October 23, 2009

CU 4 Reality Financial Literacy Fair

Posted to Community Lifestyle

CU 4 Reality Financial Literacy Fair was held at Profile High School in Bethlehem, NH. Profile School services the towns of Franconia, Sugar Hill, Easton and Bethlehem.

This was a fascinating program that (from left to right) Beth Horan, Diane Johnson and Steve Gorman from Peabody & Smith Realty participated in. A mix of sorts between career day and real life budgeting. Approximately 170 students grades 9-12 interacted with local business owners and professionals from Franconia, Littleton and surrounding towns. The students role played as consumers with assigned monthly incomes as we helped establish monthly spending guidelines for them with regards to “the real world of housing”.

Each student had a name tag, below was their already accomplished profession such as Veterinarian, dancer, engineer etc. and given an annual salary to work with. At the end of the day it was hoped students would walk away having developed a better understanding of budgeting, and the reality of making real life buying decisions. This included everything from house rentals, home utility costs, home insurance, car purchases, health insurance, clothing for work, the cost of working out at a gym, owning a pet and many others costs they may encounter as they venture out living on their own.

There were some great questions from the students on the housing front:

-Is it furnished or unfurnished?
-Does it cost extra for a pet?
-Do I have to buy my own appliances?
-How long do I have to commit to this apt. for?
-How far from stores is the house? Did they need a car or transportation?

Some on the other hand only cared about who they lived with! Few took note of the aesthetics of the home.

Peabody & Smith hopes this was an enriching day of learning for the students at Profile. We feel privileged for the invitation to take part, it was a delightful way for us to spend the day as a day in the life of a Realtor®!

Posted by:Elizabeth Horan



October 19, 2009

Our St. Johnsbury Office is Moving

Posted to Chrissy Smith

For over three years, we have been operating an office in St. Johnsbury in leased space at 357 Western Avenue. Well we don’t just advise our customers to buy real estate, we buy ourselves! Starting in November, we will be working from our new location at 683 Railroad Street in a building we recently purchased. The building had been previously occupied by Highland Travel, and also has two one-bedroom apartments upstairs. We purchased the building early this fall and have been renovating the office space for the last few weeks.

This new location will mean more space for the staff that has recently doubled to four agents and one assistant. Broker/Owner Andy Smith said, “It’ll be great for our customers because we’ll have more space to meet with our clients and customers. In addition, it’s a highly visible location, right near the heart of downtown.”

We love the St. Johnsbury community, and are committed to the St. Johnsbury real estate market. It was a great opportunity for us. The St. Johnsbury office is comprised of:

  • Robin Jacobs
  • Toni Morris
  • Sam Vance
  • Kris Still
  • Administrative Assistant Stacey Brisson

Posted by:Chrissy Smith



October 14, 2009

First Snowfall at Bretton Woods

Posted to

Today we awoke to our first snowfall at Bretton Woods! You know what that means, time to put away that lawn furniture and get out the skis, snowboards, snowshoes and all the winter garb!

Fittingly, Ski Magazine just came out with their Reader Resort Survey for the Top 10 ski resorts in the East for 2009. Bretton Woods was number 1 for weather, number 2 for family programs, number 3 in snow making, grooming, on-mountain food, service and scenery; number 5 in lodging and number 6 in dining and lifts. Those of us that ski here regularly know all of this, but for those of you who don’t, you may want to take the opportunity to check out Bretton Woods this ski season.

Bretton Woods has always been a family friendly resort, a place many a child has grown up loving and calling “home”! There are currently several opportunities to become a part of this great community. Click here to view properties available for sale.

Posted by:Michele Penner



October 13, 2009

Congratulations to Beth Horan & Susan Jones

Posted to Chrissy Smith

It’s always nice when your colleagues are recognized, and today we are pleased at Peabody & Smith Realty to announce that our own Beth Horan, CRS, SRES and Susan Jones, CRS, GRI have been named to the Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® Power Producer group. According to Leading RE, this select group of real estate professionals represents some of the highest-performing agents in the LeadingRE network. The Power Producers gather by phone each month and share successful ideas and strategies that they have experienced, and that may be helpful to the network’s 150,000 sales associates worldwide. These calls are focused on exploring the most effective ways to serve home buyers and sellers.

