Automate Your Home, and Simplify Your Life

Link Moser: In this interview you're going to hear from the owner of a home automation company. Nick Mark is the president of DC Home Systems, and he has offices in New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts. To start off, why don't you start off by telling me how you got started in your business.

Nick Mark: President of DC Home Solutions

Nick Mark: Thanks for having me, Link. My business has been around for 35 years and we started as a repair company, but we've evolved into a technology company. We specialize in home integration, home networking, and cloud-based controls. The industry calls us 'systems integrators', and that is because we tie together all of the systems in your home. We make an easy user interface so that you can control all the systems in your home with just one app. Many manufacturers provide apps for your systems, such as a thermostat app or a security system app. We take all of those apps and combine them into one single app. This has made us experts in multiple different systems, and it's allowed us to come out with an amazing product.

Link: So this is like the new version of reducing the remote control clutter?

Nick: Precisely.

Link: I imagine how much technology has changed your industry. I remember going to Radioshack to buy a thing you plugged in the wall to control your lights, but now with cloud technology I'm sure it's still revolutionizing the home automation industry.

Nick: Yeah it is. You see all of these unique products like the Nest, but they all require their own systems and their own app. They often don't play well together in the network. And that's where we come in. We'll hook up all of your systems into on spot.

Link: Yeah, so you fully integrate all of this automation into one app?

Nick: Yes, but we also make all of the system work together in a more fluid manner. We make your security system talk to your thermostat, and this makes them operate on a higher level. We architect the same system for you. For example, when you arm your security system to leave, it will send a signal for your thermostats to turn down, and your lights will shut off. It knows what you're trying to do in the home. Our system can sense when you're approaching the home and it will turn on your favorite music and it can even light the fireplace.

Link: That's awesome to hear what can be done with that kind of technology. It's interesting to hear this, especially as a real estate agent, because we always talk about how smart homes are getting. We joke that your home will one day know that it's time to sell before you know you want to sell. So, what's coming around the curve? What can we expect in the future?

Nick: There's an explosion going on in the tech field. There's been a lot of interest in the Internet of Things (I.O.T.), which is where devices communicate with each other without human intervention. As more of these devices come out onto the market it will become increasingly difficult for a user to make a seamless system out of these different products. We have a lab and we look at all of these new technologies to figure out what is practical and what is gimmicky. There's a difference between being on the leading edge and the bleeding edge.

Link: Can you tell me a little more about who your typical customers are and why they use your product?

Nick: Our typical customer sees the value in technology but doesn't have the time to sit down and make it all work together. They're busy people running businesses or households, or what have you. When they come home they don't want to think about technology, they just want it all to work properly. Our clients also value craftsmanship and are okay with paying extra for a superior service.

Link: Interesting. So where do you see your business heading in the next few years with technological advances in your industry?

Nick: Well we are expanding our operations throughout New England and we're looking at opportunities in other parts of the country. Ultimately, we're looking for a lifelong relationship with clients and we can follow them wherever they go. We want them to turn to us to figure out this 'technology soup'.

Link: I imagine that makes for a really customized, tailored experience for your clients.

Nick: Yes, we really like to partner up with our customers and learn how we can take care of them in the best way possible.

Link: Awesome, so where can people go to learn more about your business?

Visit our Website

Nick: They can certainly go to our website, www.DCHomeSystems.com. We just launched a new site, but it's got a lot of pictures and descriptions of our products. You could also call my cell phone directly at (603) 321 4627. One thing that we've done a lot of is we have an 'experience center' in Manhattan, and they can see how all of these systems would play out in their home.

Link: That sounds awesome! It was great talking to you today because I'm fascinated with this. Technology is certainly evolving rapidly, and it seems like one day your home may be able to cook dinner for you! Wouldn't that be great? But anyway, thanks a lot for coming on, Nick. We appreciate your time.

Tips to Get the Best Price on a Home This Holiday Season

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The holidays can be chaotic with other commitments. We notice a lot of properties are removed from the market during this time of year. Sometimes, sellers don’t add their home to the market until after the new year begins, even as late as May.

There’s a lot of shadow inventory, or rather, homes still for sale that aren’t active in the MLS. If you’re a buyer, how do you get that information? You need to work with a Realtor, because you can’t see those homes on your own.

The winter is a great time for both buyers and sellers. When inventory is low, there’s less competition. There are fewer homes on the market now compared to the springtime.

