Advice from the Best Team in Town - Should I Sell?


If you own a three-bedroom, two-bath home, you have the most popular house for potential buyers. According to the 2022 National Association of Realtors Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, your three-bedroom, two-bath gem is desirable. With the increase in residential sale prices (12.3% in Merrimack County since December 2021), now may be the time for you to list your home and downsize – or move closer to family and friends! In fact, according to the same report, the “typical home that was purchased was 1800 square feet, had three bedrooms and two bathrooms, and was built in 1986.” According to US News, demand is increasing (more buyers – especially Millennials entering the market). Yet inventory (the supply of homes for sale) is only slowly rebounding from the record lows of 2021 and early 2022. This increased demand – low supply market is an advantageous time to list your home – and The Milestone Team is prepared to discuss your home’s market value to help you decide if the time is right for you.


  • Follow us on Facebook. Follow us on Instagram.

  • #Realtor, #TheMilestoneTeam, #TheBestTeamInTown, #shouldIsell, #realestateagent, #homesale

Home Selling Trends in 2022

Home Selling Trends in 2022

Since 1981, the Nat’l Assoc. of Realtors has published an annual report providing insight into buying and selling behaviors. Since my last article was about buyers, I thought it would be good to provide some interesting data on sellers from the 2022 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers.

  • The typical home seller was 60 years old and had lived in their home for 10 yrs.
  • 86% of sellers worked with a real estate agent to sell their home.
  • 85% said they would definitely recommend their agent for future services.
  • 10% of home sales were For Sale By Owner (FSBO). Of this 10%, half of the sellers knew the buyer of their home. FSBOs typically sell for much less than the selling price of agent assisted home sales.
  • For recently sold homes, the final sales price was a median of 100% of the listing price – the highest recorded since 2002. In NH for 2022, the median sales price was $440,000, an 11.4% increase from 2021, and the sales price was 102.2% of the listing price.

The information provided in this report helps highlight the trends in the housing market and also shows that buyers and sellers value the role of a real estate professional. Whether buying or selling contact me to see how these trends impact you.

Contact Donna Forest: 603-526-4116; www.DonnaForest.com; Donna@DonnaForest.com

You’ll be moving in the right direction with Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate - The Milestone Team

Follow me on Facebook!

What the experts predict for 2023...

What the Experts Predict for 2023

The popular term for 2022 was it’s a “shifting market”. In other words, the exuberant days of low interest rates and over asking prices from the previous 2 years were disappearing. Here’s what the experts are predicting for 2023.

  • If inflation is high, mortgage rates will be high. But if inflation continues to fall, rates will likely fall as well. Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist for the Nat’l Assoc. of Realtors, expects rates to be at 5.7% by year end. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are projecting around 6%.
  • Housing inventory is expected to remain tight (putting upward pressure on home prices). Sales are down 17% in NH for 2022 from the previous year. For the U.S., Yun predicts sales to fall 6.8% in 2023 compared to 2022. Higher interest rates have tempered buyer demand as well.
  • Home price appreciation could go up or down. Some experts predict up to 5.4% appreciation while others say prices could depreciate as much as 5.1%. Most likely appreciation will be relatively flat or neutral. Some areas could see small price gains and others may see slight price declines.

Moderation might be the new catch phrase for 2023. Rates are expected to stabilize, the volume of sales will be less, and home appreciation may be relatively flat, depending on where you live. Whether buying or selling, contact me to know how this market impacts you.

Contact Donna Forest: 603-526-4116; www.DonnaForest.comDonna@DonnaForest.com

You’ll be moving in the right direction with Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate - The Milestone Team


Mortgage Rates & Home Prices

Wondering About Mortgage Rates & Home Prices?

Will Mortgage Rates Keep Rising? 

The Federal Reserve is trying to lower inflation by increasing the federal fund rates and slow the economy. The Fed doesn’t set mortgage rates however their actions impact these rates. While inflation is high, we will see high mortgage rates. NAR Chief Economist, Lawrence Yun, says rates could continue to increase; adding that 7% looks to be the level the rest of this year and most of next year. He predicts within 2 yrs. the rate should return to 5.5%-6%.

Where are Home Prices Heading?

We continue to have more buyers than sellers in the market so it’s still a sellers’ market. The most recent NHAR report for October showed only a 1.7 month supply of homes to sell (a balanced market is 6 months). Some experts are calling for a little price appreciation next year and others project slight depreciation. Yun foresees zero or minor changes next year, with a swing in either direction. The overheated markets where prices shot up rapidly will see more of a shift in prices. In 2024 and beyond, the experts expect to see more normal appreciation (typically 3-4%) in the years ahead. Yun is predicting a 5% price jump in 2024. Pricing all depends on the local market and factors such as the balance between supply & demand. In NH thru Oct., prices are up 13.5% and homes sold 102.6% of the listing price.