Susan Jones, CRS, GRI has been with Peabody & Smith for almost a decade. Jones has earned the GRI designation (Graduate Realtor Institute) and the highly coveted designation of Certified Residential Specialist. She also has a Vermont Real Estate Brokers license.

Beth Horan, CRS, SRES (Senior Real Estate Specialist for agents specializing in properties for senior citizens) has been with Peabody & Smith Realty since 2000. Horan was awarded the Peabody & Smith “Sales Associate of the Year” in 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2008. Horan is also Licensed in Vermont and is one of our bloggers who writes for this blog.

Congratulations to Beth and Susan. All of us feel that with the continual sharing of ideas with other brokers around the country, it helps our agents to brainstorm about new ways to position a home in the marketplace. For our clients, it’s a benefit, because these agents are continually learning new things, in an effort to enhance their clients experience. If you need information on how we can help you sell your home, buy a home, or find an agent in another area, feel free to give us a call, or visit us online at www.peabodysmith.com.

Posted by:Chrissy Smith



October 13, 2009

The first snow of the year!

Posted to

This is the sight from 994 Profile Road this A.M. The first snow of the year! Yippie!

Hope you all have your fall yard clean up done!

Posted by:Elizabeth Horan



October 07, 2009

Ski Season is on the Way!

Posted to Ski Homes in NH

As we listen to the weather forecast for the upcoming weekend that wonderful 4 letter word is mentioned, SNOW! It’s time to put away the beach bags and gear up for ski season. Cannon Mountain is wrapping up its base lodge expansion, flurries are in the air and skiing is just around the corner!

Looking at Cannon, this picture is taken on 10-1-09 from the yard of a spectacular mountain home in Franconia. You’ll love the convenience to slopes, town and interstate. A delightfully warm Adirondack feel with 4 fireplaces that glow from room to room! Cross country ski or hike from your back door to over 80 kilometers of trails.

The Franconia Ski Club is hosting its annual ski swap on Saturday, November 7th from 8am-1pm at the Lafayette Elementary School in Franconia. Get there early as things go fast. Also, don’t forget our favorite folks at the Franconia Sports Shop, check out their great line of apparel and goods with things arriving daily.

Looking to make lasting family memories? Have you ever considered a vacation home in the area? With great inventory, low interest rates and real estate prices at an all time low, you may be surprised how much your money can buy! There is a colonial with 4 bedrooms that is located half way between town and skiing. This home would be comfortable for 2 families to share as a ski home. Or an in town beautifully restored home, again with plenty of room for more than one family to enjoy.

If your vacation style is more suited to condominium’s, The Village At Maplewood in Bethlehem, New Hampshire is located 1/2 way between Bretton Woods Ski Area and Cannon Mtn. A beautiful end unit with 5 bedrooms and 3 full levels of living space is available at the Village At Maplewood. Tucked in off the road this quiet complex is most special. You can enjoy the walking trails, rec center with indoor pool, workout room and Jacuzzi.  Or follow the side walk to town and take in a movie at the Colonial Theatre, shop at WREN and dine at Cold Mountain Cafe. Ah so much to do yet such a quiet little spot!

In any event, as foliage winds down I hope the brisk air brings on the excitement of skiing and winter. Think snow!



Posted by:Elizabeth Horan



October 07, 2009

Is My Home Ready to Sell?

Posted to Joy Moore

Are you thinking about selling your home? In today’s market, it’s true that properties priced closer to market value will sell first. In addition, the better “primed” your house is, the chances are it will show better than the next and therefore possibly sell before other similar properties.

With the current market conditions and surplus of inventory, as agents we find the first time we take buyers out they are often shopping to remove homes from their list. Removing any homes that they recognize as not fitting their criteria and also those that don’t show well, in short, those that don’t leave a lasting impression.

In the buyer’s eyes, the care you show for your home can be an immediate correlation to how you have maintained your home. The servicing of the furnace, pumping of the septic, cleaning the chimneys. lawn mowing etc. Current service records and a house that is uncluttered and gleams will set yours apart and leave it at the top of their list to consider for a 2nd showing.

As members of the Council of Residential Specialists we would like to share with you the helpful hints list to preparing your home to sell. These suggestions will help you gain a competitive edge. Just remember EVERY detail matters when we have the opportunity to show your home!

If you would like more information on what you can do, please feel free to give us a call, we’re happy to help.

Posted by:Joy Moore and Beth Horan