Posts from April 2020

Badger Realty's Leavitt urges businesses to keep their lights on to raise spirits

NH Business Review Staff - March 25, 2020 

As businesses throughout New England struggle to find ways to cope and help others as the economic issues created by the coronavirus pandemic continue to move up the curve, Brenda Leavitt of Badger Realty in North Conway had a simple idea that's catching on in other communities.

"Let there be light to offer hope," she suggested to the Mt Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce.

From that suggestion, a movement is now underway for Mt. Washington Valley businesses to join other communities in encouraging businesses to leave their lights on at night to continuing offering hope to all.
Leavitt explained her revelation through a story about the late Dick Badger, owner and founder of Badger Realty.

"Our former leader, Dick Badger, deserves the credit for this idea. When we opened Badger Realty in Jackson many years ago, Dick would stop in after the office was closed and turn the lights on in the lobby. He always said, "We will leave the lights on for you!," she said. "There is nothing more concerning to me than darkness. Since our office is closed to the public traffic at present, I did not want the office to be dark. This is our way of lighting the way to hope."

As a result, wrote Janice Crawford, executive director of the Mt. Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce, in a letter to members, "We are suggesting that you keep your front door light and/or storefront lights on throughout the night to offer optimism and raise spirits.

In addition, she suggested "changing your light bulb to green is one more additional step you could make to add to the feeling. Green is the color of hope. If you still have your Christmas lights in your windows, consider changing the bulb to green and keeping them on."

Twinkling white lights in trees and hedges or around roof lines have also been encouraged to stay on or added – a phenomenon that's happening in communities around the country.

Already in North Conway Village, Badger Realty, Toy Chest, Spruce Hurricane and a growing number of additional businesses are leaving outside lights on all night to send a message of optimism to residents of Mt. Washington Valley and visitors.

Photo Credit Aerial  - Dan Houde

Photo Credit Storefronts - Debbie Anderson

Brook Mountain
White Mountains Luxury Retreat
Lyman, New Hampshire

When Robert Frost, residing in a small town in New Hampshire's White Mountains, composed his poem, The Road Not Taken, surely he referred to the "less traveled" gravel road that winds through maple & evergreen forests leading to this White Mountains Luxury Retreat—known as Brook Mountain.

"A mile from any neighbor," boasted Henry David Thoreau, referring to the location of his cabin along Walden Pond—a description equally applicable to the distance of neighbors to this Shingle Style mountain residence. 

That's where the comparison ends, however. Hardly a rough-hewn cabin, this 5700 square foot Arts & Crafts residence on three levels features classic lines wit...

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As you can see, this photo was taken before social distancing - but it is a great one. Here we have our Broker/Owner, Andy Smith presenting a check to Martha McLeod and Mike Claflin of AHEAD.  

For many years now, over a decade, we have been providing support to AHEAD in a unique way. For us, the buyers and sellers we work with throughout the year agr...

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What If I Need to Sell My Home Now? What Can I Do?

Every day that passes, people have a need to buy and sell homes. That doesn't stop during the current pandemic. If you've had a major life change recently, whether with your job or your family situation, you may be in a position where you need to sell your home – and fast. While you probably feel like timing with the current pandemic isn't on your side, making a move is still possible. Rest assured, with technology at your side and fewer sellers on the market in most areas, you can list your house and make it happen safely and effectively, especially when following the current COVID-19 guidelines set forth by the National Association of Realtors

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Here we sit at day "whatever" of this unprecedented turn of events. Granted, some of you may have lived through similar circumstances, but most of us have never been told to "shelter in place". This is uncharted territory and my suggestion today is to simply take a quick step back and think about what you could do to help out someone else. This situation (for lack of a better term) is causing unforeseen repercussions in our families and communities. I don't know about you, but I'm most certainly feeling the effects.

I read an article last week that really hit home. It talked about the fact that the emotion many of us are feeling is grief. At first it didn't make sense, but the author went on to talk about those things we have lost. We have lost the freedom to hug our loved ones and swing by for a visit. We have lost our relatively...

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