December 30, 2009

The RCC Designation and What It Means

Posted to Chrissy Smith

I recently earned the “RCC” designation from the Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®. Now I can be referred to as, “Chrissy Smith, RCC.” But what does the RCC abbreviation mean?  Well, it stands for “RELO Certified Coordinator” and it means that I have met a number of educational requirements and demonstrated a working knowledge of how to handle relocating clients and customers, and the policies and procedures of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®. For the last year, I have been the point of contact for companies who call us because they have a client or customer who may be relocating here to the White Mountains of NH or the Green Mountains of VT. Or even to Central NH. We have offices in all locations, and I am the point of contact for those firms who are also members of LeadingRE, and looking to help their customers find a firm and agency in this area. We also are able to help clients and customers who live here in the Greater Littleton, St. Johnsbury or Plymouth markets, but who may be purchasing a home in another area, or even selling a home in another area. We are able through our network of LeadingRE affiliates, to find an independent real estate firm, who can assist them as they reach their goals. We try to offer a solution for them, whether they need real estate help in this area, or in another state, or in another country.

Through our LeadingRE affiliates, we help locally, and globally. So if you need any help relocating, or looking for a second home in another area, or need to sell your second home in another state, please feel free to give us a call at 603-444-1294 or email me at chrissy@peabodysmith.com, and let’s see how we can help you. Its a free service we offer, and we love to help!

Posted by:Chrissy Smith



December 29, 2009

Winter wonderland in the White Mountains of New Hampshire

Posted to Events & Activities

I was privileged to enjoy a few days of “rest and relaxation” while the kids were on Christmas break from school. We went skiing at Bretton Woods, sledding in the back yard most of all enjoyed our new toy for Christmas, a Wii console. If you are not familiar with the Wii system it is the most incredible gaming system with intuitive controls that literally my 75(ish?) father can play and scads of games that everyone in the family can enjoy. Now that that Bethlehem has more snow the kids have been clamoring to get the snowmobiles out and I am looking forward to riding the local trails in our area. My husband has dad time with our 2 oldest sons and he goes on the longer snowmobile trips. From the Bethlehem trail system he can easily connect either to Twin Mountain that connects all the way to Canada! Or Littleton trails- the possibilities for travel on the snowmobiles are endless. One of the things I am asked frequently is “Where can we get warm and get a quick bite to eat then get back on the sleds in Bethlehem?” The Village Store on Main Street is a great place to grab a hot, homemade sandwich, chili and more even more importantly it is warm and inviting unfortunately there is no seating inside because it is a grocery store but stay for a while chat with some of the people, you never know who you will meet and how welcome you will feel even at a local grocery store. So now I am rejuvenated am ready to get back to work! I am looking forward to more posts about Bethlehem and White Mountains area real estate soon.

Posted by:Diane Johnson



December 29, 2009

Snow Glorious Snow in Bretton Woods

Posted to Events & Activities, Ski Homes in NH

So this year was one of the few years we did not get any snow fall on Christmas Day. The ground was covered, but none magically falling fresh as we have come to expect each Christmas morning. Apparently Mother Nature’s calendar was just a few days off. We have been getting clobbered with snow since yesterday afternoon. I would estimate over a foot has fallen already. I have to admit I have not strapped on the skis yet… don’t really know what I am waiting for as conditions have been superb at Bretton Woods! We did have rain that spoiled some of it the other day; however as of this morning there are 55 of 101 trails open, and with a foot plus of fresh powder, what more could you ask for? For all you Nordic skiers, there are 17 of 49 trails open. For non-skiers, or for a special treat after a day or two of skiing, you must try out the spa. It is an experience you won’t soon forget. Bretton Woods offers a variety of great outdoor activities, from dogsledding, tubing, sleigh rides, ice skating, Snowshoeing and high-alpine eco tours, to the usual alpine and Nordic skiing. Last year the canopy tour was introduced and it has been a favorite ever since.

Lots of fun things going on in the next few days…check it out. The torchlight parade is back!!!

There are plenty of opportunities to make Bretton Woods your home away from home. Click here to view available properties for sale.

Posted by:Michele Penner



December 28, 2009

Snowmobile Lots in Lancaster

Posted to Joy Moore

With the winter here and snow on the ground, the snowmobile enthusiasts are calling our Peabody and Smith offices for properties with snow-mobile access in our north country area of New Hampshire. I have listed for sale 2 lots, (10 and 11 acre) with access to the VAST Trails of Vermont, linking with trails where you can ride from Portsmouth, NH to Montreal Quebec, Canada.

