Back by popular demand is Neil Berg’s 101 Years of Broadway on July 6th.

July 6th at Great Waters Music Festival 101 Years of Broadway with Neil Berg

If you saw Neil Berg during last season’s concert series you will know what I’m talking about. The biggest moments of 101 Years of Broadway will be brought to the New Kingwood Regional High School auditorium, and will feature shows like Fiddler on the Roof, The Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables and so many more.

On July 13th, Great Waters Music Festival presents a free community concert, but you must get a ticket as there is limited seating, to the United States Coast Guard Dixieland Jazz Band. Once again Great Waters hosts one of our country’s finest armed forces ensembles in an evening of wonderful music.

The Great Waters Music Festival Chorus and Orchestra perform on August 4th. This concert will be directed by Christopher Shepard and will feature a professional orchestra supporting a chorus of exquisite voices. If you love choral music than you will not want to miss this musical event.

Andy Cooney comes to Great Waters Music Festival on August 10th.

August 10th features an evening with Andy Cooney, “Irish America’s Favorite Son”. With success throughout the country but more recently with a sold-out performance at New York’s Carnegie Hall, Andy Cooney will entertain and sing his way into your hearts whether you’re Irish or not.

The Masters of Motown bring their celebration of the Motor City to our town on August 17th. Both male and female groups backed by a live band will recreate the sounds of the groups we all remember fondly; The Supremes, Four Tops, Temptations and so many more. This is a show not to be missed.

Masters of Motown at Great Waters Music Festival on August 17th

Manhattan Transfer at Great Waters Music Festival on August 24th.

We end our concert season in the most exciting way with The Manhattan Transfer on August 24th. This Grammy Award winning group came to Wolfeboro and Great Waters six years ago and the concert was sold out. They will be backed by a fantastic band and will cover the musical genres of pop, jazz, Broadway and so much more.

Lastly it is such a treat to live in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire, especially in the summer months, when dedicated individuals such as those of the Great Waters Music Festival work hard to bring quality music to share with those who love coming here and living here. If you would like more information on tickets, click HERE.

If you would like more information on the Lakes Region of New Hampshire, click HERE to contact Steve or Carol Bush at Maxfield Real Estate.

What is Your Property Worth in Todays Real Estate Market?

Whether you are planning on selling, need information for estate planning, or are just curious as to the value of your property in the current market, the market analysis will give you valuable information to make solid business decisions on what’s best for you and your family.

A market analysis reflects two market circumstances: similar area properties which have recently sold as well as properties currently for sale with which yours would be competing if you were to sell in today’s market.

Fair market value is defined as the price that a willing and able buyer will pay to a willing seller. The actual selling price of a property is not determined by the Realtors but rather by you, the seller and the buyer based upon the motivation of each party.

The listing price and the eventual selling price will be your decision. When you are ready to sell, Steve and Carol Bush would be most pleased to represent you as your listing agents. Just CONTACT us today for your free, no obligation market analysis of your Lakes Region property.

2011 Sales Report Wolfeboro & Alton Area Real Estate Companies

In Wolfeboro, Maxfield Real Estate was 45% ahead of the closest competitive real estate office in Wolfeboro. That’s a dollar volume for the Wolfeboro office of over twenty-three million dollars in combined sales over that closest competitor.

When there have been a string of difficult years in real estate sales due to the economy, why is Maxfield  Real Estate able to remain a continual leader in real estate market share of transactions? The simple answer is that working for an  independent family run company, with over 55 years in Wolfeboro, and with leadership that is “fair and balanced”, as Bill O’Reilly likes to say on FOX, has inspired exceptional people to work in the Maxfield offices.

You’re only as good as your agents

At Maxfield Real Estate the Realtors are highly skilled in the principals of sound real estate commerce. Year after year agents such as Carol Bush, Randy Parker, Bill Regan and Denise Williams are Top Producers. The team of agents at Maxfield are not only extremely intelligent about real estate in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire, but they bring all the tools needed for a successful customer experience whether buying or selling.

