New Hampshire has so many natural attractions to the State, it would be nice if we had attractions to more businesses as well.

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Interesting legislation for the speed limit on Lake Winnipesaukee, you can go as fast as you want on the small lakes, but if you want to go over 45 on the big late you had better bring your aquafuzz buster.

Read one article on the ruling

It is good to hear that we are not losing young people as other states are trying to avoid. There is continued support of the point, NH is just a great place to live for a variety of reasons.

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I was just talking with one builder who was told by a senator and the town, that he was all set and there was no need to push his client or suppliers, now he does not know what to think. This is going to be interesting.

Dear Prospective NHSA Members,

SENATE UPDATE:  the Senate did not act on the amendment to HB-1151 so the CSPA will take effect on April 1^st.  There is still discussion about changing the effective date, but any changes would only take place after April 1^st.

SHORELAND RULES:  The JLCAR approved the latest version of the CSPA rules at its meeting today. Click here to review the latest version of the rules.

A significant component of the rules is the section regarding “vested rights”.  If you have a project in the final stages of planning, or underway, you should become familiar with this section very soon.

However, there was considerable discussion about the fact that this is not perfect and that many clarifications will be necessary to issues surrounding the CSPA statute and that these changes can only happen legislatively. 

We addressed these on-going issues briefly with a number of legislators after the JLCAR meeting and stressed the importance of these clarifications being completed prior to the June legislative recess.

DES presented the JLCAR members with a copy of the new CSPA permit application, permit checklist, waiver form, and the variance form.  As soon as these forms are available, we will add a link on the website.

Thank You,

Board of Directors

NH Shorefront Association

http://www.nhshorefront.org/

More updates 

It is hard to keep up with all the changes and how they affect waterfront owners. Here is more from the NH Shorefront Association.

The revised package of CSPA rules, the Final Proposal, seems workable and DES has made many of the changes suggested.  Click  here to review the Final Proposed Rules.

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PORTSMOUTH — In order to meet the needs generated by Skybus Airlines, the Pease Development Authority is getting ready to undertake a projected $4.5 million to $5 million expansion of the Pease Airport terminal.

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Here is the latest from the NH Shorefront Association

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WHY JOIN THE NHSA?

 The NH Shorefront Association (NHSA) is dedicated to awareness of regulatory proposals and potential changes that may affect shorefront property.  The NHSA is the only state-wide organization focused specifically on the interests of waterfront owners and dedicated to balanced resource management.  We believe that reasonable development and reasonable environmental stewardship can exist in harmony.  We want to protect water quality for generations to come.

During the Fall and Winter of 2006-07, in reviewing the Comprehensive Shoreland Protection Act (CSPA) many changes were discussed, hearings were held, and statutes were passed by the NH Legislature with little input from the actual waterfront regulated community.  Only at the very end of the process, after the NH House had already passed the bills, did shorefront owners get involved in the process.  It was at this point that a number of us realized that there needed to be a better way to get information available, during the off season, to waterfront owners and interested parties.  The obvious next step is to use this information to lobby pro-actively on behalf of shorefront owners.

By joining, you will be aware of proposals and future changes that affect your property and you will have access to information so that you can be involved in the process up-front, rather than after the changes have already been enacted.  As our organization grows, we endeavor to pro-actively affect change in the regulatory environment affecting waterfront property.

Here is their website: www.nhshorefront.org

Stimulus plan also sparks housing market

The measures would make mortgages easier to get and reduce borrowing costs — especially in hard-hit, high-cost housing markets.

By Les Christie, CNNMoney.com staff writer January 25 2008: 3:46 AM EST (CNNMoney.com) 

The economic stimulus plan announced Thursday by Congress and the Bush administration includes provisions that specifically address the mortgage crisis. It aims to make getting a mortgage easier and cheaper in high-cost markets, to facilitate refinancing and to prevent foreclosures.The package proposes lifting the dollar amount of loans that are eligible for purchase by Freddie Mac (FRE, Fortune 500) and Fannie Mae (FNM). These government sponsored enterprises currently guarantee a secondary market for loans of less than $417,000, which makes lenders more willing to issue them. The stimulus package proposes raising that cap to $625,000 for twelve months in order to make it easier for buyers to get or refinance mortgages - especially in high-cost regions like California.“It’s about time,” said Richard DeKaser, chief economist for banking giant National City Corp. “The idea has rattled around Congress for a year. Most analysts agree the market for “jumbo” loans [which exceed the cap limits] has been hurt by lender flight.”The increased cap should give a boost to some of the most sluggish markets in the nation, like Florida, where high home prices typically mean that mortgages exceed the $417,000 loan limits. When credit markets contracted last summer, jumbo loans over that amount became much harder to get and, as a result, home sales in pricey markets took a hit.“This will have a big, immediate impact, especially in California where sales have been down most significantly,” said Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the National Association of Realtors.Homeowners with jumbo mortgages also pay higher interest rates because, with no guaranteed secondary market for the loans, lenders take on more risk, and charge borrowers more for doing so.

For instance, the interest rate difference between loans that fall within the cap limit and jumbo loans was more than 1 percent on Thursday — 6.39 percent compared with 5.30 percent, according to Bankrate.com. On a $500,000 mortgage, the difference is about $350 a month.

“The 1 percent drop is a huge factor,” said Yun. “In California, it could create a mini-boom.”Before the stimulus package was announced, analysts including Merrill Lynch had come out with dire forecasts for housing markets over the next couple of years. But, said Mike Larson, a real estate analyst with Weiss Research. “[the raise in loan limits] could remove some of the inventory overhang and alter the buyer psychology a bit. Right now they’re still waiting for prices to fall.”Yun added, “There’s a lot of pent-up demand in the market. This will boost confidence among these potential buyers, and some of the people on the fence will start buying.”The National Association of Realtors recently projected that a higher loan limit, which the organization and other industry trade groups have been lobbying for, would boost home sales by nearly 350,000 a year. It would also reduce the average period of time a home sits on the market by a month and a half, and lift prices by two or three percentage points.Home price increases could help keep foreclosures in check by increasing a distressed owner’s home equity, making it easier for them to refinance.  

Take a look at this article. You may want to get my autograph this summer:)

Article on Business Week.com

Great Estates in the Granite State
Waterfront views, natural beauty, and no income or sales tax keep New Hampshire’s luxury real estate market strong
by Prashant Gopal

Year to year results for Lake Winnipesaukee Real Estate.

 Click to view the stats on AdamDow.com