Now that school vacation is here, you’re probably looking for some fun things to do with your family. The lakes region in New Hampshire is a great place to enjoy all kinds of winter activities like skiing, snowboarding, and tubing. Some of my fondest memories are of my husband and I bringing the kids up north in the winter. We would start the day with ski lessons and end the day with rosy cheeks and hot chocolate in the lodge. In addition to the mountains, there are other local programs that will make this winter a memorable one.

Over the next couple of weeks I’m planning on checking out some of the programs offered at Prescott Farms in Laconia. Snowshoeing is my favorite winter activity, so I’m excited to check out their Full Moon Snow Shoe Walk on Monday, February 25th. Continue reading “2013 February Vacation Fun with Prescott Farms” »

2012 was a year filled with huge amounts of national and international news. So much, that our wonderful state of New Hampshire had some stories that were likely overlooked. Here are the top 5 New Hampshire-based stories you might have missed in 2012:

1. Dartmouth College President Nominated to Lead World Bank

Likely the most overlooked story by New Hampshirites in 2012, this was big news for the community of Dartmouth. On March 23, President Barak Obama announced that Dartmouth College President, Jim Yong Kim, was his nomination to take over as World Bank President in 2013. The position will be vacated by current president Robert Zoelick in June of 2013, and President Obama’s nomination meant that Kim would be the likeliest replacement. The full story, as written by NY Times reporter Annie Lowrey can be found here.

2. Concord High School Grad Qualifies for Olympics

In a sport whose spotlight is reserved for only a select few top-tier athletes, marathon runner Guor Marial made big news for another reason. He didn’t represent a country in his Olympic bid. As a young man, he escaped civil war and in what is now The Republic of South Sudan. After moving through Egypt, he found himself in Concord, NH where he starred in the disciplines of distance running. After attending Iowa State, where he ran track, he set a qualifying time to enter the Olympics this past year in London.

Unfortunately he was not a recognized citizen of the United States, and his 1-year-old country of South Sudan was not eligible for representation according to International Olympic Committee (IOC) rules. With some help from The U.S. Olympic Committee and NH Senator Jeanne Shaheen, Marial was granted the right to run as an independent by the IOC. Marial finished 47th in London. More on this amazing story, as written by Union Leader reporter Bill Smith, here

3. New Hampshire Elects All-Female Delegation to Congress

On the side of maybe less-surprising than the others, this story made national news before election day was technically over. It’s 5 Capitol Hill representatives will be the first all-female delegation in the history of the United States. A smaller story within this story is Maggie Hassan’s status as the only female Democratic governor elected in 2012. Joining Governor Hassan are Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Kelly Ayotte, and Representatives Carol-Shea Porter and Ann McLane Kuster. For more on this story, as written by Huffington Post reporter Laura Bassett, click here

4. New Hampshire Colleges Dominate the National Rankings

Two New Hampshire colleges made their marks on the headlines in 2012. Dartmouth College, whose presence at the top of higher education remained unwavering, was named the #10 college in the United States by U.S. News. Among other reasons , Dartmouth was ranked in the top-10 due to it’s outstanding qualification record among its teachers,freshmen retention rate of 97.8%, graduation rate of 88%, and a student:faculty ratio of 8:1 (one of the smallest for a college of it’s size). The full U.S. News report can be found here.

In what could be considered a less traditional form of recognition, Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) was recognized in 2012 on an international scale. In 2012, Fast Company named SNHU the #12 Most Innovative Company in the World. That’s right, in the WORLD. A university that has made it’s name on destroying “traditional” education, SNHU was named to the list for, among other things, a massive online education network that offers over 120 programs and concentrations. The full article from Fast Company, as well as the other 49 most innovative companies, can be found here.

