Badger Realty has a NEW Improved Website

We are so pleased to announce that our NEW website is now online and with that is our NEW & improved BLOG at www.BadgerRealty.com/Blog

Everyday new tools and ways to promote the sale/searh of a property are being added to the website to improve your overall visiting experience. Browse around and let us know what you think.


New Online Improvements:

1. All recent advertisements can now be found on the website 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at www.badgerrealty.com/recent-advertising
View or print them at their leisure.

2. If you haven't signed up already, you will want to now. It's FREE and it's EASY. The "My Portfolio" Tool has new and improved search capabilities which are helpful to fine-tuning a buyers search criteria and gives up-to-the-second email notifications of price reductions and changes. Give it a try!

3. On the Home Page, we have a new feature - Popular Searches. This set of popular searches is quick and easy for anyone who is just getting their search going.

4. Market Statistics Tool - provides you with current and accurate information: local housing statistics, local recent sales and local, county and statewide summaries. These detailed reports will provide you with insight into the real estate market whether your selling, buying, or just want to keep informed.

These are just a few examples of what's is new on the website. Some areas on the site still need more work and it will be an ongoing endeavor. Our goal is to keep you informed with helpful information to make the sale of your property a good and profitable one.

Happy Hunting!

Independence Day Celebration Schedule 2010

The 4th of July holiday weekend is upon us! What do you have planned while in the Mt. Washington Valley and Western Maine? Here are few lists of activities that are planned for the weekend. With such a variety, we are sure your holiday weekend will be full of fun.


North Conway, NH:

Sunday - Independence Day Celebration. A family celebration of the nation’s birthday including a parade in Conway at 2 p.m., and food, entertainment and family activities for all ages in North Conway’s Schouler Park 4:15 to 9:45 p.m. with a patriotic ceremony at 4:15 p.m.

Fireworks will be from 9:30 to 9:50 p.m. 447-5680.


Jackson, NH:

Monday July 5th - Jackson Village & the surrounding communities come together to celebrate Independence Day... Fireworks display Monday July 5th, 2010 at approximately 9 PM.

The Fireworks will be going off from the greens of the Wentworth Golf Course making easy viewing throughout Jackson Village but we do recommend that you come early to get a good spot. There will be ice cream, popcorn, glow necklaces, balloons and other fun stuff available from the Jackson Fire Department.

For more information please contact the Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce at (603)383-9356.


Bartlett, NH:

Saturday - Fourth of July Parade. Bartlett’s annual Hellen Hayes Memorial Fourth of July Parade is scheduled for 11 a.m. on Main Street in the village. Pre-registration is strongly encouraged. Parade pre-registration forms are available at the recreation department website at www.bartlettnh.org. 374-1952 or e-mail at recbartlett@hotmail.com.

BBQ will follow at 12pm.


TOWN OF CARROLL/BRETTON WOODS

Sunday - Salute to Freedom July 4th Celebration at Omni Mt Washington Resort.
$25.00 per adult and $15.00 for children 4 to 12 (children under 4 FREE)
Barbecue by reservation only at extra fee, call 603-278-8989.

Fireworks Only? Cars (filled to legal capacity) may enter after 7:00 PM for $50 per carload.


Gorham, NH:

Sunday
6:00 pm – 10:00 pm Concert: Rocking House
10:00 pm Fireworks Display (Atlas Fireworks)


Ossipee, NH (Old Home Week):

Sunday - Ossipee Independence Day and Community Fair. The parade will begin at 11:30 a.m. with line-up to begin at 10:30 a.m. at Dorrs Corner.
The Community Fair at Ossipee Concerned Citizens headquarters will follow the parade until 2 p.m. and will feature a giant yard sale; crafts — old treasures — books; pony rides; music; children’s games; horseshoe pitching; delicious hamburgers and hot dogs will be available from the new Cook Shack.

Sunday - 5:00 – 11:00PM: FOOD, MUSIC & FIREWORKS – Constitution Park, Long Sands Road (off of Rte. 25), Center Ossipee. A wide variety of foods will be available from many non-profit organizations that benefit the Town of Ossipee. Sponsored by the Ossipee Old Home Week Committee. (Rain Date is Monday, July 5).


