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 HelloReturn to index of stories... |
Hello. I'm Allison McNair. Welcome to NH Outlook. |
| Preshow #1 Return to index of stories... |
In this edition. A financial forecast for New Hampshire's real estate market - find out what 150 thousand buys you these days in Portsmouth. |
| Preshow #2 Return to index of stories... |
We'll take you to a farm in Litchfield which specializes in organic produce. |
| Preshow #3 Return to index of stories... |
And later. songs for Ireland. |
| Intro Real Estate Return to index of stories... |
If you've been a New Hampshire homeowner for the past few years, you're probably aware of what's happened to the real estate market in your area. But what's in store for the future? A group of economists got together today in Boston to make some predictions about New England's housing market. We'll get details in just a moment. But first, we thought we'd revisit several areas of New Hampshire where we checked out home prices back in 2000. We wanted to find out what's happened to real estate since we first met with real estate brokers three years ago in Concord, Berlin and in Portsmouth - that's where we begin. |
| Real Estate Return to index of stories... |
SOT/nat track Three years ago, real estate broker Mark Nason showed us this two to three bedroom home across from a commercial property in Portsmouth. A house like this was a rare find and at the time, you'd be lucky to get it for 150 thousand dollars. Today, Mark says, it would cost $250,000. That's an increase of 100 thousand dollars, or 67 percent in three years. -- Nat 20:48 Dog barking. Show front shot of building for cover first. -- track This is what 150 thousand dollars would buy you today in Portsmouth. This five car garage building is located on a small lot near downtown. -- SOT 21:05 This is a property would be purchased I assume to have the 5 car garage removed and a small house built here. And they don't make land anymore there isn't a lot available in town therefore its desirable. 21:23 -- track Back in 2000 - according to the New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority - the median price of a home in Portsmouth was thousand dollars. Now in 2003, that median price stands at 250 thousand dollars - that's up % in three years. -- track When we visited with Mark in 2000, he also showed us this 1800's house. Once renovation work was complete on the kitchen, this four bedroom home with two full baths and a detached two car garage could have been listed at over 400 thousand dollars. And what would it cost three years later? -- nat Mark 6:15:24 I think in today's market place it would be high 5s low 6s. 6:56:15 -- track That's in 100s of thousands of dollars. -- graphic track *** Mark says houses have been appreciating at 12% per year for the past three years. Those numbers aren't limited to the seacoast area. From June of 2002 to 2003, according to the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight, the state of New Hampshire had the 10th highest house appreciation rate in the nation. -- track If you're a homeowner in Portsmouth, that's great news. But what if you're a first time buyer? For one thing, there is definitely more housing inventory available in Portsmouth now than there was three years ago., and… -- sot Mark 9:25:07 Interest rates have been one of the main factors that have contributed to this real sizzle in the real estate market here in the seacoast. It's allowed entry level people to get in when they couldn't have, and it's helped the market in all price ranges. 9:42:25 -- nat construction sounds 1:20 -- track and that includes these new downtown condos off of Congress Street. They're listed in the 700 thousand - 1.5 million dollar range. Mark says there are already a few buyers on board. Who would be interested in this kind of home? -- sot 2:55 The consumer is coming from the city. New York, Boston, the want a lifestyle where they can walk to everything. I think they're mostly primary but second homes wouldn't be out of the question. 