Moving to Lakes Region later this summer
 

Hi all! I've been reading through the forums since my husband and I decided to move to the Lakes Region. My husband is a Lynn, MA native. I've grown up in the great Pacific Northwest. I have lived in some states back east, but as that was when I was less than 5 years of age, I don't think it counts... besides I lived in Air Force bases that are no longer in commission.

We are planning to move later this summer as there is a lot that needs to be done here before we can make the move. We've been looking at all of the Lakes Region, but I find myself drawn to Ossippee and Wolfeboro the most. I love being able to watch the Weirs Cam every day as this allows me (a rainy Pacific Northwest woman) to see what kind of weather you get back there. I must say the amount of snow is rather intimidating... right now, we have trees leafing out and daffodils blooming and you're still under a ton of snow!!

When does the first snow fall? I'd like to be moved and settled before then. Thanks everyone for the forum and all the wonderful information on it!

Moving to Lakes region later this summer
 

If I remember right (and that is questionable), we had 2 feet on Hallowe'en 2 years ago. Of course, this was very unusual.

I guess I would have to suggest being all moved by the end of October, just in case the weather did do something silly like snow.

Since you have been reading the postings on this site about moving, you should have a pretty good idea about some things. Good luck to you.

Yes, it does happen that it snows in October, and some in November. But when that happens, it usually doesn't last, and that is not the norm.

I'd say you want to be here by Oct 1st. But that's only because Fall here is beautiful and you would be here for the foliage that many travel from all over to see.

But if avoiding snow during a move is the concern, most years you would be ok at least through Thanksgiving.

Welcome to the Lakes Region! We are originally from North Andover, MA but moved into our Florida condo back in 2008. We spent six months in Florida and six months renting on the Big Lake and LOVED every single day! Finally, we decided last year that we would sell the Florida condo and buy a year-round house up here, which we did. We bought the house in August but didn't move in until October. We're in Gilford with water access, only a stone's throw from the lake. Yes, we liked Wolfeboro, too, but Meredith and Gilford were so much more convenient as far as groceries, Lowe's, etc. etc. My recommendation would be to rent a place for a year or so before you buy a home in a town that you're not very familiar with. That way you will find your niche before you buy! I wish you well!

http://i44.tinypic.com/1499wms.gif Oregonrain, I just noticed that you are fairly new to posting on the forum and glad you have joined us. Have fun and enjoy the Winni Forum while making many new friends.

I believe you will enjoy your decision on coming to the lake region.:)

http://i54.tinypic.com/2e56yqf.gif

You might want to take Jeanzb1's advice and look at renting for a year before you buy. Until you are in the area it's difficult to get a feel for what each town is like. Good luck:)

Do yourself a favor and watch the tax rates in each town. Some are far worse than others.

Yes, Oregonrain, you mentioned Ossipe and Ossipee is a higher tax town.

Have you been back to the Lakes Region yet?

I fly back to visit family every couple of years, and am always startled by how different things are in NH than "back home" in the Pac NW.

For example, there are few old cars and trucks, as they rust out quickly.

Many more American cars than imports, unlike out west.

Nice place to visit.

I've been watching the tax rates. Are there storage buildings in the area? If so, about how much would they be? Thank you all for the welcome and the information. I appreciate it!:D

There are so many considerations that you reallllllly need to think about before you commit to buying a home. Yes, certainly, financial issues are number one. But one thing that we thought about was "the other six months of the year." Summer on the lake is THE BEST, but then there is winter. I mention this because we had the opportunity to buy a small place right on the lake, surrounded by summer camps, and we almost jumped at it, but then we had to think about what life would be like six months a year without our wonderful summer neighbors. We are very much people-people, so we decided that it would be too desolate half of the year. Wolfeboro is definitely a year-round community, but I'm not so sure about Ossipee. Can someone more knowledgable chime in here?

My husband and I are people people as well, but we also like some quiet time. Are there any wood workers or wood working groups in the LR?

