Posts Tagged ‘Home’
Noah's Ark 2010: The Need for National Flood Insurance : Voices of …
This past week, Rhode Island , my home state, was struck with a 200 year flood. It was in every way ‘biblical.’ The state averaged less than 50 inches… ..
Online Marketing Success: Buying a House in Rhode Island is Easy …
If you are a prospective home buyer in Rhode Island , Craigslist RI makes the process of acquiring your home just that much easier– no poring over newspapers or real estate ads, just typing and clicking. …
Craig's Listings and Classifieds. RSS Feed Available » Blog …
If you are a prospective home buyer in Rhode Island , Craigslist RI makes the process of acquiring your home just that much easier– no poring over newspapers or real estate ads, just typing and clicking.
Village Living: Second Home Delights
If you long for life at a slower pace, where friendly neighbors interact against a backdrop of classic village settings, we have some suggestions about places to visit and perhaps to live. Our review of great vacation and second home spots ranges from western Massachusetts, to the shores of Lake Champlain in Vermont and New York, the Upper Valley of New Hampshire to the Rhode Island seashore. We’ll begin our tour in the Berkshire Mountains of western Massachusetts.Stockbridge, Massachusetts
Stockbridge is a small village nestled in a quiet valley, in the heart of the rolling hills of the Berkshires. Its sun-dappled streets and classic architecture have made it emblematic of the quaint New England village. It is fitting that one of the artistic chroniclers of life in Stockbridge was Norman Rockwell, whose romantic portrayal of small town life evokes a simpler time, unhurried and neighborly.
The small-town center seems a Rockwell painting come to life. With small, locally owned shops, tidy, wide streets and sidewalks, kids on bikes, beautiful churches, and numerous examples of well maintained and diverse New England architecture, Stockbridge offers a welcomed respite from the hurried pace of 21st century America.
The Berkshire hills that surround Stockbridge offer a wide variety of four season activities. There are more than 90,000 acres of recreational land, over 90 lakes and ponds, parks, golf courses and ski areas. Cultural touchstones of Stockbridge include the world-renowned Tanglewood Music Festival and the Berkshire Theatre Festival.
While home prices in the area are relatively high, there are still some bargains available from time to time. Visit the Massachusetts 2ndhome State Page at http://www.2ndhome.net/massachusetts-vacation-homes.
The next two towns on our tour of villages and village life in the Northeast share a special connection, even though they are in different states. Essex, New York and Charlotte, Vermont are separated, some say joined, by a 20 minute ferry ride across beautiful Lake Champlain.Charlotte, Vermont
The Town of Charlotte sits on a series of hills and ridges overlooking Lake Champlain, about ten miles south of the bustling city of Burlington. Vermont Magazine has said “…This is a town dominated by rural landscapes, by farmland, hills, and orchards; it is also – quietly, to be sure – part and parcel of Vermont’s Gold Coast.”
Charlotte is a town with multiple attractions. It’s close enough to Burlington to access great shopping, dining and nightlife, yet it is a bucolic, pastoral place possessed of a strong sense of community spirit, manifested by a commitment to excellent schools, a new town hall, and a great local gathering spot, the Old Brick Store. Its residents bridge the spectrum between multi-generational farmers, artists, writers and professionals of all stripes.
Charlotte has been a rural escape for second homeowners for many years. It’s comprised of several villages, including East Charlotte and Thompson’s Point, a largely summer community. Visit the Vermont 2ndhome State Page at http://www.2ndhome.net/vermont-vacation-homes.Essex, New York
Essex is located on the shores of Lake Champlain and in the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains. It is sometimes referred to as New York’s most historic hamlet. Why this designation? Among other reasons, Essex has one of the finest collections of pre-Civil War architecture in the country. Framed by a beautiful lakefront and New York’s majestic Adirondacks, Essex has welcomed visitors and second homeowners for many years. Another special feature of this charming place is that across the blue waters of Lake Champlain lies the vista of Vermont’s Green Mountains.
There are many four-season activities available in and around the town, including first class trout fishing on the Boquet or Salmon Rivers or on the broad, deep waters of Lake Champlain. Biking, canoeing and kayaking, hiking and birding are popular in spring summer and fall. And of course sailing and power boating on Lake Champlain are some of the best to be found in the Northeast. There are many high mountain peaks, trails, rivers and streams within a half hour of the village. The closest hiking trails are in nearby Split Rock Reserve, a 3000-acre tract where numerous trails hug the shore of Lake Champlain. Golfers will find 10 challenging courses within a half hours drive. Summer theatre, concerts and special events round out the warm weather activity list. Winter activities include great backcountry and downhill skiing, or for the more adventurous, ice climbing. Visit the New York 2ndhome State Page at http://www.2ndhome.net/new-york-vacation-homes.Lebanon, New Hampshire
In the heart of an area referred to by locals as the Upper Valley, Lebanon is located about mid way up the State of New Hampshire.