5. New Hampshire Residents Stand by Victims After Sandy

As New Hampshire residents helped each other recover from local damage, many were touched by the images and stories that came quickly up the coast via social media and news stations of New York in shambles. Firefighters, Red Cross  members, National Guard men and women, and every day citizens mobilized to help. Much of these stories were individual efforts with no media attention, but a few managed to get picked up. Each story, unique in its own way, can’t be summarized as a whole. Here are a few of the stories of those who came to the aid of New York:

Upper Valley Firefighters Aid Victims of Hurricane Sandy

Sandy Relief Shuttle met with Gratitude in Brooklyn

Dyn Powers Up 12/12/12 Donation Site

Dance Academy Sends Blankets to Hurricane Victims

Newmarket Company Organizes Race for Hurricane Sandy…

The students in Southside Middle School’s (Manchester) 21st Century Community Learning Program have teamed up with Prudential Verani Realty for the 2012 Verani Coat Drive. Ann Marie Hetzel runs the “21st Century” program at the school. The program offers different after school activities for students including a homework club, Zumba, wood crafts, jewelry making, instrument practice, cooking classes, and community outreach. As part of the community outreach, for the month of December, the students helped to collect coats to help people in need.

The 21st Century Community Learning Program sent students home with a newsletter asking for help. Over the next couple of weeks they decorated the collection boxes, and collected 2 boxes of coats!  Hetzel says “the kids had a great time doing the drive and really enjoy the community outreach portion of their program, and helping people in their community.”

We thank Ann Marie and all the kids at the 21st Century Community Learning Program for their hard work!  If you would like to find out more about the 21st Century Community Learning Program, contact Ann Marie Hetzel at amhetzel@mansd.org, 603-624-6359, or visit their website. The program is offered at many schools throughout New Hampshire.

Success in the business of real estate can be found in building and maintaining of relationships, and good communication is the foundation of any solid relationship. Methods of communication have rapidly evolved over the last few decades and though potential buyers and sellers can get information quicker, it is vital to be dealing with reliable, trusted sources that offer face-to-face, trustworthy advice.

Margherita Verani, President of Prudential Verani Real Estate and a licensed Broker since 1972, says that though she has seen communication technology change dramatically in her 40 years in the business, one thing remains top priority in forming relationships with clients. Here’s a conversation with Margherita, regarding communication in the real estate industry:

What are your initial thoughts on modern communication in your industry?

“Our ability to communicate has changed dramatically and honestly what I think still matters most is having that face to face handshake you can trust. We have come so far in communication with cell phones that do everything, email, websites, and social networking.  Clients can reach you anywhere at almost anytime, but first and foremost they have to trust you as a person working for them with knowledge, skill, and experience.”

With so many years in the business, Verani has worked with no cell phone, with a giant cell phone held in a bag, to present-day where most information, as well as phone calls, are a touch away.  Is it any easier?

“I don’t know if I’d say it was easier.  Marketing in the old days was mailing out ads and newspaper listings. There were so few venues to get the word out about your company and what you were offering. Now the MLS [Multiple Listing Service] is on the Internet and everyone has a website. So, there are more communication avenues, but those streets are lined with not just you, but with your competition.”

Prudential Verani remains very well recognized in the industry. With nearly 100,000 visitors every month, Verani.com delivers detailed home descriptions, photos, and visual & guided tours- pioneering the first online home tours in New Hampshire. The website offers the “Showing Time” program, an innovation that allows online appointment requests, “Virtual Agent”, which allows buyers to set up a profile to save searches and request e-mail updates that fit their criteria.  Other helpful information includes school system reports and community profiles. 

But what about the personal contact that every client craves and any good agent strives for?

“I think clients want instant answers to their questions nowadays.  We are so used to being connected. It is important for our agents to provide quick response but also personal attention. I think it is our duty to make that communication personal, and one that mirrors the old days of that trust-filled handshake.  With the new technology we can do both.”

How has Prudential Verani Realty been successful in helping its agents reach the goals that you’ve talked about regarding instant communication?