Their ability to market effectively and over many mediums, use technology to their customer’s advantage, and negotiate efficiently and successfully on their clients behalf are well known throughout the Lakes Region. Maybe being consistently leaders in their communities for supporting non-profits also says what kind of individuals Maxfield agents are.

Looking to Sell Your Lakes Region Property or Buy Lakes Region Property?

If you are looking to buy or sell real estate in the Lakes Region, please give Maxfield Real Estate the opportunity to assist you and call or email Carol or Steve Bush. We know you will find working with us a positive experience. Our priorities are simple, they’re yours.

2011 Five Star Award Winner Carol Bush of Maxfield Real Estate

Carol Bush, Realtor at Maxfield Real Estate in Wolfeboro, has been selected by New Hampshire Magazine as a 2011 New Hampshire Five Star Real Estate Agent, and she is recognized as a top real estate professional in their December 2011 issue.

New Hampshire Magazine partnered with Five Star Professional who surveyed New Hampshire residents who purchased a home in the past 36 months as well as 1,000 subscribers of New Hampshire Magazine and 250 surveys that were sent to mortgage and title companies. The final list of 2011 New Hampshire Five Star Real Estate Agents is a select group representing less than 6% of the more than 5,900 active real estate agents in the State. Criteria rated by those who participated in the survey included knowledge, integrity, communication and customer service.

Of the over 5,900 active real estate agents in New Hampshire Carol is in the top 4% (NNEREN 1/1/11-11/28/11) of these agents in total sales.

Carol Bush partners at Maxfield Real Estate in Wolfeboro with her husband Steve. Contact Carol at 603-387-4733, cbush@maxkfieldrealestate.com or to learn more about her, go to her website www.LakesRegionHomesInfo.com.

Here in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire there is a company, Great Impressions Staging, owned and operated by staging consultant Robin Webster. Her expertise in the area of staging homes for sale, as well as her many years of experience in the real estate industry (both as an appraiser and Realtor) makes her the perfect choice to present your home in its best possible light. The goal is two-fold: a quicker sale and at a higher sale price.

Robin Webster's Great Impressions Staging Just Might Sell Your Home for More Money

On Thursday, November 21^st, Ms. Webster unveils her latest complete home staging at 25 Abenaukee Drive in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire. This wonderful water access Lake Winnipesaukee property, listed at $399,900 by Realtor Carol Bush, will be open for viewing from 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM. Lunch will be served during the Open House and all are invited. To see additional pictures you can find property details by Googling the address or MLS #4066828.

Before Staging by Robin Webster of Great Impressions

Kitchen at 25 Abenaukee after Staging by Robin Webster

In our business, testimonials often say it all. Here are a few of the outstanding testimonials from those pleased with the professional staging done by Ms. Webster.

• Great Impressions reorganized my home. They had fantastic ideas for accessorizing and furniture placement. They complimented my home’s best features, resulting in a successful sale. Nancy Jones
• Great Impressions is ethical, hard working, creative and passionate about producing positive results. Ann Bastis
• Great Impressions ability to transform ordinary into outstanding is amazing. Inside and out the results are incredible! Becky Copithorne
• Great Impressions had the vision to change a sad foreclosure into a marketable home. They are very professional and a delight to work with. Jay C. Klinck

Living Room Before Staging

Living Room After Robin Webster Stages It.

If you are considering selling your home in the Lakes Region, contact Realtors Steve and Carol Bush for a complimentary price opinion, marketing information and selling advice.  We often feel it is advantageous to consult with a professional home stagger, and we would be happy to arrange a meeting with Robin Webster to determine your needs, or contact Ms. Webster directly at 603-515-1512 or rewebster@metrocast.net.

The Week Before Thanksgiving These Turkeys are on the Run!

It made me think of when I was younger, growing up in New Hampshire, I never saw turkeys unless they were in the grocer’s case. So when and where were they introduced back into our state?