If you’re serious about selling, we recommend listing right away. There are buyers out there. They will always be out there! They might be looking for a home just like yours. Even if you’re thinking about selling next year, it’s crucial to start talking to a real estate agent now. This is a great time to get exterior photos, repair, and prepare your home overall.

If you’re thinking about buying or selling a home, give us a call or email today! Have a happy holiday season.

Recent Trends in the New Hampshire Real Estate Market

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We are here today with a market update for New Hampshire as we head into the 4th quarter of 2015. Before we get into our report, we wanted to make sure you have access to our 3rd Quarter Market Update document. You can take a look at that here, or download the full PDF here and it will give you all the details and statistics that are relevant to our market and important to your decision of buying or selling.

The third quarter was great for our market. Transactions were up 22%, median sale prices were up 6.3%. That’s great news for the 6,700 sellers that sold their home in the 3rd quarter this year.

On the Waterfront side of things, we are seeing similar trends. Waterfront home prices rose nearly 10%, while the average days on market dropped by 14.8%. The number of transactions also went up 9%. 

For the general market, the average days on market has dropped from 96 to 74 days. This is a great sign for home sellers.

Not everything can go up, sometimes things go down. We are starting to get ready for the potential of a shift in the market. We’ve been saying this for a while, but interest rates are going to rise. When they do rise, there will be some pressure felt by consumers as wages and jobs have not kept pace.

We are advising clients that are at all thinking about selling in the next year or two, to start thinking about getting their home ready for sale. Do some research into what it will take to sell your home, including how sellable it is. With winter coming, there are some outdoor preparation items you’ll want to take care of before it gets too cold and snowy out. Even if you aren’t sure about selling yet, it’s never too early to give us a call to have those discussions about getting your home prepared.

We would love to help anyone who is interested in buying or selling. We want to make sure you’re prepared, and to make sure you’re up-to-date on what’s going on in the market, don’t forget to download our full 3rd Quarter Market Update.

Give us a call or send us an email if you have any questions, and we look forward to speaking with you soon!

The Art of Home Staging: An Interview with Suzie Rankins

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I recently interviewed Suzie Rankins, the owner of Cents of Style Design. She has an amazing story, as she went from being a math teacher to the owner of her own boutique staging company. If you never thought staging a home was important, then think again. Hear what Suzie has to say in this interview!

Link: Hi, this is Link Moser with the Fine Homes Group here at Keller Williams, your local New Hampshire real estate agent, where I interview business owners and professionals to bring our community together and to keep you in the know. Today, you're going to hear from a New Hampshire home stager. I want to introduce you to Suzie Rankins, the owner of Cents of Style Design based in Bedford, New Hampshire. She helps people stage their homes so that they sell for top dollar. Of course, if you need help buying or selling a home, feel free to contact my team at NHFineHomes.com. With that, welcome Suzie! Why don't we start off with a little background on how you got into the business?

Suzie: I was originally a math teacher, but as a hobby I would buy homes that needed to be either helped along or redesigned. I would move into them, redesign them, and then in a couple of years I would sell them. So I kind of started a little flipping business, but I lived in the homes. I did that for many years and I had a lot of fun with it. Anytime a friend came over they would say, "You missed your calling! You should have been an interior designer." I got married and had children, and I was home for awhile with my kids. Now, my youngest is back in school, so I decided that I'm going to do this. I'm going to do this for a living. I got introduced to Diane Davidson with New Hampshire Fine Homes at Keller Williams and joined her team as the stager for that team. I also do staging for other homeowners that hire me privately, but I'm on the team, I'm enjoying it, and it's fabulous!

Link: I can speak to that firsthand that I had not been introduced to staging in the real estate business, and just didn't have a lot of knowledge of it. Very quickly, I could see the transformation with some of these homes in the before and after, how much a difference it makes. It must be a lot of fun to do that. Some of the time I can imagine that homeowners might be a little skeptical. We're asking them to make some investment of time and money, and it can displace things a little, so tell me how you handle that. It must be kind of a delicate thing, isn't it?

Suzie: Yes, it is. It is a lot of fun to see that transformation and to look on that side of things, but you're right. It can be delicate with homeowners. You kind of have to take each project as it comes because each homeowner is different in how they live and how comfortable they are with certain things being put away versus kept out, even down to small things like leaving a microwave out on a counter, that kind of thing. So you just work with the homeowner, and you get a sense after working with them whether they're open to living without that for a few months, or oh no, I can live without that for the pictures, but it has to be out the rest of the time. Which is fine, if there are certain items that they have to have to function on a regular basis, I can work with that and make it look the best it can, even if it's something I wouldn't normally leave in a home for a showing.

