Moultonborough’s 66 Miles of Shorefront Captivates

By landmass Moultonborough, NH is the largest lakefront community in the Lakes Region with 59.7 square miles of land area and 15.4 square miles of water. The town is blessed with 66 miles of shorefront encompassing Lake Winnipesaukee, Squam Lake, and Lake Kanasatka. That’s a lot of shoreline, considering the state of New Hampshire has only 18.5 miles of coastline on the Atlantic Ocean. Moultonborough traces its history back to 1763, when the town was first chartered. The first town meeting took place in 1977, when the town was incorporated. Colonel Jonathan Moulton was elected Town Clerk, and the town was named in honor of him.

A large portion of the town is located along Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire’s largest lake. Moultonboro Bay is an 8-mile long arm of the lake extending from the southern corner of town towards the center of town. The long peninsula of Moultonborough Neck separates the bay from the rest of Lake Winnipesaukee. At the end of Moultonboro Neck Road, a short bridge connects the mainland onto Long Island, the largest island on the “big lake” at 1,200 acres. Beautiful waterfront homes and lake access communities dot the extensive shorelines within the town. While several lakes are major attractions for tourists and second homeowners, the mountains are of prime interest to hikers, snowmobilers, skiers, and nature lovers. Mount Shaw, at 2,990 feet, part of the Ossipee Mountains, is the highest point in town. The Red Hill at 2,030 feet offers popular hikes to its fire tower with panoramic lake and mountain views. Moultonborough is also home to Castle in The Clouds, a 6,300-acre estate in the Ossipee Mountains built by Thomas Plant, who made a fortune manufacturing shoes. The loon center is another popular attraction, as well as the Old Country Store in the scenic village dating back to 1781, one of the oldest country stores in the country. Moultonborough has two beautiful town beaches, one on Long Island just over the bridge and the second one at States Landing Beach. Boat launching areas include Lee’s Mills, Long Island, and States Landing.

In Moultonborough, a town of 4,918 residents, about 60% of its housing stock involves second homes or seasonal properties, the highest percentage in Carrol County and Belknap Country. Buyers have been flocking here because of the extensive shoreling (66 miles) and very attractive real estate taxes. Moultonborough is noteworthy for having one of the lowest tax rates in New Hampshire (3^rd lowest) at only $6.98/per $1,000. Additionally, the town has an excellent school system. The Moultonborough School District (SAU 45) includes two separate buildings and three schools, Moultonborough Central for Pre-K to 6^th Grade and Moultonborough Academy with the middle and high school. The Moultonborough Airport on 63 acres is a privately owned public-use general aviation airport. The town library, town hall, fire & emergency services, and police department are centrally located in the quaint village district with unique shops. The annual 10 day Lee Mills steamboat meet is a local favorite in its 48^th edition. Fine restaurants, cafes, the 18-hole Ridgewood Country Club, and Marinas offer lots of recreation opportunities.

So we’ve talked about Moultonborough. What’s happening in the real estate market in this quaint New England town?

• In 2021 there were 154 single-family home sales. The median sales price was $573,065. The average sales price was $923,733. The lowest sales price was $130,000. The highest sales price was $5,400,000. Median days on the market was 9. Total sales volume was $142,254,959.
• In 2021 there were 7 condominium sales. The median sales price was $625,000. The average sales price was $561,000. The lowest sales price was $275,000. The highest sales price was $899,000. Median days on the market was 25. Total sales volume was $3,927,000.
• In 2020 there were 151 single-family home sales. The median sales price was $379,000. The average sales price was $682,076. The lowest sales price was $70,000. The highest sales price was $5,250,000. Median days on the market was 16. Total sales volume was $102,993,538.
• In 2020 there were 9 condominium sales. The median sales price was $412,000. The average sales price was $490,300. The lowest sales price was $142,000. The highest sales price was $871,000. Median days on the market was 10. Total sales volume was $4,493,700.
• In 2019 there were 137 single-family home sales. The median sales price was $355,000. The average sales price was $688,35. The lowest sales price was $42,000. The highest sales price was $8,300,000. Median days on the market was 51. Total sales volume was $94,299,257.
• In 2019 there were 10 condominium sales. The median sales price was $653,500. The average sales price was $596,800. The lowest sales price was $179,000. The highest sales price was $710,000. Median days on the market was 11. Total sales volume was $5,968,00.
• At the present time, there are 11 single-family homes under contract, and there are 3 condominiums under contract.
• At the present time, there are only 5 single-family homes for sale. The median list price is $689,000. The average list price is $1,819,599. Median days on the market is 51. The lowest listing price is $479,999. The highest listing price is $6,495,000, and there are no condominiums available for sale.

In summary, you can see why Moultonborough is such a desirable community to live in. In the last three years, unit sales, median sales price, and total sales volume has gone up considerably. Moultonborough looks very good.

Photo caption (ABOVE MAIN PHOTO): Castle in The Clouds is one of Moultonborough’s largest attractions.

This article was written by Frank Roche. Frank is president of Roche Realty Group with offices in Meredith and Laconia, NH, and can be reached at (603) 279-7046. Town data was compiled by a NEREN search on 1/20/2021 at 11:00 am EST and is subject to change. Please feel free to visit www.rocherealty.com to learn more about the Lakes Region and its real estate market.