Posted by:Joy Moore



December 23, 2009

Missy Sullivan Joins Peabody & Smith Realty

Posted to Chrissy Smith

We are thrilled to announce that we have expanded more in our Plymouth NH Office and we recently welcomed Missy Sullivan, a veteran Real Estate agent as a Sales Associate.

Missy has had a real estate license for eighteen years, and began actively practicing for the past five years. Missy is a Plymouth NH native, and is knowledgeable about the area as a whole. Like our other agents in the office, Missy has a strong understanding of the schools, recreation opportunities, and more for buyers who may be relocating to the Plymouth area.

Our Plymouth office at 85 Main Street, now has four full time agents, and one licensed administrative professional. We are looking to grow further in the Plymouth area, and continue to assist our new and existing clients.”

Personally, Missy was a cheerleading coach for 12 years at both Plymouth Regional and Newfound High School. She says she can now be “a cheerleader for her listings to help get them sold!” She is married and has two teenagers. Missy can be reached by phone in Plymouth at 238-6990 or using her direct line at the “Push to Talk” button below.

email fax

Missy can also be reached by email at missys@peabodysmith.com. Our direct lines, for our Plymouth and St. J offices are set up to ring at their desks, then at their cell phone, so they are available anytime.

Welcome Missy! We’re thrilled to have you on the Peabody & Smith Realty team!

Posted by:Chrissy Smith



December 14, 2009

Four of our Peabody & Smith Agents Achieve the CBR Designation

Posted to Chrissy Smith

Once again, we are so pleased at how our agents continually learn new things, take new classes and earn designations to help their clients and customers. Recently, four of our Broker Associates completed the Certified Buyer Representative Program and now have the initials CBR® after their name.

Beth Horan, Joy Moore, Mary O’Toole, and Susan Jones were recently certified by RealNet Learning Services of McLean, Virginia, as CBR®-Certified Buyer Representatives. They are now trained in the professional representation of home purchasers. Buyer Representative is a cooperating agent who legally represents the real estate buyer. Each agent completed three days of extensive training to earn this Designation. According to the CBR website, less than 1% of the agents in the country have earned this designation.

Beth is one of our bloggers at www.guidemehome2thewhitemountainsofnh.com. She has been with Peabody & Smith Realty for over a decade. She is licensed in both New Hampshire and Vermont and works out of their Franconia office.

Joy Moore is another one of our bloggers, and works out of the Littleton office of Peabody & Smith. She was also named in 2009 as the Lakes Region Board, Realtor of the Year. She has worked at Peabody & Smith for 15 years, and is also licensed in the state of Vermont. Real Estate has been her passion for over twenty years.

Mary O’Toole has been with Peabody & Smith for almost five years. She is licensed in New Hampshire and works also out of their Franconia office.

Susan Jones obtained her real estate license almost a decade ago. She has worked for Peabody & Smith during that time. She is also licensed to sell real estate in Vermont.

“As always, I am so proud of these agents. They continue to exceed expectations in order to make their clients experience with them, and with the company, the best it can be through their continued knowledge and education.” said Andy Smith, Broker/Owner of Peabody & Smith.

With 28 full time Realtors, and a support staff of seven, we have offices in Franconia, Littleton, Plymouth and St. Johnsbury. We are members of and one of only 600 firms chosen as part of The Leading Real Estate Companies of the World. As a member, Peabody & Smith Realty, Inc. is affiliated with the finest real estate firms worldwide. The relationship also enables us to assist individuals relocating to virtually any community in the U.S. or abroad. Just give us a call if we can help.

Posted by:Chrissy Smith



December 04, 2009

December Market Watch from Peabody & Smith Realty

Posted to

It has been quite a ride in 2009, rising foreclosures, lower housing prices, and at the beginning of the year it all was looking so bleak. However, it would appear we have hit bottom and are rebounding, both nationally and locally. Fed Chairman Ben Bernacke was recently quoted as saying,

“Housing in the coming year is going to be a relative bright spot - a helpful driver of national economic growth, rather than the wet blanket it’s been for the past couple of years.”

The headlines are everywhere:

“Pending home sales have risen for nine months in a row, a first for the series of the index since its inception in 2001, according to the National Association of Realtors.

“New Hampshire home sales show 8 percent increase in October” according to the NH Association of Realtors.

Locally, from the graphs you can see we have compared the first 11 months of 2009 to the same time frame in 2008. For some towns like St. Johnsbury VT the numbers stayed relatively the same. 30% more houses were sold, with a slightly lower sales price from the year before and the days that the houses stayed on the market actually decreased, so for St. Johnsbury, the market really held its own year over year. However, for the towns of Lyndon and Burke, average selling prices dropped just over 20%, which are numbers that have been seen on the national scale.

In New Hampshire, Littleton experienced a similar feat as St. Johnsbury. More houses sold, with a similar sales price year over year, but a higher number of days the house stayed on the market. For the town of Plymouth, more houses sold in 2009, the average selling price was up by 20% and days on market increased slightly. Very encouraging indeed.

So while doom and gloom seemed to prevail in the media, and in water cooler discussion, many of our larger area towns held their own and weathered the storm in decent shape. Granted this data is only through the first of December, but we don’t expect huge changes at the end of the year.

What drove the market this year? Well, certainly the First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit of $8,000 helped, as some buyers raced to beat the November 30th deadline, which has now been extended until the end of June. For others, they recognized the good values of the homes being offered, and made purchases either for themselves to live in, or are going to use them as an investment tool.

For 2010, we expect that the new Move Up Tax Credit of $6500 will certainly help drive some sales. This tax credit is for buyers who already own a home, but are purchasing another one, and it doesn’t have to be more expensive than the one they currently own. The First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit has been extended until June of 2010, and that’s an $8000 tax credit for someone who hasn’t owned a home in 3 years. There is more information about these tax credits on our website, www.peabodysmith.com

But we can’t talk about 2009, and even 2010 without discussing the foreclosures and short sales we have seen. Homes are selling that have been foreclosed on, and we have helped to facilitate a number of “short sales” - sales where the sellers owes more on the property than they can sell it for. For sellers, this is a terrifying position to be in, but its imperative to be pro-active and reach out for help. There are two area resources to help - AHEAD Home Ownership Center in Littleton (and they serve Plymouth and beyond) and Gilman Housing Trust in Vermont Both of these non-profits have programs to try to help you should you find yourself in this position. But please, give us a call, talk to an agent, and let’s see what we can do to help.

2010 should certainly see the market rebound a bit, but it will be many years before we see the same price levels that we unnaturally hit in the boom times of 2005. The rebound will be at more sustainable levels over many years, leading to a healthy market again.

I’ve said it before, and it bears repeating. Interest rates are at their lowest levels right now, and the housing affordability index is at its lowest since 1970, if you are ready to buy a home, or invest in the market for the long term, this is the time to do it. Selection is good, and its a buyers market. Give us a call, develop a relationship with an agent. Let us get to know you, so we can help you find the home, land, business or rental that you’ve been waiting for.


Posted by:Andrew Smith



December 04, 2009

3 Peabody & Smith agents awarded Green Designation

Posted to

We are so pleased with our Peabody & Smith agents continually taking new classes in order to better help their customers and clients. We are pleased to announce that three of our agents, Beth Horan, Terry Penner and Michele Penner have been awarded the National Association of REALTOR®’s (NAR’s) Green Designation, the only green real estate professional designation recognized by NAR.

Beth, Terry & Michele achieved this prestigious designation after completing 18 hours of course work designated specifically for REALTORS®. The Courses were created in collaboration with a multidisciplinary team of industry experts from across the country, ensuring designees gain comprehensive knowledge of green homes and buildings and issues of sustainability in relation to real estate.

They were each trained in understanding what makes a property green, how to help clients evaluate the cost/benefits of green building features and practices, and how to distinguish between industry rating and classification systems. They learned about a number of other topics also including: listing and marketing green homes and buildings, discussing the financial grants and incentives available to home owners, and helping consumers see a property’s green potential.

As NAR Green Designees, Beth, Terry and Michele have gained the knowledge and the tools necessary to become a trusted green resource for the North Country. We do have a number of green homes in the area for sale, including this one in Woodsville NH.

Beth has been with Peabody & Smith Realty for over a decade. And the Penner’s have owned property at Bretton Woods since 1996 and moved here full time a few years ago to pursue a real estate career.

Congratulations to Beth and the Penner’s, from all of us at Peabody & Smith Realty!

Posted by:Chrissy Smith