Stephanie's Blog

I have been tracking the Keene, NH real estate market for several months now to see if there is any indication of positive changes taking place in the market.  I've been looking for a continuous trend and looking at average days on market, average listing price to selling price, and also comparing from month to month the percent of homes that are pending vs. active on the market.

Here's what I'm finding.

Listing inventory comparing pending vs. active:

This month, Keene's residential listing inventory is huge, but the good news is that 38% of the market is under contract at this time. Last month, 30% of the Keene residential listing market was under contract and the month prior it was 25%.

Listing price vs. Selling price

The average days on the market (using Keene's pending listing inventory) is 120 days.

The current average listing price of the pending listing inventory is $214,000. This is up from last month when the average listing price for pendng listings was $197,000 and the average selling price was $185,000. I have no way yet to tell what this month's average selling price is but it appears that higher priced listings are selling sooner.

Active listings (that are not in pending status yet) have an average list price of $227,000.

Overall listings are selling in 4-5 months. This has not changed during the past 3 months as more listings have come on the market.

For what it's worth, these are only statistics. I enjoy watching trends by reviewing statistics though I don't allow it to weigh in at 100% due to so many other contributing factors.

Thanks for reading!

*image from Patrick Rooney

126 Armory St. Keene, NH 03431

What a great 2 family home!

Ideal owner occupied property or investment property.

Main home has a beautiful living area, bright dining room, a sun room, large eat in kitchen, first floor full bathroom, and 2 bedrooms with room to modify the upstairs so that you can easily add a third.

Back unit has a full kitchen (galley style), dining room, bedroom with walk in closet, and a large "great room" style living room and dining area. That room sits above the garage and is so large you might be able to create 1-2 bedrooms to maximize the profits from this unit as a rental.

2 car garage below, new retaining wall along the paved driveway and a super sized yard for this area.

Overall this home is in very good shape with only minor cosmetic issues though any purchase may be subject to a home inspection if the buyer so chooses.

Bonus- Each unit has separate heat/electric/hot water so the new owners could have tenants pay their own utilities.

I've been noticing significant differences between the listing services among agents in my region. For some, listing a property by placing it in the MLS and on major websites remains the extent of what they do in regards to marketing.  Others take the extra step and send out flyers, postcards, virtual tours and hold open houses (public/broker). I haven't noticed much in the development of agents who make take it one step further and utilize social media marketing tools available to them. Because it's a fact that most all buyers begin looking on the internet now, yes it's 2012 and we can truly say that, I've enjoyed finding new ways to make my listings stand out for buyers online.

I'm talking about the use of proper staging, taking dozens (over 20) high quality photographs from different angles, and also adding video footage of their listing.  I'm also talking about using new digital distribution tools like Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, Blogs and linking them all together in an E-newsletter which is direct-distributed to their sphere of influence monthly and also providing valuable real estate and market information to readers along with coupons from local vendors, and a "Call to Action". 

I began experimenting with social media marketing for my listings back in 2008. Since then I've introduced the tool for linking them all together, the E-newsletter and I'm able to track readership levels and monitor what works and what doesn't.  Using techniques learned from the two sales' experts, Brian Buffini and Floyd Wickman, staying connected to my A and B (and even C) contacts through the E-newsletter has never been easier! Yes and I don't forget the personal greeting cards and notes by mail.

Marketing is something I include INTENTIONALLY as part of my services.  Though our company has strong systems in place for marketing our listings to consumers, I have additional systems in place that go above and beyond what our company offers. This is how I stand out among my fellow agents.  Listing services really do vary greatly between agents!

Thanks for reading!

If you've arrived at this page from clicking on the link on my signature- THANKS for taking the time to view my listings. 

Virtual Tours updated 4/10/12

Center Pond Rd Stoddard

http://idx.imprev.net/34C569D1/35/335/41238/index.ipv

Rice Brook Stoddard

http://idx.imprev.net/34C569D1/35/335/41223/index.ipv

Armory St Keene

http://idx.imprev.net/34C569D1/35/335/41197/index.ipv

Sullivan St Charlestown

http://idx.imprev.net/34C569D1/35/335/41479/index.ipv

Cardinal Circle Keene

http://idx.imprev.net/34C569D1/35/335/35333/index.ipv

I teach first time homebuyer workshops several times each year and during these workshops I have tried to emphasize some key point for buyers when it comes to shopping for a home. Below I've listed a few that tend to come to mind right away:

• The importance of selecting an agent for representation.  I like to convey the importance of choosing an agent who the buyer not only gets along with, but who communicates with them in a way that they will respond. What I mean by that is, if a buyer is a heavy texter, their agent must have text messaging to make communication faster and more efficient and, thereby, creating a smoother transaction.

• The second point I bring up is, choose an agent who listens to you. The old cliche "the buyer is always right" is pretty true when it comes to purchasing a home. I've found, however, that the buyer doesn't always know what's right for them without a little guidance. For instance, if a buyers tells me their search criteria for a house and we look at 5 homes that all fall within that criteria and they don't like any of them, I find myself wanting to guide them through a re-assessment of priorities. Is it really the school district they want or is it a 2 story home they want? Do they really want a fixer upper or is it really a move-in ready home at a good price that they need? Would they take a 2 bedroom home if there was a finished basement, or do they really need a 3 bedroom home? After this re-assessment, many buyers are more open to viewing other homes that might best suit them.

• The buyer-agent team is not complete without the right lender. Too many times a transaction becomes disasterous when the buyer is unable to get clear answers from their lender. Sometimes they are unable to reach their lender. Choosing the right lender is as important as choosing the right agent. I can't emphasize enough the obstructions that can be avoided when the team is selected well and everyone works together. This makes for a happy new home buyer!

Thanks for reading. If you live in the Monadnock Region and would like to learn more about me as a potential agent, please Click Below

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