Commercial vs Residential Loans?

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Residential Mortgage

Residential Loan

Commercial Loans

Commercial Loan

Commercial loans:
1. Require a higher down payment, typically 20%.
2. Have shorter terms, typically 5-20 years with a large chunk paid at the end.
3. Have higher interest rates.

So you typically have higher carrying costs(monthly payment) associated with a commercial loan, there’s more risk because you have a balloon payment at the end of the term – or you have to refinance, and you cannot refinance out if the rates go down without a prepayment penalty typically.

Qualifying for a commercial loan is different…it’s based on income potential of the property. While a residential loan is based on your gross income and debt.

Here are a couple articles:
Business Finance Commercial Residential
Commercial VS Residential Loan Terms

Just my thoughts. -Jenn

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Nashua Detached Condo with 2-Car Garage For Sale

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1$175,000 for this 3-bedroom detached condo. Backs up to common area, large rooms, even a 2-car garage! Condo fees include exterior maintenance, siding, roof, even plowing the driveway!  Great property for investor.  This is a short-sale, being sold as-is.

Click for Craigslist Flyer with more Pictures

Additional Posts:
Top 5 Things to Consider when Doing a Rehab Loan
The Short Sale Chronicles with Jenn

 

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New Hampshire’s Real Estate Cycle- Up Markets

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TOP TOWNS LAST IN...FIRST OUT

Real Estate in NH Increasing

During the decline of the last real estate cycle I wrote a post about how different towns function in the cycle.  I.E. top towns are the big indicators when the market will start to stabilize after a decline: Top Towns in a Declining Market

Right now we are in a completely different market, but the point remains the same.  Top towns LEAD the UP-cycle, they are a good indicator when prices start to rise. So it’s “First Out” of a declining real estate market.  There are still New Hampshire towns struggling, but most are stable, if not slightly increasing.

Just my thoughts. -Jenn

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Do you want chickens with that new home?

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The new trend is farming at home….corn, chickens, and deed restrictions.  Oh my.  Loved this article on “The Rise of the Backyard Farm” by Meg White for Realtor Magazine.  She covered so much in this article I’m not sure what I could add.

Highlights:Co

  1. Is that chicken coop coming with the house?
  2. The deed restricts livestock and poultry…but the town’s zoning allows for it.
  3. If I remove my lawn to plant food will that devalue my property?
  4. Are the solar panels included, or are they leased?

Well maybe it brings up more questions than answers.  Stay tuned.

Just my thoughts. -Jenn

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What’s an arms length transaction in real estate?

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New Hampshire Homes

An arm’s length transaction is important in determining the market value of real estate. Appraisers know this term as it’s what helps determine if a comparable sale is truly comparable. So what’s an arms-length transaction?

The key concepts: the property must be on the open market for a reasonable amount of time, neither the buyer nor seller can be acting under duress, they must have reasonable knowledge of the property, be acting on their own self-interests, and from equal bargaining positions.

ArmsLength


Here are the top 3 NON arms-length transactions:

  1. Bank owned property
  2. Family sale
  3. Most short-sales

THE BIG QUESTION: Why is this important in selling your house or buying a new house? If a sale is not an arms-lengths transaction it will not be used to determine the value of that property because it would not be market value.

Market value is the highest price a buyer would pay and seller would accept for an item in an open and competitive market.

-Just my thoughts. -Jenn

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Todays Nashua Market Trend Update

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Market Trend update for February 2015

Current Nashua NH Real Estate Market Report February 2015

The Nashua NH real estate marketed report February 2015 indicates a 12 month trend from January 2014 of average sales prices increasing and declining inventory. Declining inventory is typical over the winter months.

Nashua NH Average Sales Prices

The current trend is upward and indicates the average sales price of $232,000 with days on market of 87 for January. In February of 2014 the average sales price was $207,000 with 97 days on market.  Can you imagine if we did not have all this snow on the ground?

Nashua NH New Property Listings

The trend for properties on the market is slightly higher than last February with 75 listings, January this year has 87 listings.  The spring market listings have been delayed due to the severe winter snow storms. March and April we typically see the largest influx of new listings.

Nashua NH Real Estate Market Report

Nashua NH Real Estate Market Report

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Is spring the best time to list your house for sale?

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When does the spring market start?

When does the spring market start?

While spring typically has the most closings, it is not necessarily the best time to LIST your house for sale.  The graph below shows a 1-year history of properties for sale, sold, and new listings on a month to month basis in the Nashua region (Nashua, Hudson, Hollis, and Merrimack).  The red arrow points to the new listings on the month just before the inventory grew. The green arrow is when home closings where highest.

The best time to list a house for sale.

Nashua, Hollis, Hudson, Merrimack Sales History

Nashua, Hollis, Hudson, Merrimack Sales History

A large increase of homes came on the market in March(red arrow), which equates to more competition for a house listing.  The months from May to August you see closings (green arrow).  Since the time for a real estate transaction, from new listing to closing, can typically take 60-120 days (2-4 months) it makes sense the best time to list is the 3 months prior to the peak in closings.