New Hampshire Fish and Game has an excellent site detailing the facts on the Eastern wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Wildlife/Wildlife_profiles/profile_wild_turkey.htm

I’ll share with you a few facts from their site:

1. Wild turkeys disappeared from New Hampshire approximately 150 years ago due to hunting and habitat destruction.
2. They were successfully reintroduced in 1975 and today the population is around 25,000 birds.
3. The males are called toms and the females are hens.
4. They are extremely social and tend to live in flocks.
5. They aren’t territorial birds and often travel within a 4-5 mile radius during the year.
6. The major predators are fox, coyote and fisher cats.

Tough Wild Turkey or Easy to Catch Moist Turkey? To Me it's a No Brainer!

It is not unusual to see these large birds along the side of Lakes Region roads picking up pieces of grit to use in the process of digesting seeds and berries in their gullet. There have been more than a few times that I have had to wait while these unusual looking birds take their time crossing a major road. I have never eaten a wild turkey, but I have heard that the meat is tougher than a domestically raised turkey. I guess I’ll stick with a Butterball on Thanksgiving Day.

I have witnessed wild turkeys roosting in my pine trees, and when spooked they make a racket taking flight, with twigs breaking and the beating of wings – it is truly an amazing sound and sight.

If you would like to learn more about the Lakes Region of New Hampshire, contact Steve and Carol Bush, Realtors, and let them share their love for this beautiful area of the world.

Selling Your Home Can Be Made Easy With the Right Realtors!

It is never an easy decision as often the emotional attachment to one’s home is strong, but you now believe that it is the right time in your life, when “moving on” makes sense. Having come to this conclusion, what should you do next? Here are our suggestions for making the selling process easy, effective and worry free.

1. Contact Realtors®, such as Steve and Carol Bush, to visit your property to do a free market opinion of value. This is the first important step in ascertaining how your property compares to those currently on the market and those recently sold in your area. This “no obligation” market analysis provides you with information in order to make essential and informed decisions on whether to list your property now and if so, for how much money.
2. Once the Realtors® have the opinion of value report prepared and you have reviewed it, meet with them to get their professional advice on the suggested price range, how they will be marketing the property, and what are their suggestions for getting your property ready to be viewed by buyers.  Make sure that the real estate professionals have discussed fully your goals in selling and that you are confident that they have answered your questions thoroughly. They should have a proven track record of successfully selling real estate and will commit to working for you effectively through skilled communication and the marketing of your property.
   

   Once You Decide to Sell Make Your Property More Appealing for Beautiful Marketing Opportunities

3. Once you have made the decision to list your property, it is now time to do a few things to make the presentation of your property more appealing. Your Realtors® are going to take pictures of the interior and exterior of your property, and anything you can do to make the interior and exterior neater and less cluttered will help in the visual marketing of your home. It can be as simple as removing an old tire leaning against the side of a garage or taking snap shots off your refrigerator. The goal is to entice buyers to see your property because of the pictures exhibited on the internet and in print. In effect buyers need to be able to view themselves living in your home prior to making a showing appointment.
4. 4. Lastly, sit back, relax and let your professional team of Realtors® do their job. If you’ve contracted with Steve and Carol Bush, you will get first class service, exceptional communication, and honest answers every step of the way.

There are two perspectives in any real estate transaction – that of the seller and that of the buyer. I will outline the type of closing costs often associated with any New Hampshire real estate transaction for a seller.  It should be noted that I am not an attorney nor a settlement agent at a title company. I can’t stress strongly enough that when you have decided to proceed with selling your real estate in New Hampshire that you get professional advice from those who are experienced in handling the transfer of real property.

From the seller’s perspective, here are costs associated with most closings.