If you are considering buying or selling, contact me for the best advice on making your next move.

Contact Donna Forest: 603-526-4116; www.DonnaForest.comDonna@DonnaForest.com 

You’ll be moving in the right direction with Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate - The Milestone Team

Is now a good time to sell?

Is Now a Good Time to Sell?

Recent news about the housing market may have you wondering if it’s still a good time to sell. While rising interest rates have impacted buyer demand, there are other factors that still make it favorable to sellers. The lack of homes for sale is one of the driving forces. Data from the NH Assoc. of Realtors showed a 1.7 month supply of homes to sell in Sept. Less than a 6 month supply is considered a seller’s market. Houses are still selling quickly - 21 days on market thru Sept. This is well below pre-pandemic levels with 56 days in 2019 and 61 days in 2018, which were good years.

Buyer demand is declining but it hasn’t disappeared. In fact, the showing activity levels are higher than the pre-pandemic years based on the ShowingTime Showing Index. In Sept. 2022, the index for the Northeast was 168. In 2019 it was 120, in 2018 in was 113, and in 2017 it was 123. (The index measures showing traffic and a higher number means more showings in a given month).

Bottom line, there is low inventory and houses are selling faster than pre-pandemic. There are fewer buyers than in the previous two years but they are active and committed to buying. Contact me if you’d like to know what a shift in this market means for your home sale.


Contact Donna Forest: 603-526-4116; www.DonnaForest.com; Donna@DonnaForest.com 

You’ll be moving in the right direction with Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate - The Milestone Team



Slowdown or bubble?

Slowdown or Bubble?

The headlines today are attention grabbing. Recession, housing bubble, dropping prices. News is designed to get you to watch more news – not educate you. Fear sells. If you look at the data, there is no case to be made for a national bubble or housing crash. Here’s why:

Since 2008, lending standards are much stricter. The exotic programs are gone and there are now better qualified buyers. Foreclosures have been trending down since 2010 – 2.9M in 2010 to 151K in 2021. Today, only 0.4% of homeowners are facing foreclosure and about 91% of these have at least some equity built up. US households own 41 trillion dollars in owner occupied real estate. There is 12 trillion in mortgage debt, leaving 29 trillion in equity. That’s a big number!

Inventory is still historically low. In the US, it is up 27% year-over-year as of Sept. 9th. Compare this to 2019 where it was 43.2%. In NH, new listings as of Aug., are down 22% and there is only a 1.6 month supply of homes to sell. (A balanced market has a 6 month supply).

Price appreciation is slowing but not depreciating. Experts forecast an avg. gain of 11.3% for home prices in 2022 and 2.5% for 2023. YTD thru Aug., the median sales price in NH is up 14.5% compared to Aug. 2021.

Rates are rising in response to inflation. Over the past 5 recessions, mortgage rates have fallen an avg. of 1.8% from the peak to the trough.

Buyer demand has moderated compared to the frenzy of the last 2 years, however showing activity is still beating pre-pandemic levels. Interest rates will fluctuate, and pricing is all about supply & demand. Housing is traditionally one of the first sectors to slow as the economy softens but is also one of the first to rebound. Don’t let fear stop you from buying or selling today. Contact me to work with a professional to help guide you thru this process.

Contact Donna Forest: 603-526-4116; www.DonnaForest.comDonna@DonnaForest.com

You’ll be moving in the right direction with Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate - The Milestone Team


What You Need to Know About the Housing Market

What You Need to Know About the Housing Market

It seems like the term “housing recession” is in everything you read and see on the news. Since I was not even sure what this means, I researched what the experts are saying and found the following:

  • Home sales are slowing, with a projection of 5.1M (million) by year end. It is quite a drop compared to the heyday of the last 2 years; there were 6.1M sales in 2021 and 5.65M in 2020. However, looking back at the more “normal” years with 5.25M in 2019 and 5.3M in 2018, 5.1M doesn’t seem as dramatic.
  • Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the Nat’l Assoc. of Realtors states "We're witnessing a housing recession in terms of declining home sales and home building," "It's not a recession in home prices," Yun added. "Inventory remains tight and prices continue to rise nationally with nearly 40% of homes still commanding the full list price."
  • In NH, sales are down 15% thru July compared to 2021. The median selling price is up 14.8% at $445K and the state has 1.7 month supply of homes to sell. Anything less than 6-7 month supply is a sellers’ market. In the US, the median price is $403,800, up 10.8% from July 2021 and there is a 3 month supply of inventory.
  • Experts predict the following mortgage rates - 5.3% 4th Q this year, 5.2% 1Q 2023, 5.18% 2Q 2023, and 4.97% 3Q 2023. Historically still a “low” rate considering between April 1971 and June 2022, 30-year fixed-rate mortgages averaged 7.77% (from Freddie Mac records).

