Michele came to Verani from the Shanley Realtors team, where she spent many years building strong relationships with both her clients and peers. When she found herself in a position where she needed to look for a new agency, Michele was nervous that she wouldn’t find a team that functioned the same. She ended up meeting with Cindy Winthrop, the Verani Portsmouth manager, who instantly made her feel welcomed. Her fears were immediately set aside, and Michele’s excitement about the new opportunities available to her to expand her knowledge and grow her business landed her at Verani.

After 7 years of nursing school and 18 years of working intensive care, Michele decided on a career change.  To her surprise, there were many similarities between the two professions. Both involve a dynamic work environment, clear communication skills, strong attention to detail, and solid relationships with clients based on honesty and understanding. These are all important to being a successful agent and meeting the client’s real estate goals.

Michele has a deep appreciation for New Hampshire’s seacoast community where she has called home for the past 35 years. The environment has inspired her to become actively involved with local organizations, fundraisers, and community events. Her experience in wellness has also driven her to provide volunteer services in relation to health prevention and education. In her personal time, Michele enjoys gardening, various home improvement projects, visiting local shops, and spending time with friends and family.

Michele is based in the Prudential Verani Portsmouth office, located at 111 Maplewood Ave in Portsmouth, NH. She can be reached at m: 603-475-2060 and e: michele.mccarthy@verani.com.

If you like good music and love hearing great poetry than what a weekend is in store for you. This weekend in Porsmouth, the annual Jazzmouth music and poetry festival is taking place. The event is Sunday 28th with great music and good poetry. There will be plenty of things to do and many different local artists who will show up for the occasion. Some of the artists that will be playing are Mike Barron, Cynthia Chatis, and Don Davis to name just a few. It is about $15 to get in, but considering how much great music will be there to listen to it will be well worth it.

In addition to jazz music there will also be a place for reading poetry in the spirit of the event and because it just so happens to be National Poetry month. There will be signups at the door for fifteen, five minute slots so make sure you get there on time if you want to read some poetry! The event will feature many local artist and young poets. So go on over, enjoy, and get the chance to experience some of New Hampshire’s culture in a whole new way!

Having a good time at 2012′s “The Hair Affair” party

Prudential Vereani, Portsmouth agent, Kaitlin Whitcher knows how to party. In 2009 she began supporting a group known as “Seacoast Party 4 a Purpose.” Every year this group organizes themed parties for folks to enjoy, while raising money for various New Hampshire non-profit organizations. Over the previous 3 years, the group has raised more than $40,000 for organizations such as New Heights and the Seacoast Food Pantry. This year, the funds raised will be to benefit the Richie McFarland Children’s Center in Stratham.

Interested in partying with this group?

The 2013 (4th annual) Spring event is coming up this weekend!

Theme: Mad Hatter

When: April 27 @ 8:00 p.m.

Where: VFW Hall, Portsmouth, NH

Tickets are $20. Wear your favorite, least favorite, craziest, most hilarious, most innovative, or most ridiculous hat and come out for a great time and a great cause. For more information about Seacoast Party 4 a Purpose, to purchase tickets for this coming weekend, or to make a general donation to the event, visit www.seacoastparty4apurpose.org

Now that spring has officially begun, longer days and warmer weather stimulate life after a cold, harsh winter. Anxious golfers patiently wait to take to the course, anticipating their first swing of the season. Being surrounded by New Hampshire’s natural beauty provides a priceless experience on the golf course. From the Lakes Region to the Seacoast, the Granite State is home to some of the most beautiful courses in the country.

If you are looking to reunite with nature once again and get back on the golf course, below is a list of New Hampshire’s most scenic golf courses:

1.      Atkinson Resort & Country Club

Located in Atkinson, NH, this beautiful resort provides a one of kind golfing experience amid New Hampshire’s breathtaking landscapes. The public 420 acre course offers one of the state’s finest 72, 18 championship courses and 9-hole, par 3 courses. For beginners or those looking to improve their golfing skills, the Willowcreek Golf Academy is equipped with a 10,000 sq. foot facility and training from PGA professionals. For more information, click here.

