HAVE BANKS DECLARED WAR AGAINST ABOVE GROUND POOLS? Why on workd do i ask this you may be thinking. Well in the last year i have seen and had more new bank owned listings where above ground pools have been dissappearingMy biggest dilema is if the banks are ordering them removed, if the National preservation companies are trying to drum up more work for themselves or if the vendors they hire see dollar signs in selling the aluminum or need additional work??? What i do know is that above ground pools are having knives, pry bars and drills plunged into their aluminum sides, washing out yards and leaving nice wooden pool decks marooned in back yards.Above ground pools have value. Whether you are in the south which a pool is a must or here in New England where we can enjoy our pools form lat... 11/29/2010

WHEN A FINAL WALKTHROUGH IS NOT SO FINAL...With 24 years of learning experience in real estate, one of the best practices was completing the final walkthrough just prior to closing and then heading to the closing... right??? Well i guess not any longer.... you see this is a bank owned home, cash sale, seasoned investor purchasing, as per the purchase agreement water is turned on, furnaces are started and serviced, heat is functioning fine. Walkthrough is completed, we drive off to closing and in their finer wisdom while we head off to closing, "A national preservation company" sends over a contractor to winterize the home we are signing docs on. Their idea of winterizing is cutting every copper pipe and letting the water drain onto the floor (half the basement is finished with plush car... 11/29/2010

ARE YOU LOOKING TO RENT TO OWN A HOME? OR IF YOU HAVE A HOUSE YOU CAN NOT SELL, IS A RENT OWN PROGRAM FOR YOU?IF YOU ARE A BUYER OR TENANTThe first step: Get Prequailified...It is a good idea as the first step, to get prequailified. Meet with a local and trusted bank or mortgage company. Stay away from internet lenders. You need to find out how long it will take you to get a mortgage so you know how long of a lease your need. As well as what you will need to do to be quailified by the time that lease is up. You can get prequailified at no cost at most trusted lenders.Then you need to know what price range you will be able to purchase in. you do not want to lease a home out of your price range as you may never be able to purchase it. Second step: Look at properties within your price rang... 11/29/2010

Credit Repair in New Hampshire National Credit Fixers: 330 Roberts Street Suite 402 East Hartford CT 06108 phone: 860-282-6181. National Credit Fixers boasts of 14 years experience repairing low FICO scores. Whether your credit has been damaged by a foreclosure, bankruptcy, slow credit, collections, judgments, repossessions, etc. we can help. We are the experts in credit restoration and credit repair. We have helped numerous residents of New Hampshire and are experts in New Hampshire credit repair. Hello Granite state - "Live Free or Die".  I know the slogan - I use to be a resident, but how can you live free with bad credit pulling you down?  Don't let your credit hold you back from achieving your dreams, call me and see how I can help you regain your financial freedom! ☺  MattToll Fre... 11/27/2010

  IS BUYING A BANK OWNED HOME RIGHT FOR YOU?  I deal with alot of bank owned homes throughout New Hampshire. The basic premise though will appy to anywhere in the USA as all banks virtually operate the same way.Where to start?The first thing you need to do is be pre-approved for a loan. No bank will look at your offer without it. There is a difference between prequalified and preapproved. A pre qualification looks at your credit score, your income and liabilities you state and gives you a sales price you should be searching in. however a pre-approval will confirm you are able to get the loan by verifying your income, assetts and liabilities. What does being sold "as is" mean?The second thing you need to know is the house you are buying is sold "as is". It means the bank is not making an... 11/26/2010

As i embark on a busy day before the big Thanksgiving day weekend of 2010, I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who plays a large part in the daily Real Estate grind and wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving.In todays world we often do not take the time to look around, smell the roses per say and see what is going on with our clients, coworkers, neighbors, friends, family and the people around us. As business has increased to a fever pace, time is usually not my side.With Thanksgiving day upon us, I would like to thank all of my current clients, past customers, employees, fellow agents, loan officers, Asset Managers, all the hard workers cleaning out all the homes getting them ready for sale, the title companies getting our sales closed and all the people who need a little support r... 11/24/2010

Whether you are an agent, a broker, potential buyer, seller or just looking... When you drive around your local neighborhoods you can not help but to notice the empty houses. Some homes have been foreclosed on and others the owners just packed up and left. But the question is... Where did everyone go?Housing sales have increased slow but steady but it is investors buying, young couples buying and people who need to move because of relocation, illness or relationship status. Rentals have not increased, so they are not all becoming renters....I think alot of people are moving in with other people, parents, kids, siblings and relatives. i have defiantely seen an increase here. but what about where you are? So what do you think? Where did everyone go?Updated November 24, 2010Blog written by... 11/24/2010

