Are you a real estate licensee, an agent, or a Professional Business Owner (PBO)?  What’s the difference?

A licensee is someone who casually sells a house or two a year.  The industry is full of part time licensees.  Not here at Prudential Verani.  We hire only full time real estate agents; people who actively stay trained and regularly pursue the business and often sell 20 or more houses per year!

However, there is another level to this business that many in the industry only dream of obtaining, but just don’t know how.  Recently, Deb Gallant, VP of Sales and me, John MacGilvary, Regional Manager for Prudential Verani Londonderry, were certified by Buffini and Company to mentor agents through its new Peak Producer program. This program is designed to skyrocket production and take business to a new level, transforming each agent into a PBO.  A PBO is an agent who has the habits, attitude, skills, and mindset of a business person; an agent who meets the relational and transactional needs of their clients versus just the transactional; an agent who focuses on a long-term relationship rather than short term income; an agent whose focus is to create an advocate rather than cashing a check.

“Our goal is to create a whole team of Peak Producers”, said Deb Gallant. ”We will take our first group of 30 agents through the 12 week program beginning on January 16th.”

If you or someone you know practices real estate and would truly benefit taking their business to the next level, contact me (John MacGilvary) direct 603-845-2201 or email john.macgilvary@verani.com.

You may also want to view our career website to understand all the benefits of becoming a Prudential Verani agent.

Take your business to the next level today!

LIVING OUTSIDE THE BOX!

Beaver Brook Association, with conservation lands in Brookline and Hollis in New Hampshire, is a non-profit educational organization that offers a multitude of programs to the local Southern NH communities, and has recently constructed a yurt.

What is a yurt you might ask? It is a portable eco-friendly solar panel structure. The Beaver Brook yurt, located in Maple Hill Farm, Hollis, NH, is a 30 foot White Mountain lighted and heated classroom that will be used for Beaver Brook programs.

Yurt living is magical and “outside the box” because while inside you can still hear all of nature singing and at play as the natural Earth surrounds you. It is also practical living for many as a seaside retreat or mountain getaway because it is economically priced, environmentally sound, and a sustainable choice that is extremely versatile.

A yurt can be great for a little vacation getaway on your land, an eco-friendly retreat, artist’s or writer’s studio, cozy guest house, or a simple hiding place you can call your own. Yurts can be tailored to your specification, and best of all, if you want to move it from New Hampshire to Maine, it’s no problem!

For more photos of the Beaver Brook yurt, you can visit their facebook album.

Images of Home Featured in Winter Gallery 6 Show
January 10th to March 4th

Visit Gallery 6 at the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire in Dover, NH to see artists’ responses to the question, “What is Home?”

The show will feature the work of artists from diverse backgrounds – young, old, immigrants, amateurs, professionals – working in a variety of media, as well as poetry from Mimi White’s Poet Laureate project. Each artist offers a different insight into the concept of “home,” creating an opportunity for Museum visitors to react and reflect on their own ideas of “home.”  The Gallery is open during regular Museum hours.

6 Washington Street Dover, NH 03820
(603) 742-2002

According to recently published statistics by the National Association of Realtors, more home sellers are seeking the expertise and professional services of a real estate agent to sell their home, rather than trying to sell it on their own.

Over the last decade, the share of home sellers who used a real estate agent or broker to sell their home increased from 77% to 87%, while people who tried to sell their own home (For Sale By Owner or FSBO) decreased by 9%.

Why are more and more sellers using real estate agents to help them sell their homes? Well, first and foremost, selling a home is not always simple or quick, especially when you are trying to do it without the marketing tools and contract knowledge that an experienced Realtor has. Realtors can list a home on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS), which puts it on the market to all the other Realtors in the region who are representing most buyers. Nobody selling on their own can reach the same number of potential buyers as the MLS provides. A Realtor also uses their skill to sell the house in a reasonable timeframe, to market the home to potential buyers, and to price the home competitively.

It is true that some people are able to sell their own homes without the services of a real estate agent, but they are the exception, not the rule. Here are five reasons why FSBO sales are challenging and sellers are turning to Realtors to get the job done.

1. A FSBO can not get their home listed in the MLS because it is open only to members in the Real Estate industry who are licensed real estate brokers and agents. FSBOs do not appear in many home search engines and Web sites. A FSBO can put a “for sale” sign in their front yard and place a few ads in newspapers, but their ability to market the home is very limited.
2. Continue reading “More People Turning to Realtors to Sell Homes” »

Game on!
Pawtuckaway Ice Golf Tournament and Chili Competion:
Feb. 4th, 2012 Pawtuckaway Lake –
Tee Times 8 am to Noon

Jay Swymer,the founder of Freds Fund.org, a non profit 501 C3, has taken over the organization and management of the Pawtuckaway Ice Golf Event for 2012! His story of his son’s passing and his subsequent creation of this charity is best told on this article in the NH Chronicle.

All proceeds collected go to the Pediatric Care division of Friends of Dartmouth Childrens Hospital (CHaD). Sign up now to play! Just go to FredsFund.org to book a tee time (on the right-hand column).