We settled in Tuftonboro and are very happy with the town. I find Ossipee a little lacking in things off season. I didn't realize how high the tax rate was in Ossipee!
Tuftonboro is much more reasonable, yet close to Wolfeboro for things to do. Moultonboro is also nice. One thing I have noticed is on this side of Winni we are an hour from any serious shopping. On-line shopping is really a necessity for Christmas and holidays. It really depends what kind of activities you want. I like peace and quiet, but I do find the winters can be a bit lonely.

Just gotta do it.... a plug for Alton.
 

Alton and Alton Bay (two zip codes, one town. Alton) has low tax rate, is 20 mins to Wolfeboro, 20 mins to Gilford or Laconia, less than an hour to the Seacoast, 40 minutes to Concord, less than an hour to Manchester, and about 40 minutes to the Tilton Outlet Mall.

We have lived here since 1996, and love the feel of a small town, lots of nice friendly people, and good hiking areas in town. Scenic areas to live or just visit.

Take a look and give it a try.

And Welcome to the Forum. :cheers:

I second Alton area. And a couple of storage facilities with an average of 150.00/mo for a 10'X20'

I don't know about groups, but there are plenty of wood workers. We have some excellent wood workers here.

Have you ever noticed fatlazyless's signature? livin'on that walmart side of the lake? I think that sums it up. You have to decide what you want.

Much of how one views life in the quieter times of the year depends on the individual. One can feel utterly alone and isolated in New York City or completely surrounded by human warmth in a very rural, sparsely populated community. There certainly is plenty to do up here in the Lakes Region throughout the year, from all types of outdoor activity to indoor groups of folks with common interests. Sometimes it can be an effort not to become "overbooked." It's all up to the individual to make it happen.

Thank you everyone for all the information! I think moving there is going to be good. It's going to be a wonderful adventure and will add many new friends to my life!

I look forward to meeting fellow wood workers and learning from them. I just started wood working and there's much to learn. I also look forward to getting involved in a good church group.

There is much to be done before the move so I will sign off (for now... hehe) and start doing what needs to be done so we can move sooner rather than later... :)

If we had our way, we'd be there this weekend!!

It's definitely a beautiful place to live.
You also need to take into account what kind of health care you will require. Take note of distances to major medical centers and availability of doctors.

Moving to Lakes region later this summer
 

I'll be the 3rd vote for the Alton area - having just moved to the Wolfeboro side of Alton Bay in October. We're 7 miles into downtown Wolfeboro, approximately 15 miles to Gilford (for Lowes, TJ Maxx, Walmart, etc) and 5 miles to the Alton circle for a 1.5 hour trip to Boston. Low taxes too. I love this side of the lake! Renting is a great idea since all the lake towns are beautiful and different in their own way. Happy Packing !!!

:)

Has anyone in Ossipee seen this house, on 100 Moultonville? http://www.beangroup.com/homes/NH/Os...le/2134329378/

It looks like a nice place. Makes me skeptical of what they don't list. $99,900 seems low.

I would be skeptical of a house that old. You would pay for more in utilities over the life of the house then buying something a little newer. Especially this past winter :eek:

I agree with the above two posts. There is a reason why a house that big is so low priced. In addition, the heating costs will be astronomical, as I doubt there is much insulation in a house of that vintage. I still think you should rent here for a year before you buy. But that's just my opinion.

Be very careful of your location too. Make sure it is where you would want to be.

That is a very rural area, I have been through center ossipee and the general ossipee area all my life. good people but can be rough around the edges especially if you are not from a rural area. ei: roads, stores, restaurants. it is a mountain/hilly area, best to have a suv for transportation.

I know very little about Ossipee other than my niece met a guy from there and they got an apt together. After 9 months she said if they ever get married they won't be looking in Ossipee for a home, Not enough going on. No real shopping nearby. Only two restaurants .very isolated especially in winter.:rolleye1:

I've heard that, too. Too rural and too far from modern conveniences. I think the novelty would wear off very quickly -- at least it would for me!

Different strokes for ..
 