3:10 -- track Although there are buyers our there, when it comes to the"high end market" things have slowed down. -- sot Here on the seacoast the high end market is 8 or 900 thousand dollars we have some homes along the water high end subdivisions 3, 4 millions dollars, and that market is a lot quieter than the last time we talked. There's more inventory and a lot less buyers. -- END HERE? track Back in 2000 we also visited real estate agent Lee Coulombe. He showed us what 150 thousand dollars could buy for a home then. --- sot 58:25 The average price of a single-family home in Berlin is in the mid 50s now down country that would buy you a pup tent in a park. Up here it gets you a nice home 58:37 when your talking 100 you're talking a plush home.68:41 -- track Three years ago this home sold for 139 thousand dollars. It has three bedrooms, two full baths, a family room, full basement and two car garage, It's located on two acres of land with a view of the presidential range and the valley. Lee says today you'd pay -- track We also looked at real estate in Concord three years ago. Ann Gallagher showed us one home that sold after only being on the market for a few days. -- sot Ann Gallagher This house less than a year ago sold for 137 thousand dollars - it resold within the first few days for the asking price of 170 thousand - isn't that wild? -- track Prices for homes in the state's capital have continued their upward trend. The average price of a single family home in 2000 was 134,103 dollars. The average price this year, in 2003 through October 15th is 199,200. -- |
| Intro NEEP Return to index of stories... |
Joining me now to talk about the outlook for real estate in New Hampshire and the forecast for the overall economy in the state and New England, Ross Gittell of the Whittemore School of Business and Economics at the University of New Hampshire. |
| Intro Nesenkeag Farm Return to index of stories... |
Many people living in the Granite State say they appreciate its rural character. While our growing season is short, local farmers make a significant contribution to our quality of life. In our series, growing in New Hampshire, producer Susan Hajdu introduces us to one farmer whose giving out of state growers a run for their money. Nesenkeag Farm in Litchfield is successful at marketing distinctive crops that taste best when grown in the New England climate. |
| Nesenkeag Farm Return to index of stories... |
Shots of vegetables in fields Eero 4-14:28 "It's a certified organic farm, about 40 acres, of prime soils, some of the best soils in the world are right here in Litchfield, right here on this farm." Narr 1 - This rich soil has been very productive for Eero Ruttila. For 16 years, he's been a farmer here at Nesenkeag Farm, growing more than 100 varieties of organic, specialty vegetables, and cut flowers. Eero 4 - 17:45ish "Originally I would say I was an edge producer." Narr 2 - Meaning that he grew vegetables - nontraditional crops and culinary herbs - for wholesalers that few other east coast farmers were supplying. Eero 4-17:50ish "But the organic trade really started to feel the pressures of west coast organic production, primarily California. Last 10-12 years I was seeing the value of the wholesale crops I was growing falling rather rapidly over a short period of time." Shots and sounds of production Eero 4-18:26ish "So I had to make some sort of shift. And the shift was to basically cater to the same accounts that my wholesale accounts were catering to and leap frog it over them." Narr 3 - And by doing so, Eero started selling directly to restaurant chefs - about thirty in all. Chef Ben 1-25:03-:05 "My first time meeting him was at the farm." Narr 4 --Benjamin Guertin is a sous chef at the Manchester Country Club in Bedford. Ben 1-29:43-1-30:04 "All the stuff that we've received from him has had more flavor in it that we've been able to find. And I think it goes back to the whole factor -- there's a whole lot of love in the farm. I mean the soil and stuff, the way that he turns it over, I don't know how he does it exactly but I know he really grows some great stuff." Eero 4-27:30ish "And I really enjoy working with the chefs. Of anyone, they're as excited about food as you can be. They're professional food enthusiasts. They're artists that are very creative with how they use the ingredients so I really kind of enjoy the communication and the excitement that they have of buying my food and supporting the farm." Shots of field workers picking veggies, washing mesclun in tub. Narr 5 - Although Eero sells a wide variety