Link: Now, how far in advance should someone think about staging a home? If I'm selling in a few months, should I wait until I have a real estate agent and I'm about to go on the market, or should I be reaching out sooner?

Suzie: It depends on the amount that's out in the homes during showings. It depends on the amount of work that needs to be done. For some homes, the paint is in good condition and the colors are neutral enough that they can jump right into staging. That means they only need a couple of weeks before they're ready to go on a market. Maybe you just need to bring in a stager to move some furniture around. The home stager can also bring in some pieces to make certain space look beautiful. But then there are some homes that just need a lot of paint work. They just need a freshening up, sometimes they need new colors to bring it more up to date. In that case, you would need a few weeks prior to that to bring the painter in. As a home stager, depending on the company, I coordinate that for them if they need me to. Some people have their own stager and they want to work with them. There are also people who need months in advance to prepare because they have actual construction projects that need to be finished. Whether it be a guest bedroom needs to be repaired, or they want to finish a section of the basement to make the home more marketable, or they need new windows. There could be actual bigger projects, and my company also does project management, so I can lead them through that whole process and then into the staging.

Link: It sounds like people really need a consult, whether with a stager or real estate agent, sooner rather than later just to know what they're in for. I'm sure budget drives that, I'm sure that's a question people ask right away, is how much will this cost. How do you handle that? I'm sure every house is different. Is it more about their comfort zone, or how does that work?

Suzie: We can work with homeowners in terms of the budget. A general industry rule is that it's a dollar per square foot. So for a 2,000 square foot home, you're going to pay a couple thousand dollars to have a stager come in and do the work. But that varies as well. If you have a home that is empty and needs a lot of furniture to be brought in, that number can go up. If you have a homeowner who really wants to work with you and they're willing to move the furniture so the stager doesn't have to bring in movers to help with that, and maybe they're willing to help you, then you can negotiate and get that price more manageable for the homeowner. If they need more than the staging, if they need painting or any repairs, those fees are separate and above the staging cost. I know as a team member for New Hampshire Fine Homes with Keller Williams you would pay significantly less than the dollar per square foot industry standard because you're working with me and New Hampshire Fine Homes as a team, you get a significant reduction in cost.

Link: That may exist with other agents who have good relationships with stagers as well. Sometimes it might make sense for a homeowner to speak with their real estate agent first to see if there's value that can be passed along to them. You don't have to stage the whole house either. If you're a little tight on the budget, they may just focus on the first floor or on a handful of rooms.

Suzie: That's right. They might focus on just the first floor or maybe the master bedroom.

Link: That's a great way to keep those costs in check. My perspective is it really is a transformation, so why wouldn't everyone stage their home? We've got plenty of HGTV out there now and we see the magic of it happen, but I still see a lot of homeowners who want to sell as is. So I think there's some education that I think has to happen, right?

Suzie: Yes. There is. There are two things, I think, that goes into that. One is they don't recognize that if there is a range of values that they hope to sell their house between, you're going to get at the higher end of that range if your home is staged well. The second component is a lot of homeowners have been in their home for a long time, they get used to it. They think it flows fine. They don't realize how much better it could have looked. I have people who say, "Wow, I moved in here six years ago. I should have had you come in then! You took all my belongings and made the place look fabulous. I could have been living like this for six years!" Then I have clients who have already moved into their new home who come back to see the old property staged, and they say, "Wow, if I had known my house could look like this, I wouldn't have moved!" I know Realtors don't want to hear that.

Link: Right. We should have everyone stage their home and just stay put, right?

Suzie: Right!

Link: It brings a lot of value. I can imagine some homes a $2,000 investment could certainly bring a 10 or 5 times return. It could be tens of thousands of dollars in additional value. From what I've seen, it's a very strong return. Even if they just break even, they get their money back, which is better than investing in the stock market, isn't it?

Suzie: Yes, absolutely.

Link: Where do you see your business going? Where would you like to take it in the next two or three years? What are some of those goals that you've got for growth?

Suzie: Well, I love the staging. I also do interior design. My favorite thing to do, believe it or not, is project management. I'd like to see some growth in that area in terms of coming in and doing bigger projects for homeowners. Knocking down walls, putting in additions, things like that. I'm very busy with the staging and I'm happy about that. I was just saying to my husband how I love my job because it's the same enough that I'm good at it, but it's different every single time. It's a different project, it makes it more fun, it keeps it fresh and alive for me. I'm not bored. I do love the staging component quite a bit. Of course, real estate is attractive to me as well. I still have younger children involved in all sorts of activities.