If you like living in the cities with noise, lights, traffic and something open 24 hrs/day, then Ossipee is most likely not something you want to consider for a permanent residence. If you want neighbors that can't see your house from theirs, the opportunity to own larger tracts of land, aren't scared of wildlife in your yard, capable of living without emergency services being minutes away, and can plan living supplies, then Ossipee is more your style.

I'm fortunate enough to have places that match both. I live on the lake, but sometimes, in the summer, I just have to get away to the sanity that relative solitude brings.

Thank you for the input. I grew up in a rural area and don't mind the solitude. We are thinking we should do a 'scouting' trip this spring and spend some time looking at all the different areas. I agree that renting would be the smart thing to do... but no one ever accused me of being smart!! (joking) :emb: Besides, I really want to move once, not twice. I think we'll be out this spring and scout the areas. Thank you everyone!!

local paper
 

You might subscribe to the local weekly newspaper, the Granite State News to give you an idea of happenings, issues being discussed in the letters to the editor, etc. Not sure the website but phone number is 603-569-3126.

Yeah and look at the taxes. $2300 for a $99,000 house? My house is worth $223,000 and I don't pay that much for taxes in Moultonborough.....

Moultonborough has one of the lowest tax rates in the state. Ossipee is on the low side as well, but almost double what Moultonborough is. Belmont, Sanbornton, Tilton are all most 3 times that of Moultonborough. You need to really look at the rates for each town and what services you get.

On the chance of sounding ignorant, what do you mean? I know you mean to look at the tax rates, which I do when I look at houses on the market, but how do I find the rates for towns? By services, do you mean: police, fire, hospitals, and such? Your way of doing taxes is some what different than what I'm used to.

My head is about to burst with all this wonderful information... Thank you, everyone for helping me!

You can Google tax rates for towns. As for services, what you mentioned and things like school systems, trash pick up or dump, fire and ems staffing (24 hr, days, nights, weekends?). Or the services you currently have where you live now. I would also consider condition of town buildings to see if the town will need some sort of bond for a new $100 million school!

Oregon, this explains the taxes and on the right is a list of towns with the rate per thousand dollars of valuation.

http://www.joeshimkus.com/NH-Tax-Rates.aspx

Community profiles
 

You can access a profile by town here:

http://www.nhes.nh.gov/elmi/products/cp/

Also.....only has 100amp service. Don't run the toaster and the hair dryer at the same time.
A lot of house for the money, though. Just needs a few upgrades.

If I had to guess I would say it is most likely the location. I think Moultonville is a less expensive area than some.

I've never been to the Lakes Region. My husband used to camp there when he was younger.

I would hate to see the heating bills for that place…. :emb:

A Moving Experience
 

Hi OregonRain-
As many forum members know I pretty much documented my whole relocating experience here in the forum. Tons of odd questions answered by the exceedingly patient forum members. You can read my threads here:

http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/...8&pp=25&page=2

Start around page 2 and go backwards through pages 3 and 4.

Good luck with your search. It really is fun looking at all the different towns and locations. An in-person scouting trip is essential, but many of us have inside info on pros and cons of various towns. For example, Alton is a fantastic location, but they are prone to power outages and high bandwidth internet is not available in some areas.

I tried that link but it came up with no matches.

Thank you, I was able to read much of what you've written because the moderator gave me a link to it. Here's the link he sent me- http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/...ad.php?t=11412

I hope this one works. Unfortunately the link you have is broken and nothing shows up. I really enjoy reading everything. Internet is important to me as most of our business is done on it.

A search URL like this is temporary and only good for that session. It won't work for others.

Please forgive my ignorance, but is all lake front property open to public access? If we were to buy a home that had some lake frontage, would the public be on it too?

Like this place: http://www.beangroup.com/homes/NH/Mo...ho/2134338024/

Is it open to the public or just the people in that community?

The beach at Far Echo is for the members. It's technically not a public beach, but you would be sharing with other members of the community. The particular house in the link is not directly on the water. "This paradise [beach] is a very short walk down the quaint 'deer path' from this home."

There is a very nice public beach in Moultonborough that is for the use of residents of the town.

I have lakefront property and our beach area is private. We abut a "right of way" that allows access to the water for other houses on our road, but there is no beach. There are lots of ways for folks to enjoy Lake Winnipesaukee without having lakefront property.