“Verani Realty tries to be the leader in communication technology, for example our own ‘e-lead system’ to manage potential clients. Where most REALTORS® handle Internet leads the old fashioned way, which can leave people waiting 48 hours for a response, the Verani system gives agents immediate access to buyer inquiries. Agents are often in contact with clients before they have a chance to log off.”

What does all this mean for Prudential Verani Realty agents?

“It is just one of many ways communication has moved to the ‘instantaneous’ response. Times have changed and though we have to keep it personal we also have to use the technology to give us the communication edge. With this system, we don’t lose potential buyers, instead we earn lifetime customers!”

Newmarket Elementary and Newmarket Junior/Senior High School have teamed up with Prudential Verani Realty for the 2012 Verani Coat Drive. The students of the “Linked Together” before and after school program, shared by both schools, decided that this year they wanted to run a coat drive to help people stay warm. In a perfect example of what coat drives are all about, when asked about why she wanted to do a coat drive, 4th-grader Mia Smith said “How would you feel if you didn’t have a warm coat for winter?” The students in the Linked Together program set a lofty goal to collect 100 coats in November.

The problem the students ran into was “where do we give the coats once we have them?” Enter Prudential Verani Realty’s Maureen Wade. A REALTOR® based in Exeter, Maureen was contacted by a group leader who referenced the Verani coat drive and asked for assistance. Maureen agreed to help out, and will be collecting the coats from the Linked Together students and sending them in with the rest of the Verani Coat Drive coats to various charitable partners throughout New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Verani Realty salutes the Linked Together students for their commitment to the local community and to helping people less fortunate than themselves.

image courtesy of Lisa Tetrault-Zhe of Seacoastonline.com

A Solid Market Recovery

The signs of a recovering housing market continue to show themselves in several promising ways, including the recent report that home construction went up 15 percent in September. The increase was a four-year high, according to the U.S. Commerce Department. When you look to the future, a clear indicator is construction permits, which are required for future home building and those figures have jumped by 12 percent. This translates into an astounding 93.4 percent increase (year over year), and the largest yearly gain in 20 years.

Combine that with record-low mortgage rates, rising consumer confidence, and rising home prices and we can safely say we are in a modest to aggressive recovery trend in our real estate market.

There is no doubt that the extremely low interest rates (below 4 percent for almost this entire year) are helping drive the increase that REALTORS® are seeing in home sales. This type of long-term savings for home buyers causes Continue reading “More Good Market News!” »

As part of the recent news announcing Prudential Verani Realty and Real Living | The Norwood Group merging their two residential companies, we are pleased to have Susanne Kimball from The Norwood Group join the Prudential Verani Team!

As a licensed NH Real Estate Agent since 2002, Susanne covers many Southern New Hampshire towns from Concord south, east to the Exeter area and west to Wilton. Her personal goal as a REALTOR® is to provide the best service she can. Susanne states, “It is so important to be able to trust and communicate effectively with your real estate agent. I make it my top priority to listen carefully to understand my clients’ real estate goals. I work with them to provide the most current data on market conditions so they can make the best choices along the way. Together, with enthusiasm and a positive attitude, we will get it done.”

Throughout the years, Susanne has built a loyal client base through hard work, honesty, commitment, and a strong focus on what matters most – her clients.

Susanne is certified for relocation services in Southern New Hampshire and is a member of the Greater Manchester Nashua Board of REALTORS®. She is married with two children and a cocker spaniel named Bear.

Susanne is based out of the Prudential Verani Bedford Office located at 165 South River Road in Bedford, NH. She can be reached at p: (603) 816-9933, m: (603) 533-4447 or by email at susanne.kimball@verani.com.

As part of the recent news announcing Prudential Verani Realty and Real Living | The Norwood Group merging their two residential companies, we are pleased to have Sheri Cameron from The Norwood Group join the Prudential Verani Team as the Nashua Office Administrator!