  This Morning's question is; MY HOUSE IS NOT SELLING - NO ONE IS LOOKING AT IT - WHAT CAN I DO?      Unfortanately in this market it is a common question. Without any lookers, the first thing you have to do is get a new brokers price opinion completed to see where your house is priced in the market. If your house is priced above market value, with the increase in listings, your house my be priiced too high to attract buyers. You want your house priced at or below market value, most often no lookers comes from too high of an asking price. The second question to ask is anyone calling, where is the agent directing their marketing. Ask the agent why they think there is no lookers. If your price is at or below market value and no lookers why is this happening and try and solve it.WHAT SELLE... 11/17/2010

If you are an agent who lists or sells REO (Bank Owned) properties then you must have ran into what i am facing. The banks are switching to national preservation companies. They think they will cut costs and streamline maintenance. I think they are hindering the ability to maintain, preserve and sell these properties and ill tell you why. This is a national issue not just limited to here in NH. So please tell me what you think. As an agent who lists alot of bank owned homes i want the abillity to manage the properties maintenance and preservation tasks. My name is on the sign and my number is the one the neighbors call to complain when work is not done. I see a national company getting paid say $300 to clean out the house and $150 to winterize the house. Now they hire a local guy and pa... 11/16/2010

Residential  4033031 Active 246 HaywardManchester, New Hampshire  03103  L $145,000            3/4 BEDROOM CAPE STYLE HOME, finished lower level, hardwood floors, ceramic tile in Kitchen, finished lower level, In Ground ppol all priced to sell. 7 Rooms, 4 Bedrooms, 1 3/4 Baths, Year Built 1949  Taxes: $ 3,742.00 Lot Size: .11 Acres , SqFt: 1,181 ,  Style: Cape    Public Rems: Bank owned opportunity awaits, great cape style home, newer windows, newer roof, HW floors, , finished lower level, inground pool, ceramic tile in Kitchen. Home sold 'As Is". 11/15/2010

I met with a potential seller who was dead set against any pictures taken of teh inside of their house. I tried to find out their reasoning but they would not hear anything. I let them know a great deal of marketing includes pictures. Pictures say more than a million words. Good quaility and clear pictures are the best way to market a property to potential buyers. A picture can make or break the decision of a buyer even wanting to see a home for sale.WHAT WOULD YOU TELL A SELLER WHO DOES NOT WANT ANY PICTURES TAKEN OF THEIR HOUSE?Blog Updated Nov. 14, 2010Blog Written by;Scott GodzykGodzyk Realty Groupwww.ScottSellsNH.comCopyright 2010, All rights reserved 11/14/2010

A common question i have been asked is "Can i get a buyerbnroker at no cost to me? I have heard many different things about different agents charging from nothing to 3%, some even with an upfront fee... how much does a buyer broker really cost? as a home buyer i need to be able to save all i can?" If you are looking for a Buyer Broker at no additional cost to you, I can certainly assist you with that. There are no costs and no upfront fees. Why do i need a buyer broker? As a buyer, you should have someone looking out for your best interests. I can assist you through each step of the buying process. I assits you in getting prequailified for a loan which is the first step in the porcess. I can then assist you in getting copies of listing sheets to start your search. Once you find a house ... 11/14/2010

Downtown Manchester will be aglow in Holiday lights as downtown shops and restaurants are being asked to join the city's Holiday windown display contest. Starting Nov. 22 the public is invited to head to downtown and judge theor favorite decorated storefront. Merchants have a chance to win $2000 in advertising by Rock 101 WGIR and the Hippo Press. Votes must be entered in person at any particapating storefront, brady Sullivan plaza or on Intown Manchesters website.  Votes must be in by Dec 9, 2010 and only 1 vote per person.I will see you downtown....Another reason that makes Manchester NH a great place to live, work, visit and play.Updated Nov. 14, 2010Blog Written by:Scott GodzykOwner/BrokerGodzyk Realty GroupOne of New Hampshire's Leading REO Brokerswww.ScottSellsNH.com 11/14/2010