The water access description states "shared private". You don't own it, but you can use it, along with everyone else in that community. The general public probably not allowed. Always double check with the realtors.
Good deal if you don't mind sharing. And it has a dock which is a big plus!

Oops, missed Wakeboard Mom's reply!
Double check also the association dues on any community type property.

I don't mind sharing, it's just we have 2 dogs, one of which is a barker... he just won't stop if there's someone on or near the property. I'm thinking it might be better if we were away from the water a bit and more closer to the woods. I don't want to annoy anyone with a barking dog.

I really appreciate that opinion. Sounds travel very far over the water, especially barking dogs. We have one quite a ways away from us on the lake, still so very annoying.

I so don't want to be the 'annoying neighbor' that everyone hates!!!

Did I mention my house is for sale........:D

http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/20...12990936_zpid/
It is for sale, no matter what Zillow says.:rolleye2:
Asking $223,000.00
Furniture goes with it if wanted....

Sorry Shamless plug......

You have a lovely house! But those foxes would get my chickens... lol.

Your bringing chickens from Oregon? :D

Chickens from the Left Coast
 

Perhaps for western omletets? :laugh:

No. I had some chickens and want more, but I'm not bringing them from Oregon. It would be better to buy some once we get settled. I'd like to have some other small farm animals too... we'll just have to wait and see what we end up with once we get there.

With ham, cheese, onions, mushrooms, green peppers, spinach and avocado. :liplick:

I think you can click on my name and under the Statistics tab read all threads started by me. Those threads have a list of all the questions I asked. The link our Webmaster gave you took you to only one thread.

If you want farm animals, you need to make sure the land is zoned for that.

If you are still considering shared property, condos or houses with shared lake access. Almost all will have rules about dogs and farm animals. Make sure you know the rules going in. Plus the town will have rules regarding farm animals.

Most west coast people are shocked at how strict the rules are in the east.

For example, you will find very few shared beaches that allow dogs.

house in Tuftonboro
 

http://www.maxfieldrealestate.com/pr...me-Road/587695




room for everything! been on the market a while. might be negotiable?

Isn't all land outside of towns ok for farm animals? I don't really want to go with associations just because they've got a lot of rules and regulations. :)

Not necessarily. It might depend on the rules for each town, but I know some make you be in the agricultural district if you want to have farm animals. You want to make sure to ask your realtor or someone about it.

I'm thinking I might be in for a tiny bit of 'culture' shock when I move there. I'm learning so many things that I need to know. Thank you everyone!! I truly appreciate all the help you've given me!

Yes, we have lots of rules and regulations here.

That all really depends on where you are in the state, up here a little north of the Lakes Region, in the edge of the White Mountain National Forest, most towns are pretty much free of overbearing nanny type rules n regs, and we are doing our best to keep it that way, in spite of the seemingly non stop influx of those that prefer a nanny state system of governmental interference

Good for you Grandpa. I think the north/ north western part of the state has less rules and regulations also.

Thanks. My husband wanted to be somewhat close (within a 2-2.5 hour drive) to Boston and points where he grew up. It's always been his dream to live in the Winnipesaukee area. I've always loved the woods and lakes so I'm all for it too!

There is a place in Wentworth that I've been interested in.
http://www.lakesregionhome.com/listi...orth-nh-03282/

We don't mind doing some work on a place, it's something I enjoy doing. What I really like about this place is the trout creek running through it... I love fishing!

I can't wait till we get to come visit! I'm hoping to be there after the snow melts, maybe sometime in May or early June. :D

Oregonrain, Wentworth is the next town south of me. I am in Warren and in my opinion, the Warren/Wentworth area is a wonderful place, within a short drive to the Lakes Region, or the White mountains. A relatively quiet rural area, but only a few minutes from Plymouth for grocery shopping, Hospital, etc.

Are they persnickety about farm animals in that area? I don't want hogs, cattle, or horses... just chickens, goats, and maybe a sheep.