Tamworth, NH

Sunday - Fourth Of July Contradance will be held at the Kenneth A. Brett School. The caller will be Dudley Laufman, with music by Two Fiddles. Dancing begins at 7 p.m. in the school cafeteria. The cost is $7 per person; $3 for children 15 and under.

Sunday - Family Day. Family Day in Tamworth will have a parade at 11 a.m., followed by afternoon activities at the Brett School in Tamworth Village. A dance featuring music by the White Mountain Boys will be held at the school, followed by fireworks at 9:30 p.m. There will be activities throughout the day starting at 8:30 a.m. with the Road Race from Ordination Rock to KA Brett School.

For more information call recreation director Parker Roberts at 323-7582 or go to www.tamworthnh.org.

Fireworks begin at 9:30 p.m.


Fryeburg, ME:

Sunday - Fourth of July Children’s Parade. Fryeburg, Maine’s Fourth of July children’s parade will begin at 11 a.m. (line-up at 10:30 a.m.) at the Main Building of Fryeburg Academy and proceed down Main Street to Bradley Park.


Bethel, ME:

Saturday - 9:00:00 PM fireworks at the BETHEL INN AND RESORT


Bridgton, ME:

Saturday - Fireworks and Band Concert. Bridgton. Maine’s fireworks and band concert are planned from 7 to 10:30 p.m. Live music will be performed on the green in front of the Stevens Brook School. Thousands of spectators will line up along Route 302 and Main Street to watch the fireworks - GRAVEL PIT BEHIND PLAYFIELD @ STEVENS BROOK ELEM SCHOOL

Tax credit closing deadline extension passes Congress

Senate also reinstates flood insurance program through Sept. 30
By Matt Carter, Thursday, July 1, 2010.
Inman News


Congress has approved separate stand-alone bills that extend the closing deadline for claiming the federal homebuyer tax credit and temporarily reinstate the National Flood Insurance Program -- both are issues of paramount importance to tens of thousands of homebuyers trying to close deals under contract.

Legislation that extends until Sept. 30 the closing deadline for claiming the homebuyer tax credit -- HR 5623, the Homebuyer Assistance and Improvement Act of 2010 -- was passed by the Senate by unanimous voice vote Wednesday and could be signed into law by President Obama today.

The House passed HR 5623 in a 409-5 vote on June 29, after another bill extending unemployment benefits that was amended to extend the closing deadline became bogged down in the Senate.

The Senate had originally intended to use that bill, HR 4213, the American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act of 2010, to reinstate the National Flood Insurance program. The program expired May 31, derailing many closings.

Instead, the Senate on Wednesday passed HR 5569, the National Flood Insurance Program Extension Act of 2010, by unanimous voice vote, as House lawmakers did on June 23.

Both bills will apply retroactively. Homebuyers eligible to claim the tax credit who were under contract by April 30 now have until Sept. 30 to close the deal.

HR 5569 is only a temporary fix, authorizing a three-month extension of the National Flood Insurance Program to Sept. 30. But new policy applications or renewals signed and submitted while the program was suspended will be effective from the date of application.

According to the National Association of Realtors, the program provides insurance to homeowners in more than 10,000 communities that are prone to flooding who otherwise would not be able to obtain coverage due to cost or ineligibility.

NAR lobbied lawmakers on both issues. In a blog post, Realtor Magazine editor Robert Freedman said 85,000 NAR members sent letters to their Congressional representatives over the last month urging them to take action.

In a letter to House leaders Tuesday, NAR said as many as 75,000 buyers and sellers were still awaiting bank approval of short sales, or coping with other delays caused by third parties handling their closings. Some sellers whose homes were damaged in natural disasters were also experiencing "significant delays" as they repaired homes that were under contract, NAR said.

NAR had previously estimated that as many as 180,000 homebuyers who were under contract by April 30 might miss the June 30 closing deadline for claiming the homebuyer tax credit.

