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Keene, NH Real Estate News

By Kim Brown, Keene, NH - New England at its Best!
(Keller Williams Realty)
This year's Flu Season and availability of the H1N1 flu vaccine has been getting an awful lot of press...for any of you who are interested in getting vaccinated against the H1N1 Flu Virus, here's a list of upcoming clinics, their locations and scheduled dates.  All clinics are free, no pre-registration is required, and all NH residents ages 6 months and older are eligible. Schedule of Free Public H1N1 Vaccine Clinics Sponsored by the Greater Monadnock Public Health Network   These clinics are free and no pre-registration is required. All New Hampshire residents ages 6 months and older are eligible to attend.    Chesterfield Town Offices, 504 NH Route 63, Chesterfield, NH Friday, January 8, 2010 - 3:00 PM - 6:00 PM    Boynton Middle School Cafeteria, 500 Turnpike Road, New Ipswich, NH Sa...
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By Stephanie Jacques, Stephanie Jacques Kleine
(Better Homes and Gardens The Masiello Group)
This week BH&G The Masiello Group has the following open houses in Keene, Swanzey and Chesterfield: Saturday, January 9th   26 Meadow Lane, Swanzey 11-12:30 28 Owens Drive, Swanzey 10-12 128 Talbot Hill, Swanzey 10-11:30 62 Timberlane, Keene 12-1:30 162 Talbot Hill, Swanzey 11-1 168 Talbot Hill, Swanzey 11-1 92 Streeter Hill, Chesterfield 1-3   Sunday, January 10th   76 Howard Street, Keene 11-12:30 28 Owens Drive, Swanzey 11-1 Please contact me if you are just beginning your home search! www.stephaniejacques.com  
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By Stephanie Jacques, Stephanie Jacques Kleine
(Better Homes and Gardens The Masiello Group)
I've looked forward to this event for weeks now. Ever since physically last attending the REBarCamp Boston (visit site for upcoming live events) I've wanted to attend another. I drove 2 hours to Boston, took a 30 minute train ride, walked 30 minutes toward an old building, go stuck in an old freight elevator with REBarCamp attendees and presenters, watched and participated in live streaming videos and tweets going in and out from the stuck elevator as we waited for our rescue, and had a great day! I'm looking for an equivalent virtual experience today. I may not get stuck in a virtual elevator but I may find myself getting stuck in a virtual world of technoproblems. Hopefully not. If any of you will be attending, here's the schedule I hope to make throughout the day (maybe I'll meet you...
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By Stephanie Jacques, Stephanie Jacques Kleine
(Better Homes and Gardens The Masiello Group)
Over the past 18 months I've often written articles about first time buyers. They are truly the most rewarding clients to work with, for me, because I often relate to them in several ways. The ability of an agent to relate to their client, I feel, is important. Sure I can work with a buyer or seller who has little in common with me, it becomes easier to find property for, to negotiate in partnership with, the buyer who I understand at a deeper level. At times I'm told not to focus so much on building this niche market but I can't help it, those are the people I am meeting at this stage of my life, and those are the people I understand best. My first time buyers will grow up some day and I will continue to get their business in other forms. I will no longer be able to call them first tim...
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By Stephanie Jacques, Stephanie Jacques Kleine
(Better Homes and Gardens The Masiello Group)
No, the tax credit is not just for first time buyers anymore! I still hear people asking about this tax credit and confused over who qualifies and who doesn't. Move up buyers purchasing a primary home can qualify too, up to $6500. The IRS site will explain in detail the qualification requirements for move up buyers. For many who have taken their homes off the market for winter, I have to ask "WHY?" They are missing the opportunity offered by the government to create activity in the real estate market this winter- and it is working for those who are playing the game. In Keene, NH we currently have 16 pending/contigency properties and 91 active listings. Our active listings have recently dropped slightly partially due to sellers removing their listings from the market for the winter. If I...
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By Stephanie Jacques, Stephanie Jacques Kleine
(Better Homes and Gardens The Masiello Group)
If anyone has ever taken a few moments to read the City-Data nationwide forum, it's particularly interesting conversation. Often those who post are looking for information about a region from the local folks in that town or state. Conversations tend to be pulled strongly in one direction or the next when a few people fixate on certain topics. More often then not, it portrays the region very poorly and I wonder how the readers take in this information? If it's one or two writers' perspectives or experience, surely it can not imply that the entire state or town is that way? I'm speaking about a recent thread on my city, Keene, NH. The discussion was about whether or not this is a good place to move to with teenagers. Without further information, the responses begin and end up talking abou...