The town is laid out in the traditional New England fashion, with a two-acre square, with a band shell at the center. The square is fronted on by a collection of impressive traditional civic buildings with handsome facades, including the town hall, a library and a wonderful gem, the Lebanon Opera House. It’s an 880-seat facility with superb acoustics and is the largest proscenium theater in the Upper Valley. After more than eighty years of presenting quality musical and theatrical performances, the Opera House remains a key component of the cultural life in and around Lebanon.
Lebanon is just a short drive south of Hanover, the home of Dartmouth College, which offers many year round cultural events in the multi performance hall venue of the Hopkins Center. Films, musicals and dramatic productions, including opera, are staged throughout the year.
Much of the housing stock in the historic district is comprised of stately Colonial, Federal and Victorian style homes, a legacy of the wealth of mill owners of the 19th century. The town has ranked highly, (often in the top four), in Prentice Hall’s ‘100 Best Small Towns in America’, a guide to the communities that offer the best in small town living. It mingles the quiet of small town rural life with cultural opportunities not commonly associated with rural life.
Outside the historic district, a wide variety of housing can be found in the area, from 18th century farmhouses, to ranch-style homes and increasingly, high-quality modular homes, in many traditional and contemporary designs.
In short, if you are looking for a second home, Lebanon and the surrounding area offers a unique blend of rural lifestyle and urban amenities. Visit the New Hampshire 2ndhome State Page at http://www.2ndhome.net/new-hampshire-vacation-homes.Narragansett, Rhode Island
The town of Narragansett hugs the Atlantic Ocean along 26 miles of shoreline (including Pettasquamscutt Cove and Narrow River). This long and varied shoreline has drawn New Englanders to second homes in the summer since the early 1900’s. During the summer season, the population triples. The year round population has also been growing in recent years.
A principal attraction for these seasonal residents is easy access to miles of varied beaches. The busiest is the Narragansett Town Beach, right in the center of town. Known for quality surf, it has been described as one of the top surfing destinations in the country. Nearby Scarborough State Beach, which is more than a mile long, has fewer undertows and a more gradual slope than the town beach and is the choice of many area families. Roger Wheeler Beach, fronting on the harbor, is well protected and is best suited for small children. Salty Brine State Beach is a small crescent of sand that abuts the nearby port town of Galilee, where many sightseeing, whale watching and fishing boats lie at anchor, plus the ferry to Block Island, which lies12 miles offshore.
In the middle of Narragansett, there is a stunning parallel pair of stone arches spanning Ocean Road, anchored on either side by curved towers. The Towers are what remains of the Narragansett Pier Casino that once stood on the site. Designed in 1883 by the renowned architect Stanford White, the 3-story granite Towers, topped by conical roofs, are connected by one long gallery room. Sadly, the main Casino building burned in 1900. The light-filled, 130-foot long Great Hall, built with fieldstone walls, with windows on three sides, still offers a spectacular vantage point to take in the views of the Atlantic and suggests the beauty and opulence of the long vanished Casino.
If you want to find a great seasonal home, Narragansett offers many styles of existing homes and cottages, including new construction, single-family homes, condominiums and adult living communities, plus land, waterfront properties and multi-family investment properties. The surrounding areas offer a wide choice of lifestyles, from summer cottages to grand oceanfront estates, including old New England farmsteads and other country properties.
In upcoming issues of 2ndhome® Journal, we’ll continue our coverage of New England villages where many second home owners have happily
settled.
Rhode Island Real Estate Blog | Residential Properties – Rho (blog …
Description: Residential Properties has been following both national and local real estate news and helping you to sell your home or find your dream home anywhere in Rhode Island since 1981. Country: USA. Keywords: Rhode Island real …
Higher Insurance Premiums Anticipated For Home Owners
According to the Wall Street Journal Online, some insurance companies are now passing along the higher costs of payouts resulting from hurricanes such as Katrina, Wilma and Rita to homeowners. In fact, some insurers are withdrawing from coastal areas altogether, after incurring an estimated $56 billion of hurricane-related losses. With long-time insurers such as Allstate Corp. and Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. leaving some vulnerable areas, homeowners are forced to find new insurance coverage that usually comes with a higher price tag.
With home insurers getting regulatory approval to increase premiums in states hit by hurricanes, even states that were untouched by hurricanes are expected to bear the brunt of this hike. Citing increase in reinsurance costs as a major contributing factor, many insurers such as Allstate are seeking approval to increase premiums in as many as 49 states.
Insurance Companies are now reviewing their underwriting process and trying to enforce stricter guidelines on whom to insure. Industry experts estimate that insurance premiums will climb even higher when homeowners renew their policies this year.
Insurance premiums have already increased in Massachusetts, which hadn’t experienced a devastating hurricane in the last 50 years. Moreover, some insurance companies are not writing new policies in areas such as Cape Cod, Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard. Homeowners living in these parts are forced to seek state insurance to cover their homes, which usually costs more than private insurance.
Homeowners in several states are bracing themselves for likely rise in premiums due to increased reinsurance costs. Rhode Island has already experienced increases in home insurance premiums by 10 to 15 percent over the last year. Insurers are reducing risk exposure by shifting some of the financial risk to homeowners with higher deductibles for windstorm damage.