The market has changed from the last two years. Fewer bidding wars, houses staying on the market longer than a weekend, offers being accepted with contingencies. While still a sellers’ market for now, buyers should see more inventory slowly come on the market with a little fluctuation in interest rates. Contact me for more details on how the market impacts you.


Donna Forestdonna@donnaforest.com ~ 603-731-5151 

Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate - The Milestone Team

5 Tips to Avoid Last Minute Stress

5 Tips to Avoid Last Minute Stress

Selling and in the throes of packing and moving? Below are some tips to help get through those final days to avoid creating work for yourself at the last minute.

  1. Don’t leave personal items unless buyers agreed to it. While you may think you are doing them a favor by leaving the bar stools, the buyers could view it differently. You don’t want to be coming back to remove things right before the closing. Always check first.
  2. Leftover paint, tile, & cleaning supplies. All useful for the new owners, right? Confirm that buyers want it left. It’s not easy to get rid of this stuff at the last minute.
  3. You may be closing in a week, but you still need to maintain the yard. Having buyers pull up to a house with foot high grass to do their walk-thru inspection could be contentious.
  4. Be sure to understand what stays with the house. Check with your agent before removing anything attached. For example, hooks, shelves, blinds, light fixtures, & TV brackets should be left unless specified otherwise.
  5. Don’t leave multiple holes in the walls where pictures hung. Take a few minutes to spackle and paint.

Thinking of selling? Contact me and put my 28 years of real estate knowledge to work for you!


Donna Forest ~ donna@donnaforest.com ~ 603-731-5151

Real estate markets are local, and we have the real scoop on ours.  

Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate - The Milestone Team

A Recession Doesn’t Equal a Housing Crisis


A Recession Doesn’t Equal a Housing Crisis

Are you wondering how a recession affects the US housing market? Here are a few key points to help put some perspective on its impact.


  • Interest rates go up at the beginning of a recession but are then lowered to stimulate the economy to move forward. Over the past 5 recessions, rates have fallen an avg. of 1.8% from the peak to the trough. Bear in mind interest rates will most likely rise until inflation peaks.


  • Four out of the six times we were in a recession, home prices appreciated. They fell only twice – once marginally in the early 90’s and in 2008.

  • The number of offers received on a home has dropped from an avg. of 5.5 offers in April to 4.2 in June. Still well above the pre-pandemic norm but this shows a moderating of the market.

  • A month ago, 61% of offers were over asking and this has now softened to 55% over asking price on the avg. home sold. Not a huge decline but still a sign of the times.

  • There is a slowdown in the pace of sales. It is looking more like it did in 2018 and 2019, which by the way, were great years for real estate.

  • Active inventory is growing but there are still way more buyers than we have sellers. This will continue to put upward pressure on prices.

Whether buying or selling, contact me to make an informed decision on planning your next move.

Donna Forest ~ donna@donnaforest.com ~ 603-731-5151

Real estate markets are local, and we have the real scoop on ours.  

Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate - The Milestone Team

What to Know About the Market


What to Know About the Market

With mortgage rates inching up and prices still climbing, there is a shift from the “anything goes” housing market we saw the last two years. Here are some takeaways from what I’ve recently been reading.

The market is not about to crash. It appears to be a turning point towards more typical pre-pandemic levels. Mark Fleming, chief economist at First American says “. . . today’s housing market looks a lot like the 2019 housing market, which was the strongest housing market in a decade at the time.”

  • Demand for housing exceeds the current supply. The US has underbuilt single family housing by 4.3 million units since 2000. Households are forming faster than builders can create new housing. This deficit is predicted to continue over the next 10 plus years. This will continue to drive prices up.
  • The rate of appreciation is expected to slow – but not drop. The expectation is in a year from now, prices will be higher than they are currently.
  • Lenders are vetting buyers more stringently, unlike the last housing bubble. Over 70% of mortgage dollars are to buyers with 760+ credit scores, compared to pre-2008, when that number was under 25%.
  • If you don’t plan to be in your home for more than 5 yrs. or so, buyers should consider a 5-yr. adjustable rate mortgage, which has a lower interest rate than a 30-yr. fixed.

The market is shifting. Whether buying or selling, contact me to help you navigate these changes.

Donna Forest ~ donna@donnaforest.com ~ 603-731-5151