2.      Portsmouth Country Club

This unique, semi-private golf club is located in Greenland, NH. With a challenging course and beautiful scenery, this country club is constantly ranked one of the best in New England. The course is bordered by the streams of coastal waters on Great Bay, providing a slight breeze and seacoast fragrance. For more information, click here.

3.      Eagle Mountain House & Golf Club

This Jackson, NH golf course belongs to the historic Eagle Mountain House on the beautiful White Mountains. Next to the lodge, the course was carved out of pasture land once used by grazing farm animals. The 9 hole, 32 par course provides an affordable and casual golfing experience with priceless mountain views from every hole. For more information, click here.

4.      Owl’s Nest Resort & Golf Club

New Hampshire’s four season public golf course is located in Campton surrounded by the White Mountains. The 18-hole course provides a memorable and fun experience with brilliant mountain views and challenging holes. The club was featured in Golf Digest’s “Top Ten NH Golf Courses” and the “Top 100 Must Play Courses in New England.” For more information, click here.

5.      The Golf Club of New England

This premiere private club is a golfer’s paradise, for those who can afford it. The course was perfectly designed to provide a relaxing escape for its elite members. The limited membership ensures a flexible environment and no scheduled tee times. The club is located on 450 acres of beautiful farmland in Stratham near the Massachusetts border. Golf legend, Arnold Palmer, was enlisted to create this one of a kind masterpiece. The heavily forested land surrounding the 7,500 yard course provides a sense of privacy.  At the Golf Club of New England, whether out on a cart or on foot, the scenic paths and exquisite landscaping make for a truly peaceful day out on the golf course. For more information, click here.

Image courtesy of The Portsmouth Country Club

Coming to Portsmouth on April 13, 2013: Two Realtors® from Verani Realty in Portsmouth are “thinking outside the box” selling homes in the Seacoast area. Diane Silva and Suzanne Butcofski are the Realtors® and “conductors” of the newest happening in downtown Portsmouth: weekly Home Trolley Tours for the Seacoast.

Silva came up with the idea while sitting outside “Breaking New Grounds” with friends and listening to many passersby ask about area real estate.  Since she sells real estate, the idea came to her to help folks that are “hanging around” Market Square, hop on a Portsmouth trolley and see a handful of homes on a Saturday.

Regal Limousine is providing the trolley. Mortgage companies are sponsoring the weekly event.  Both Silva and Butcofski will be on the trolley with a lender and an affiliate each week. The trolley will leave from Market Square at 11a.m. every Saturday starting April 13th and bring folks to various homes listed for sale around the Seacoast.  Each home will host a “mini-open house” along the tour.  “It’s certainly a new idea on the Seacoast and so far, we are having tremendous positive feedback,” says Silva.

The point is to help Buyers and Sellers connect. Buyers will join the Tour and see a home they may not have otherwise had a chance to see if searching on their own.  Silva and Butcofski have many years of real estate experience, with Silva starting her career in New Hampshire in 1994. They say their clients are excited about this idea and look forward to the first tour on Saturday, April 13th from 11am – 1pm.  The red and green Verani trolley will pick up buyers at the Verani parking lot, 111 Maplewood Ave., at 10:45am and in Market Square at 11am.  Registration is suggested.

Homes on the tour will be decided by the two Realtors® each week. The tour will be advertised in the ”Portsmouth Herald” weekly. Contact Diane Silva & Suzanne Butcofski at 603-957-1210  for more information on the Verani Home Trolley Tours.

image courtesy of Captain-tucker

For more than 25 years Dave Lefebvre has been in every aspect of commercial real estate including leasing, development, management, consulting and financial analysis, as well as acquisition and disposition of commercial properties. Additionally, he attained an appraisal status of Certified General Appraiser for the state of NH. During his tenure, he has enjoyed success working at firms such as The Tischler Group and Shanley Realtors®, in addition to founding his own firm, Source Real Estate.