Absolutely not, I myself have chickens, and so do a lot of the folks in this area. You should have no problems with chickens, goats, sheep. Here in Warren a friend of mine living within sight of the center of town has chickens and goats. And another friend is just on the outskirts of town with cattle, and right in the middle of town a couple has miniature horses.

I wish there was a 'like' button so I can like posts...

And I believe you can have chickens in certain areas of towns closer to Lake Winni, but you just have to make sure that the house you choose is in that area-usually called the agricultural district although some may allow chickens in other areas. All I am saying is just to find out before you buy so you won't be disappointed.

Thank you, that is good advice. I'm going to make a list of what I want so when we really get serious about house hunting, I'll know what to look for. :D

Dogs aren't allowed on the shared beach at Far Echo anyways.

The "Thanks" button serves the same purpose but you can only use it 5 times a day, then it disappears until tomorrow.

Chicken Rules
 

Be careful not to count (or plan on) your chickens before they hatch.

The City of Laconia already decided this matter!

http://www.laconiadailysun.com/index...a-oks-chickens

I think the article about chickens in the Laconia paper is one of the funniest things I have ever read....
I am not a farm girl, but don't you need roosters to make eggs? And who's going to keep an eye on how many cubic feet of chicken poo you have?
I've heard chickens eat ticks. I think everyone in NH should have them!

Chaselady, I tease, but do you need Mr. Chaselady to make eggs?
No need for roosters if you just want breakfast!

That is a fact, unless you want more chickens, you don't need the rooster. Yes Chaselady chickens do eat ticks, ants(they love to find an anthill) and most any other insect they can find.

Most towns in the Lakes Region have GIS mapping where you can get the accessed value (and much more) of the house. When you get on the website, fill in the block that states: "Enter text here-push button below".

The below image is 100 Moultonville, Ossipee http://www.caigisonline.com/ossipeenh/

Unfortunately, my computer doesn't want to open that window... thanks for the link. I'll try another computer that we have and see if that works.

The image I posted is just an example of what you will get if you go to the link I posted. It will not open...if that is what you mean.

Go to this link and fill in the blocks that pertains to what you want: http://www.caigisonline.com/ossipeenh/

It takes a while to get used to the controls that the GIS mapping has so just play around with it for a while.

Good luck. :)

I get a message that "the silver light plugin has crashed" when I click on the link you give. I sent in a 'crash report' but that didn't do anything.

You can download the latest Microsoft Silverlight from this website: http://www.microsoft.com/silverlight/

I finally got it working. Thank you.

That's good.

When you want to go to another town that might use this program you can put in the town and state at the end of the address to see if they have it. You can also go to their town website and see what the have for mapping.

Examples: http://www.caigisonline.com/moultonboroughnh/

http://www.caigisonline.com/wolfeboronh/

They shouldn't be as they allow rockets in Warren.:laugh:

That is kewl... I want one :)

Look great with a TV antenna and rotor on top

Would even be better with a ham radio antenna on it!!

I could (legally) do that too :)

My husband is a ham, and I'm studying to get my general license. With all the selling on eBay and getting ready to move, I don't have much time for studying, but I'm getting there.

Get your ticket, when you can, its fun.