The City of Manchester announced that it's 2011 tax rate will drop 4 cents per $1000 and is set at 17.81 per $1000.  It was reported in the Union Leader that Mayor Ted Gatsas said "This modest decrease is a true testament to the hard work and planning  of the mayor and alderman in conjunction with city department heads throughout the budget process."  Tax bills due out in December will reflect the new rate.As a citizen of Manchester, born and raised and who runs a successful Real Estate company here in the city, I would like to thank the Mayor, Alderman and Department heads as well for their hard work. Another reason that makes Manchester NH a great place to live, work, visit and play.Updated Nov. 14, 2010Blog Written by:Scott GodzykOwner/BrokerGodzyk Realty GroupOne of New Hampshire's ... 11/14/2010

One of the common questions i have been receiving is "I want to purchase a property, what do i do to start the process?" If you want to purchase Real Estate, whether for your first home or as an investment, The first step if you need a mortgage, should be getting preapproved for a loan. You should gather your last 2 years tax returns, 3 months bank statements, last 2 paystubs and a list of income and expenses. Please see my blog for advice in tips in obtaing a mortgage in todays markethttp://www.trulia.com/blog/scott_godzyk/2010/10/where_do_i_is_start_if_i_want_to_get_a_mortgage  Your next step is that you will want to hire a buyer broker to assist you. You can usually do so at no cost to you, they get paid their commission from the fee advertsised in MLS by the listing agent and paid a... 11/13/2010

In late october the  New England Water Works Association held their annual conference. During the conference they held a taste testing contest among all New England Water departments involved. An independant panel of International judges oversaw the competition. the Manchester NH Water works received the number 1 honors. They will now go on to the June 2011 national competition against other regional national winners.The Manchester Water Works serves 160,000 residential, commercial and industrial users including the cities and towns of Manchester, Auburn, Bedford, Derry, Goffstown, Hooksett and Londonderry NH.Another reason that makes Manchester NH a great place to live, play and visit..Updated Nov. 13, 2010Blog Written by:Scott GodzykOwner/BrokerGodzyk Realty GroupOne of New Hampshire'... 11/13/2010

Manchester Home Sale Statistics For 3rd Quarter of 2010   In the 3rd quarter of 2010 there were 119 homes that closed in Manchester. This is 81 less homes sold, down from  200 homes that closed during this time in 2009. The median list price for the homes that closed in Manchester for the 3rd quarter of 2010 was $219,000. The median list price for the homes that closed in Manchester for the 3rd quarter of 2009 was $204,900. The median sale price for the homes that closed in Manchester for the 3rd quarter of 2010 was $209,900. The median sale price for the homes that closed in Manchester for the 3rd quarter of 2009 was $199,950. The median market time for the homes that closed in Manchester in the 3rd quarter of 2010 was 77 days. The median market time for the homes that closed in Manche... 11/11/2010

This mornings question is; HOW MUCH LESS SHOULD I OFFER UNDER THE ASKING PRICE ON BANK OWNED HOMES?The simple answer is you should never base your offer on an asking price. You do not know if that asking price is priced at market value, if the asking price is already below market value or the asking price is priced way above market value. You need to either have your agent complete a Broker Price Opinion on the property or do it yourself if you are comfortable to find out what the properties value is in todays market.. You should then base your offer on what the house is worth, less any repairs needed and then adjust how bad you want the property. Highest and best offers are usually asked when there is more than 1 offer on the table. Make sure you ask the listing agent if there are any ... 11/09/2010

I received an interesting question this morning that sure will be able to help other buyers stay out of this situation. the buyer wrote: "My offer was accepted, now what do i do? When do i have my inspections and how do i close the deal?"I feel there are a number of issues with asking these questions after your offer was accepted as they should be asked prior to even making an offer. Most likely this buyr did not have a buyer broker assisting them, at least the listing agent should have offered some assistance with these basic questions. I received an interesting question this morning that sure will be able to help other buyers stay out of this situation. the buyer wrote: "My offer was accepted, now what do i do? When do i have my inspections and how do i close the deal?"I feel there ar... 11/09/2010

Multi-family homes for sale in Manchester can be a great starting point for any real estate investor. From a easy to maintain 2 family to a more complex 10 family,  Manchester has a variety. 50 2 family homes are currently for sale in Manchester.  Ranging in asking price from $89,900 to $399,900.  The median asking price is $194,900 with an average asking price being slightly higher at $203,958. 69 2 families have sold since May 1,2010, ranging  in price from $39,900, yikes, to $289,900.  The median sales price was $159,950 with a close average of $160,463. Another 14 2 families are pending sales with a median list price of $181,541.  Be interesting to see where they close at. *********************************************** 64 multi-family homes that are designed for 3+ families are cur... 11/08/2010