of vegetables, Mesclun -- a salad mix of leafy greens, herbs and edible flowers -- accounts for about 65 percent of the farm's total sales. Eero 3-5:06 "It's the first thing I have available in the springtime and it's the last thing I have at the end of the season. So I have it every week. So it's constant - $3,000-4,000 per week, just on this one item. That's the spine of the farm, that makes the farm work." Stand-up 6-5:28-:35 - "Within 24 hours of harvest, Eero delivers his specialty produce to high-end restaurants in southern New Hampshire and the Boston area." Eero 4-25:40ish "So that's the advantage, even if it's flown, I still have a 24 hour advantage and that's important to the restaurants that are really competing for the high end dollar in the restaurant trade." Shots in restaurant kitchen. Eero 4-24:40ish "The mesclun they're receiving that afternoon was picked that morning and the flavor that comes from that kind of freshness, you can't compete with it. And that's what these restaurants are willing to support and pay for, is that flavor." Ben 1-31:40-32:17 "Whenever I leave an order for him, I'll just leave a 'hey thanks again for having your farm in Lichfield.' It's kind of like that extra thing. I never thought moving from Napa Valley here, I never thought that I would run into the same type of environment that I was in in California, being that you have a farm down the street that's growing all kinds of baby lettuces and stuff. I though here, it was all squash and pumpkins so I was pretty excited to see he was growing 5 different kinds of potatoes, he's got all 5 different colors of carrots, all the different lettuces in his mesclun, herbs -- I mean I've never tasted herbs as fragrant and flavorful as these." Montage of Eero showing and naming the variety of vegetables Narr 6 - While proximity to the New England market is an advantage for Eero, the weather here is not. Seasonal climate changes means a shorter, more challenging growing season. Eero 4-23:40ish "So my trick, as it were, is that I change ingredients subtly week to week so that at this time of the year in September my mix is very different looking from the mix I was offering in the second week of June because there are ingredients I'm growing now that don't do well in June. So I wanted to kind of create this kind of excitement of changing the mix and that mix really reflecting the conditions of the growing season." Shots of vegetables growing in fields. Narr 7 - Everything that grows in these fields is hand harvested. And, the people who are hired to do that work have an understanding of the science behind it. Eero 5-5:20ish "My workers come from Cambodia, they come an agricultural tradition. They have a biological sensibility in that they can look at the field just like I do and they can kind of fast-forward think, biologically in time. And so they can look at a bean and come back to me and say 'Five days, those bean are ready for sale. Make sure your customers know about that.'" Shots of workers/vegetables Sue/Eero 5-18:10 "Is this profitable, farming? I think it's all in the eyes of the beholder. Some people think it's ridiculous what I do for what I get paid but in my mind I make a reasonable salary for what I put into it." Sue/Eero 5-18:25 "Why do you do it? Why do I do it? I enjoy it. I really couldn't work in a situation that I didn't enjoy. Also, I have the final say, I get to make my own mistakes and get to have my own successes because I'm making the decisions and I think it's a very exciting um opportunity to be kind of collaborating with nature and biology, kind of creating an economic system with the vagaries that happen when you're working with nature, when you're working with biology. There's never a dull moment." Narr 8 - For NH Outlook, I'm Susan Hajdu. |
| Tag Nesenkeag Farm Return to index of stories... |
If you'd like to visit Nesenkeag Farm for yourself, they will be celebrating Farm Day on Saturday beginning at 11am. Visitors can purchase organic produce and take a tour of the farm. |
| Intro Song for Ireland Return to index of stories... |
Finally, if you'd like to take in some musical theatre this weekend, this next story is for you. It is no ordinary musical theatre, however. It's a rock opera straight from the heart of a Derry woman and her musical partners. Celene Ramadan has the story and inspiration behind, "a Song for Ireland." |
