Some of the places we have been so far on are trip. Our Home!  1620 Casey Key Road Nokomis Florida.  A classic old Florida Beach House. The front yard is the Gulf and the back yard is the Intercoastal. We haven't done any roadtrips yet.  But we have gone out to eat twice.  Both are favorites from over the years. Mi Pueblo is always our first stop.  As anyone who loves Mexican Food and lives in The White Mountains can understand. 04/18/2010

  Time to get away from the grey snow and soak in the sun!             We have taken our annual trek to CASEY KEY Island on the Gulf Coast of FLA!                           The boys lost their head!       04/13/2010

This old REALTOR is getting too old to be skiing with sixth graders! This Tuesday is the last day of the Eastern Slope Ski Club's school skiing program.  "SNOW DAY" Every child in the Mount Washington Valley is given an opportunity to ski for 10 days a season as PE class.  How cool is that!  Go to school, check in to homeroom, grab a quick lunch and the next day's assignments and then you are off to Attitash on a school bus for 3 hours of skiing. This year the snow is just hanging on for Snow Day!  The base is still 15 - 20 inches on the mountain, temps are to be in the high forties, bright blue skies and 300 pre-teen ski bums! This is the seventh year Valerie and I have volunteered as coaches.  This is my crew with my coaching partner Bill.  No matter how cold the weather, how steep th... 03/14/2010

Well it had to happen sometime! The good news is that both Peter and Emmet had very mild cases with no real complications.    Peter had a high fever and felt beat up for three days.  Emmet started a day later, & still has the fever, aches and cough   The bad news is that I think dad might have caught it too!   11/11/2009

Another Great Halloween In The White Mountains! Carving pumpkins,  Dressing up as super villains, and of course grabbing as much candy as you can!                                 11/01/2009

Happy Birthday Peter!        Peter celebrated his 11th birthday with his friends on Sunday.  The crew headed to Lost River just outside Lincoln NH.  Lost river is a narrow valley filled with huge slabs of granite from the ice age.  The river disappears under the rocks and runs in and out of caves. You start at the bottom of the "Flume" and climb up along the river, following it in and out of the caves.                           Some of the caves are big, some are small, & one is so small they call it the Lemon Squeezer!                                   After we made it out of the gorge it was time for fun.  A little prospecting at the old mill.  The boys all found minerals and then we were off to Lincoln NH and Elvio's Pizza.                     Then back over the "Kanc" to Bartlett ov... 09/14/2009

One Last Trip To The Lake Before School Starts.   This Summer had a late start, but the weather has been wonderful these last weeks before school begins.   This year the kids go back to school before Labor Day and are missing out on some of the best swimming and hiking weather of the year.   On the Real Estate front, home sales in the North Conway NH area have increased in August, base mainly on lower prices as the bank owned and distressed property is sold off.  Prices seem to have bottomed out and wont drop much more now that unit sales are reducing inventories.  We are forecasting an increase in sales in the White Mountains for each of the next three months with level or slight increases in prices till the end of the year. 09/01/2009

Story Land & Family! Sometimes the best thing you can do is just just have a little fun. ( Oh, the kids liked it too!)     07/16/2009

RAIN, RAIN, RAIN! No doubt about it.  June & July have been wet in northern New Hampshire.   June had over 7 inches of rain fall and only one day of full sunshine.  The average for June is 4.06 inches.   July has started off with a bang, or maybe a drizzle, also.  In just 9 days we have had 3.65 inches.  We were lucky to have had a brief break in the rain on July 4th as if on cue by the local Chamber of Commerces. Black Bear Realty www.Black-Bear-Realty.com handed out over 600 American flags at the Bartlett parade and we were also proud to sponsor the Fireworks in Jackson Village. Gardeners have had a terrible time getting anything to grow except for a huge crop of slugs.  The local rivers are swollen and unsafe for swimming or canoeing.  Outfitter who rent canoes on the Saco have had ... 07/09/2009

SPRING IS HERE THE GRASS HAS RIS' I WONDER WHERE THE FISHIES IS!                We are getting ready for the Summer up here in Bartlett.  One sure sign of the season is the stocking of the Ellis River here beside our office. So grab your fly rod and come on up.  Don't forget your fishing license. www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Fishing/fishing.htm Oh by the way if you have some extra time and money maybe we can show you a nice condo while you're here! www.Black-Bear-Realty.com 06/03/2009

More notes from Florida. This year we cut our annual trip down to three weeks.  Along with some outstanding beach time, we had some side trips. Of course, we had to do Disney!  It was three days in the "Happiest Place on Earth!"                             Animal Kingdom was really great!                 05/08/2009

Spring Is Here! The Grass Has Ris' I Wonder Where The BUYERS Is? While the weather has been wonderfully mild this Spring.  The Buyers are still very leery of taking advantage of the low prices and low interest rates.  Sales in March continue to accelerate, but are running about one property a day, half of a normal March.  www.Black-Bear-Realty.com had a very strong 1st quarter with over 2 million in sales. The government's $8,000 credit for first time home buyers has not been a big driver in the white mountains since we are dependent on second home buyers.  But, as more and more 1st time home buyers realize what a great bargain they are being offered it will get more homes under contract.  Many will find it is cheaper to buy now than to rent, a good sign of the market bottom. So get ou... 04/05/2009

