Portsmouth, NH

Let me be the first to admit it: I've been known to whine and complain. I'm not perfect and I haven't yet mastered a positive attitude. I'm not alone...there is no shortage of people willing to piss and moan right along with me. Misery loves company and, more times than not, people will dwell on what's wrong, not on what's right. Negative energy is quite powerful.

It is much easier to complain and whine about problems than it is to come up with solutions. Today's buyers are looking for a home they can move right into, not a house they have to improve or customize to meet their needs. They are more likely to notice negative features before positive ones, and the negative features will make a stronger impression on them.

Don't underestimate the power of negative impression. Think about it....if you got ten compliments on a new haircut and then one person made fun of your haircut, the negative comment would be the most memorable of all the comments you received. One negative erases the ten positive...it's that powerful.

Positive marketing begins with preparation and positive impression begins with quality MLS photos. When listing your house, the pictures you choose for the MLS are crucial to the impression that is made. Show eight fabulous pictures and then one bad one and it's the bad one that will get the most attention. The bad picture is the one that will make the strongest impression on potential buyers.

There is a lot of attention given to the power of positive thinking, but when it comes to selling your house, it is very important that you take into consideration the power of negative impression.

Something you should keep in mind when preparing your house for sale. is that it is very difficult to see your own house through buyer's eyes. Your emotional attachment hinders your ability to be impartial. If you want buyers to notice the positive features in your house, those features need to be highlighted and the negative features need to be minimized.

Consult with a professional home stager to learn more about creating the right impression through preparation and presentation.

My tip for dealing with difficult customers: Practice the Golden Rule and put yourself in the other person’s position. Always treat the customer right ..as you want to be treated.

Keep meetings productive... Keep to the list of homes you've set up showings for. Don't deviate, stick to the list.

Be sure to show Byers your listings... If you have a listing that falls into the price range that your prospective buyers are looking for make sure you include it on the list of homes to view.

My best marketing techniques... Everything I do drives traffic to my website. Whether I use print advertising, billboards or TV, we direct everyone to our website because that is where the action is.

How to keep consumers educated about today’s buying opportunities? I spend time talking/educating buyers/sellers I am working with and try to give them articles, statistics and data they need to navigate through the buying or selling process in today's market.

Stay upbeat and optimistic... I treat each new appointment with an optimistic point of view. This may be the "one" that will buy a home today so always be smiling and helpful...no matter what the story is.

Hope this post helps you confront the general public in today's real estate market!

Portsmouth, New Hampshire Market Update - Single Family Homes Activity

Visit Portsmouth NH Condo Market Update (YTD-October 31,2009) to view a report for condominium activity for 2009.

Market Snapshot

Single Family Homes - There are 68 homes on the market with an average listing price of $612,362 These homes have been on the market for 110 days. For sales pending, there are 9 homes under contract with an average listing price of $351,711. The lower end of the market is the most active as first-time home buyers are taking advantage of the $8000 tax credit. To view current listings on the market with a mapped based result,visit Portsmouth NH Homes for Sale.

The October statistics report 105 homes sold with an average sale price of $346,533 which is a little over a 2% decrease in values in 2008. The New Hampshire foreclosure market has had a minor impact in the Portsmouth market however statewide almost one third of property sold are foreclosures.

Virtual Homes Real Estate provides search tools to assist you in learning about the community, listing and market conditions. Click on the following links for your choice of services:

Portsmouth NH Real Estate - Community, relocation and school information with town demographics.

Portsmouth NH Foreclosures - Obtain a list of foreclosed and bank owned real estate and short sales

Portsmouth NH MLS Search - View all listings in the statewide MLS.

Portsmouth NH Homes for Sale - Map Search - Search by location, neighborhood and commuting.

Vist NH Homes for Sale and MA Homes for Sale for direct MLS access to all listings. To obtain school, demographic, commuting, relocation, home buying and selling information go to New Hampshire real estate, Massachusetts real estate, Connecticut real estate, Maine real estate andRhode Island real estate.

This report is based on activity reported from the NNEREN mls system and is not guaranteed to be accurate. It does not represent all of the listings that have sold during the specified time frame.

It is common knowledge that you need to prepare your house for sale. You would have to be living under a rock not to know that you have to "declutter"to make your house more desirable, and it is highly unlikely that you haven't seen some form of home staging show on television.

So, I have a question for you....

What gives?

How is it possible that there are so many filthy, cluttered, poorly maintained houses out there on the market?

I'm not talking about running into one every now and then. I'm talking about more times than not...

The market is cluttered with "BEFORE" pictures!

Maybe it's just me...maybe it's the nature of my work...

I am, after all, called in to give advice. Maybe I'm only seeing the ones that really need help. Maybe I've spent too much time checking out houses on the MLS.

For those who are serious about selling their house? Here is some free advice...

Get the buyers' attention. Show them something that they are not expecting.

Surprise them!

After a long day of touring nightmares,

make your house the house of their dreams.

Show them something they didn't see in any of the other houses. Show them clean, organized, freshly painted. Show them light and spacious.

Here is a novel idea:

Clean under the sink, organize all the cabinets, drawers, and closets. Clean inside the oven and refrigerator. Clean all the windows.

It's really not that hard to impress buyers when your competition is so bad!

More information on preparing your house for sale:

The Secret To A Fast Home Sale

Are You Preparing Your House To Sell Or Sit?

NH Home Stager Reveals Secrets To Selling

Home Value Update for Concord NH Through September 2009 

According to Zillow.com, the listing prices of single family homes have fell 2.2% in the last 3 months, while listing prices of condos increased 6.9%. The current mean listing price of homes for sale on the market in Concord, NH, is $204,000. Below is a chart of the trend of listing prices of homes for sale in Concord, NH, in the past year through September 2009:

If you're looking for a home or condo to purchase in Concord, NH, or in the surrounding area, then try this home search.

You can still buy a home with no money down with the USDA Rural Development Home Loan program. With the FHA Mortgage program, you can purchase a home with as little as 3.5% down. When you're ready to buy a home, find out how much home or condo you can afford to purchase in Concord, NH, or in the surrounding area.