Sheri grew up in a military family with a birthplace of Columbus, GA.  Her family moved 14 different times due to her father’s career, primarily throughout the Southern states and PA.  In 1985, a marriage brought Sheri to NH.  What a culture shock to live in New England, and to live in a home for more than just a year or two!  But over the many years, New Hampshire has become her home.  She currently lives in a Colonial she purchased 7 years ago in Manchester, which she has remodeled over time, drawing on the design/build experience she obtained while working for a premiere seacoast home builder for over 15 years.

Sheri has a biology degree, and an art background, but it is her love of homes and home building that ultimately made her decide to obtain her real estate license.  The license is currently inactive because she found that working for a real estate office, assisting brokers with their businesses was really what brought  a sense of accomplishment and joy to her life.  She was pleased to first become an administrator with The Norwood Group two years ago, and now with the merger of the two companies, she has found a home with Prudential Verani.

She has a 24 year old daughter, who is an accountant with a local Nashua firm, and who is also an accomplished equestrian.  She has her loveable 6 year old chocolate lab, Sadie, to greet her at day’s end.  Sheri is a member of a ladies book club, an avid cyclist who rides all summer and spins all winter, she has volunteered for Friends of Stark Park, The Manchester Marathon, and donates to the local animal and food shelters.  She loves to cook, garden and ward off the squirrels on her deck that devour the bird food intended for the variety of birds that come there to feed.  Don’t worry; her neighbors are used to it!

Sheri is based out of the Prudential Verani Nashua Office located at 150 Broad Street in Nashua NH. She can be reached at p: (603) 889-1875 or by email at sheri.cameron@verani.com.

As part of the recent news announcing Prudential Verani Realty and Real Living | The Norwood Group merging their two residential companies, we are pleased to have Deb Hanson from The Norwood Group join the Prudential Verani Team!

Deb combines Real Estate expertise and her unique Interior Design background to create a winning experience for her clients.

Both buyers and sellers have the advantage of Deb’s expertise in maximizing their home’s value with critical advise, often by investing minimal expense = a maximum return in this ever changing market. Customers can rely on her knowledge in their home search as she has managed over 330 successful transactions from corporate relocation, first home buyers, builders, sellers, investors and those fun waterfront properties.

Deb knows the area! She has become one of New Hampshire’s top negotiating sales agents in a market that requires hard work, excellence and determination.

Deb started her career as an Interior Designer for Ethan Allen which lead to designing interiors for corporate businesses for 15 years. Real Estate was a natural transition with design build expertise and attention to detail while always focusing on people.

“One of the largest and most important purchases of your life should be enjoyable while making informed and wise decisions.” notes Deb.

Deb is a true New Englander, growing up on the coast in Hampton, NH. She attended UNH and Mount Ida College in MA and enjoys spending family time in Maine. She enjoys navigating the coast of Maine and creating art in her spare time.

Deb is based out of the Prudential Verani Bedford Office located at 165 South River Road in Bedford NH. She can be reached at p: (603) 494-4023or by email at deb.hanson@verani.com.

As part of the recent news announcing Prudential Verani Realty and Real Living | The Norwood Group merging their two residential companies, we are pleased to have Denise Egerton from The Norwood Group join the Prudential Verani Team as the Amherst Office Administrator!

Denise grew up in Waltham Mass, where she graduated from Waltham Senior high school. She went on to attend college at Mass Bay Community College in Wellesley, Mass where she received her Associates Degree in Business Administration.

In 1999 she moved to New Hampshire and bought a home in Brookline where she raised her son who graduated from Hollis/Brookline High School and joined the military. After moving to New Hampshire Denise worked as a Marketing Coordinator for Brevan Electronics for approximately 5 years.

In 2005 she took a position as an Administrative Assistant for Carlson GMAC of Amherst and began to learn the business of Real Estate. In 2008 after Carlson GMAC closed their offices, she went to work for The Norwood Group in Amherst as an Office Administrator. Today, we are delighted to have Denise join the Verani family.

Denise works out of the Prudential Verani Amherst Office located at 46 NH Route 101A in Amherst, NH. She can be reached at (603) 721-0400 or by email at denise.egerton@verani.com.