So when is the best time to list a home for sale? The chart says: March through May, with early March being the tops. The market slows down considerably in August, so keep that in mind. This cycle is typical in New Hampshire.


-Just my thoughts. -Jenn

 If you would like a free market analysis of your home please fill out the form below.
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The Nashua area real estate market. Merrimack real estate for sale. Hudson home for sale.

 

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What’s that vacant lot next door to my home?

As both a real estate agent and an appraiser, I look at the entire neighborhood, not just what’s next door.   I can remember a property in Merrimack I was working on at the end of a cul-de-sac.  Nice quiet neighborhood, but through my research you could see the subdivision ends with a couple large lots, one of which is zoned for commercial uses.  It was just under 100 acres with frontage on a main route.

Here's the GIS map of the same area now.

Here’s the GIS map with the zoning overlay of the area now.  The R is residential, the C-2 is commercial area that was in place, but the large commercial building was built after.

Sure enough a few years later a large “box” store opened and you could definitely hear, and “see”, the noise through the neighbors yard.    Can you imagine buying your new home on this quiet cul-de-sac, and then a few years later having this happen?

Cul-de-sac in Merrimack, NH

Cul-de-sac in Merrimack, NH

So here are a few ways you can find out for yourself (if I’m not your agent):

  1. Google maps is the easiest first step.  Zoom in, do the street view (little yellow man icon) and look around.  Of course Google Earth is stunning, A 3D globe.
  2. My favorite is using a GIS viewer you can usually find on a towns website.  Do a search for GIS and the name of the town/municipal location.  GIS stands for Geographic Information Systems and it is an overlay mapping system combing lots, zoning, wetlands, and all sorts of information.  For more information about GIS mapping here’s my previous post on GIS maps in New Hampshire communities.
  3. Online deeds and/or plans.  Here in New Hampshire we have www.NHdeeds.com and you can look up your deed in most counties.  From the deed you can get the subdivision plan # in many cases.  Enter the plan # and you get the subdivision plans.  Really great information!

My point is to look at the surrounding land, the uses.  I can hear my clients say: “but Jenn, we don’t mind that…”

It could be the property is one street over from a major highway, a property with only 2-bedrooms, or industrial zoned land next door, they may not perceive it as a negative.

Key Point:
Do the majority of home buyers see it that way?  I help my clients become informed, for the future marketability of the property.

 

 

 

 

What is the difference between a Superfund site and a Brownfield?  Check out an earlier post: http://jennifercote.info/superfund-or-brownfield/

Just my thoughts. –Jennifer Cote- Everything Real Estate

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Superfund or Brownfield…what’s the difference?

A Superfund, as defined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency(EPA), is a name given to an environmental program established to address abandoned hazardous waste.  It allows the EPA to clean up these sites and to compel the responsible parties to perform cleanups or reimburse the government.

A Brownfield is a contaminated site being redeveloped, usually with lower concentrations of contaminants.  It is possibly being done by a person that is not potentially liable for cleaning up the site.

Nashua Real EstateThe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has a website that will allow you to look up both Superfund sites and Brownfield sites.

-Superfund Look up-
-Brownfield Look up-

There is so much information on the EPA website.  I looked up a site on Bridge St in Nashua, NH which is in process of being cleaned up for reuse.  It shows the status of the clean-up effort, the contaminants, and there’s even a link to the neighborhood demographic information.

Brownfield Status in Nashua

Brownfield Status in Nashua

In short…they are both contaminated sites, and have been identified as such by the government, but the process to try and have them be productive is different.   Superfund sites are typically worse and the EPA is actively involved in the cleanup effort.  Brownfield sites are typically abandoned sites that are being cleaned up by private entities looking to redevelop them. http://www.epa.gov/oerrpage/superfund/programs/recycle/faqs/index.html

Check out my blog post on negative environmental influences in real estate: http://jennifercote.info/negative-environmental-influences-in-real-estate/

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Government Sponsored Program Helps Families Buy a Home.

The government has a sponsored program that can assist lower-income households purchase a home with a low or even no down payment.  One of my favorites is the Rural Development Loan program

Rural Development Loans are available in these New Hampshire communities: Amherst, Bedford, Brookline, Hollis, Lyndeborough, Mason, Mont Vernon, New Boston, and Wilton.  For a full list of New Hampshire towns, and income requirements, read the FACT SHEET.

The ineligible area list for NH is far smaller: Concord, Derry, Hudson, Keene, Nashua, Londonderry, Manchester, Merrimack, Portsmouth, Rochester, Salem, parts of Goffstown and Hooksett.

Not all lenders can do Rural Development loans.  Contact me for more information.


More information:

Federal Site: http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rhs/

Local NH/VT office: http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/vt/

State by State: http://www.topnhhomes.com/FinanceAgencies

-Just my thoughts.

Jenn

www.TopNHhomes.com
www.JACoteAppraisals.com

*Information is from the rural development government websites listed above.  I am not a mortgage professional.  This is for informational purposes only and you should do your own due-diligence.  Contact me and I can guide you to the appropriate resources.

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