New Hampshire Towns Draw Homebuyers To Booming "Agurbs"
by Blanche Evans
Realtors in towns across New Hampshire are reporting brisk housing markets. Manchester "Easy access to 101, 293, and 93 (which is due to be widened) continues to draw commuters to Manchester," says Realtor Mark Allen. "On top of the local employment opportunities, I expect the Manchester housing market to benefit from this commuter phenomenon for at least the next 10 years. "Overall, the Manchester market is very strong right now," he suggests, "though higher interest rates have cooled things off a bit from where they were a few months ago. The multi-family frenzy has cooled, and, for the first time in a while, there are more "current" multi-family listings than "pending." Prices have not come down at all, but time on the market has increased significantly." Says Realtor Hal Sheeler, "Lebanon is officially a city and indeed when you get into the high traffic area on Route 12A where WalMart, Price Chopper, Shaw's, Best Buy, etc. draw scores of local and out-of-state shoppers, you can believe it. But walk around the old village green area and you still have the Lebanon village charm. The white spires of a lovely old New England church and the magnificent Lebanon Opera House with its myriad local and international performances are wonderful neighborhood attractions. Lebanon is economically thriving, has an excellent school system, and has attracted many firms. It's a good place to live with its own attractions as well as those of nearby Dartmouth College, Vermont and Lake Sunapee recreational opportunities, etc. A new book, "Boomtown USA" by Jack Schulz names Lebanon as one of the 100 top "agurbs" (a prospering rural town) in the country." Sheeler says, "Lebanon property market values continue to rise. Housing prices climbed almost 14 percent last year and the median price of a home rose from $160000 in 2002 to $182000 in 2003. Prices still are below those of Hanover, however. There are currently about 20 MLS homes on the market." "Exeter is a historic town settled in 1638," says Realtor Joann Jordan. "It is an ideal location where you can be oceanside in minutes or skiing in an hour. Exeter is equidistant from the metropolitan centers of Boston, Massachusetts; Portland, Maine; and New Hampshire's state capitol, Concord. Our area enjoys easy access to interstate 95, and major airports. Housing values have steadily increased over the past few years and are projected to continue to rise. With the continued low interrest rates, it is a great time to purchase a home in the Exeter area." |
