Portsmouth NH Real Estate Agent - Rebecca Skane, Realtor®, e-PRO®

The Portsmouth Book Club

This coming Tuesday we will be meeting at the Coat of Arms at 7pm to discuss The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. You still have time to read it! It is a short read so pick it up and come along! Everyone is invited and encouraged to participate.

You don't have to be a member, but if you would like to sign up and receive regular announcements as to book selections and changes in venues, please visit the Portsmouth Book Club home page.

Our meetings are very relaxed, free and open. You may come just to listen in and you may voice your own opinions and thoughts on the subject matter. The meeting is meant to be stimulating and thought provoking, but also very easy going and friendly.

Book lovers unite! We read from different genres each month so there will always be a different group of people showing at the meetings. For those of you who love pure literature, I give you The Great Gatsby. More than a captivating story, F. Scott Fitzgerald delights the reader with his rich and poetic vocabulary and delivers delicious prose to inspire. This is the kind of book that will inevitably cause the reader to reread some of his passages out loud, just so you can hear how they sound to the ear. It truly is a magical book. That is just my opinion! Undoubetdly, you have your own.

I just came across this site:

My Maine Home Giveaway

I though this was a pretty novel idea. The homeowners have hit a crunch due to the market. So they thought they would go about selling their home in a very proactive and unique way. They are offering an essay contest! The rules are on their website but basically you enter the contest by submitting an essay along with $50. It is like a raffle, however the winner will be selected based on the merits of the essay. To actually have the drawing by the date they anticipate, they need to make anough money from the essay submissions to cover the listing price of the home!

What a novel idea! I have no idea if this will work for them, but let's give them a thumb's up! And if you have $50 to spare and could use a new home...why not give it a whirl! Let me know if you win....

I do not know the owners......however, I would love to help! So I am asking everyone who reads this to select the REBLOG button and reblog it! It will be your good deed for the day. And besides, as real estate agents, is there anything we love more than helping home owners?

What your home was worth two years ago, one year ago and even six months ago may not apply today. When you get ready to sell your home, call me for a FREE CMA (Comparative Market Analysis).

Before I create your report, I will ask you a few basic questions to get what I need to base the report on. I can have a full report prepared for you in a matter of hours if needed. The report will take into consideration similar or "comparative" homes in your area which have recently sold. These homes will match the important characteristics of your home as closely as possible. The report will also take into consideration comparable homes which have recently gone into contract and those which are still on the market.

Your report will be personal and be based on your home and your neighborhood.

The CMA will identify the market price range for your home. This range can change on a monthly basis as comparable homes in your area sell at higher or lower prices dictated by the market. The market price is what the market is willing to pay for your property at that time. This is why it becomes very important to properly price your home as soon as you decide to list it.

The market price is not a set rate across the country. The rate varies by state, county, town and even neighborhood. And not all market rates have been decreasing. The market price on your home will be as unique as your neighborhood.

If you would like to put your house on the market, give me a call for your free report. I will deliver the report personally and go over the highlights line by line. I look forward to meeting you!

As a proud new-ish mother of an 18 month old precious boy, and as someone who is planning 'family addition number two' VERY soon, I understand the concern of families who are new and families who are growing. You start out with plenty of room. Then the new baby room takes place of the office. Toys accumulate left and right. You never knew you could accumulate so much STUFF. Your home used to be neat and tidy with everything in its place. But now walking through your home is like navigating the gauntlet. Trust me, I'm there.

- Joshua - Our Real Life Miracle Baby -

Now you might be growing again, or want to grow, but you need more room. Maybe you need another baby room, or a play room, or just more room for all of your STUFF. But the problem is, how can you get more room right now? Times look tough.

Real estate agents understand this dilemma better than anyone. Fear can be a difficult hurdle to pass. But you should know that if you are in the position to buy up, now is the time to do so. Buying a home right now is like shopping in the blue light isle at Kmart. THIS IS A BUYER'S MARKET.

New home buyers: give me a call. I understand the needs for families and I can help locate the perfect home for you in the Seacoast area of your preference. If you need to sell your home and buy a larger one to accommodate the growing needs of your family, I can help you there as well. Explain your situation to me and let me take care of you. I will do the best I can to provide you with the highest level of service for your family.

Wishing you many happy years, from my growing family to yours.

Rebecca, Joshua and Baby Josh.

One of my favorites all time websites is Amazon.Com. I love books and I love a good bargain even more than books! On Amazon, you can search for the book you want and once you find it, you can purchase a used version for sometimes less than a dollar.

Home Staging books are flying off the shelves. It has become steadily more apparent that properly staging a home can increase a chance for a sale in any market and even lead to multiple offers. The books are so popular, even the used versions are not so inexpensive. Here are the top five home staging books as per Amazon.Com. They are linked to their product pages so you can click on one. (They are NOT linked to any commission account).

Rather than getting a book, it is HIGHLY recommended to hire a PROFESSIONAL home stager rather than attempting to stage your home yourself. A professional can bring in their own insight, their own ideas and a breath of fresh air with fresh eyes to bring life to a stale home.

In the seacoast NH area, the most highly sought after stager is Sharon Tara.

If Sharon isn't in your area, here are the top 5 Home Staging books from Amazon! (Top five in sales)

The Idiot's Guide to Staging Your Home to Sell. New - $12.89

Home Staging: The Winning Way to Sell Your House for More Money. New - $13.57

Home Staging for Dummies. New - $13.59

301 Simple Things. New - $16.47

Designed to Sell. New - $11.61