ESSC SKI DAY! & St Patrick's Day! The best time of year and the best day with the kids!             45 - 55 Degees in the middle of March!  "Who Could Ask For Anything More!"                           03/17/2009

  I've learned.... That it's those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular. I've learned.... That the best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person.        I've learned.... That when you're in love, it shows.        I've learned.... That just one person saying to me, 'You've made my day!' makes my day.        I've learned.... That having a child fall asleep in your arms is one of the most         peaceful feelings in the world.        I've learned.... That being kind is more important than being right.        I've learned.... That you should never say no to a gift from a child.        I've learned.... That I can always pray for someone when I don't have the strength to         help him in some other way.                I've learned.... That simple walks wi... 03/11/2009

Welcome To Black Bear Realty Dea Riendeau joined Black Bear Realty for the New Year! Dea is a committed Realtor with substantial awards and certifications.  She brings with her a career both in real estate and the mortgage industry. Her prior experience in Mortgage Lending made her a natural in working with Buyers and helping guide them through the home buying process to a successful closing while keeping stress at a minimum.  Dea is committed to her Buyer's complete satisfaction and is determined to provide a high level of service.  In order to do this she educates herself on the real estate industry, current trends, and keeps her fingertips on the pulse of the local market.   Dea has earned the following designations: Licensed REALTOR® in New Hampshire and Maine Accredited Buyer's Rep... 01/02/2009

Ever have one of those mornings (especially after a party or extremely hectic week) where all you wanted to do was crawl back into bed and sleep some more? This morning I woke up to a grey, drizzly and cold day; my mood was identical!  Looking around, I saw more of the same... On the tube, media mongrels were grousing about stuff that made my teeth grind---Illinois Governor trying to sell Obama's seat?  PLEEEEASE!  I don't get it...why do these young(er) good looking, politically correct men with golden lives (and wives) go on the deep end and do such stupid self-destructive things? They must be thinking they're God and nothing will touch them---are they so vain to assume they are above the moral and right compass for the rest of us?  Like I said, I don't get it. And then there's the he... 12/12/2008

Country Inns of the White Mountains 12th Annual Inn to Inn Cookie Tour Saturday & Sunday 11am till 4pm December 13-14,  2008 Every year the Inns of the White Mountains get together for a fun Inn to Inn Gingerbread tour.  Black Bear Realty was proud to sponsor one of the displays in support of the Multiple Sclerosis Society.  This year the Mayer family got together and designed and baked the centerpiece displayed at The Wildflower Inn.   This year's theme was "Holidays Around The World".      The tree represented the holiday spirit and it is surrounded by ten ginger folks from America, Thailand, Austria, Ireland, Japan, Germany, Finland, Ethiopia, Sweden and The Netherlands.   The boys helped with the baking and decorating.  Also a fair amount of eating!   After the snow was applied, the... 12/09/2008

REALTORS push the Treasury department to drastically lower mortgage interest rates. "What would it take to get you to buy a home in this market?" The National Association of REALTORS have pushed the Treasury department to consider directly offering mortgages as low as 4.5% for a NEW 30 year fixed rate term.  The mortgage markets have already dropped half a percent on the rumor.  But would a 4.5% mortgage make you go out and risk buying a new home or vacation property?  First, you would need to ask, "Are the current 5.5% mortgages too high?"  Second, if you can't qualify for a mortgage today due to bad credit or lack of a down payment, how would that change? Over the last 5 years we have sold homes to everyone who wanted one.  That is the problem.  There are not a lot of people left in t... 12/04/2008

Happy Thanksgiving! Well, we are celebrating the season with a festival of snow!  This white gold has been falling over the last few days. We took a little hike up to Diana's Baths off of the River Road in Bartlett.  The Falls were beautiful. The real estate market in the White Mountains is waiting to see how the economy reacts to the recent problems.  Retirement buyers are still looking for deals in the upper range of the market $500k - $900k, but second home buyers, vacation rental investors and ultra high-end buyers are sitting on the sidelines.  There are incredible deals to be had, but buyers need confidence that the market has reached the bottom before they come back in.   By the time that announcement hits the cover of Time Magazine, it will be too late to get the best deals. If ... 11/28/2008

LET IT SNOW... LET IT SNOW.... LET IT SNOW! The season has begun and the area ski resorts are working hard to get open for Thanksgiving! Bretton Woods will be open on Friday the 21st and Attitash will open on the 22nd. Everyone is looking for discounts this year and there are lots of great deals.  With the economy in recession look for "Free" or "Big Deals" this year. Attitash has a free snow belt for both kids and parents 7 days a week!  If you have a little guy just starting out this is the best deal in the valley. Bretton Woods has a $15 dollar per person to ride the "Learning Quad".  A great way to transition from the snow belt and teach the kids to ride a lift.  Also Bretton Woods offers locals a $15 full mountain Ticket on Sundays after Noon!  The BEST deal in the white mountains... 11/19/2008