Just in time for Mother’s Day 2012, all the bushes in our Portsmouth NH yard are in full bloom.

We have some beautiful Rhododendron bushes in our yard, this is is just outside my office window so I noticed it right away this morning. The Red Azalea above is in full bloom also and seems especially colorful this year.

All the Azalea bushes are blooming now.

This Purple Lilac bush beside the garage is about 8 feet tall and full of blossoms. The Lilac is the New Hampshire state flower and was introduced to American by the British Colonial Governor of NH Benning Wentworth around 1750. His former residences is now a state historic site. And last but not least, the Spirea hedge along the side of the yard fills the area with it’s beautiful fragrance each year and is filled with delicate white blossoms.

Portsmouth New Hampshire is a beautiful NH Seacoast town and a great place to live and work. Visit NewHampshireMaineRealEstate.com to see all the New Hampshire and Maine real estate for sale.

Ann Cummings and I are always glad to answer any Portsmouth or area questions and to help you buy or sell a home. Give us a call at 603-431-1111, extension 3839 for Ann and 3801 for Jim.

Here’s the January sales report for Portsmouth NH.

Visit NewHampshireMaineRealEstate.com to see all the Portsmouth NH area homes for sale, created a saved search and get email updates of new listings and price reductions on existing homes for sale.

January Portsmouth NH Existing Home Sales

Driving into downtown Portsmouth NH this afternoon we noticed that one of the two towers was missing from the under demolition Memorial Bridge so we stopped by Prescott Park to get a closer look. This bridge is currently being removed to be replaced by a new one connecting Portsmouth NH with Kittery, Maine.

Once we got closer we saw that the tower on the Portsmouth NH side of the bridge was gone leaving the remaining on on the Kittery ME side. The Piscataqua River was unusually calm today; it’s usually flowing very swiftly and only gets this calm a couple of times a day as the tide turns.

Just to give you a frame of reference, this is what the Portsmouth NH Memorial Bridge looked like before the demolition began. The center section between the two tall towers lifts up to allow large ships and sailboats to pass through. This iconic bridge was built in 1923 and has been in continuous service up until a couple of month ago. A new bridge is going to be built on the same site and once again connect Portsmouth NH with Kittery ME. The new bridge is scheduled to be opened in June of 2013. Here’s a link to the New Hampshire DOT website put up for this Portsmouth NH project.

The construction crew was hard at work with two enormous cranes in action lifting old bridge parts down onto waiting barges. We saw a small blue object dangling from one of the cranes.

I zoomed in to get a closer look and discovered it was a porta potty being moved from the bridge down onto one of the barges. I guess that’s a new kind of ‘special delivery’ service.

Then one of the tugboats that had been docked on the opposite side of the bridge came steaming around to the side we were watching from.

I got some great shots of the little red tugboat reflecting in the quiet waters.

Both these tugboats docked at the barges moored to the bridge. The tower from the Portsmouth NH side was on one of the barges so I’m assuming they will be sailing it off to the scrap yard for recycling soon.

That’s my update on the Portsmouth NH Memorial Bridge Project; stay tuned for further updates as demolition progresses and construction of our new bridge begins.

For an update on new listings in Portsmouth NH and the rest of the New Hampshire Seacoast areas including Rye, New Castle, Hampton, Seabrook, Exeter, Dover, and other areas please visit our website, www,NewHampshireMaineRealEstate.com.

Its updated daily with new listings, price reductions, and other information. You can sign up to get email updates to keep you current on what’s for sale in the Portsmouth NH and other Seacoast areas.

If you have any questions or would like to talk with my partner Ann Cummings or I about Portsmouth NH or southern Maine real estate or area questions just give us a call or email. We’re easy to reach at 603-431-1111, extension 3839 for Ann, 3801 for Jim.

“Your Seacoast Real Estate Experts” Portsmouth NH

I love Exeter, NH. We live in Portsmouth which is only about a 15 minute drive away from Exeter and we also do a lot of real estate business there as well.

Recently I took our my trusty FLIP video camera, set the tripod on the dash, and turned it on as I drove through town on my way to showing. Come on along.

And here’s where we headed to show a couple of terrific condos we have for sale in Exeter.

Now that we’ve had a good look at the grounds at Norrisbrook, let’s go inside out listings and have a look around.

First is unit P5, the first building on the right as you enter Norrisbrook and one of the first ones built.

And last, but certainly not least, is J5 which is on the opposite side of Norrisbrook.

There you have it; a tour of Exeter, NH, a drive around the Norrisbrook condominium complex and a video tour of two great condos for sale.

My partner Ann Cummings and I would be delighted to show you either or both of these great homes. We also do a great job selling homes too, so if you’re thinking of selling we would love to sit down and talk with you at your convenience.

Visit New Hampshire Maine Real Estate to  see all the Exeter, Portsmouth, NH Seacoast, and southern Maine homes for sale. Lots of good real estate tips there as well including how to prepare your home for sale, buying tips, staging help, and lots more.

Give us a call, email, text, or visit us in our RE/MAX Coast To Coast Properties office in Portsmouth; just let us know when you’re coming so we’ll be sure and be there.

You can reach us at 603-431-1111, (yep, we’re the 1’s to call :0), Ann’s extension is 3839 and mine is 3801.

Here’s the weekly sales and trend report from the Portsmouth New Hampshire area. This week’s median list price in Portsmouth NH this week is $380,900. Click the map below to see what $350,000 to $400,000 will get you in Portsmouth.

This report breaks the market into quartiles by median price with the most expensive Portsmouth homes being in the top 25% and the least expensive. The “Market Action Index” is at 12.8 which indicates a strong buyer’s market for Portsmouth NH.

There are currently 133 single family homes and condos on the market in the Portsmouth NH area. To see all of them plus any other New Hampshire and Maine listings for sale visit www.NewHampshireMaineRealEstate.com for the most accurate and up to date information. Sign up here to receive updates whenever a new listing comes on the market meeting your personal search criteria, a price is reduced on one of your favorites, and any other listing change.

New Hampshire Waterfront home with boat dock

20 Shore Road (formerly 15 Lily Pond Road) Somersworth, NH Offered at $239,900 3 Bedrooms 2 Bathrooms 1443 Square Feet 0.95 Acres Built in 1965 More Details at Ann & Jim Team Site Looking for a tranquil New Hampshire Waterfront home? Look no further! Come check out this great New Hampshire waterfront home , complete with dock and great privacy. You’ll feel like you’re in your own little world yet so very close to all amenities and commuter routes. Front to back fireplaced living room, large kitchen and dining area, sunroom, seasonal porch along the back of the house overlooking the water. Master bedroom runs the width of the house offering beautiful lake views. Beautiful lot just under an acre – what a sweet spot to come home to at the end of the day! Listed by: Ann Cummings / Ann & Jim Team Site

Take a virtual tour of this New Hampshire Waterfront property.

visit www.NewHampshireMaineRealEstate.com to search and see all New Hampshire and Maine Real Estate listings for sale. Receive daily update of new listings and price reductions and don’t miss out on your dream house. Nearby Dover New Hampshire is a vibrant, thriving town with all the nearby amenities you’ll need.

Take a look at the New Hampshire Waterfront Home!

It’s always fun to walk around downtown Portsmouth New Hampshire, especially on the weekends.

Lots of people come to Portsmouth to visit, hang out, go to an event, or eat in one of our many restaurants. You can walk or bike EVERYWHERE here!

Portsmouth New Hampshire  is consistently rated as one of the most walking and bike friendly towns in the United States.

We stopped by the Portsmouth New Hampshire Post Office first to drop off some mail. This tall red thing is an antique mailbox on display outside. It’s about 5 feet tall and the mail drop slot is just above the white rectangular box on the front. I have no idea how long ago it was since this type of mailbox was used but it’s certainly eye catching.

Mail chores done we walked down to the Portsmouth Market Square to see what was going on. The Market Square is a great place to people watch and there is usually something going on there; some buskers, horse drawn carriage rides, and the square is also a popular starting or ending point for 5 & 10K races.

This Saturday there was a guy playing some pretty cool jazz on a saxophone.

We listened to him play a few songs, watched the horse drawn carriage clip clop by and then walked on over to The River House on Portsmouth New Hampshire Harbor for some lunch.

   We noticed it was a pretty busy Saturday for all the restaurants in downtown Portsmouth New Hampshire but we knew that the downstairs dining room at the River House is ‘first come, first served’ and we found a table right away. I had their award winning Seafood Chowder which immediately won a taste award with me. Thick, creamy, and loaded with lobster, scallops, shrimp, clams, and haddock. A nice hot cup of chowder and a half a grilled Panini roast beef & cheddar cheese hit the spot. The Portsmouth New Hampshire Harbor views from the River House are awesome from all three of their levels; you’re looking right at the where the Moran tugboats dock as well as the dock where the big ships that deliver road salt tie up as well as the sightseeing dock for the M/V Thomas Laighton.

In the photo below is one of the big ships that deliver road salt to the regional distribution center in Portsmouth New Hampshire.

This one is empty or almost empty; you can tell by how high the ship is setting in the water. The dark red bottom of the hull is under the waterline when they first come into port at Portsmouth New Hampshire.

After lunch we walked along the Riverwalk which is a cool little passage way along Portsmouth New Hampshire Harbor with several restaurant patios at harborside. There was a hardy soul rowing out on the harbor. We then went back up to the street level and came out on Bow Street.

We noticed a sidewalk sign advertising The Wellington Room, a cool looking restaurant up a flight of stairs and as we were reading a very nice young lady who worked there was coming to work so she invited us up to take a look around. Our first visit to The Wellington Room, a very small & unique restaurant overlooking Portsmouth New Hampshire Harbor. Below is the view from of the windows showing both the Middle Bridge and the Interstate 95 bridge into Maine in the background. I can imagine how picturesque and romantic this restaurant would be at night. We’ll be back for dinner soon.

Walking back from Portsmouth Harbor towards market square we noticed a display of typewriters, yep, actual typewriters, for sale in a store window. That’s a sight you don’t see often. Even though it was later afternoon, downtown Portsmouth New Hampshire was still pretty lively with lots of people walking driving around.

Still not wanting to go home we decided to ride down to the beach and have a look at the Atlantic Ocean. That’s another of the cool things about living in Portsmouth New Hampshire, you can be at the beach in 5 minutes or less.

It was a beautiful day as usual at the beach in Rye. Even though there was a cool breeze blowing there were some hardy folks walking and biking along the beach. We love living and working in the Portsmouth New Hampshire Seacoast; it’s a beautiful spot in most any direction you look.

If buying or selling a home or condo in the New Hampshire Seacoast towns of Portsmouth, New Castle, Rye, Hampton Beach, or Seabrook & southern Maine is in your future we invite you to visit www.NewHampshireMaineRealEstate.com to see all our real estate listings for sale.

My partner Ann Cummings and I are happy to answer any questions you may have about the area or our real estate. We have lots of years each in the business and have helped hundreds of nice people just like you buy or sell a home. We would love to help you find a home in Portsmouth New Hampshire too, just give us a call or email.

Today my partner Ann Cummings  and I were out showing properties on the New Hampshire Seacoast. The day got off to a frosty start, it was 5 degrees this morning and there was 4 inches of snow on the ground from yesterday.

However a little snow and cold weather doesn’t stop the show in the New Hampshire Seacoast; the roads have all been plowed and the sun was shining brightly in a beautiful blue sky..

First stop was this beauty in Stratham NH. Priced at $713,900, it was the least expensive of the day. However it showed very well and had a lot to offer including a huge unfinished basement and a finished third level.

Next up was This imposing home in North Hampton. Priced at $1,150,000 it also had a lot to offer with lots of marble and stone work and radiant heating on the main level. That felt good to the feet after being outside.

And last but certainly not least was this marvelous home back in Portsmouth in Tucker’s Cove and listed for $1,250,000. This one felt like home but certainly had lots of high end features you would expect in a home like this. Some of the features that caught my eye were the stunning master bedroom, walk out, finished lower level and the huge yard plus you are less than 5 minutes from downtown Portsmouth here.

If you’re in the market for a new home in the New Hampshire Seacoast (or maybe you have one to sell?) we need to talk. My partner Ann Cummings and I have lots of years of successful real estate experience and can guide you down the path to homeownership or get your home sold. Take a look at our website, NewHampshireMaineRealEstate.com and see what some of our former buyers and sellers have been kind enough to say about working with us.

We not only get the job done for you, we make the process fun too. Real Estate should not be a teeth grinding, nerve racking ordeal but rather a pleasant experience that ends up with the desired result. That’s what we do and that’s what we’re about.

Give us a call soon and let’s talk.

Ann and Jim, your New Hampshire Seacoast real estate professionals

You can get a list like the one below with daily changes, price reductions, and new listings in and around the Portsmouth NH Seacoast & southern Maine areas.

Portsmouth New Hampshire Real Estate Inventory of homes for sale

Click the links below to see these Seacoast New Hampshire listings or visit www.NewHampshireMaineRealEstate.com to set up your own search and daily update for Portsmouth, Rye, Hampton, Seabrook, and other New Hampshire and Southern Maine real estate.

• 782 Elwyn Road, Portsmouth, NH     $239,00     New Listing
• 404 Sagamore Road, Rye, NH Updated Listing
• 22 Mangrove Street, Portsmouth, NH  Updated Listing
• 3 Currier’s Cove, Portsmouth, NH  Updated Listing

Set up your own search and receive daily updates just like the one above with houses and condos like the ones you’re looking for. Quick, easy, and no hassles.

My partner Ann Cummings and I are happy to answer any questions you have about the New Hampshire Seacoast and southern Maine areas. As Portsmouth residents we’re very familiar with all the towns and areas around.

Now that 2011 is over it’s time to take a look ahead and see what the new year holds for the Portsmouth NH real estate market.

As you can see from the graph below Portsmouth sales have been trending upwards for the past 2 years; no reason to think that won’t continue in 2012. I don’t believe it will be a return to the sales volumes in the mid 2000s but any upward trend is welcome in this market.

The graph below shows the average days on the market for Portsmouth NH homes for sale. The average dropped 25 days from 2009 which means houses are selling more quickly; another good sign.

Portsmouth’s absorption rate (time to sell) is also moving towards a more balanced market.

According to our Multiple Listing Service (MLS), there are currently 121 active residential and condo listings in Portsmouth NH. Total 2011 sales of Portsmouth NH single family homes and condos were 260 or 21.67 homes per month.

To calculate Portsmouth’s absorption rate (time to sell the current inventory) divide by 12 into the past years sales numbers and then divide that number into the current inventory. 21.67 homes sold per month divided into the ones current for sale (121) equals 5.58 or just under 6 months absorption time. That number does not take into account new listings coming on the market during that time which tend to make the absorption rate higher.
All in all though 2012 numbers seems to be pointing towards a more balanced market. Unknown factors like the future unemployment rates and availability of financing are both wild cards that can change the predictions either way.

If you have an questions about real estate in the Seacoast areas of New Hampshire or southern Maine my partner Ann Cummings and I would love to hear from you. Here’s what two of our recent sellers had to say about their experience working with us to get their home sold.

Visit our website, www.NewHampshireMaineRealEstate.com to see all the lovely homes for sale in our area. If you’re thinking of selling we have a spot for you in our “Featured Homes” section which will bring lots of Internet buyers to see your home online.