Link: If someone was interested in working with you, how could they get a hold of you if they wanted to talk to you directly?

Suzie: I do have a website, it's cents-of-style-design.com. It's a very rudimentary site right now. I've got a lot of pictures of projects to add to that, but I've been very busy with those projects! But they can find my phone number on the Web.

Link: Okay, great! Well, I've enjoyed our conversation. I appreciate your time today, and thanks for taking a minute to talk to us about the value of home staging.

Suzie: You're welcome, thank you!

Iron Sharpens Iron: An Interview with New Hampshire Blacksmith, Dave Little

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Today we have the great pleasure of being joined by Dave Little. Dave is a blacksmith, an artist, and owner of Winnipesaukee Forge in Meredith. Learning his trade at a young age, Dave developed a strong passion for his work which led to starting his own metalworking business. 

Link: Hi, this is Link Moser, your local New Hampshire real estate agent. I interview business owners and professionals to bring our community together and keep you in the know. In this interview, you're going to hear from a Lakes Region blacksmith. I want to introduce you to Dave Little. Dave is the owner of Winnipesaukee Forge in Meredith. He has a lifelong passion for metalworking and the outdoors and has created some amazing pieces over the years. Of course, if you need help buying or selling a home, contact my team at nhfineshomes.com. With that, Dave, why don't we start with getting a little background about how you got into what you're doing? 

Dave Little,  Winnipesaukee Forge

Dave: I got the passion early. I was twelve years old and attended camp on Swan Lake, and they had a forge and it was one of the activities. I got to try it, and from the first day I hammered hot iron, I was hooked. I went on from Deerwood and being exposed to it as a teenager to trying it on my own in high school doing a project. Soon after high school, I got a job at a local environmental center demonstrating for the public. I would demonstrate some of the old-timey things that blacksmiths made and answer questions from the tourists coming through the center, usually families. That led to in-and-out of college, I thought I would become an engineer and be a metallurgist because of my interest in metals. I came to find out that I was bound to be an artist. The chemistry and the calculus weren't agreeing with me! So I developed a product line, started doing shows, and you turn around in your fifties, and I guess this is what I do! I'm passionate about the work. I love the process. I love working with people to create custom things: furniture, hardware, railings, gates -- that kind of thing.

Link: That's pretty neat, that you've been doing this really your whole life. You started early and created a career around your passion. 

Dave: Yeah. I like to say that I've never had a real job. I've done logging with horses and a little bit of construction, and I've found a way to support myself doing my artwork for my entire working career.

Link: That's great. Who is your typical customer? What are your customers like that you typically work with?

Dave: I work with a lot of people, Link. I do a lot of custom fireplace screens and screen door installations.  Here in New Hampshire, a large part of my business is the second home market, where people have lake or mountain homes and I do anything from fireplace screens, railings, custom furniture, light fixtures, drapery hardware--any manner of things that would go into a fine home.

Link: Is much of that custom and made per order, or is there a standardized product line that people come and make selections from?

Dave: Well, I have an extensive collection on my website. People can order directly in standard sizes, or customize to make tables and other furniture in any size. Many of the projects that I do are custom from start to finish, so there's kind of a wide range. I work with contractors and interior designers, as well as homeowners.

Link: Great. When I came to learn about what you guys do, my first assumption was, "Wow. Custom hand-forged home products aren't going to be inexpensive." But I was surprised to learn that you have product lines like that candlestick trios that are quite affordable. They are at a price point where anyone can enjoy them.

Wrought Iron Candle Holder

Dave: I've worked really hard to keep my prices competitive with other handmade home accessories. I also have a few signature gift items. As you said, my trio of candlesticks is a hundred dollars for a set of three. These days, where can you get a handmade gift for a hundred bucks? They're made in New Hampshire. They arrange in different ways. They're available in three different designs. They're the perfect wedding gift. I also have other candle illuminations in higher price brackets that are more decorative and specific in their design aesthetic. Lamps are a great example. There are many lamps available, but not a lot of good ones out there. If you go and look for a really nice, decorative, handmade table lamp, you're not going to find a lot with the same level of craftsmanship and detail that mine has in that price point of $350 to $400. They also make a great, substantial housewarming gift.

Link: I was in a house not long ago up in Gilford that had some of your work in there, and I recognized that and it was a great conversation piece on Cotton Hill.

