needs may be, we offer you useful information about how to choose the "right" property, making an offer, negotiating, inspections, financing, moving, and everything involved in making an informed real estate decision in today's market.

If you are a prospective seller, you can rely on us for a professional assessment of today's market trends, the best pricing strategy for your home, and tips to maximize the appeal of your property at the least cost to you.

Contact us today 752-0003!

Visit us online at TeamNER.com

Follow us on Twitter! www.twitter.com/TeamNER

Become a insider! Become a fan of RE/MAX Northern Edge Realty on Facebook!

Read our daily Blog.

Based on MLS stats from the Northern New England Real Estate Network from 01/01/2004 through 06/25/2009)

0 comments • Team NER • June 25 2009 01:41PM

Gorham, NH Moose Tours

Gorham, NH: Moose Tour Information.

Don't miss the unique opportunity to take a Gorham Moose Tour in search of the giant of the North Country and other area wildlife (96% successful sighting rate).  Tickets are available at the Gorham Information Booth and reservations are recommended.  Call 466-3103 or toll free 877-986-6673 for a reservation.  There is also a Berlin-Gorham Walking Guide available at the Information Booth which describes the best routes to take a stroll, including Gorham's new Fit Trail (5.2 miles w/stations for exercise and stretching).

Gorham is centrally located and the perfect place to stay to take all of the area's attractions in.  Gorham is surrounded by the White Mountain National Forest and the spectacular Mt. Washington and Great Glen Outdoor Center are only eight miles away.  You can get to the summit of Mt. Washington either by hiking up, taking a guided tour by stage, or by driving your own vehicle and don't forget to stop at Glen Ellis Falls and Wildcat Mountain for a Zip-Line Ride on your way there.  Androscoggin Valley Country Club, Six Gun City, Santa's Village, and Story Land are all nearby attractions. 

 

0 comments • Team NER • June 25 2009 05:37AM

First-Time Home Buyers in NH: Think NH Housing~

1.  What is my first step to purchase a home of my own?

As with any large financial decision, education should always be your first step.  There are a number of non-profit housing agencies that provide free home ownership education.

  • For a complete list of home ownership seminars located in New Hampshire, click here.
  • For a complete list of New Hampshire Housing's home ownership publications, click here.

 
2.  How much house can I afford?

You can use our mortgage calculators to estimate how much house you can afford.  It's easy!  Click here.


3.  How do I apply for a New Hampshire Housing loan?

To see if you qualify for a New Hampshire Housing loan, contact any of our participating lenders. Go to the list of participating lenders.

In order to qualify to use New Hampshire Housing funds, your lender will ask you four key questions:

What is your income?
What is the purchase price of the home you wish to buy?
Are you a first-time home buyer?
Will it be your primary residence?

What is your income?  In order to qualify for a New Hampshire Housing loan, your income must be below certain limits based on where the property is located.  Go to New Hampshire Housing's Income Limits.

What is the purchase price of the home you wish to buy?  In order to use New Hampshire Housing for your loan, the purchase price of the home you want to buy must be under certain purchase price limits based on where the property is located.  For New Hampshire Housing's Purchase Price Limits click here.

Are you a first-time home buyer?  With the exception of 15 targeted communities, you must be a first-time home buyer to qualify for a New Hampshire Housing loan.  New Hampshire Housing defines first-time home buyer as anyone who has not owned a house in the past three years. 

Targeted communities:  In the 15 targeted communities you do not have to be a first-time home buyer.  View the list of the 15 targeted communities.

Will it be your primary residence?  The property must be your primary residence.  New Hampshire Housing's single family home ownership program will not finance investor owned properties.


4.  I have heard that New Hampshire Housing loan is subject to a Recapture Tax.  What is this all about?

Because of how New Hampshire Housing gets it's money, you may have to pay a recapture tax if you sell your house within the first nine years of home ownership.  Go to an explanation of Recapture Tax and how it can affect you.


5.  What is mortgage insurance and will I have it on my New Hampshire Housing loan?

Mortgage Insurance (MI) is an insurance borrowers purchase to protect the lender in case of default.  Unless you put 20% down on your mortgage you will need mortgage insurance.  New Hampshire Housing has two ways of providing mortgage insurance, monthly or financed.  For more information on all your mortgage insurance options with New Hampshire Housing, click here.

6.  Can I use the federal home buyer tax credit with a New Hampshire Housing loan?

If you purchased your home on or after 4/9/2008 and on or before 12/31/2008, you would not qualify for the $7,500 tax credit that was created under the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008. New Hampshire Housing loans can not be combined with this particular tax credit. View fact sheet

However, if you purchased your home after 12/31/2008 and before 12/1/2009, you may qualify for the $8,000 federal first-time home buyer tax credit under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. New Hampshire Housing loans can be combined with this new federal tax credit. View fact sheet

For information on homes for sale in Northern NH contact RE/MAX Northern Edge Realty of Berlin, NH (603) 752-0003 or RE/MAX Northern Edge Realty of Littleton, NH (603) 444-3069.

