Major Changes Affecting Waterfront Property!

New Hampshire is getting ready to make some major changes to the Comprehensive Shoreland Protection Act (CSPA). These new changes which are supposed to go into effect July 1, 2008 will have a significant impact on waterfront properties. The new regulations will severely limit what you can do to landscape and expand a waterfront property.

I foresee that this will bring the value on waterfront camps down and raise the value of waterfront homes that already have done significant amounts of landscaping and expansion. Fortunately there are some great contacts out there and websites to help people understand what is going on

Because of the changes mentioned above, it has become more imperative to enlist the expertise of a specialist. An excellent company who I have used recently is Shorefront Planning Associates. Their website www.shorefrontplanning.com, has become a necessity for today’s waterfront buyer in assisting them to fully understand the new rules and in helping clarify what is truly possible on their waterfront lot of choice.

Below are some summaries of the major issues involved with these changes. I got this information from the NH Shorefront Association website and this LINK will take you to the page that further discusses below.

WHAT PROPERTIES DOES REVISED RSA 483-B THE CSPA REGULATE?

The revised CSPA (RSA 483-B) regulates all property within 250 ft of the "reference line" of water bodies including; lakes, ponds, rivers, tidal waters, "designated rivers", and fourth order streams. In layman's terms, if there is water adjacent to your property on a year-round basis, you are most likely regulated under RSA 483-B the CSPA. If you are not sure, consult NH DES or a water or wetlands professional.

PERMIT REQUIRED
Most all work within the protected shoreland now requires a formal permit from the NH DES Shoreland Division (there are a few exceptions - see CSPA rules). Work in the bank that requires and receives a NH DES Wetlands Bureau Permit will not be required to seek a separate CSPA permit, but will be reviewed such that the project meets the CSPA standards related to the project...

IMPERVIOUS LIMITS
All land within the protected shoreland is now subject to impervious surface limits of 20% or 30% coverage subject to varying levels of environmental protections and stormwater management (see above)...

WATERFRONT BUFFER
All land within 50 ft of the reference line is now subject to tree cutting and ground cover impact restrictions based upon a 50 ft x 50 ft grid system and is called the "Waterfront Buffer"...

UNDISTURBED AREA
All land in the "Woodland Buffer" (150 ft of the reference line) is now subject to a restriction on disturbance - 50% of the area outside the impervious area limits must be maintained in an "unaltered state" including temporary impacts (see amendment for less than 1/2 acres lots - see above)...see changes for smaller lots in amended SB-352...

STATEWIDE 50 ft SETBACK
All new primary structures must be set back at least 50 ft from the reference line statewide (towns and cities cannot set lower limits, but may enact greater standards)...

Click HERE for NHDES summary of the CSPA as of the April 1, 2008

Source:

http://sunapeeregionblog.com/2008/06/24/major-changes-affecting-waterfront-property/

Not ready to sell? Thinking about selling but not sure where to spend "pre-market" money?

Kitchens, bathrooms, and flooring have been the typical areas to target but things are changing! Don't get me wrong, those areas are very important, but with heating oil at well over $4/gallon it is important to focus on maximizing your homes efficiency. There is a whole slue of options out there that don't cost an arm and a leg to do and there are also ways to spend large amounts of money.

Below are two fairly budget sensitive options.

• Tankless Hot Water Heaters--On demand hot water forever. This is an excellent option if you don't have oil heat. I have one in my house and it is remarkable, plus it resulted in around a 10% savings in my heating cost. Check out their website Here

• Energy Audit--A certified technician can come to your home and calculate where your primary heat loss on the property is and help you determine what you can do to solve this problem. Typically it comes down to adding more insulation in the attic, basement and garage (if attached). A great NH contact for this is Gretchen Tillson from GDS Associates in Manchester NH. 603-656-0336 www.gdsassociates.com

If you'd like to invest a bit more into your home the following options can get big results

• Solar panels for your hot water. This of course requires solar panels and then you need to have a hot water storage tank. I am a big fan of Viessmann Boilers and products so check out their solar product line Here.

