When searching for property it is always best to do some homework before requesting a showing from your Realtor. Even though gas prices have come down, it is still very expensive to drive by every single property that might be a match for your needs. I am a very "Google" focused person-meaning google email, google search, chat, google docs, customized iGoogle page, and of course their map program. I recently checked out www.map.live.com and discovered that they have this amazing "bird's eye" view. One of the best features is the ability to rotate the view around the property of interest. As you will see in the images below I am able to spin 360 degrees around this listing of mine on Seamans Rd in New London .
Map.live.com
Here is a listing of mine on http://maps.live.com/ which is a Microsoft Virtual Earth product.
Looking at the garage side of the house
Looking at the back of the side of the house
Looking at the side of the house
I think that this is just an awesome feature to have on a quick map program and I hope you find it useful as well!
Man oh man is the world getting crazy! I did a quick scan of my igoogle news today and it looks like pirates are running rampant attacking cruise liners! Apparently there's going to be a Nuclear Attack at some point in the next few years, and surprise surprise, the U.S is in a recession! With all this negative news I sure am glad ski season is here. It's absolutely the best way to get away from it all and make some good turns on the slopes. At the moment Mount Sunapee is open with 15 trails and 5 lifts on 18" to 24" base. I've heard that the mountain already has had an immense number of season pass holders and registrations for the various ski programs. I think that this is a great sign that people are staying local and enjoying amenities that are a reasonable drive instead of flying.
Historical Sales For Our 16 Local Towns
January 2006-23 Sales
January 2007-29 Sales
January 2008-27 Sales
February 2006-26 Sales
February 2007-30 Sales
February 2008-25 Sales
March 2006-35 Sales
March 2007-38 Sales
March 2008-17 Sales
April 2006-46 Sales
April 2007-28 Sales
April 2008-21 Sales
May 2006-56 Sales
May 2007-53 Sales
May 2008-34 Sales
June 2006-59 Sales
June 2007-46 Sales
June 2008-30 Sales
July 2006-48 Sales
July 2007-43 Sales
July 2008-40 Sales
August 2006-51 Sales
August 2007-54 Sales
August 2008-34 Sales
September 2006-43 Sales
September 2007-47 Sales
September 2008-36 Sales
October 2006-49 Sales
October 2007-59 Sales
October 2008-47 Sales
November 2006-50 Sales
November 2007-46 Sales
November 2008-24 Sales
I've had the opportunity to meet with Bruce on many different occasions. The one thing that really stands out about him is his easy going nature and the fact that he will make time to meet with anyone who would like to learn more about what is happening at the New London Hospital.
With the the major expansion of the hospital space, I decided to interview Bruce and try to get a quick snap shot on the affects of the new hospital space and what that means for everyone in the community.
Each year during the NLHA budgeting process, our team reviews the cost of medical services for comparable size hospitals in our region and projects our own costs based on clinical personnel, equipment and materials for our service area. Any cost increase for medical services is then factored into the budgeting process. When we applied for our Certificate of Need for the Building Towards the Future (BTTF) project, a process required by the state, we stated that we would not increase our charges due to the project.
We are constantly looking at opportunities to add clinical services for which there is a community need. Over the past several years we have added our Coumadin Program, the Sleep Disorders Center, Neurosurgery and Pain Management to name a few. Our new building and Specialty Services area gives us the flexibility to grow existing services and the potential to add new ones. We intend to expand our oncology services in collaboration with the Norris Cotton Cancer Center and increase our cardiology services. In addition, our Sleep Disorders Center will double its space.With increased space for leased tenants, we will definitely see the expansion of the orthopaedic services offered by Concord Orthopaedics, enlarge the space for urology and podiatry services, and we will continue to explore new partnerships with DHMC and Concord Hospital, as well as other individual specialty practices.
Yes, our pediatric services, in collaboration with Children's Hospital at Dartmouth (ChaD) will be returning to the main campus from Georges Mills in the late spring. It will be located in newly renovated space in what is currently the rear of the medical office building at 249 County Road. One of the main goals of the BTTF project has always been to reunite the main campus by returning the pediatric practice to the renovated building and moving our rehabilitative services from the Stahlman Building on Pleasant Street into the new attached building.
We anticipate adding a small number of staff in maintenance to accommodate the additional 46,000 square feet we are adding to the hospital. We are moving all the staff from the current medical office building into the new building in order to provide our primary care and specialty services.