Throughout the years, Dave has established himself as a consummate professional focusing on results for the clients he has worked with, including well-known firms such as Carlisle Capital, Parkstone Properties, Urstadt-Biddle, Westaim Biomedical, Ultra Fab and many law and marketing firms to name a few. Dave has a unique perspective and understanding of the seacoast area, and is equally comfortable working with regional and local tenants and retailers, earning the proud moniker “Downtown Dave.”

Dave has been instrumental in the successful completion of several noteworthy transactions, including: 175 Market Street, 999 Islington Street, 30 Maplewood Avenue, 16 Market Square and 145 Heritage Avenue, all in Portsmouth. Dave is currently working on a very exciting new project in the downtown area, 233 Vaughan Street, a state of the art mixed use development that will incorporate design features not seen in this area previously, and will include both a commercial and residential component within the development as well as fine dining opportunities.

Staying active within the commercial real estate community has always been and remains a top priority for Dave. He previously served on the New Hampshire CIBOR (Commercial Investment Board of Realtors®) as the 2004 President, and was honored as the CIBOR Realtor® of the Year in 2003 and 2009. Additionally, Dave is very active in CIBOR cares – a 501c3 organization dedicated to aiding local non-profits and others with immediate financial assistance and guidance.

Dave resides in Hampton, New Hampshire, and enjoys his time away from the office participating in numerous outdoor activities such as golf, skiing, fishing, camping, boating and carpentry – as well as being an automobile enthusiast who can “fix” almost anything! Perhaps the most impressive thing people learn about Dave is that he is an Eagle Scout, the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouts of America and is a title held for life.

Dave is based in the Prudential Verani Portsmouth office located at 111 Maplewood Avenue. Dave can be reached at the following telephone numbers: Direct: 603-294-5710 or Commercial Division: 603-845-2500. Dave can also be reached via email at: dave.lefebvre@verani.com. 

So much happened in 2012 at Prudential Verani Realty that it would be impossible to summarize the plethora of stories in one blog post. This was a great year for the business, for it’s staff and agents, and for the communities in which Verani agents do business. At Verani it’s not just about selling houses. It’s about making sure New Hampshire and the surrounding area remains the best place to live in the country! Here are a few of the biggest stories to recap a very busy year at Verani:

1. The Norwood Group | Real Living Merges with Prudential Verani Realty

OCTOBER – In what was most likely the biggest business-side story for Verani in 2012, the residential services branch of The Norwood Group joined forces with the Verani family. After decades of competition in New Hampshire the two joined forces in light of a parent-company purchase. After Brookfield (who already owned Real Living) purchased Prudential Real Estate, the presidents of both companies agreed that a partnership was the most natural course of action. The original story can be found here.

2. Prudential Verani, Bedford Launches “12 Days of Giving” Campaign

DECEMBER – In an effort to raise the seasonal spirit, Regional Manager Ed Buczynski of Bedford organized a 12-day giving campaign with what he calls his “Pru Crew.” The Pru Crew (Bedford-based agents and Verani partners) went to various locations throughout the Bedford and Manchester area and randomly gave away gifts to unsuspecting people. For videos of all of the 12 days of giving, visit the Verani Youtube Channel.

3. Team Walther Ranks #118 in the U.S. for Closed Transactions

JULY – This summer one of the most successful real estate teams in the state was named #118 Continue reading “Happy New Year! A Very Verani 2012 in Review” »

16 Races to Help Keep Off those Extra Thanksgiving Pounds

Famously referred to as “Turkey Trots,” runners around the country will be taking part in Thanksgiving Day races ranging anywhere from 1-10 miles. In New Hampshire, as of Monday, November 19, there are 16 publicized races that will be held on Thanksgiving morning. Trying to counter all that food with some good old-fashioned exercise? Below are all the locations throughout New Hampshire that are racing Thursday morning.

Click for details when available. Some races may allow walkers even if there isn’t a note below. Contact race directors by visiting Cool Running, NH for Continue reading “16 NH Towns to Host Thanksgiving Day Races” »

Thursday, November 1^st marked the official start of one of the largest coat drives in the state of New Hampshire. For the 11^th year running, Prudential Verani Realty will be collecting coats from all over the state and distributing them to charities in need. In past years the drive has brought in 12,000+ coats, and the coat drive team at Verani Realty looks to make 2012 another banner year of bringing warmth to those who need it in New Hampshire.