• 1. Mortgage payoff. If you carry any mortgages, they or other liens against the property will need to be satisfied at the closing table. There are times when a property is considered “under water” when an owner owes more for the property than the agreed upon selling price for it. The seller may be forced to come to the closing table with their own funds in order to sell unless the seller’s lending institution has agreed to forgive some of the debit.
• 2. Commission. Typically, unless it is a private sale, there is a real estate agency involved. Depending on the commission structure between the seller and the agency in the listing contract, this amount is most often based on the final selling price of the property. As an example a 6% commission on a $250,000 agreed upon selling price is $15,000. This amount will be paid to the real estate agency upon closing and is deducted from the seller’s proceeds check.
• 3. New Hampshire Transfer Tax. This tax is levied on any real estate transfer of property and is 1.5% of the sales price of the real property. On the NH Department of Revenue Administration website there is a thorough list of what is and what isn’t taxable. http://www.nh.gov/revenue/faq/dra_800.htmTypically the tax is split between the seller and the buyer with each party paying 0.75% to the State of New Hampshire at the closing. Using the $250,000 sale price as a guide the total tax is $3,750. Each side of the transaction would then pay $1,875.
• A good strategy for both seller and buyer is to remove from the selling price of the property anything negotiated like furniture and equipment, as it is financially advantageous to both parties to not pay transfer tax on these types of items. Typically appliances (stove, refrigerator, dish washer, washer and dryer), are included in the price of the property. A consideration for the seller is to draw up a bill of sale for the furnishing by putting a dollar value on it. An example would be the furniture negotiated in the final price of $250,000 is $5,000. The bill of sale to be paid at the closing is $5,000 and the final sale price of the property is $245,000. That would save the seller $300 in real estate commission and $37.50 in real estate transfer tax, or a total of $337.50.

• 4. Utilities, Town Tax and Association Fees if any. Costs associated with utilities and town/city taxes which would be pro-rated up until the day of closing and association fees if the property is located in an association.

• 5. Preparation of the Deed by Attorney’s Office or Title Company. This cost can vary depending on the office used but the cost of deed preparation is typically between $100 and $150 here in the Lakes Region. Researching the title is part of the buyer’s closing package and paid for by the buyer.

• 6. Registry Mortgage Release fees if any. There is a cost for recording release of the mortgage or mortgages and liens at the registry of deeds, if any exist.

When deciding to work with informed Realtors, please contact Steve and Carol Bush, Your Lakes Region Luxury Real Estate Team and they will guide you through the process of selling.

What an Island View from Your Screened In Porch

Here is a rare and affordable opportunity to own a 3 bedroom year round island home on beautiful and peaceful Balch Lake in Wakefield, New Hampshire with a land bridge and 300 feet on the water. There is a separate heated guest cottage, plus a large workshop/studio over a 2 car garage. The house is situated close to the water with two decks, a spacious screened porch and a walkout basement. The house easily sleeps up to 10 or more people, and both the house and guest cottage feature warm pine paneling. There is a new 30 year shingled roof. One of the unique features is the private boat ramp as well as ample storage for your boats, vehicles or equipment under the guest cottage.  Come see this wonderful waterfront property that will give you, your family and friends many years of enjoyment. It is listed at $399,900 which is below assessment. For further information and a virtual tour, click HERE.

Beautiful and Warm Pine Paneling in a Spacious Year-Round Island Home

Take the opportunity to tour this property and imagine how living here could change your life in so many wonderful ways. Contact Steve or Carol Bush today for more information or to schedule a showing.

A Picture is Worth 1000 Words! Just a Slice of Your View

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

Once the staging has been accomplished, it is the photographer’s turn to take the photos that are clean, elegant and enticing. The phrase, “a picture is worth a thousand words” is so true, and the importance of quality pictures can’t be underrated in the level of importance in selling your property. A photographer’s goal is to make sure the pictures of your property, which will be on the internet and in print, speak loud and clear to the potential buyer seeing your home for the first time through the lens of a camera. The message should be, “I could definitely live here”.

The relationship of carefully staging a home and taking high quality photographs is all done with the purpose of getting your home shown and sold for the highest possible price. It doesn’t matter if it is a small New England Cape or a grand Lake Winnipesaukee or Squam Lake waterfront home; it all serves the same purpose to get your property shown.

Many of us in real estate take too many pictures of the outside of the house to use in advertising, but it is the pictures of the inside of the home, if staged properly, that will most intrigue a potential customer.

Elegant Yet Simple is Inviting

Carol and I are able to assist you with this important step in preparing to sell your property. Call or email us, and we will meet with you to discuss how the staging and photographing of your home can best be accomplished.