The front portion of the medical office building located at 249 County Road will be razed early this winter. This building is over 40 years old and was declared functionally obsolete by a facilities study NLH undertook in 2006. The space created by the razing will become additional parking. The rear portion of the current medical office building is about 18 years old and will be renovated to accommodate our pediatric practice on the ground floor; Gregory Barban, MD will continue to operate his practice on the second floor; and the third floor will be dedicated to administrative space. In addition, the G. William and Tina Helm Conference Room will be created in space on the second floor.
The goals today remain the same as the original ones proposed in 2006 and embodied in our Certificate of Need and project planning. The main attributes of the project are: improve access to clinical services by building a new space for providers and services; expand space for specialty clinical services; create all private inpatient rooms; and unite the campus.
The completion date for all phases of the project is anticipated to be June 2009.
New London Hospital (NLH) occupies a unique place as a rural, community hospital in that it sits exactly midway between two large tertiary care centers. This gives the hospital the distinct advantage of collaborations with these two medical centers and the ability to seamlessly transfer patients as needed to an institution with advanced medical care. This geographic distinction also provides NLH with the opportunity to provide our service area with both primary and secondary medical services in a smaller, closer environment that allows patients to be seen and treated without lengthy travel or long waits often associated with larger medical facilities.
With the advent of electronic medical records, digital radiography, advanced laboratory techniques, and new mobile technologies, patients can see a provider in New London and all their clinical records can be quickly transferred to any specialist at any institution for diagnosis without the patient needing to travel. NLH will also continue to grow as an outpatient facility with same day surgery as an important component. With our array of surgical services from general surgery to orthopaedics to neurosurgery to pain management, NLH will provide same day procedures to patients who can then return safely to their homes, knowing that their provider and any required medical services are only a short distance away.
As new medical treatments are introduced in the next ten years, NLH is well positioned to take advantage of these advances through our many clinical collaborations with a teaching and research institution. Most importantly, NLH will continue the tradition of medical care in our community, ensuring that we meet the healthcare needs of our community and remain a close, quality-driven hospital where patients are respected and have access to experienced clinicians.
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If you follow all the latest the headlines, you probably feel like you should be living in a cave hoarding what money you have and waiting for the economic chaos to blow over! I meet people on a daily basis and when they find out I’m in Real Estate, I constantly get this response “Whoa, how are you doing?” Tons of genuine concern on their face. I can understand and appreciate their concern, but contrary to popular belief, not everyone is closing up shop. Properties are still selling and people are still buying. Also, there are some fantastic deals out there and I think that our section of NH is very close to the “bottom” of the decline.
Now that we have a new president (regardless of political views), I think it will help inspire more consumer confidence and start pulling us out of our economic black hole. It won’t happen over night but if we all focus on investing in our local communities, I think we’ll be well on our way.
Historical Sales For Our 16 Local Towns
January 2006-23 Sales
January 2007-29 Sales
January 2008-27 Sales
February 2006-26 Sales
February 2007-30 Sales
February 2008-25 Sales
March 2006-35 Sales
March 2007-38 Sales
March 2008-17 Sales
April 2006-46 Sales
April 2007-28 Sales
April 2008-21 Sales
May 2006-56 Sales
May 2007-53 Sales
May 2008-34 Sales
June 2006-59 Sales
June 2007-46 Sales
June 2008-30 Sales
July 2006-48 Sales
July 2007-43 Sales
July 2008-40 Sales
August 2006-51 Sales
August 2007-54 Sales
August 2008-34 Sales
September 2006-43 Sales
September 2007-47 Sales
September 2008-36 Sales
October 2006-49 Sales
October 2007-59 Sales
October 2008-47 Sales
In these uncertain financial times, I thought it would great to ask a few of my favorite local lenders some questions about the loan process and what they are seeing.
Elizabeth Dabrowski (Sugar River Bank) -
While it is true that programs like FHA and VA have tightened up some loan criteria in recent months, that does not mean qualified borrowers must supply the full 20% conventional down payment. SRB offers a range of down payment options, each tailored for a customer’s particular needs.
Cathy Murray (Ledyard Bank) -
Not true! 100% financing is available through a program with the US Department of Agriculture for rural and small community home sites, called Rural Development. This program is NOT limited to first time homebuyers. Eligible properties are single family primary residences located in communities of less than 20,000 in population or in unincorporated county areas. There are income restrictions for this program. I am happy to provide more information on this program for anyone who is interested. You may also visit www.rurdev.usda.gov.
New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority (NHHFA) has a program for first time homebuyers that requires as little as 1% of the borrowers own funds. This is their Cash Assistance program that grants 4% of the loan amount to the borrower to use for down payment and closing costs. This is a maximum 97% loan to value. There are income restrictions for this program, call me for details on this program. Also visit www.nhhfa.org for more information.
Lynne Haney (Chase Home Lending) -
100% financing is still available through Rural Housing and VA loan programs. These programs have been around for years and both offer reasonable rates and fees so to ensure affordability for the borrower(s). Sellers are allowed to contribute to pay for all the closing costs, so a borrower can come to the closing table with no money! Also, the qualification requirements are more flexible than many of the programs being offered today.
Elizabeth Dabrowski (Sugar River Bank) -
Right now I have a flood of customers jumping into our 7/1 ARM. It offers a super low rate, caps to control future adjustments, and features which help SRB borrowers save money when rates drop in the future. One option is our “Program Change.” This allows a customer to get a new lower rate without having to do a full refinance, and it prevents the customer from starting a whole new term. At the time of application my borrowers set their payment goals, and I help them establish a plan where their income works best for them. Sometimes this means putting their mortgage into Bi-weekly payments for a faster payoff, sometimes it means doing monthly payments with yearly principal reductions where we recalculate their monthly payment based on the new lower loan amount. With an SRB mortgage there are no pre-payment fees or penalties, so our borrowers are free to plan their future on their terms.
Cathy Murray (Ledyard Bank) -
As of October 15th, 2008 65% of the loans I have been involved with have been adjustable rate mortgages (ARMS). This may surprise some due to the bad publicity ARMS have been receiving by the press. Borrowers want to take advantage of the low initial interest rates these products offer. For example Ledyard National Bank’s 3/1 ARM rate today (10-16-08) is 5.000%, this rate is locked in for the first three years, the interest rate may adjust every year thereafter. On each interest rate change date, the interest rate cannot increase or decrease by more than 2.000% from the interest in effect prior to the change date. There is also a life of the loan cap of 6.000%. These are good products for borrowers who may be thinking of selling or paying their homes off in the next 36 months.
Ledyard National Bank has a variety of mortgage programs to suit the various needs of our borrowers: Fixed rates, ARMS, Home Equity Lines of Credits and Home Equity Loans etc. As I mentioned previously we also work with national and regional programs to be sure to meet everyone’s financing needs.
Lynne Haney (Chase Home Lending) -
FHA is the most popular program being offered today. The program offers flexible terms to qualify such as allowing 97% financing (the down payment can be a gift from a family member), up to 6% seller contributions, no income limits, no first time home buyer requirements, no pricing adjustments for lower credit scores and the ability to have a cosigner to help borrower(s) qualify for the mortgage.
Elizabeth Dabrowski (Sugar River Bank) -
The most common issues that come up during the loan process can often be solved at the time of application. Borrowers often fail to complete parts of the information needed or neglect to provide full documentation when needed. This can add days to weeks to the process needlessly. I tell SRB customers ‘the only stupid question is the one you do not ask.’ Get the answers you need and don’t feel that a mortgage need be a burden. I contact my SRB customers and review all aspects of the application before it goes to approval. Keep in mind your lender works for you. By keeping them informed you can avert a majority of problems that may crop up the week before closing. Here is my rule of thumb; If your lender contacts you- call them back as soon as you can. The other key to a smooth transaction is to keep your Realtor informed. Realtors are the linchpin of every deal and they have much to handle. The more your Realtor knows what you want and how you plan to negotiate terms with the seller the easier it will be for them to get the correct info to your lender. The good news about using local lenders and Realtors is that they already know the area and can usually smooth out any bumps in the road quickly and easily.
Cathy Murray (Ledyard Bank) -
The absolute worse thing a borrower can do is hide or misrepresent their financial standing. Be honest and factual with all of the information you provide your lender, then there are no surprises and the loan process should be very smooth. Ledyard National Bank provides our borrowers with a checklist so they know what they need to bring at the time of application. Not providing all of the necessary documents slows the process.