Also on Wednesday, a stripped-down version of the bill to extend unemployment benefits, HR 4213, fell two votes short in the Senate of the 60 votes needed to end debate on the bill. Congress is not expected to resume debate on the bill until after the July 4 recess.

Real estate sales rise 19.2% in May

NAR credits tax credits for propelling market
By Inman News, Tuesday, June 22, 2010.

Closings for existing-home sales were up 19.2 percent year-over-year in May -- a robust rate of activity the National Association of Realtors attributed to the federal homebuyer tax credit program.

"We are witnessing the ongoing effects of the homebuyer tax credit, which we'll also see in June real estate closings," said Lawrence Yun, the association's chief economist, in a statement.

Closed sales transactions of existing single-family homes, townhouses, condominiums and co-ops were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.66 million units last month, down 2.2 percent from April's upwardly revised 5.79 million units, the report said.

The association expects sales to decline after the homebuyer tax credits' scheduled closing deadline at the end of June -- though legislation is in the works that seeks to extend the closing deadline through September.

"Job growth and a manageable level of foreclosures are keys to sales and price performance during the second half of the year," the report said.

A NAR survey showed first-time homebuyers accounted for 46 percent of all home purchases in May, down from 49 percent in April, while investors accounted for 14 percent of home sales that month. Repeat buyers made up the remaining share of sales.

Raw unsold inventory was up 1.1 percent year-over-year in May, though it fell 3.4 percent month-to-month to 3.89 million existing homes. That volume of homes represents an 8.3-month supply of homes at the current sales pace, down slightly from April's 8.4-month supply.

That year-over-year rise in inventory "is especially concerning because the reported inventory is already historically very high, and the 8.3 months of supply in May is well above normal," observed the financial and housing blog Calculated Risk.

"The months of supply will probably stay near this level in June, because of more tax-credit-related sales (reported at closing), but the months of supply could be close to double digits later this year."

According to NAR's report, distressed homes made up a slightly smaller share of sales in May -- 31 percent -- compared with 33 percent the month before and in May 2009. At the same time, the national median price for all existing homes was $179,600 in May, a 2.7 percent increase from May 2009, the report said.

Existing-home sales in all regions jumped by double digits in May compared to the same time last year. The South saw the biggest jump, at 22.9 percent. The Northeast saw the smallest increase, at 12.7 percent. That region was also the only one to see a year-over-year drop in median price: up 2.2 percent to $240,200.

Meanwhile, the median price in the Midwest was up 2.2 percent year-over-year, to $150,700. In the South, the median price edged up 1 percent compared to a year ago, to $159,000. The West's median price saw the biggest rise, up 7.4 percent to $221,300.

A separate report released today by the California Association of Realtors found that sales of existing single-family detached homes in the state rose 1.2 percent year-over-year in May, while the median price rose a whopping 23.2 percent to $324,430. Sales rose 14.1 percent compared to April.

"Home sales posted their third-largest increase on record for May, due in part to first-time homebuyers who timed the open and close of escrow in order to capitalize on both the federal and state tax credits," said Steve Goddard, C.A.R.'s president, in a statement.

"May also marked the fifth month of double-digit gains in the median price, indicative of strong buyer demand relative to the supply of homes for sale. With a 4.6-month supply of homes for sale, unsold inventory continues to be well below the long-run average of seven months, and will continue to drive price appreciation over the next several months."

A six-month supply of inventory is considered a rough equilibrium between a buyer's market and a seller's market, with an inventory above six months sometimes indicating a buyer's market. All homes under $1 million in California now have a less-than-six-month inventory.

Another report by the Federal Housing Finance Agency, also released today, showed that U.S. house prices fell 1.5 percent year-over-year in April -- a smaller decline than the 6.9 percent drop observed between April 2008 and April 2009.

Prices rose 0.8 percent month-to-month in April, which the FHFA partially attributed to the homebuyer tax credit program. The agency based its numbers on the purchase prices of houses with mortgages that have been sold to or guaranteed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac.