| Song for Ireland Return to index of stories... |
Laurie MacPherson, writer, co-creator - "I live in Derry New Hampshire and - as a mother of four I was especially touched by the fact that mothers over there must have a very difficult time raising their children to be confident, contributing members of society and I thought - there must be something I can do." IN 1994, LAURIE MCPHERSON BEGAN WORKING FOR U.S. BASED ORGANIZATIONS THAT RAISE MONEY FOR TOLERANCE PROGRAMS IN NORTHERN IRELAND. SHE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO INTERACT WITH SOME OF THE IRISH CHILDREN WHO CAME TO THE STATES THROUGH THE "CHILDREN'S FRIENDSHIP PROGRAM". Laurie When I ask them are you effected by the violence there - their answer always was "no, no - I'm not". And I'll say "Do you know anyone who is effected?" And time and again there's a story. "Oh, so and so was there - he got shot. So and so went there - he got beat up" and they told the story as if it was nothing. That this is just the way it is. And it's foreign to us, but it's their way of life. AFTER TWO YEARS OF EXPOSURE TO SUCH STORIES, LAURIE SET OUT TO DO MORE. WHAT WAS TO FOLLOW WAS BY NO MEANS CONVENTIONAL. Laurie "In 1996 I saw a rainbow and it was, really, right outside this building. And I um, with that rainbow came a divine message for me that said you will write a story, Brian Todd and Rob Simmons will put it to music in a full length rock opera, it will be staged and it will be big and you will raise money for children in northern Ireland." WITHOUT QUESTIONING THIS MYSTERIOUS MESSAGE, LAURIE GOT TO WORK WITH MUSICIAN FRIENDS BRIAN TODD AND ROB SIMMONS - SHE WROTE A SHORT STORY AND THEY WROTE THE MUSIC. Brian Todd - Musician, co-creator - Well, at first we didn't, uh, I didn't know a lot about N.I. um I just basically sat down to write songs and um, I wrote the first song which was the title track to the show and um, I wasn't sure what to call so I just called it - a 'Song for Ireland'. Which went on to be the name of the show. Laurie - Brian and Rob did a fantastic job of taking the few pages that just again came off my fingers onto the typewriter - it came in one sitting. They took those few pages and wove lyrics and instrumentals and music together in a moving passionate joyous sad - every range of emotion gets pulled from the audience. The mission that we have was to raise money for the children so a portion of the proceeds from all our shows so far has been donated to organizations like that. TRYING TO TELL THE STORY OF THE CONFLICTS IN NORTHERN IRELAND CAN GET A BIT POLITICAL. SO, BEFORE THE STORY HIT THE STAGE, THE CREATORS HIT THE BOOKS. Rob Simmons - Musician, co-creator We did a lot of studying before writing this opera because it had to be very balanced. You know, we didn't want to take sides, you know, so that's probably what took more time than anything - balancing everything out. ONCE THE STORY AND THE MUSIC WAS WRITTEN, THE SHOW NEEDED ACTORS. THE CAST OF THIS PARTICULAR SHOW IS COMING AWAY WITH MORE THAN JUST STAGE TIME. John Murphy, "Kerry McGuiness" The getting on stage thing is great, I love that, I always have. But I tell you we've made some good friends here almost to the point where we're one big family and that has far exceeded my expectations of this whole thing. It's really nice. Laurie The cast members on and off stage are passionate and compassionate people and they bring it into their characters and they tell the story beautifully. John Murphy It's kind of made me look at myself. Having the last name of Murphy I have Irish roots in my heritage and it has made me look at what's going on over there. I definitely want to go there someday - my wife and my three kids they want to go there as well. Who knows, maybe this play will take us there, maybe not. Either way I'm going to get there. THE CAST AREN'T THE ONLY ONES WHO ARE EFFECTED BY THIS PRODUCTION. LAURIE HOPES THAT THE AUDIENCE COMES AWAY FROM IT WITH A CERTAIN MESSAGE. Laurie - We wanted to let people know, without a doubt, that beyond pain and suffering, there is hope. The message that I particularly want to bring to audiences all over is that love makes all things possible. FOR NEW HAMSPHIRE OUTLOOK, I'M CELENE RAMADAN. |
