I am a first time home buyer, where do I start?

I am a first time home buyer, where do I start?  -Candice, Whitefield, NH

First of all congratulations, deciding to become a homeowner is a big step!

 

The most important  thing you can do is get yourself educated on the process. of buying a home.

Here in the greater Littleton area there is a great program to help first time homebuyers., called AHEAD – Affordable Housing , Education and Development.  They put on first time home buyer seminars and will walk you through the process completely.  

Your Realtor is also a great source.  Realtors love to work with first time homebuyers.  We find such reward in helping you through  the process.  We understand that it can be daunting at times, but our goal is to get you through tit all as smoothly as possible and hand over the keys to your new home!

Sitting down with a lender is also key at the beginning of the process.  Many of the banks now have  loan applications/qualification  services on line, so you  can start the process from home!  But understanding what you will  qualify for in a loan  will be key in us helping you look for and find the right home.

-Michele Penner of Peabody & Smith Realty

Michele Penner

Michele Penner, Sales Associate, fell in love with northern New Hampshire and the Bretton Woods area over ten years ago, pursuing her hobbies of skiing, kayaking, gardening and hiking. She now has the opportunity, having sold the wholesale business she ran with her husband, Terry,  to promote the area through Real  Estate Sales. She is fulfilling her dream – relocate to northern New Hampshire and live and work in the community she loves. Michele can be reached in the Littleton office, or by email at: michele@peabodysmith.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

Septic Designs and Purchasing Land in NH

Do I need a septic design for the land I am considering purchasing in NH?  

-John from Acton, MA

Peabody & Smith Broker Associate Beth Horan provides us with the answer:
You do not need a septic design, although if you are planning on building within the next 4 years of purchase it may be wise to get a septic design engineered. A State approved septic design is good for 4 years. If after 4 years you have not used it you may submit it to the state for renewal providing the guidelines have not changed. If the state guidelines have changed such as tank size then you can resubmit it to an engineer who will then update and send back to the state for new approval.

 

What you might consider if you are not sure when you are going to build is a perk test. This is simply a test an engineer does to determine if the soils on the lot will support a septic system. What is important with a perk test is that you have some sense of house placement on the property as they will want to test in that vicinity vs. off in the corner of the lot.

 

A perk test is the lesser of the two. A perk test may run around $500 where as a septic design that gets recorded in the county runs about $1,200.  

 

Beth Horan, CRS, SRES, Broker Associate was awarded Peabody & Smith’s Sales Associate of the Year in 2002, 2003, 2005 and 2007. Beth has been with the company since 1998 and is a Licensed Realtor in both NH & Vt. She has obtained the highly coveted designations of Certified Residential Specialist and SRES. A Green Mountain College Alumni majoring in Retail Management & Textile Design led to independent careers for 11 years in Interior design and family home textiles business. Following in her Grandmother’s footsteps, Beth turned to real estate to fulfill her dreams of combining all her passions of working with people and design, along with her love for Real Estate and Architecture. Beth said assisting clients and customers with frequent, clear communication and knowledge of the area while hand holding them through a smooth transaction is what feels good. Beth and husband Steve have lived in Franconia for years with their two sons Travis and Tucker along with black labs Jack and Chase. She is an avid runner and enjoys, hiking, biking, skiing, gardening, and sewing along with extracurricular community and business involvement. Beth can be reached by email at beth@peabodysmith.com 

 

 

 

If you have a question, write in and let us know!