Thinking about selling your home in Ossipee NH in 2010?

Written by Bill Barbin, REALTOR at Badger Realty

The first thing you should look for is a real estate agent that hangs out around town. Look in breakfast joints and bars. Ask around the gas station. I’m just kidding…

90% of real estate shoppers, especially second home buyers, search for property in Ossipee on the internet.

Should you put your important real estate asset in the hands of an agent that needs help turning their computer on or should you work with someone that has embraced the internet since back when Al Gore invented it?

Does knowing someone that knows someone that sells real estate qualify them to help you sell your home?

I’ll let you answer that one for yourself but I bet you would be surprised to find out how many people pick their agent that way.

How about an office in Ossipee?

Based on what we know about the use of the internet, the office location is not 100% relevant. There are good agents working the Ossipee NH real estate market. However, one of the keys to selling your property is your real estate broker's ability to expose your property to as many buyers as possible, especially second home buyers. Therefore I would strongly consider working with an office located in the epicenter of the tourism industry in the region.

So where does this leave me?

Working with a full time, internet savvy real estate agent that knows the Ossipee NH area well and working with an office in the center of the region's tourism traffic will put more tools at your disposal to sell your Ossipee NH Real Estate.(Full time is also an important factor: You want your sale to be part of the income your agent needs to survive. You don't want your agent to earn more in tips than they do in commissions.)

At Badger Realty I have the ability to display your property in our front windows, for all the foot traffic to see and dream about. As you can see here, I also use the internet to positively expose my listings to the most focused and motivated buyers that are looking at our area from "back home". By using blogs, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter, to name just a few resources, I work hard to put my listings in front of as many real buyers as possible. In short, I speak the language that today's buyer wants to hear.

Now that I know I want to work with Bill Barbin at Badger Realty, what's next?

Good question. The next most important issue you face is pricing. Be cautious of anyone that tells you what you want to hear. If it sounds really hopeful right now it can't be the truth. Right now prices are continuing to go down. There is no recovery yet. Do you want to wait until the market recovers? Only if you have the time. As you can see from this graph, experts are predicting another year before prices start to turn around. Look at how long it will be before the prices go above where they are today.


If you can wait until 2013 to get today's price for your house then you may want to....



For the rest of us, we have to get on with living our lives.

Good deals are sitting while great deals are selling.

Homes are selling. There is a core group of about 30 agents in Carroll County NH that are still making a living because, contrary to popular belief, properties are selling. The flash in the pan brokers with flashy signs and such have gone home to take up reiki or something else to make a living but there is a core group of professional real estate agents that are still out here making our living through real estate sales. The smart brokers learned early in this market down-turn to be able to tell our clients things they did not want to hear. The best part is that the sellers that listened sold their property 2 years ago or last year and got more for it than they could today. The bottom lin eis this: Your property has to be a no-brainer bargain vs similar real estate for sale in the Ossipee area. Think and act like a buyer. Search the web for homes like yours, near yours or that are in any way similar to yours. Ask your agent to take you out to see the competing properties. THEN, think like a buyer. Feel afraid that what you are going to buy will go down in value even more. Pause for a moment and wonder if you could buy the house you like for less if you just wait longer. Decide which Ossipee NH home for sale YOU would buy today.



Then listen to your real estate agent.

I see different homes for sale every day. I complete BPO orders (Broker Price Opinions) for banks and asset management companies every week. I will only get paid if I help you price your home correctly. So trust what you are hearing from an agent like me.

Competitive is not the key word for your pricing strategy. Think compelling!

How will supply and demand affect the North Conway NH area real estate market in the coming months?

Written By REALTOR Bill Barbin

of Badger Realty

Supply and demand is a relatively simple concept. The principle of supply and demand is evident in real estate for sale at either end of Carroll County, from North Conway NH and Jackson to Wakefield NH and Ossipee NH. In the North Conway NH real estate market we need to look into the future supply just like any other industry. As an example, let's assume I own a hardware store in town. I have done $1 million in retail sales each and every year for the last ten years. What should I budget to do in sales over the next twelve months? $2 million is about right. However, if I found out a Loews or Home Depot was building a store in the vacant lot across from my store, should I change my plotted budget? Yes.

