Stephanie's Blog

For over 8 years On-Tap DJ and Karaoke Entertainment has offered disc jockey music services in the Monadnock Region. Kris Kleine, business owner, is also in the band "Version Six" that frequently plays at Waxy O'Connor's in Keene, NH.  If it involves music and livens up a party, Kris will do it!

Kris offers karaoke and dj services for almost any party or event. 

Some of the most popular events he's asked to dj are:

Weddings, graduation parties, birthday parties, holiday parties, work parties, bar mitzvahs and bat mitzvahs, rehearsal dinner entertainment (karaoke is fun for this), charity events, school functions, campgrounds, clubs and regular house parties.

Kris is a dj who reads the crowd.

He teaches line dances, brings along props and offers special lighting options for the ultimate dance party!

If you're looking for someone to dj or provide karaoke services at your next event, contact Kris Kleine 603-209-4151 for rates and for more information on availability.

While his business is mostly spread through word of mouth, mention you saw this post on my blog and he'll give you $10 off.

2011 was a GREAT year! Looking back I feel hopeful our local economy is on the improve-direction though there's no real easy way to predict that. I can look at the steadiness of my business and the variety of leads coming not only as buyers ( as was heavily the case in 2010 with the homebuyer tax credit) but as sellers. Buyers are realistic about their positions and sellers are as well. Though there was a fair share of short sale and foreclosures I saw an increase in cash purchases of all price range, especially upper end!

In Keene NH, I've seen lots of new apartment buildings go up, Keene State College growths and, in general, an increase in commercial development. Our Main Street is vibrant and busy, some of our more popular retail rental spaces have shifted over to Main Street but I am aware of some businesses who are going to take advantage of those vacancies, bringing altogether new energy to those vacant spaces. Though it will take time, I am definitely an optimist here but I can truly say that Keene NH is a wonderful place to be. We are, in so many ways, buffered from the rest of the nation's extreme ups and downs and we have strong community local support to small business owners and local consumerism.

I've been in Keene since 1994 and feel blessed to have chosen this region to raise my family!

8 Cardinal Cir

Please take a moment to view this home at 8 Cardinal Circle

$19,900

3 Year Home Sales' Price Comparison

Cheshire County

New Hampshire

It's always interesting to look back a few years and see what changes have occured in the market. Sellers ask me all the time if their home prices may increase next year, which I can not predict.  But I CAN look back to see what their home might have been worth in the years prior.

Below is a 3 year comparison of residential, single family home sales in Cheshire County, NH taken from NNEREN. (Northern New England Real Estate Network).

2009

Total Sales: 306

Average days on the market:123

Average selling price: $184,270

Median selling price: $169,000

2010

Total Sales: 318

Average days on the market:106

Average selling price: $189,904

Median selling price: $162,750

2011

Total Sales: 292

Average days on the market:117

Average selling price: $178,145

Median selling price: $150,550

Keeping in mind that one of the factors affecting change in the first half of 2010 sales may have been the government incentive home buyer tax credit. It's been reported in my office that the first half of this year has been quite good with the expectation that the second half may be better. This, I look forward to witnessing.

Hopefully everyone will experience improvements in their markets in months to come. Time will tell!

www.stephaniejacques.masiello.com

A cobroke transaction can be a positive experience,  but it isn't always.

I sometimes dread the two months of my life when I realize the cobroke agent I am working with isn't really working with anyone in out transaction.  Sometimes I feel the agent is working against everyone and creating unnecessary friction. 

There are times when an agent is reactive and likely creating a difficult situation.  I'm not sure why, maybe they are afraid that the counter offer they have to present is going to upset their client, or maybe they are personally insulted in some way by the cobroke's client's offer. 

I just don't know but when the cobroke agent gets upset I know it's time to step back and find a way to diffuse the situation to cool things off. No one likes dealing with untamed emotions and I find it highly unprofessional during a business transaction.

When my client chooses a home to purchase they are at the mercy of the seller and the seller agent.  It's nice when we can and at the closing table 60 days later with happy, smiling faces but too often it doesn't end this way. As an agent to my clients, I try and diffuse situations so that happy, smiling faces may still occur when we reach the closing table.  Though tense at times, it's still the best I can do for my clients.  Buying a home and selling a home are very stressful times in our clients' lives.  Let's try and make it easy for them!

Is your roof old? Are you planning on selling?

I am working with buyers who are currently working to purchase a home who's roof may be near the end of it's useful life.  Without the assurance from a home inspector, the buyers are having a difficult time insuring the property.

If you have a roof that is older, and you are planning to sell, prepare yourselves for this to potentially become an issue for your buyers. It's summertime, a great time to have your roof replaced which will help sell your home quicker and for a better price, not to mention more conveniently for both you and the buyers.

In my situation with my buyers, we are calling on the inspector to identify the condition of the roof and hopefully assure the insurance company that it is still in good shape, if it is. If it is not, then we need to address this issue early on so that the buyers can purchase a home that will be in a good condition, requiring little to no additional repairs after purchase.