I have lived in two different towns in NH. Tamworth and Moultonborough.. Each has their own appeal.. Tamworth for the record, is near Ossipee and Sandwich.
Tamworth was/is a beautiful small NH town. Not much has changed since the 50's. There is no zoning which means pretty much no rules!! This benefited me in building my home, I didn't have to worry about building inspectors, etc. It was easy. However, I was a bit younger less informed at the time when I purchased the land. What killed me about Tamworth were two issues. The property taxes and services. The home I built, I was hoping it was going to be worth somewhere in the neighborhood of 115-120k, well it turned out to be worth 183k!! Well more than I thought, that had me paying what would have been close to $3500 in property tax. That was well above what I could afford!! Hence, I got it on the market sold before my first $1700 property tax bill came..
Second issue I had with Tamworth was the services issue, meaning road mtx, and plowing. I had bought a nice 1.35ac lot in a quiet little development with community water. The water cost I knew which was $125 each quarter, what I never knew was that it didn't include plowing!! I thought the town plowed the road, after all with the high property taxes I thought it was given.. Again, I'm just chocking this up to being young and naive :rolleye1: Well, we had to hire someone to plow the road. Unfortunately, with no association only half the people would pay and the other half would get a "free ride".
So in the end if you chose to live an area like Tamworth, I would personally recommend buying a road that is maintained and plowed in the winter. I would also recommend if you can take advantage of buying large acreage and putting it in current use. That will save money on property tax.
Now, I built a home in Moultonborough. I paid more for the land however, my home is worth 245k vs 183k and I pay $1552 a yr in property tax. Much more affordable for me!! I live in Suissevale, its a large association. It can be a little busy in the summer but, I live in a quiet area, 4 homes on the road, and I can walk to the lake. I love it here. The dues are $850 a yr but, the town plows the road, it includes community water, I don't ever have to worry about drilling a new well someday or testing my own water. I'm paying for piece of mind. Its still much cheaper than Tamworth. It all about exchanging one thing for the other. One thing I didn't realize about Moultonborough is that it had zoning and setback rules. I knew Suissevale had rules. What I didn't realize was Moultonborough trumps Suissevale's rules. Sooo, I had to get a little creative in setting a Cape style home with a garage on .25ac lot. I made it work and it looks great..
When it comes to living in a place like Moultonborough with all the rules, you just have to play the game. I'll admit I built wood shed to go with my house. I heat with wood. I was a little shocked that I got charged a building permit fee for it. Apparently I was suppose to file a building permit to build 4X10 wood shed.. Go figure, it seems they really don't care what you build, it more about revenue generation more than anything.
Anyway, sorry for the long winded reply, I just my experience might help you in someway..

I truly appreciate all the information. Everything seems so different there than here, but I'm sure if I looked into rules and regulations here it would most likely be the same. I'm just used to this area. I like the idea of low taxes. I'm not too hip on associations mostly because of our dogs and all the added rules they have. I've found several places that I like. We're just going to have to make a trip out there before long and look at the places.

I agree with you about the rules that go with associations. But they are a good way to get waterfront. There are some associations that are just for the lakefront area.....the restrictions and rules just apply to the waterfront.

A Lot Of Good Info
 

Reading the various responses to Oregonrain's query has shown me that for the most part everyone has forwarded good info and advice. More than a few have mentioned the property tax rates for the various towns, but I have to add that the tax rates in and of themselves aren't quite as important as the assessment of the various homes along with the tax rates. (I have seen some towns with higher tax rates than others that have lower property taxes because of the valuation of the properties being taxed.) I have to strongly agree that renting might be a good strategy before buying as there are a number of really great towns here in the Lakes Region. What is great for some folks might not be for others. It all comes down to what makes you feel like you're in the right place. Renting will at least give you a feel for what a town is like before you decide to "pull the trigger" and buy a home there. Every town has its own character and you'll find some will fit better than others. I'm in Gilford and for me it's a good fit. I have also resided in Laconia (Lakeport), Alexandria, and Plymouth. (Yeah, I know Plymouth isn't really Lakes Region, but it still counts towards my experiences.) Each has had its pluses and minuses. If I could no longer reside in Gilford, Alton would be my next choice. (Again, that would be my personal preference based upon my time spent there, the people I know there, and the business my wife and I used to own there.) All I can suggest is take your time. There's no rush. Each and every town has its own character, strengths, and weaknesses. Find the one that fits you and then revel in it! Oh, one more thing: I am also a ham and have enjoyed it for years! There are quite a few active clubs in the area so you'll have another resource to fall back on. The clubs are active in events all year round, and help with a number of local public events throughout the year.

I understand the validity of renting for a while before buying, but coming from someone (me, before I married my husband) who has moved 8 times in 2012-2013, I don't really want to move that many more times. We've a LOT of stuff to move and I don't want to move it any more times than what I absolutely have to, not to mention the outlandish cost it will be to make the move from here to there. **sigh** sometimes I'm overwhelmed!!:eek: