About Carroll County, NH

North Conway NH Homes are once again covered in a fresh layer of snow from the season's second snowstorm to hit the area. Although some locals may dislike the early snow, we ARE a snow sports destination area so it is good for business and to see the renewed activity on the mountains.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Well we are celebrating the season with a festival of snow! This white gold has been falling over the last few days.

We took a little hike up to Diana's Baths off of the River Road in Bartlett. The Falls were beautiful.

The real estate market in the White Mountains is waiting to see how the economy reacts to the recent problems. Retirement buyers are still looking for deals in the upper range of the market $500k - $900k. But second home buyers, vacation rental investors and ultra high-end buyers are sitting on the sidelines. There are incredible deals to be had, but buyers need confidence that the market has reached the bottom before they come back in. But by the time that announcement hits the cover of Time Magazine it will be to late to get the best deals.

If you want a great deal. Don't wait till Spring. Plan your ski trip and we will see you soon!

I woke up this morning to the most beautiful sight...snow! The mountains around our home were shrouded in all their majesty, the snow softening their hard edges. It looked more like Christmas than the week of Thanksgiving.

I couldn't resist going outside to "play" in the white stuff; my two puppies were rolling around in it as if it was made especially for them. At times I could barely see them, as they are white also!. Eventually I ventured into my office; thank goodness I have four-wheel drive though as the roads were treacherous.

Here are 2 pictures from my office (not plowed yet):

It reminded me of when I was a teenager, when we used to have terrific snowstorms...with the exception of last winter, we've had really mild winters; this early snow may be a harbinger of this coming winter!

Time to clean out the motorhome and get ready to travel south??????

I have been studying trends and researching whether they are in fact trends or just a short-term fad. There are a few trends that literally jump out at you! The first one is "AGEING"... as global beings, we are all getting older. Statistics show that every 8 seconds in the US someone turns 50 years old.

Many organizations however continue to obsessively focus on young people. Their products are geared to them, the ads portray them and continue to target market these young people. The fact remains though that the vast majority in this country are older folks. In other countries, such as Japan, the percentage of people over 75 years old is forecast to increase by 36% by the year 2015.

The implications of this shift includes (possibly) higher taxation (as much as 175%) simply to maintain current benefit levels. Pharmaceutical expenditures will also increase. Not to mention the increased interest in healthcare and medical issues.

What does that mean to us? The trend indicates a boom in industries such as travel, healthcare, elderly housing, etc. There are so many other significant changes as a result of people getting older and living longer...how about replacement of old, worn out parts? We already see a marked increase in eye surgery and teeth replacement.

In housing, there will definitely be a shift towards small, more easy to manage homes, possibly home-sharing, and pooling of resources such as communal clubhouses, pools, etc.

As I have a big interest in trends, i will continue to write more in the days to come...stay tuned!

(Picture courtesy www.wheatlandvillage.com)

On a recent trip, I happened to read an article on the airplane, that described something called "EMOTIONAL DESIGN". In a world of buzz words, this one sounds meaningless. What is emotional design and what does it have to do with real estate?

( Majestic Fireplace Products)

Many architects and home designers have embraced this "emotional architecture" theory when planning their clients' home. They take into consideration the internal feelings built by clients' past experiences that make them react in a particular way to their surroundings.

(www.kitchensbykrengel.com)

The notion is simple. During formative years, most of us accumulate memories - both good and bad - which when evoked later through outside stimuli, reminds us of those early experiences. Capitalizing on this notion, architects and designers are putting this to use in their homes designs. For more information on this go to www.Truehome.net. The purpose of this website is to help people create homes that reflect their emotional well-being. Check it out!