What does this have to do with real estate in Ossipee NH or North Conway NH or anywhere in between? That "Home Depot" has been being built and is ready to open. That "Home Depot" is what is being called "shadow inventory."

Shadow inventory is made up of the homes not yet for sale in the North Conway to Ossipee (Carroll County) area, and the area, but are in these categories:

• The houses where the owners have put life on hold until the market recovers and have been waiting it out for the last 4 years but can't wait any longer.

• Homes that have already been reposed by the banks (REOs) but not yet on the market.

• Homes that are in already in the foreclosure process but have not yet been reposed by the banks.

• Homes that are 90+ days behind on their mortgage payments (less than one percent will ever catch up. 99% will become a distressed sale).

Selling Demand that has been pent up.

Zillow just recently released a survey on the category of ‘pent-up selling demand'. They asked:

"If you saw signs of a real estate market turnaround in the next 12 months, how likely would you be to put your home up for sale

The actual numbers from responses:

• 5.3 million home owners would be ‘very likely' to sell their home.

• 6.1 million would be ‘likely'

• 10.6 would be ‘somewhat likely'

*Note* In 2009, 5.2 million homes were sold.

Types of distressed properties

There have been several organizations that have attempted to quantify the other category (delinquencies, homes in the foreclosure process and REOs). This is what they found:

• The Mortgage Bankers' Association states that there are 4.3 million homes in this category.

• Barclay's Capital says 4.7 million.

• Capital Economics puts it at 5.5 million.

• Morgan Stanley, from a recent study, claims 8 million.


Total Shadow Inventory

By conservatively taking the lowest amount in each category, we are talking about approx. 9.4 million homes entering the U.S. real estate market.

Again, by comparison, 5.2 million existing homes were sold during 2009.

What does this mean to you?

There will be a enormous downward pressure on prices in the coming months. For buyers this may easily be offset by interest rates that have nowhere to go but up. The real impact is on the sellers whose values are creeping or running downward every day.

Ossipee NH real estate outlook 2010

Written by REALTOR Bill Barbin of Badger Realty

According to economists at Moody's Analytics, what is now being referred to as the Great Recession is technically over. Unfortunately, the harm from this financial downturn was serious enough that it will take more than a year until it feels really over to us regular people.

There's a reason this recession has hurt so many: The economists say it has lasted twice as long and was twice as deep as the average of the past 10 recessions the nation has experienced since 1948. The New Hampshire unemployment rate, which is now 7.2 percent (well below the national median of 10.2 percent) is not forecasted to rise above 7.8 percent before starting to recover sometime next year.

During the first five months of this year, for example, residential home sales were below last year. However, compared to last year the number of homes sold has risen in four out of the past five months. Overall, 2009 home sales edged up a little bit over the same period last year.

Median home prices statewide were still about 7 percent below October of 2008, but the difference is narrowing from monthly numbers that earlier this year ranged between 10 and 20 percent below 2008. This trend indicates that home prices in New Hampshire are stabilizing and will likely begin to increase in 2010.

The expanded home buyer tax credits will almost certainly have a positive effect on home sales and values in the next several months. Also, as home prices stabilize, that will reduce any perceived risk on the part of potential home buyers and encourage lenders to finance more purchases.

New Hampshire has been considerably more fortunate with regard to home prices than many other states. Median home prices statewide are expected to bottom out in 2011 at between 20 and 25 percent or more below their 2005 peak. Given the worst recession in 60 years, that's really something to be pleased about. Several other states have seen home prices reduced by half or more from their peak in 2005.

Indications show that residential home sales are likely to be about the same as last year, just above 10,000 units, and at a median sale price that will be within 10 percent of 2008.

There are some NH and Maine foreclosure or foreclosed - bank owned properties for sale that will make great purchases for the right person. Go to my website at BillBarbin.com and use my NH real estate and Maine real estate mls search windows to see if there is a bank owned property that's right for you.