Prepare your home, sellers, for your buyers. It will save you from future hassels during a home purchase.

www.stephaniejacques.masiello.com

24D Stonehouse Lane

Keene, NH 03431

Available for $175,000

This listing is fantastic! Located in West Keene close to the new state of the art YMCA facility, it offers central air, first floor master bedroom with cathedral ceiling and master bathroom/walk in closet. Upstairs: 3 large bright bedrooms, laundry room and bathroom. Eat in kitchen and additional dining area opens to large living room. Sunroom to relax in and association clubhouse/pool/tennis courts to complement nearby YMCA. Perfect!

38 Bellevue St.

Keene, NH 03431

$110,000 subject to third party approval

This Keene charmer is located on a quiet, dead end road in a great family neighborhood close to the Waldorf school. 2 bedrooms with an additional finished room in the basement makes this home very desireable at this price. Unique, large living room is the main attraction here!

$110,000

236 Cheshire Tpke

Langdon, NH

$227,270

Beautiful, Antique, Restored and Modernized home for those who love the charm and a space, but appreciate today's needs in this modern world.

Plenty of space and room for a home office with its own direct entry.

A must see, 35 minutes from Keene.

www.stephaniejacques.masiello.com

My Listings

www.stephaniejacques.masiello.com

NEW!  24 D Stonehouse Lane

Keene, NH 03431

4 bedroom townhouse in desirable Meadowlands Estates

Great Investment, Great West Keene Location

• 1,713 square feet of quality living
• 1st floor master bedroom with cathedral ceilings and master bathroom
• Sunroom with private backyard
• 3 Bright, spacious upstairs bedrooms
• 1 car attached garage with electric garage opener and storage above/walk in closet
• Ideal as an investement or owner occupied

Virtual Tour

GREAT BUY! 38 Bellevue Street

Keene, NH

$110,000 subject to third party authorization (How to Buy a Short Sale)

Virtual Tour

Price Reduced! 403 Pond Brook Rd.

West Chesterfield, NH

$150,000

Virtual Tour

Historical! 236 Cheshire Turnpike

Langdon, NH

$227,270

Virtual Tour

I get asked a lot, "What's a short sale?" "How do I buy a short sale?" and "How does a short sale work?"  Because I have navigated many sellers through the difficult and sometimes long short sale process, I'd like to help answer those questions here in my blog.

Simply, a short sale is when a home is being sold for a value less than what the seller owes.  Consequently, the seller has to get their lender's final approval to sell short of what they owe.  I'm not going to get into what happens with the deficiency but I am going to approach this from a buyer's position.  "What happens when we make an offer on a short sale?"  Since each lender handles their short sales slightly different and the process may vary greatly in regards to the length of time it may take, here are the basic "milestones" to look for (expect variations and delays to occur at any one of these steps).

1. Home is listed and due to a number of reasons, seller is moving because they have to.  Relocation due to work changes tends to be the happiest reason, but there can be a very sad story that goes along with short sales involving moderate to severe financial hardships for the seller (i.e., job loss, illness, death..).

2. Price it is listed at may be reduced several times in order to quickly reach the best price for the home to attract the most buyers. My listings typically take 2-3 months to reach their ideal price unless sellers decide to move it quicker and price it lower from the start.

3. One or multiple offers may be negotiated between buyers and the seller, all subject to final approval from seller's lender. The negotiating may take a day, a few days or a few weeks depending on buyer and seller circumstances.

4. A hardship packet is submitted along with any and all offers to the seller's lender and lender orders a BPO -Broker's Price Opinion (which is similar to an appraisal). The agent prepares the offer(s) for submittance by obtaining a preliminary HUD (from title company or attorney) which will show the seller's lender their "net" for each offer. (Basically, they look to see how much deficiency there is with each offer and which one will bring them the most, paying down the most debt.  If property taxes are owed, it will be paid from this sale and a buyer will not incur the back taxes.)

5. The BPO may take as little as 1-2 weeks if you're very lucky, to up to several months. In most cases when the short sale transactions have run the smoothest, I've seen the BPO's done within a month.

6. The market value is reviewed by the seller's lender, along with all offers that remain. (Oftentimes buyers can't wait this long for an answer to their offer and they get antsy and anxious and withdraw their offer. I think this is a mistake and they should hang in there. My job as the agent during this time is to be their coach, because they become doubtful and their trust diminishes.  The process at this point is not in my hands.

7. Response! Sometimes it's "make your highest and best price", othertimes it's immediate acceptance followed by specific terms to adhere to, deadlines and an approval form sent by the seller's lender. They typically allow for traditional financing criteria to be met, time for inspections and appraisal when needed.

TIP:  If you are a first time buyer and requesting closing costs, consider the fact that you may need to raise your offered price in order to cover your closing costs, especially if you are competing against other buyers.

TIP: Be patient and try not to panic. In the end the buyer gets a pretty nice deal on a pretty good home, and you know it otherwise you wouldn't have been interested in the home to begin with:)

For more on short sales, please feel free to contact me directly.

Thanks for reading!

Stephanie Jacques

Associate Broker

BHG THE Masiello Group

603-352-5433 (x1948)

www.stephaniejacques.masiello.com