Jay has asked me to help with sponsorships for the event, with all proceeds going to the charity. Last tournament, we raised over $4000 for Families In Transition! We offer sponsors signage at each tee and green on the course, advertising handouts to all the players, and inclusion of the sponsors’ names in all pre and post promotions on the website! These can be corporate or family sponsorships! We are asking $150 from each sponsor for the advertising package. Call Tom Duffy at (603) 303 – 3039 or email tom.duffy@verani.com with your intention of sponsorship or more details.

Ice golfing	Chillin’ with chili

Continue reading “Pawtuckaway Ice Golf Tournament and Chili Competition” »

Consumer spending continues to rise nationwide, fueled by jobs growth and a rosier outlook for the U.S. economy. Unfortunately for mortgage rate shoppers NH & MA, it may also lead to higher mortgage rates later this week.

Thursday morning (1/12/12), the Census Bureau will release its U.S. Retail Sales data for December. The report is expected to show an 18th consecutive monthly increase, with analysts projecting sales volume higher by 0.4 percent from November.

This would be double the increase from last month, which saw a 0.2 percent increase in Retail Sales.

The Retail Sales report tallies receipts collected by retail and food-service stores nationwide. When the sum of these receipts rise, it puts pressure on mortgage rates to do the same. The connection is straight-forward.

Continue reading “Mortgage Rates Set to Rise” »

Primary Day is finally here! 

Dixville Notch and Hart’s location has had their say and now it’s time for the rest of us. Be sure to take a few minutes and go out and vote today.

Need to find a place to cast your ballot? Just follow this link >>>>http://cfs.sos.nh.gov/app/Public/PollingPlaceSearch.aspx

I’m off to vote and I’ll tell you I won’t miss all those phone calls!

Monika McGillicuddy

On Sunday January 22, 2012 the City of Concord Parks and Recreation Department will be holding their annual Nordic Fest 2012 at Beaver Meadow Golf Course. This attraction is one of many during Concord’s annual Winter Carnival event.

The festivities are from 9am to 4pm and include: Kids Events, Free Clinics, Food/Drinks, Paint Ball Biathlon, Scavenger Hunts, Relay Racing and Vendor Booths

This is a great opportunity to spend quality time with family or just to partake in the fun as a cross country ski enthusiast.

Other sponsors for this event are Capitol Ski and Outing Club and S&W Sports.

About this time every year in New Hampshire, the number of waterfront properties increases dramatically. Within the course of a few weeks, hundreds of new structures dot the lakes and ponds throughout the state.

What causes this great housing increase? Bob houses! These portable “shanties,” as they are called by those in the know, are wheeled or pushed onto ice-covered bodies of water by die hard fisherman and their friends and followers each winter. No one knows for sure where bob houses got their name. There are various theories: they could be named for the bobsleds that some used to bring their shacks out onto the ponds, or because “bob” is an old fashioned term for short or small (as in bobtail or bobbed hair), or because your shanty will be bobbing in the water if you leave it out on a lake too long.

Statistics show that 25% of New Hampshire fishing enthusiasts enjoy going out to fish regardless of the cold weather. Fishing on one of the state’s many lakes and ponds is a great winter pastime. While some people fish out in the open, many bring a plastic tent, the true (and experienced) fisher folk bring shacks out onto the water bodies. These shacks can be crude plywood constructions, or they can be small well-constructed shed-like houses that have carpeting, electricity, stoves, and even heaters and televisions. There are stories of some shanties that not only have lighting, but have crystal chandeliers. Chatting with friends and downing cold drinks (that don’t need any artificial refrigeration) is a great way to while away the hours while you wait for a pull on your line. After drilling holes in the ice with your auger, you can sit back and relax until the active cold weather fish – perch, pike, crappie, and others – tug your line to get your attention.

The bob house and ice fishing season is from ice-in, usually in December, to ice-out, usually in mid-April. Lakes under State trout and salmon management have an official season of January 1st through March 31st. But don’t venture onto the ice without checking with locals to make sure the ice is thick enough to support you and whatever you are bringing with you. All bob houses must be removed from lakes and ponds by April 1st, but of course, if it’s unseasonably warm, remove it – or lose it – before the ice cracks under the weight of your home and/or vehicle. Every year there are tales of lost houses…

Continue reading ““Bob Houses” — A New Hampshire Tradition” »

Keeping the “staged look” when your house if for sale with small children can be overwhelming, however, there are some simple things you can do to remedy clutter:

1. Donate or give away out-of-season or clothes that don’t fit.
2. Limit the number of toys (keeping the kids’ favorites) and put the rest in storage, or donate toys that they don’t use, or are just taking up space, and get rid of the broken ones.
3. Pack away stuffed animals and books.
4. Organize the remaining items neatly in baskets, boxes, and bins, leaving only a few remaining items on shelves.
5. Make the closet look bigger by reducing the number of items that are stored in the closet.
6. For those with small infants, be sure the diaper pail is empty, and keep the nursery tidy.

Reminding your children that once your current home sells, their new home will bring them exciting new adventures may help them be cooperative in keeping the place clean.

Although your children can assist with keeping the place tidy, the same conversation can’t happen with your pets. If your cat uses the wood doorways as a scratch post or your dog is extremely large and barks at strangers you may want to consider relocating them with a neighbor, friend, or relative until the house is sold.

Continue reading “The Challenge of Selling Your Home with Kids, Animals & Belongings” »