Visit RE/MAX Northern Edge Realty Online

Our Team at RE/MAX Northern Edge Realty specializes in working with First-Time home-buyers! Contact us today!
1 comment • Team NER • June 24 2009 06:53AM

Commercial Real Estate in Berlin, NH

Industrial/Commercial New Construction Tax Incentive Printer-Friendly Version


With the recent passage of a new ordinance by the Mayor and Council, the City of Berlin is now in a position to offer any business undertaking new industrial or commercial construction in the City a large property tax exemption for the first five years of use.
In summary, the ordinance provides that new commercial and industrial construction in Berlin is automatically eligible for city and school property tax exemptions according to the following table:
% Tax Exemption of Increased Assessed Value from New Construction
Uses Tax Year 1 Tax Year 2 Tax Year 3 Tax Year 4 Tax Year 5
Commercial Uses 25% 20% 15% 10% 5%
Industrial Uses 50% 40% 30% 20% 10%


A link to the actual ordinance follows:  http://berlinnh.gov/Pages/BerlinNH_IndustrialDev/Incentivesord/ordinance200814 
0 comments • Team NER • June 23 2009 05:36AM

Berlin NH: Why doesn't the City clean up burnt out properties right away & other questions you have been wanting to ask!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
ABOUT BURNT OUT AND DILAPIDATED PROPERTIES in Berlin, NH



Why doesn't the City clean up burnt out properties right away?
In most cases, the burnt out properties are not owned by the City. Therefore, the City has no right to do anything with the building which is in private hands, except by following very specific state laws which are complex and linear in nature and which accord the property owner every protection. This process usually ends up before a judge who also accords the land owner due process protections and sometimes additional time to comply.
Why doesn't the City just take the property by eminent domain?
Eminent domain or the governmental taking of private property for a public purpose is also an involved legal process which requires that the property being taken must be taken for a public purpose. An eminent domain process would at minimum likely take one year before the City would in fact own the land. Even if the process could be used, it would also require that the City pay the property owner the appraised value for the land at the time of the taking. That means that in addition to the cost of having to clean up the site, the City would have to come up with the market value for the land to pay the non-compliant owner who does not clean up his own property. This of course assumes that the City has the money budgeted to pay for such a piece of land, which it normally would not have. Under the state statute (RSA 155-B) that the City typically uses for cleaning up properties, the City at least does not have to compensate the irresponsible property owner for the value of his/her remaining property.
Doesn't the property owner have insurance and why don't they use that insurance to clean up the mess?
Many of the property owners don't have insurance, and there is no state law which requires them to have that. However, even those who do have insurance have often taken the insurance proceeds and simply walked away from the property instead of spending any of their insurance proceeds on cleaning up the site. They do this more in Berlin because property values in Berlin have been so low that pocketing the insurance proceeds and walking away is more profitable to the owner than spending $30,000 on the clean up of a property which may only be worth $5-10,000 after the clean up.
Why doesn't the City get the State to change its laws?
The City has lobbied hard in the last couple of years to get a number of state laws which relate to these matters changed. This past year we finally had a minor success in getting the tax deeding law improved slightly. However, in spite of our attempts to change the current RSA 155-B state law to require that insurance proceeds be spent first on property cleanup, opposition by the various realtor organizations has successfully forestalled any progress in this area. We of course will be trying again in the next legislative session.
Why doesn't the City simply pass its own laws to take care of these matters?
Ironically, unlike many other states in the nation, New Hampshire is not a "Home Rule" state. Although New Hampshire is a small state and claims to cherish local control, the New Hampshire State Legislature has never seen fit to allow the municipalities any significant degree of "Home Rule". What this means is that as a general rule, municipalities in the State have the authority to do only what they are specifically authorized to do by a specific state law. If there is no state law authorizing it, then a municipality can't do it. In a true Home Rule state, a municipality is free to pass any laws that it wants as long as such laws do not conflict with the state constitution or existing state laws.
Well, what does the City do then?
The City of Berlin is unique in the entire State of New Hampshire in dealing with the numbers of dilapidated and sometimes burnt out structures. The City is still actively working its way through a number of state inspection and enforcement laws which are complex and tedious and not often used because most municipalities don't have these problems to the extent we do.   Berlin is unique in terms of the numbers of these types of dilapidated structures and in terms of the extremely low underlying value of the properties. Where the rest of the State is trying to encourage and promote "affordable" housing, Berlin has far more than its share of affordable housing which unfortunately, is in some cases, substandard housing. In the case of burnt out properties, the City generally does not own any of these properties and therefore must proceed cautiously and under some specific state law, usually RSA 155-B or RSA 147. In almost all cases, the City must first give the property owner the opportunity to clean up the property on their own. If they don't, the procedure usually has the City, through a stringent and linear process, asking a judge to require the property owner to clean up the property. The judge will also give the property owner another chance to clean up the property on their own. If that doesn't occur, then the judge will usually grant to the City the ability to clean up the property at the City's cost. However, under RSA 155B, the City will at least have the opportunity to lien the property for all of the City's costs in the cleanup. It must be remembered however, that because property values of these properties are so low in Berlin, this is likely to leave the City with a cost that may run $20-$30,000 including legal costs on a property that may end up being worth only $5,000. In other words, every one of these properties ends up costing the City (and obviously the City's tax paying residents) significant time effort and money. Fortunately, the Mayor and Council have been very supportive financially of what has become a new and very monumental effort on behalf of the City.
In a number of cases each year for the past several years, the City has come into ownership of a number of dilapidated structures because the property owners have not paid the taxes on the property and the property is taken by the City by tax deed. This particular state law is also quite complex and detailed and confusing in terms of what the City can or cannot do once it acquires a property by tax deed. It also lays out a convoluted schedule for when the City can or cannot do various things with the property it has acquired by tax deed. In some cases, if the property owner cannot be found to be served notice or in the case of intestate properties, the City is then barred by this same state law from doing anything with the property for another three years unless a Court grants permission to do so. The State law, as one might expect, gives great weight to individual property rights and therefore gives the former owner every opportunity to repurchase the property if they so choose.
In spite of its economic challenges, the Mayor and Council of the City have seen fit to embark on an ambitious program to require that housing in Berlin be brought up to  a reasonable standard and that excess dilapidated housing gets either renovated or removed. A Housing Coordinator was hired three years ago who has overseen the acquisition and removal of a significant number of dilapidated properties. A full-time Code Enforcement Officer and a full-time Housing Inspector have also been hired to carry out a comprehensive housing inspection program. For the past several years the Fire Department has been citing and pursuing owners of burnt out and dilapidated properties.
The cost of demolition and removal of dilapidated housing structures today is very high. Once the City gets to the point where it can actually demolish a property it has taken by tax deed, it must carry out environmental studies to test mostly for asbestos and lead, which if found must be abated. Once that is done, the City, if it can find money somewhere, will bid a contract for the demolition. The typical structure the City demolishes weighs 100-200 tons. Just the disposal cost of this tonnage at the regional landfill is $67/ton for an average disposal cost of $7,000-15,000 per demolished structure. If there is asbestos contamination, the cost is $107/ton and the precautions surrounding the handling of contaminated debris drives the demolition cost up significantly. To this must be added the cost of the demolition contractor and the trucking to the landfill which would typically be in the range of $5,000-20,000 per structure depending on the complexity.  
Why do these processes have to be so slow?
With respect to the clean up of burnt out properties, in terms of time, if everything fell into place perfectly in a particular case, which it never does, the very quickest that the City would be able to effectuate a property cleanup under RSA 155-B or RSA 147 would be around 8 to 9 months after the fire. Both RSA's are linear in nature and not many of the steps required can be completed concurrently. However, given the way the process works in reality, it is typically going to be more like 12 to18 months especially if the owner appeals the order in the court.
Further, often there is more than one building and therefore more than one property owner involved. If the two buildings burned together, the fire debris is now generally all in one pile which means that the debris can only be cleaned up all at once and not separately. Yet, two separate property owners means that each property owner is afforded separate legal processes under the law. This means that the overall cleanup process can go no faster than the slower process which develops for either owner. Obviously, this can slow the process much more than if there is just one owner involved.   
With the number of fires the City has suffered recently, there is no question that the City has become more than a bit overwhelmed. In February and March, the State Fire Marshall's office assisted the City with an inspection blitz of about 100 properties or roughly 300 units in the period of a few days. This was a great help to the City from the State in the sense that it got the attention of a lot of landlords that business as usual was changing. It also got the attention of a lot of tenants who, seeing the fires, began to realize that they had an interest in finding a place to stay that was safe. This inspection blitz led to well in excess of 1000 violations which have to be followed up on. Clearly, this can only be dealt with a little bit at a time. This is in addition to the comprehensive housing inspection program the City has started and dealing with the fire properties themselves.
It is going to take several years for the City to see the rewards of this effort which will reverse the downward property spiral the City has been in and will result in housing in Berlin which is decent, safe and attractive.

