These are difficult times for NH home buyers and home sellers alike. One of the most important pieces of advice I can give is Don’t Panic! As with previous market downturns, this one has a beginning, middle and an end. Each period requires different approaches for both buyers and sellers. The national headlines threatening the end of civilization as we know it are designed to “buy eyeballs”. These media sources are driven by revenue. That’s one of their main purposes and, if they have shareholders, then it’s their primary purpose. I have been told that there is a new rule in my home: No more yelling at the TV. This site was born out of that new rule. I hope that we can bring some sense of perspective to these really important and sometimes heart wrenching stories and I hope that you’ll help.

I offer the following “cheat sheet” as much for me as for you to keep at our side as this housing and economic story unfolds. This will be my filter through which I will review any news information regardless of the source (tv, radio, internet, well meaning friend, real estate agent) and, as a bonus, if a piece of news is too much for me, this “filter” can be printed out and held up in front of the source to further minimize it’s effects!

Don’t Panic – Okay, I said this before but it bears repeating. As a 20 year NH mortgage veteran I know that we have seen this before. (If your personal situation is causing the panic, then that’s different and that’s not what I’m talking about.)

Real Estate is local – Yes, there are homes selling for $9,000 in Detroit. Yes there are is a significant overabundances of condominiums for sale in Florida that may take years to sell but NH home values have not fallen as steeply as the national average nor is our inventory of unsold homes anywhere near what other state are dealing with.

If we’re not selling it doesn’t matter – Harsh I know but really, until we plan on selling our homes, the “value” is only physiological.   Sure it may force us to reconsider a home improvement and it will stop us from treating our home equity like a piggy bank but that’s not devastating, not a reason to panic.

I will continue this Cheat Sheet in the next post but would welcome your comments and I hope that someone other then my daughter is reading this 

To be continued …