Lynne Haney (Chase Home Lending) -
Quite frequently I get calls from people who are dissatisfied with their current Loan Officer and want to transfer their application to me to help save their deal. These folks have come to realize during the process that they have been misled in some way such as the rate and terms they applied for are not available and also they are not getting the level of service they expected from their Loan Officer. In this market many people are only focused on the rates being offered when choosing a lender when that’s only a small piece of the big picture. I bring to my customers 25 years of lending experience and service levels that always exceed their expectations. It’s important for the applicants to work with a reputable seasoned Loan Officer they can trust and who remains hands on throughout the transaction.
Elizabeth Dabrowski (Sugar River Bank) -
First, let me address the capital issue. Right now SRB is currently one of the top capitalized banks in the state. On top of that, we never bought into the sub-prime loan mess either as a matter of loans we offered, or as a get rich quick investment for the bank itself. That makes SRB a unique lender right now: personal service and top mortgage products you can rest easy about having. What can a new borrower expect from us? We own our loans. So we have the power to work with our borrowers when the times get tight. It is in both our interests to see that the borrower stays in their own home. This is not a new fad policy that is the result of recent market conditions. Its how SRB has done things since 1895. I love hearing how the big banks are now catching on to what SRB has been doing all along as a matter of good customer service for our borrowers.
Cathy Murray (Ledyard Bank) -
Make it through the week??? Ledyard National Bank was recently ranked in the Top 200 in US Banker magazine’s list of top-performing community banks. Please visit the Bank’s website at www.ledyardbank.com to view a message to our community from Kathryn Underwood, Ledyard’s President& CEO. We are strong and financially stable!
Lynne Haney (Chase Home Lending) -
Chase has over a 200 year legacy of service and financial integrity and there’s no doubt the company will be around for many more years to come. Chase has been and continues to be featured in a number business articles as coming out on top as the leading lender in this market. I recommend anyone go on the internet and search Chase and they can see a number of articles that highlight the strength of our company. Chase stepped up to the plate and purchased Behr Sterns in April and Washington Mutual last month when both companies were on the verge of bankruptcy. JP Morgan Chase now has over 42% of the deposit base in this country and the mortgage company has a 1.8 trillion dollar servicing portfolio. Chase continues to focus on responsible lending practices and it committed to ensuring our customers both achieve and sustain home ownership.
Elizabeth Dabrowski (Sugar River Bank) -
No one likes surprises at the closing table. SRB customers know their originator and loan processor by name. That’s right. Our customers can call the people who handle their loans at any stage in the process and get the answers they want. But guess what, you won’t have to call. I personally provide updates via email or phone as each stage of the loan progresses. My processor also calls her customers and their Realtor every step of the way to keep everyone on the same page.
Cathy Murray (Ledyard Bank) -
Ah yes, dealing with 1-800-Who-Cares is very frustrating. I have two very competent, friendly, always at their desks processors; Lisa and Kristel. In the event that I am meeting with another borrower or out of the office Lisa and Kristel are available to answer any questions regarding loans in process. Underwriting (final loan approval) is done locally - in this state - no 800 numbers to dial! Ultimately the responsibility of any of my borrower’s loan process rests with me. I am accountable and look forward to working with borrowers through out the loan process.
Lynne Haney (Chase Home Lending) -
I am the primary point of contact for my customers throughout the transaction so to keep the process as simple and stress free as possible. I have been working many years as a mortgage lender and understand how to manage the people and the process very effectively. There are many loan officers that are not hands on throughout the process and inevitably given the number of people behind the scenes who are involved in the transaction that lack of involvement can lead to unnecessary problems for the customer.
I just want to say a quick thank you to Elizabeth, Cathy, and Lynne for taking the time to answer my pesky questions! If anyone has any questions, please feel free to comment here or contact any one of these great lenders directly.
Elizabeth Dabrowski
Sugar River Bank
603-477-3865
edabrowski@sugarriverbank.com
www.SugarRiverBank.com
Cathy Murray
Ledyard National Bank
603-526-7725
cathy.murray@ledyardbank.com
www.LedyardBank.com
Lynne Haney
Chase Home Lending
603-491-9253
lynne.a.haney@chase.com
www.LynneHaney.com
Source:
http://sunapeeregionblog.com/2008/10/26/whats-really-happening-at-the-bank/
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