Image via Santa's Village

Between winter-proofing your home and shopping for Christmas presents, make sure you find the time to check out some of these holiday events going on in New Hampshire’s Lake Region.  For a full list or more information on these events, visit the Lake Winnipesaukee Travel Guide website.

Kids Night Out: November 4th – December 16th
Sill need to finish your Christmas shopping without the kids? Bring them to the Laconia Community Center for games, crafts, and pizza with kids their age.  It’s happening every night November 4th through December 16th from 5:30-9:00PM.  The cost is $15 per child, per night and registration is required so make sure you sign up today!

Ho-Ho-Hobo Santa Express: November 25th – December 18th
Enjoy a holiday train ride every weekend from November 25th to December 18th with the Ho-Ho-Hobo Santa Express Train in Lincoln, New Hampshire.  The trip is 80 minutes and goes down along the Pemigewasset River to the Jack O’Lantern Resort south of Woodstock.  Kids get a chance to meet Santa, taste hot chocolate and cookies, and enjoy the scenery.  For more information, check out the Santa Express Train website or call 603-745-2135.

Santa’s Village: November 19th – December 31st
Visit Santa’s Village in Jefferson, New Hampshire every weekend from November 19th to December 21st to get in the holiday spirit with your kids!  There are plenty of sights and activities including cookie and ornament decorating.  You can also check out the shops, enjoy rides, and try some holiday refreshments.  Find out more on the Santa’s Village website.

Wolfeboro Festival of Trees: December 10th-18th
Visit the Wolfeboro Festival of Trees Charity benefit at the Wright Museum in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire.  The event is being held on the weekends between December 10th and December 18th.  There will be plenty of entertainment, refreshments, and more than 65 Christmas trees decorated by local businesses.  Visit the Wolfeboro Festival of Trees website to learn more.

Wolfeboro’s First Night: December 31st
Enjoy a night of fun, food, and entertainment at Wolfeboro, New Hampshire’s First Night event on December 31st.  Performances begin at 2:00PM and continue on into the night.  Some events include ice skating, Doo-wop music, fiddle playing, a parade, and fireworks.  You can find out more information or purchase a button and entry to the event at the First Night website.

For a full list of events in the Lake Winnipesaukee area, visit the Lake Winnipesaukee Travel Guide website.  If you have any other tips on holiday events happening this year, let us know!

Happy Holidays from Prudential Spencer-Hughes!

Every four years, as the nation gears up for its next presidential election, our small state receives a large amount of attention from the media thanks to our early primary election.

(Photo Credit: CBS - www.cbsnews.com)

This time around, the Lakes Region is receiving some extra focus thanks to Wolfeboro property owner Mitt Romney, who also happens to be a strong contender for the Republican party presidential noimation.  CBS News recently visited with our own Kathryn Aitken, who discussed Romney’s fabulous summer home on Lake Winnipesaukee and what it’s like to have a presidential hopeful living among us.

Read the full article, “Mitt Romney’s New Hampshire Getaway” and feel free to share your comments about what you think life in the Lakes Region might be like with the American president as a sometime neighbor.

New Hampshire waterfront property owners appreciate a clean beach

Location, location, location is the rule of thumb for much of the national market. However, like politics, real estate is local and here in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire we will place a great emphasis on Clarity, clarity, clarity.

Waterfront property demands its own level of priorities, and a clean, sandy lake bottom with a pleasant swimming area is often at the top of the list. But, New Hampshire is not known as the Granite State for nothing and so the ideal beach is often a rarity. This does not preclude that most beachfronts cannot be improved by what I label “aqua landscaping.’’

The dynamics of each water body should be carefully considered by any buyer: average depth, nutrient recycling capabilities, dissolved oxygen levels, rates of decomposition and water temperature are the primary evaluative tools. Phosphorus is at the root of most beachfront problems; it promotes plant growth and is introduced to a water body by lawn fertilizers, soil erosion, sewage, animal waste and decomposing vegetative matter.

Over the past dozen years impressive technical strides in water treatment have led to effective means of improving or eliminating problem beachfront concerns. Ultrasonic procedures, electric powered mechanical weed rollers, chemical additives and tools that agitate the lakebed are being used effectively without any negative effects to the aquatic life.