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By Stephanie Jacques, Stephanie Jacques Kleine
(Better Homes and Gardens The Masiello Group)
December 19th 28 Owens Drive , Unit 50, Swanzey            10:00-12:00         December 20th 28 Owens Drive, Unit 50 , Swanzey             11:00-1:00       
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By Stephanie Jacques, Stephanie Jacques Kleine
(Better Homes and Gardens The Masiello Group)
One year ago I posted about my success with getting my first website started up using Realtysoft. I listed my reasons for choosing them and, since them, have gone ahead and renewed for another year with Realtysoft.  I can now list my reasons for sticking with them, which are more elaborate then my initial reasons for choosing them. 1. Quick response by phone or email from support tech. 2. Ability to easily modify the sites as I wish. If I don't have time I can email the tech and she'll do it for me. 3. Price for the year was very competitive. 4. I've tracked my stats to monitor the traffic to my site. Initially I wanted to make sure my annual rate was money well spent. I've realized that it is because it serves as a portal for all information I want to make accessible to my readers. Soc...
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By Stephanie Jacques, Stephanie Jacques Kleine
(Better Homes and Gardens The Masiello Group)
I finally took the time to manage my Twitter Lists. What a defining moment it was, surprisingly. After accumulating 330 followers I decided it was really time to categorize my followers into themes of interest. I only follow people whose posts were of interest to me in the first place, it's not a numbers game. I also only seek out people who tend to fall into certain categories for me. Here are my categories: SWNH, finding and communicating with "interesting and valuable" people from southwestern New Hampshire is of great interest to me. I like to know what they do, what they could bring to the table for my buyers and sellers if I needed to reach out for help or other services, and it just broadens my local sphere of influence. Nationwide Real Estate, this group of people satisfies my n...
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By Stephanie Jacques, Stephanie Jacques Kleine
(Better Homes and Gardens The Masiello Group)
You will sell less than asking price in most cases, but expect to get closer to fair market value for your home!  The fair market value is the price at which a knowledgable, willing, unpressured buyer would pay to a knowledgable, willing, unpressured seller (according to Wikipedia).  In this market, I'd say most sellers are self pressured because they are anxious but they may not be willing. Sellers often make the mistake of focusing on the asking price but are less than willing to sell if they have priced the home significantly higher than the fair market price. When it comes to the buyer, it's about "getting a deal." Of course the logical one- namely the appraiser- steps in and provides the fair market value. How could a seller not be willing if they are trying to sell in this market?...
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By Stephanie Jacques, Stephanie Jacques Kleine
(Better Homes and Gardens The Masiello Group)
Someone just introduced me to pomegranate seeds and mmm I've got great ideas for serving this fruit on Thanksgiving! After trying it I'm realized it's going to go right into my cranberry-gargonzola salad for Thanksgiving. I'm going to keep my real estate blog light today and focus on my other favorite topic this time of year- food! Here is the recipe to this delicious all time family favorite! Baby spinach Gargonzola cheese (great substitute is goat cheese if you like it) Carmelized almonds (You can do this by taking almonds, or pecans, dipping them lightly in egg batter and heating them in a frying pan with granulated white sugar until the sugar melts- make sure you remove them before they burn) Cranberries Mandarin organges Cubed apples (grannies are great) Raisins (optional) Raspberr...
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By Stephanie Jacques, Stephanie Jacques Kleine
(Better Homes and Gardens The Masiello Group)
This morning I received an email with a link to send a holiday card to a US soldier overseas.  It was quick and easy and is a nice representation of my feelings towards what another human is doing for their country, for us.  If you would like to Send Thanks Overseas to remember those who are fighting for us, take 2 minutes and pick out a hand drawn card, a message (or write your own), and send the card. It will be printed out and send to a soldier at no cost to you, thanks to Xerox. Happy Thanksgiving. Have a restful week and take a moment to appreciate your family.
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By Stephanie Jacques, Stephanie Jacques Kleine
(Better Homes and Gardens The Masiello Group)
I owe too much. I need enough to put down on my next house. What a normal strategy to want to take when needing to sell a home.  If I weren't in real estate I'd likely be thinking the same thing. Ever hear of "knowing enough to know you don't know enough?" That's what hit me during my first year of selling real estate 8 years ago. It was then I realized the complications and lack of resources one faces when "trying to sell on my own to save on commission." Can you be available to show your home anytime a buyer requests it? Can you prequalify a buyer before he or she sucks up so much of your time while you hang on with hope that they'll eventually make an offer? Most buyers are shopping online now and where is your home if it's not on as many websites as possible? Most buyers work with R...
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By Stephanie Jacques, Stephanie Jacques Kleine
(Better Homes and Gardens The Masiello Group)
There is no doubt in my mind that I am a consultant to the buyers and sellers I represent.  What's funny about it is I'm the only one who approaches it this way.  I don't get the sense that the buyer or seller takes on this perspective because if they did, their initial questions may take on a different form. If I were hiring a consultant, I would have a series of questions to ask which would help me validate that they are the right person for the job.  There are several factors involved that could make our relationship for the next 3-6+ months either a good one or one that we'd wished we'd never commited to: Expertise in my area Communication methods Process for tracking and monitoring progress Skill of delivery of information Strategies for negotiation Relations within the community R...
