About Merrimack County, NH

This was definitely a short and busy month with lots of changes in the housing industry. A couple major housing plans/acts were signed and decided upon

• The Homeowner Affordability and Stability Plan
• American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Needless to say this is a very intense time for the economy and it is going to be interesting to see how it all plays out. I’ll be doing a post soon about some of the new housing plans/acts/ bills and quick summaries of their key points.

There were 27 listings that went under agreement this past month. To see the rest of February's stats, please click through to my Sunapee Region Blog

Hopkinton, New Hampshire Real Estate and Relocation Guide

Hopkinton, New Hampshire a town of about 5,500 residents, is located just west of the state capital in Concord. One of the most frequently asked questions by visitors is "If it is the 'Town of Hopkinton' where does 'Contoocook' fit in?".

Incorporated in 1765, the Town of Hopkinton actually consisted of three villages, Hopkinton, West Hopkinton and Contoocook. The first settlers came to the Contoocook River valley in the 1730's, eventually creating the three villages with forts, meeting places, and other infrastructure. Because of its position on the river, Contoocook became the commercial center and Hopkinton the seat of town government, an arrangement that still exists today.

Located in Merrimack county, Hopkinton features easy highway access to New England's major cities. The closest major airport is in Manchester, 40 minutes south of Hopkinton. Four interchanges from Interstate 89 provide access to Hopkinton and Contoocook.

A classic New England town, Hopkinton also features one of New Hampshire's famed covered bridges. The Rowell Bridge #9 is located north of Route 127 on Clement Hill Road over the Contoocook River in West Hopkinton. The bridge was built in 1853 by Horace Childs of Henniker with the help of his brothers. The original cost was $300.25. The Burr type construction is unusual in that solid timber arches are fitted end to end and bolted to the side timbers to form the basic design.

Let Hopkinton NH real estate assist you in finding the right property to meet your needs from local area homes for sale, foreclosure listings (bank-owned), country properties, land, condominiums and equine facilities -- all through the NH real estate Multiple Listing Service (MLS). Request relocation information, or school demographics and information.

The New Hampshire Home Search Service and the NH Homebuyers guide are excellent resources for researching relocation, community and other real estate related information.

Visit Bow New Hampshire Real Estate to take a virtual tour, receive school reports, search the NH MLS, and obtain relocation, home buying and selling guides.  Click on Bow NH foreclosure to receive new listings of bank owned homes.

  Go to Concord NH Real Estate for a brief tour of the community and Concord NH Foreclosures to receive a list of bank owned real estate.

Information is provided by Virtual Homes real estate  and real estate services provide by RE/MAX Country Properties, Amherst, NH. 

Visit New Hampshire real estate for community information about other towns in New Hampshire. 

This past month sales were down by almost 50% in comparison to previous years. However, we did have 26 listings go under agreement this January and as reported on WMUR- New Hampshire winter tourism numbers have been quite strong. I recently spoke with Will Hurley owner of Outspokin’ Bicycle and Sport in Newbury and he said sales this year have been surprisingly strong for what was expected to be a tough year. People are still buying skis and taking advantage of the great snow conditions–Best stress reliever I can think of!

Historical Sales For Our 16 Local Towns
January 2006-23 Sales
January 2007-29 Sales
January 2008-27 Sales
January 2009-15 Sales

* 26 listings went pending this January

Please click through to Sunapee Region Blog to see the rest of the sales breakdown.

When you mention dog sledding, the Iditarod® comes to mind, but that race is in Alaska. What about right here in New Hampshire?

The New England Sled Dog Club, Inc. is running its 80^th Annual Sled Dog Race in Laconia, New Hampshire, next weekend: February 13-15, 2009.

In preparation for the big race, the Lakes Region Sled Dog Club sponsored a race this past weekend in the Army Corps of Engineers' Flood Control Valley between Bristol and Franklin. This is part of the Heritage Trail.

Hill, New Hampshire, is smack dab in the middle of Bristol and Franklin. The race was held at Profile Falls, right on the border of Bristol and Hill.

Mushers participate from as far away as Canada and Europe. Classes included the 1-2 dog Skijors 3-dog Juniors, 4-dog and 6-dog Pro and Sportsmen, and the 8-dog Professional teams.

Judging by the size of the purse payoffs, my guess is that the competitors aren't here for the prize money.

When my husband and arrived at Profile Falls, we were greeted by the sounds of excited dogs, ready to run. Chained to sides of their owners' vehicles, their howls and dog speak said "Let's Go!"

Young ones, the Juniors, raced with 3 dogs. As I stood, waiting for them to mush past me, I could hear the children gently egging their dogs on with the command "Hike Up!" Unlike the noisy barking that greeted us when we arrived, the dogs had grown quiet with concentration and pleasure. They were in their element.

When I say that the event was absolutely beautiful, I am speaking of sparkling snow, the sun filtering through the trees, and the quiet shushing of a sled dog race in progress.

I get the feeling that it is about more than just seeing that checkered flag at the end of the race. These folks enjoy the camaraderie of their sport. Not only do they get to play with man's best friend, their dogs, but they get to do it with other friends who share the same sense of play.

If you'd like to find out more about the big race in Laconia next week, go to http://www.weirs.com/archivepdfs/wtimes020509.pdf. This link will bring you to the Weirs Times, our weekly free Lakes Region newspaper. This is a great event for children and adults alike.

Frances Sanderson, Franklin, NH REALTOR®, Certified EcoBroker®