About Portsmouth's Market Square

150,000 POINTS ON ACTIVE RAIN AND COUNTING......

A couple of years ago a friend who is an Active Rain member suggested I join the social network and after checking it out I did join. In the beginning I didn't really do too much with it. I would go on every few days and see if there was any blogs of interest to me at the time. It was about a year later that I actually started to blog.

As time went on I realized how much worthwhile information there is among the members and started spending more time on AR. It soon became a daily routine. I began to blog occasionally which soon lead to more. I was amazed to find so much worthwhile information existed among the members. Generally I looked for blogs with real estate related information. Photography is a passion of mine and I was delighted to find so many knowledgeable members who are really savvy photography. All sorts of articles and tips are waiting for you so check them out at your convenience.

Lots of good connections and countless friends are made on Active Rain as well as helpful blogs to enlighted you. I would encourage you to check out this amazing social network and see if it fits your daily routine.

You'll be glad you did!

Please stop by and leave me a comment...I'd appreciate it.

Enjoy!

Patricia

The First Day of School - August 31, 2009 the day that every mother in the country has been waiting for! Yippee!

The First Day of School - August 31, 2009 the day that every mother in the country has been waiting for! Yippee!

What a beautiful day it is, perfect weather indeed, sunny warm temperatures of 75 degrees here in seacoast NH and it's the first day of school Alone at last, this is the day that every weary mother has been waiting for. Counting down the days on the calendar to get closer to packing off the kids. After a busy summer vacation, run here-go there, today every mom will breath a sigh of relief.

For seven hours today moms across the country are breathing a sigh of relief. Alone at last we mothers can call our soul our own. Or can we? There's the cleaning, the laundry, go to the bank for petty cash, oops....we're out of bread and milk! Oh what the heck I think I'll go out on the patio and read for awhile, or maybe not........

A well deserved rest and quiet time to relax- if only for a little while........ soon it'll be 3:00pm and they'll be BACK!!

TAKE A TARGETED APPROACH TO FINDING THE RIGHT HOME FOR YOU....If you are buying a home, one of the first things I like to do before taking you on home tours is to discuss with you and try to determine the type of house you want and need. Style, size and number of rooms is important. However, just as important is the type of community you want to live in. Knowing what your requirements are will help narrow your home search and save time.

To expedite the house-hunting process, start by making a list of the dream home factors the "wish list" as it's called that are most important to you and your family. Consider style, location, proximity to work and schools, yard size, near all major highways, and price.

Whether you have children or not, buying a home in a community with good schools is important. It not only adds value to your property, but also is an attractive feature when and if you decide to sell. There are plenty of resources available to get information about schools within the communities you are considering. Various Internet sites offer school reports and profiles. They provide statistical data such as graduation rates, college-bound percentages, and standardized test scores. You can also learn about special programs the schools offer. In addition to these reports, many schools have their own Web sites you can peruse. And of course you can always talk to people in the area or take a tour of the school.

Once you’ve narrowed your search to two or three communities that fit your price range and lifestyle, make comparisons of price and sales activity.I can then narrow down the search for you based on different neighborhoods as to their salability at the time and what has sold in that community. There are many factors involved in selecting the right community for you and your family. I do think that a targeted approach to house hunting is less time consuming, less expensive and more efficient .

SEARCH THE ENTIRE MLS @ www.patricia4realestate.com

SELLING YOUR HOME FAST IN A DOWN MARKET....

Selling your home fast in a down market takes guts. It usually means you'll sell it for less than you hoped you'd get. However, that's the way it is going west in the real estate market today. To sell your house quickly realistically let it go for 10% to 15% lower than other listings in your neighborhood have sold for recently.

If you need to sell your house fast they take the emotion out of it. Price it at the lowest price point that you are willing to accept immediately, don't wait to see what's going to happen and then reduce. This is detrimental truly.....pick a reasonably/low price and list it there! People don't want to see a hous that hangs on for months with small price reductions. It gets old fast, very fast.

CURB APPEAL IS EVERYTHING....

This is the best way to get buyers inside your house to look at it. You might even be competing with short sales and foreclosure in the area but you will get noticed. That's what you want, attention, this is how you'll get. Don't get caught up with big fixes you won't have the time. Remember you want to sell it fast. Do the quick fixes that make sens and yield the most attention.

FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS ARE YOUR FRIENDS....

Statistics show that the first-timers bought over half of the homes on the market this year. The Federal tax credit was a solid incentive. That coupled with low mortgage rates it created a solid reason to buy for those who qualified. By the way the first time home buyers are an average age of 30. To boost your traffic be active through the social media networks like Facebook Twitter and the like. These buyers are looking online.

SPEEDY DEAL IS YOUR SECRET WEAPON.....

Yet another way to get the house sold quickly is to add incentives for you buyer. Be creative...pay the closing cost or at least part of it. Include the appliances, a fresh paint job, condo fees (if applicable) etc...anything that makes and seals the deal.

"Experience isn't expensive....it's Priceless!"

For All Your Real Estate Needs Contact

www.patricia4realestate.com

"EXPERIENCE ISN'T EXPENSIVE....IT'S PRICELESS!" I love this phrase and it's so true I think. At least for the most part it's true. When I'm looking for a doctor I always look at his/her experience, how long they been practicing, where they went to medical school, what is their specialty, are they Board Certified and so on.

When I'm looking for "legal advise" I generally feel that those attorneys with the most experience have an edge by virtue of there experience. Years of practical work in court and dealing with the many different leagal cases must give them the knowledge one is seeking for advice.

Do those sellers and buyers looking into the real estate market look for Realtors who have years of experience? Do Certifications like Buyer Agency, Sellers Agent, GRI, Licensed in more than one state give the Realtor an edge? I wonder....I've been in the business over two decades and can only remember one time when I was asked what any of these designations mean and if they asked do they care? I've never had anyone ask me how long I've been a Realtor either..Would they move on to another agent if they weren't satisfied with the answer? Has anyone asked you what all those designations mean?....I wonder?

I think who they chose to work with is based on a connection and the service they give.

Curious what your thoughts on the subject. Please leave a comment below.

Thank you,

Patricia Aulson

www.patricia4realestate.com Portsmouth NH Real Estate Hampton NH Real Estate