The Verani Realty coat drive was established 11 years ago. Since the initial coat drive in 2001, the Prudential Verani Realty Coat Drive has been responsible for distributing coats to the shoulders of well over 50,000 of those who needed help staying warm.

In 2012 the committee is headed up by Val Lewis. Val is a Customer Account Manager in the Londonderry office and is handling the coordination of the company’s coat drive efforts for the first time. Val has worked with Verani Realty for 6 years, and has participated in the coat drive since she started in 2006. Val is coordinating the efforts of 7 team leaders, Steve White from Londonderry, Tanya Verfaillie from Nashua, Suzanne Butcofski from Portsmouth, Debbie Paone from Salem, and Patty Bixby, Genevieve Gheorghiu, and Athena Henchey from Bedford. The coat drive team consists of several current agents, administrators, and corporate team members who are committed to making 2012 another great year.

If you have coats that you would like to donate to this cause, there are 5 primary drop-off locations in our Verani Realty Office lobbies:

Bedford: 165 South River Road, Bedford, NH 03110

Londonderry: One Verani Way, Londonderry, NH 03053

Nashua: 187 Main Dunstable, Nashua, NH 03060

Portsmouth: 111 Maplewood Avenue, Portsmouth, NH 03801

Salem: 236 North Broadway, Salem, NH 03079

If you are interested in helping contribute as a drop-off location, large donation contributor, sorting volunteer, or any other form of volunteer, visit coats.verani.com for more information. If you are a charity in need of coats in or around any of the above cities, the coat drive is open to requests at coats.verani.com/charities.

Veranians’ Trick Or Treat Times

• Amherst: 10/31, 6-8 p.m.
• Bedford: 10/31, 5-7 p.m.
• Concord: 10/31, 5-7:30 p.m.
• Hampton: 10/31, 5:30-8 p.m.
• Londonderry: 10/31, 6-8 p.m.
• Manchester: 10/31, 5-8 p.m.
• Nashua: 10/31, 6-8 p.m.
• Portsmouth: 10/30, 5:30-8 p.m.
• Salem: 10/31, 6-8 p.m.

Don’t live in one of these towns? You can check with a few places to find out what time Trick Or Treating will be in your town. First, check your local city website for information. If you can’t find it there, NH.com has a list of times available. Still can’t find it? If you can’t find the info online, call your local town or city hall for information. It is essential for the safety of everyone that Trick Or Treaters are out during the designated times. Safety on Halloween is a top priority!

Staying  Safe for Trick or Treating in 2012

I remember trick-or-treating held during the day time on a weekend day in the fall for my entire childhood.  In the last few years trick-or-treat in Manchester, has been held on Halloween evening. This has brought some mixed feelings about having trick-or treat at night, we “Manchesterites” are used to having trick-or-treat during daylight hours.  If we wanted to trick-or-treat in the evening we would have to visit the neighborhoods of the surrounding towns.  Whether there are trick-or-treaters lining your streets on a crisp fall day, or a spooky autumn evening, we still must keep safety our #1 mission during the trick-or-treat season.   Here are a few safety tips that never get old!

• Trick-or-treat with friends and family, not alone.
• Fasten reflective tape to costumes and bags to help drivers see you.
• Check your candy before you eat it. Make sure there are no holes or openings.
• Trick-or-treat with flashlights so drivers and other trick-or-treaters can see you.
• Look both ways before crossing the street. Use crosswalks when you can.
• Use sidewalks! If there are none, do your best to stay off the actual road.
• Accept, but don’t eat home-made treats.
• Only go into homes (even the cool haunted ones) if you’re with an adult.
• Stay away from fire while you’re in costume, especially open candles.

Athena Henchey is a licensed REALTOR® based in the Verani Realty,  Bedford Office. She covers the Auburn, Manchester, and Hooksett markets, and is a specialist in foreign language. For more information about Athena, to contact her, or view her listings, visit her agent page.

safety tips courtesy of http://www.cdc.gov/family/halloween/ . Image courtesy of inspector_81