2 comments • Team NER • June 23 2009 05:32AM

Milan, NH Real Estate & Milan, NH homes for sale

Milan, NH Real Estate as of June 22nd 2009.

As of today June 22 2009 there are 38 single-family homes for sale in Milan, NH. Ranging in price from a low of $32,000 to a high of $399,000.

Since January 1st 2009 only one single family home has sold in Milan, NH. Sold price: $32,000.

No single family homes are pending sale in Milan, NH as of today June 22nd 2009.

There are 30 parcels of land for sale in Milan, NH. Ranging in price from a low of $38,000 to a high of $249,900.

Largest parcel of land on the market in Milan, NH: 66 acres-$249,900.

No parcels of land are currently pending sale in Milan, NH.

No parcels of land have sold in Milan, NH since January 1st 2009.

There a no multi-family homes for sale in Milan, NH as of today June 22nd 2009.

For more information on Milan, NH Real Estate contact RE/MAX Northern Edge Realty (603) 752-0003.

RE/MAX Northern Edge Realty & Milan, NH Real Estate.

Click the link to view RE/MAX Northern Edge Realty Online.

For Breaking Real Estate News in Northern NH follow TeamNER.com on Twitter: www.twitter.com/TeamNER.com

0 comments • Team NER • June 22 2009 07:04AM