For homeowners, dealing with the premium increases must be familiar territory. Premiums have been going up over the past few years following natural disasters in the 90s such as Hurricane Andrew (1992). According to experts, the best path for homeowners to tread is to go for policies with higher deductibles and lower premiums. Homeowners should avoid filing minor claims, which may increase their risk of being dropped by their insurer. It is also best to buy home insurance from firms with a strong financial rating.
Source: The Wall Street Journal Online, M.P. McQueen
Home Prices In 2006 Grow At Slowest Rate Since 1999
Home prices rice in the 2006 calendar year were at the slowest in eight years, according to Freddie Mac’s Conventional Mortgage Home Price Index (CMHPI). The U.S. home prices grew at an annual rate of 6.1 % last year registering the lowest growth rate since 1999 when the prices appreciated at 5.4 %. By comparison, the annual growth rate in 2005 was 13.3 %, more than twice of last year’s home price appreciate rate.
Home prices rose at an annual rate of 4.9 % in the 4th quarter of 2006 from the revised 3rd quarter rate of 4.4 %, according to the Freddie Mac Index, but a slowdown in home sales resulted in the decline in home value appreciation. Home sales experienced a decline of 11 % from the 4th quarter of 2005 to the 4th quarter of 2006 largely due to a decline in housing markets that experienced high housing costs and a weaker economy, as reported in a statement by Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac vice president and chief economist. Nothaft’s predictions for this year’s home price appreciate rate is pretty grim. According to him, 2007 will see a home price appreciation rate of about 3 %, almost one half of the annual home price appreciation rate of 2006.
The following are the different regions of the U.S. that had experienced home price gains during the 4th quarter of 2006.
The Mountain states registered an average price gain of 8 %.
The South Atlantic states posted an annualized rate of 7.7 %.
The West South Central states experienced a growth rate of 6.3 %.
The East South Central states showed a home price growth of 6 %.
The Middle Atlantic states had a growth in home prices at a rate of 4.7 %.
The West North Central states posted a home price appreciate rate of 4.2 %.
The East North Central states registered an average price rise of 3.9 %.
The New England states showed an annual growth rate of 2.4 %.
The Pacific states listed an appreciation rate of 2.2 %.
California, Hawaii, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Rhode Island and West Virginia are seven states that have experienced home price declines during the 4th quarter of 2006. Michigan is the only state that experienced a year-over-year decline in average home values.
Deferred Sale of Marital Home For the Best Intest of the Child – Rhode Island Divorce Law
Can the Rhode Island Family Court defer a sale of the marital home for the child/children in a divorce case?
If one of the parties requests a deferred sale of the home in a Rhode Island( RI) divorce, then the court must determine whether or not it is economically feasible for the person who is living in the home to pay the mortgage, liens, taxes and insurance on the home until the home is sold. In making that determination the court will look at the income of the resident parent, any alimony the parent receives, child support and other source of income to make those payments. The intent of this law is to prevent foreclosures, uninsured property, and deterioration of the marital home as a result of a divorce and to protect the parents’ equity in the house. R.I.G.L. 15-5-16
After the divorce court determines that it is “economically feasible” for the parent to remain in the house with the minor child, the court will consider whether it is in the best interests of the minor child or children to live in the house. The court will use its discretion in making this determination.
In most cases where there are children and the custodial parent can afford the marital home, the court will exercise its discretion and allow the children to remain in the house for a period of time, which may be until the youngest turns 18 years old and graduates from high school.
In the event that the court defers the sale of the house in a divorce, the Rhode Island Family Court will usually determine the equity in the house. The court will determine the equitable share of the person leaving the marital domicile. In many cases, if the parties cannot agree to the fair market value of the real estate then the parties will need to hire real estate appraisers. The court will hear testimony from the appraisers and determine the fair market value of the home. In some cases the parties agree to use the same real estate appraiser. Please note that in the vast majority of cases, these matters are settled out of court prior to any trial or hearing.
After the period of deferment the house must be sold and the parent who is out of the house will be paid his or her equitable share at that time. The court will usually order a mortgage to protect the person who is owed money for their equitable share. The court may also award interest on the mortgage. If the court orders a deferred sale of the house, it can be modified or terminated at the discretion of the court. If the party living in the house with the children remarries or there is a substantial change of circumstances in the economic status of the person living in the house, then the property may be ordered sold.
In many cases when the custodial parent can afford an increased mortgage payment, the parties will settle with the custodial parent refinancing and buying out the noncustodial parents equitable share of the equity in the house. At that refinance, the non custodial parent receives cash and typically deeds over his/her interest in the house to the custodial parent.
Rhode Island Leads Worldwide Luxury Property Revival – Reality Sense
Rhode Island , long Rhode Island property established as the home of some of the finest real estate in the world, seems to be in the vanguard of the revival of the luxury property market. Its otherwise buoyant market dropped off in the …
Rhode Island Real Estate: Important if you are planning on buying …
Rhode Island Real Estate . Musings and Ramblings on Real Estate in the Ocean State