| Web Pointer Return to index of stories... |
That's it for this edition of our program. For more information, connect with us on-line at nhptv.org. Tell us what's on your mind in our on-line forum. You can also find links to resources used in this broadcast. |
| Tomorrow Return to index of stories... |
On the next New Hampshire Outlook - It's our Friday Edition as journalists from around the state discuss the week's top stories. |
| Goodnight Return to index of stories... |
We'll see you next time. Thanks for watching. |
| Tonight 10:00 Return to index of stories... |
Tonight on New Hampshire Outlook. It's our Friday Edition as journalists from around the state discuss the week's top stories. Join us tonight at 10:00 only on New Hampshire Outlook. |
| key: Economy / Business Return to index of stories... |
NEW HAMPSHIRE OUTLOOK Air Date/Time: 10/16/03 22:00 HOST: Allison McNair Length: 12:00 minutes In this edition of New Hampshire Outlook, NHPTV's nightly news magazine, a financial forecast for New Hampshire's real estate market - find out what 150 thousand buys you these days in Portsmouth. We'll take you to a farm in Litchfield which specializes in organic produce. And later. songs for Ireland. If you've been a New Hampshire homeowner for the past few years, you're probably aware of what's happened to the real estate market in your area. But what's in store for the future? A group of economists got together today in Boston to make some predictions about New England's housing market. We'll get details in just a moment. But first, we thought we'd revisit several areas of New Hampshire where we checked out home prices back in 2000. We wanted to find out what's happened to real estate since we first met with real estate brokers three years ago in Concord, Berlin and in Portsmouth - that's where we begin. Joining me now to talk about the outlook for real estate in New Hampshire and the forecast for the overall economy in the state and New England, Ross Gittell of the Whittemore School of Business and Economics at the University of New Hampshire. PRODUCER/REPORTER: Allison McNair NAME OF PARTICIPANTS: Mark Nason\Nason and Company, Inc., Lee Coulombe\Prudential Coulombe Real Estate, Ross Gittell\UNH Prof of Management |
| key: Tuttle Return to index of stories... |
NEW HAMPSHIRE OUTLOOK Air Date/Time: 10/16/03 22:00 HOST: Allison McNair Length: 7:00 minutes In this edition of New Hampshire Outlook, NHPTV's nightly news magazine, a financial forecast for New Hampshire's real estate market - find out what 150 thousand buys you these days in Portsmouth. We'll take you to a farm in Litchfield which specializes in organic produce. And later. songs for Ireland. Many people living in the Granite State say they appreciate its rural character. While our growing season is short, local farmers make a significant contribution to our quality of life. In our series, growing in New Hampshire, producer Susan Hajdu introduces us to one farmer whose giving out of state growers a run for their money. Nesenkeag Farm in Litchfield is successful at marketing distinctive crops that taste best when grown in the New England climate. PRODUCER/REPORTER: Susan Hajdu NAME OF PARTICIPANTS: Eero Ruuttila\Farm Dir, Nesenkeag Farm Inc, Benjamin Guertin\Sous Chef, Manchester Country Club |
| key: Arts / Culture Return to index of stories... |
NEW HAMPSHIRE OUTLOOK Air Date/Time: 10/16/03 22:00 HOST: Allison McNair Length: 7:00 minutes In this edition of New Hampshire Outlook, NHPTV's nightly news magazine, a financial forecast for New Hampshire's real estate market - find out what 150 thousand buys you these days in Portsmouth. We'll take you to a farm in Litchfield which specializes in organic produce. And later. songs for Ireland. Finally, if you'd like to take in some musical theatre this weekend, this next story is for you. It is no ordinary musical theatre, however. It's a rock opera straight from the heart of a Derry woman and her musical partners. Celene Ramadan has the story and inspiration behind, "a Song for Ireland." PRODUCER/REPORTER: Celene Ramadan NAME OF PARTICIPANTS: Laurie MacPherson\Writer/Creator, Brian Todd\Musician/Creator, Rob Simmons\Musician/Creator, John Murphy\Actor |
| WEB PROMO Return to index of stories... |
Tonight on New Hampshire Outlook. . Tonight at 10pm on New Hampshire Public Television. |