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By Stephanie Jacques, Stephanie Jacques Kleine
(Better Homes and Gardens The Masiello Group)
11/21/2009 28 Owens Drive, Swanzey 10:00-12:00 37H Windsor Court, Keene 11:30-1:00 131 Swanzey Lake Rd, Swanzey 11:00-12:30 58 Valley Park Drive, Chesterfield 12:00-1:00 31 Base Hill Rd, Keene 11:00-1:00 515 Washington Street, Keene 11:30-1:00 59 Gilsum Rd, Sullivan 1:30-3:00 48 Martin Street, Keene 10:30-12:30    NEW PRICE! 37 Base Hill Rd, Keene 1:00-3:00 39 Base Hill Rd, Keene 1:00-3:00   11/22/2009 28 Owens Drive, Swanzey 11:00-1:00 100 Forestview Drive, Chesterfield 11:00-1:00 9 Dearborn Circle, Walpole 10:30-12:30   11/25/2009 28 Owens Drive, Swanzey 3:00-5:00
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By Stephanie Jacques, Stephanie Jacques Kleine
(Better Homes and Gardens The Masiello Group)
I arrived at the office today with a few hours open to "prospect" and "do marketing stuff"... After promoting my propertines on Twitter and sending mailings to just expired listings, I arrived at the making of my web commercial on Fullfilling my Clients Dreams.  Thanks to Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate's marketing tools, this turned out lovely. I can't wait to use it. Enjoy, and have a great weekend.
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By Stephanie Jacques, Stephanie Jacques Kleine
(Better Homes and Gardens The Masiello Group)
For several months now I've been posting the open house list for Keene's Better Homes and Gardens The Masiello Group in Keene, NH.  (Click on the link for November 14-15, 2009 open houses.)  I've found a regular stream of visitors and, more recently, was told from a host of a Keene open house that one of my readers attended.  This is great feedback and proof that we need to post our information in more places than one in order to better help the customer. To receive regular postings on my blog or for a weekly list of open houses in the Keene, area, please subscribe to my blog. You may also visit my second blog or follow me on Twitter.  It's a pleasure to connect with local folk online in a variety of social media channels available to us. Have a happy week and enjoy the warm weather!
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Okay, so I'm dating myself a bit here, but I always loved ABC's Schoolhouse Rock.  Kris Wales posted a terrific post about the need for us to be responsible and, more importantly, informed before posting information that may be inaccurate, incomplete or misleading to our readers.  Active Rain has been awash with posts regarding the $8,000 tax credit.  As of this morning, it is my understanding that the extension of the $8,000 first-time buyer's credit is not yet LAW. Again...the extension of this tax credit is NOT A LAW....It's just a BILL. Because of all the apparent confusion, I thought a little refresher to explain the process was in order.        While it appears that this BILL will be signed into LAW, that hasn't happened yet.   If and when it does, we can then start singing Etta J...
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By Stephanie Jacques, Stephanie Jacques Kleine
(Better Homes and Gardens The Masiello Group)
If you haven't already watched this video on the impact of Social Media on our world, it's one to watch. Having gone viral long ago, I heard about this video time and time again as it got posted onto Facebook, distributed on Twitter, and received tons of comments on Youtube. The use of video like this one always intrigues me as I watch and wonder what it is about this one in particular that really gets my adrenaline rushing. I watch this one and get "hyper" about social media, was it the music, the speed of delivery, the numbers, or more likely the combination of all the above. I can flip through Youtube looking for something that grabs me and usually within 5-10 seconds I've made my decision on whether or not I will continue to watch it or not. What is it in a video that grabs your att...
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By Stephanie Jacques, Stephanie Jacques Kleine
(Better Homes and Gardens The Masiello Group)
11/7/2009 28 Owens Drive, Swanzey 10:00-12:00 9 Prospect Street, Hinsdale 10:30-12:00 46 Arlington Ave, Keene 11:00-1:00 61 Hilltop Drive, Keene 1:00-3:00 206 Pako Avenue, Keene 12:30-2:00 26 Colby Street, Keene 11:00-12:30 3 Earl Avenue, Winchester 11:30-1:00 33 Richmond Rd, Troy  11:00-1:00 103 Rte 119 West, Fitzwilliam  10:00-11:30 34 Robbins Rd, Fitzwilliam  10:00-11:30 135 Number #4 Rd, Fitzwilliam  2:00-4:00- NEW PRICE! 84 Kendall Rd, Keene  3:00-4:30 19 Iceland Circle, Keene 1:00-2:30 39 Prescott St, Keene 11:00-12:30   11/8/2009 28 Owens Drive, Swanzey 11:00-1:00 (also on Weds 4: 00-6:00- process starting at $147,000) 38 Skyline Drive, Keene 2:00-3:30 76 Howard Street, Keene 12:00-1:30 270 Wentworth Rd, Walpole 12:00-2:00 441 Rte 63, Westmoreland 10:30-12:30 51 Summit Ridge Driv...
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