I have a few neighbors in the North Conway area. One of them I will refer to as Ted. Ted has had some rough times this past year and has decided to walk away from his home because he can no longer afford the mortagage. It was not an easy decision but one he pondered for quite a while before acting on his choice to give up his house and move away. Chances are you may hear of, or know, a couple of Teds yourself. He is not alone and we are seeing people like him more frequently. With a few exceptions, there is little he could have done. However, I want to talk about those exceptions. (more…)

What is an APOD?

New product from Apple?

Sorry, Charlie.

Oh! I know.  A group of whales!

Nope.

No? It wasn’t Wales either?

Bad pun AND wrong again.

How about those things in the bottom of the pool in Cocoon?

Give up?

Yeah…what the heck is it? (more…)

A SHORT HISTORY OF PINKHAM REAL ESTATE

Pinkham Real Estate first opened its doors in 1963. The name at that time was Pinkham Associates and was founded by Charlie and Gertrude Pinkham. Gertrude had sold real estate as a hobby in Topsfield, Mass., but Charlie had been in advertising as Marketing Director for the family business – Lydia E. Pinkham Medicine Co. in Lynn, Mass. before moving to New York as Chairman of the Plans Board of Erwin, Wasey Advertising Agency. So both needed to learn the operation of a real estate business in North Conway from the ground up. Their first need was to find an office.

They had “retired” to Intervale, where Gertrude’s father, P. J. Harney, had built a home (now Riverside Inn) in the early 1900s. As it happened, the Pinkhams’ son Peter at that time was owner/operator of Eastern Slope Inn in North Conway, and housed his front office personnel in a building a few blocks down Main Street, named Birchmont Villa. It was a former guesthouse, which Peter leased from Mrs. Gibson, Harvey Gibson’s widow. He rented the Villa’s former dining room and kitchen to his parents, which they remodeled for their new venture. (more…)

It is a balmy August afternoon in Mount Washington Valley, and the Saco is finally warm enough for the swimming to be pleasant. While we are definitely enjoying it, we are also starting to think about skiing. If making turns hasn’t crossed your mind recently, you will most likely think about it this weekend as you drive through the valley, where local ski shops are hosting huge tent sales. In the field next to Schouler Park, you will find the Ski and Snowboard Liquidators Tent Sale, and as you drive north on Route 16 the Joe Jones Tent Sale (across from the Wooden Soldier headquarters) is hard to miss. (more…)