• When was the last time you had your heating system serviced? You know, that thing lurking in your basement that you only notice when there's a problem? This is a great area where you can make a huge improvement on your heating costs if you have an older outdated system. Viessmann has a wall mounted condensing boiler that's only slightly larger than the tankless hot water heaters I mentioned above. This boiler gets a 95.2% efficiency rating which is huge considering most peoples systems are typically in the 70 to 80% range. Here's its page and this link will take you to the rest of Viessmann's product line

• Appliances--If you have older appliances buying some energy star rated systems can be a great start. I'm personally a fan of the Kenmore product line..here's their page on Sear's website. Beyond the great looks of new appliances you can expect you electric bill go go down slightly, plus buyers with love it.

If you are considering new construction an excellent site to check out is Green Builder Mag. They have tons of information on Green Products and energy efficient systems and materials for your home.

Source:
http://sunapeeregionblog.com/2008/06/21/not-ready-to-sell-thinking-about-selling-but-not-sure-where-to-spend-pre-market-money/

May 2008 Sales

Now that we are past Memorial Day, summer has kicked off in full swing in the Sunapee area (regardless of prices we are seeing at the pump). Golf tournaments are dominating the country club scene, local theaters have opened their doors for summer productions, road races and rallies are defying the black fly season and art lovers are making their way around to the local galleries.

The Sunapee region has truly embraced the start of the season, for a calendar of the ongoing activities you may want to check out the Lake Sunapee Region Chamber of Commerce calendar Here as well as the Mount Sunapee calendar of events Here.

Historical Sales For Our 16 Local Towns
January 2006—23 Sales
January 2007—29 Sales
January 2008—27 Sales
February 2006—26 Sales
February 2007—30 Sales
February 2008—25 Sales
March 2006—35 Sales
March 2007—38 Sales
March 2008—17 Sales
April 2006—46 Sales
April 2007—28 Sales
April 2008—21 Sales
May 2006—56 Sales
May 2007—53 Sales
May 2008—34 Sales

• 34 properties went under agreement this past month
  

Andover, NH

• $165,000—123 Franklin Highway, Andover NH
• $264,900—101 Lockwood Rd, Andover NH

Grantham NH

• $30,000—9 Beech Ridge Rd, Grantham NH
• $160,000—17 Barn Owl Overlook, Grantham NH
• $167,000—10 Highwood Way, Grantham NH
• $220,000—27 Greensward Drive, Grantham NH
• $252,500—19 Deer Run, Grantham NH
• $270,000—45 Troon Drive, Grantham NH
• $325,000—28 Slalmon Drive, Grantham NH
• $364,000—11 Fairway Drive, Grantham NH
• $399,000—490 Dunbar Hill Rd, Grantham NH

Lempster NH

• $105,000—201 Nichols, Lempster NH
• $270,000—412 Dodge Hollow Rd, Lempster NH

New London NH

• $539,500—123 Spruce Lane, New London NH

Newbury NH

• $272,050—14 Pinecliff Rd, Newbury NH
• $430,000—51 Richards Rd, Newbury NH

Newport NH

• $155,000—122 North Main St, Newport NH
• $167,000—14 Fairway Ave, Newport NH
• $175,000—30 School St, Newport NH
• $180,000—28 Karlene St, Newport NH
• $225,000—44 Golf Club Rd, Newport NH

Springfield NH

• $127,900—1595 Stoney Brook Rd, Springfield NH
• $268,000—256 Hogg Hill Rd, Springfield NH

Sunapee NH

• $1,032,500—39 Lake Ave, Sunapee NH
• $1,390,000—42 Garnet St, Sunapee NH

Sutton NH

• $157,000—329 Route 114, Sutton NH
• $268,000—1779 Route 114, Sutton NH

Warner NH

• $252,000—89 Poverty Plains Rd, Warner NH

Washington NH

• $109,000—56 Faxon Hill Rd, Washington NH
• $204,000—23 Harrison, Washington NH
• $290,000—290 Coolidge Drive, Washington NH
• $350,000—11 Birch Point Way, Washington NH

Wilmot NH

• $172,800—10 Stevens Rd, Wilmot NH
• $238,000—45 Jewell Rd, Wilmot NH
• $239,000—114 Stearns Rd, Wilmot NH

No Sales in May for the following towns:
Bradford, Croydon, Goshen, Unity

Source:
http://sunapeeregionblog.com/2008/06/03/may-2008-sales/