Dave: What was her name? I remember that project! I think I did some furniture and fireplace tools for her, maybe?

Link: Shelly! Yeah, it was neat to see that. It looked perfect there and it added a nice touch to the property.

Dave: I've been around the Lakes region for awhile, so between all the custom work I've done for restaurants and hotels and private residences, I am well-represented in this area.

Link: I've run into the fireplace screen right next door over there, and it is signature work. You really do notice it. It's pretty neat to see that out in the field.

Oakleaf and Acorn Firescreen

Dave: I am really well represented here in Meredith where I've run my business for all these years. We have several pieces in the sculpture walk downtown, and in the inn at Church Landing and the Mills Falls marketplace. So there really is a lot of variety of what I've done with commissions and special projects. One event that I participate in annually, a great showcase for my work and work of my colleagues, is the Annual Craftsman Fair in Sunapee. Always held in the first week in August at the Mount Sunapee resort. It's nine days, it's a long show, but we'll have close to 50,000 people come through. It's a fabulous opportunity to see the quantity and quality of artwork being made in New Hampshire today.

Link: How many craftsman attend that?

Dave: There's over 200 in tents all around the base. It's a fabulous event.

Link: It is, it's great to see it grow over the years.

Dave: Absolutely.

Link: So, wrapping this up, where do you see your business going from here? What new markets or new products are coming up? I imagine over the years to keep it engaging for you that you're trying new things and adapting to the market itself. So, where do you think you would like to take things?

Twig Design Railing

Dave: Things that I've noticed, Link, as a friend in the past couple years, is there seems to be a much larger demand for railings and handrails, both interior and exterior landscape railings. Baby boomers: we're not getting any younger, and people are working for that extra safety when coming and going from their homes or going back and forth to the lake from their decks. Just this fall I've got six or seven different railing projects, and I think this is going to be a growth area for us as this large portion of the population gets into their sixties and seventies, that desire for a functional but beautiful safety apparatus will grow. I specialize in a very simple, understated, but handcrafted railing system that's made of solid steel, all hand-forged, that can be installed into exterior landscaping, into granite steps and that sort of thing. I think that will be a big growth area for us. Another area we can grow in as well is I'm working with a hospitality design firm out of Chicago to supply a new hotel with drapery hardware for guest rooms and public areas. We've had some history doing the drapery hardware for the La Quinta hotel chain. We did their national upgrade for drapery hardware for public areas in over 60 properties. This project right now is for an 88-room rustic retreat outside of Chicago.

Visit Winnipesaukee Forge

Link: That's great! How can people learn more about your work and what you do?

Dave: Go onto my website,
IronTable.com. They can like 
us on Facebook, at the 
Winnipesaukee Forge page,
call: 603-279-5492 or 
email me: Dave@IronTable.com.

Link: Great! I appreciate your time today, Dave. Thank you!

Dave: Thank you. Have a great day!

What's the Secret to Making Your Database Work for You?

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Do you track your sphere of influence (SOI) in a database? If you're not building, monitoring and tracking your database, you're missing out on a significant opportunity to grow your business. 

When talking about a database, we're referring to your contact list, a list of every single person you know, and even those you don't know. The database is broken up into two parts: mets and have-not-mets. People I've met are people I could call up, send an email or text to, and they are going to know who I am when I give them my name. The have-not-mets are those who do not know who I am yet and who I am trying to build a relationship with in the hopes that they will be a source of future business. 

If you have your contacts spread out across your phone, social media, and other sources, you really want to pull them all together into one database. I like to export the contacts from my Facebook, LinkedIn, Gmail, and any CRM systems into one Excel file. Once I have all my contacts in one place, I can sort them into one master list of everyone I know. 

For every 12 people I know, if I'm touching and contacting those people on a regular basis, I should be getting two deals a year from them. One of those deals would be from someone who is buying or selling, while another deal would be from a referral. If I market to them and keep in touch with them, it's going to result in the most cost-effective lead generation possible.

A touch is any point of contact with a potential client, whether it's via email, phone calls, or face to face conversations. The goal is to have between 30-36 touches a year with each contact. This means you have to reach out about three times per month; this might consist of a monthly newsletter, a phone call, holiday greetings, and other small gestures. The idea is to get your database together, work on a campaign to reach them, and execute that plan. 

Just remember, for every 12 people you know there should be two sources of business. If you have any questions about marketing to your database, please don't hesitate to get in touch. We would love to hear from you!