The impact of The New Hampshire Shore Land Protection Act by establishing rules for waterfront property owners has become a valuable piece of legislation for maintaining the quality of the way of life for waterfront owners in The Lakes Region. I encourage you to contact our offices and speak with our knowledgeable realtors prior to making your buying decisions.
Jim Ferriman Jferriman@spencerhughes.com 603-520-5385

Image via Wikipedia

There has been some welcome, and overdue, legislation from the NH State Senate regarding the New Hampshire Comprehensive Shoreland Protection Act, which clarifies and simplifies the 2008 revisions of the original 1991 act.  NH State Senate Bill #154 will allow the waterfront owners and builders in the Lakes Region to efficiently schedule and manage costs concerning waterfront property alterations by greatly reducing the confusion and unknowns of the state’s position regarding an owner’s project proposal.

The bill will also keep in tact all of the provisions that protect the water quality and waterfront beauty, hence the property value, upon which the purpose of the Act rests. I believe that this bill will eliminate what had been in my mind some of the unenforceable aspects of the earlier revisions and provides that most permits would be issued or denied within 5 days of the application date. This includes applications for new construction, landscaping, excavations, water runoff management, repairs and alterations to existing structures and general improvements to waterfront property beneficial to the goals of the Act. read more »

Recently a New York State Tax Appeal Tribunal upheld an administrative law judge’s ruling on a 2009 tax case regarding a unique interpretation of what constitutes a “permanent residence.” The decision was based on the fact that, though the home was occupied only a few weeks a year by the owners, it could have been lived in all year round. Simple enough, except that the owner lived and worked in another state and had not been complying with the New York state income tax regulations. Simple but a real game changer.

The basics of the case are as follows: A Connecticut couple bought a second home for vacation use on Long Island for approximately $260,000.00 some years ago. During their ownership they complied with all tax laws regarding mortgage interest and property tax deductions based upon their minimal personal use.  New York state income tax had been assessed only on the husband’s income earned while working in New York.

With this new ruling, the couple has been found to have been in non-compliance with the New York State Tax Code, and the state has made an additional demand regarding income earned by both husband and wife outside of NY. This additional tax bill amounts to $1.06 million. New York tax experts say this ruling is a complete departure from how summer second homes have been treated by NY.  It has the potential to raise the tax bill for thousands of second home owners in the city and other vacation home areas in the state.

Last week’s analytic report numbering visits to the Spencer Hughes website showed gains in the number of inquiries from Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Jersey residents. Small surprise to me, for I expect an increase of inquiries to New Hampshire, which has no state income tax, should this interpretation be applied to out-of-state second home owners in the Catskills, Finger Lakes, Adirondacks and Thousand Islands areas. And the possibility of other cash-strapped states adopting the NY ruling is also very real. This would certainly provide support for second home property values in our state.
Jim Ferriman    Jferriman@spencerhughes.com     603-267-9866 & 603-520-5385

Image by shelisrael1 via Flickr

With all the reports of negative environmental impact that have dominated the news recently, it is nice to pass along a good report of a New Hampshire business leading the way in protecting our environment.

Longtime White Mountains resort destination the Mountain View Grand was recently recognized for efforts it has made toward reducing environmental impact.  Read on to learn more about the resort’s sustainability efforts and its certification as an “Environmental Champion” by the New Hampshire Dept. of Environmental Services and the New Hampshire Sustainable Lodging and Restaurant Program.
read more »

Image by Golden Eye via Flickr

Some believe the translation of “Winnipesaukee” to be “Beautiful Water in a High Place;” an apt description, and one that has been in use for more than just a short while. After all, the earliest known community along Lake Winnipesaukee’s shores was the large village of Aquedoctan, established by the Abnaki Tribe along the Weirs channel some 500 years ago, perhaps a great deal earlier. The historical evidence leads to the great mystery surrounding the “Big Lake”—that being how this large lake can maintain its water quality in such a confined watershed. Winnipesaukee is extraordinarily pure for a body of fresh water, in spite of heavy and sustained use. The continuous efforts of the past and current inhabitants to preserve its rare qualities account for this end result.

Winnipesaukee 101: Lakes Region Facts

The basic facts: Winnipesaukee has 183 miles of shoreline and a surface area of nearly 72 square miles, is 21+ miles long and up to 9 ½ miles wide, has a multitude of islands (300 or so, depending on who is doing the counting), and possesses some 600 navigation aids. It was born of the Wisconsin Glacier Period, when glaciers 2 miles thick gouged out fractured and less competent rock, leaving citadels of the more substantial host granite. At their end 13,000 years ago, the glaciers retreated, leaving their mark in the form of moraines, eskers, and kettle depressions, and in effect sculpted all of the Lakes Region of New Hampshire. read more »

Belknap Mountain Tower in 1989 (Photo courtesy Iris Baird)

Around this time last year, after a period of little rain and low humidity, the Town of Alton experienced a major fire which, fanned by 40 MPH winds, destroyed a number of homes in the Alton Bay area. The town council has been active in reviewing and acting upon prevention suggestions. But one of the first lines of defense remains the Belknap Mountain Fire Tower, in operation since 1913.

Each day may begin like any other for a smoke watcher in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire. The fire watcher makes a visual scan for any blue smoke, reads the weather recording devices, checks the Osborne Fire Finder instrument, settles into the insulated chair, for lightning storms, and makes his morning radio check.  Right now the forest is dry, always flammable, but until the lightning storms later in the summer the danger of fire is moderate. Later, with the afternoon winds, the tower will sway; maybe there will be a visit of St. Elmo’s fire.  Vigilance is the watchword; there are no magazines or newspapers; no telephone, doorbell or mailbox.

The trails to the fire tower are worth the walk. My favorite route is along the ridge from Mt. Major. There are also trails from the Gunstock Recreational Area. The views – what can I say, they’re mesmerizing. Lakes Winnipesaukee, Crystal, Manning, Wentworth, Merrymeeting. The towns of Alton, Gilford, Wolfeboro, Meredith, Center Harbor. To the Northeast, the Maine mountains bordering the ocean, to the North, Mt. Washington and the White Mountains, to the Southwest, Mt. Monadnock.  Dreamlike views, all of it seemingly empty.

It still surprises me somewhat to find people local to the area who have never gained such a perspective offered from the highest point in Belknap County. There are more of them than you would guess. Not so, my friend J.R. Stockwell, the 10th generation native who I believe has hiked more trails, ascended more mountain tops in winter, and taken more advantage of the wonders New Hampshire has to offer than anyone that I know of or have heard of.

I stayed on Belknap Mountain one afternoon until sunset, the sky filled with banks of ragged fiery clouds and then hiked back down in a fine mist as the forest settled in for the night. Time well spent.
Jim Ferriman    Jferriman@spencerhughes.com    603-520-5385

For years I skied the “Champagne Powder” of Steamboat Springs and the advice I gave to talented teenagers was that if they wish to compete on a larger stage they should plan on finishing high school at a ski town in the Northeast part of the country. Why? Edging techniques can’t be taught in 2 feet of powder.

When I myself finally relocated I picked the Lakes Region of New Hampshire partly because of the proximity of Gunstock Ski Resort. Though now I teach by appointment only I did spend a half dozen enjoyable seasons instructing there. For me Gunstock is an instructors dream and the most teachable mountain I have ever experienced.

The secrets of Gunstock lie in the selective nature of the terrain slopes, the low number of mid-week skiers and the uniform consistency of the snow. Once over a period of 4 years a balance impaired skier from Florida, who maintained a second home on the Big Lake, and I worked together in 80 separate lessons that allowed him to become a capable intermediate skier.

The views of Lake Winnipesaukee and its islands from the summit of Gunstock are stunning. This one was taken on at dawn from near the top of the mountain off the intermediate Gunsmoke run. Its no wonder that many of the second homes in the region are principally ski chalets for family and friends. I suggest you check Gunstock.com for this season’s opening date.

Rattlesnake Island

Jim Ferriman Jferriman@spencerhughes.com 603-520-5385

Of course you would! In late September it’s hard to resist the influence of these mysterious chemicals. But they’re not in the drinking water; they’re in the leaves. And the Lakes Region is alive with color this fall foliage season.

Depending on its biochemical makeup, each tree presents a unique hue. Anthocyanins produce blue, red, and violet colors. Tannins produce brown colors, like those in tea and in the mighty oak leaf. Flavones are the yellow found in sumac, horse chestnut, tea and onions.

Like many in the Lakes Region, I prefer maple leaves, but the tenacity of the oak leaf cannot be denied. No matter which autumn color tickles your fancy, you’ll find it here in New Hampshire. Here are some current Lakes Region listings featuring maples, wooded landscapes, or mature trees.

4 Summer Street Milton, NH - MLS No. 2789435 As you can see, this Milton, New Hampshire home is surrounded by deciduous trees. Note the Oak in the foreground; the leaves on this tree won’t turn for another month.

6 Oak Street Wolfeboro, NH - MLS No. 2768147 Another Lakes Region home surrounded by deciduous trees, this historic Wolfeboro home features mature perennial gardens!

176 Ledge Hill Road Tuftonboro, NH – MLS No. 2755352 This antique cape in Tuftonboro, New Hampshire features an open floor plan, exposed original post-and-beam, and 33 wooded acres of autumnal bliss.

Ah, Fall in the New Hampshire Lakes Region!