Episode Details

For years, Penny Hamel said she would never sell her home. After 31 years there, she thought it was where she would stay for the rest of her life.

Today, that house is on the market.

In this episode of Real Estate Connections, Mary Foerster talks with Penny about what changed and why she and her husband, Jeff, have decided to leave Massachusetts and make Jackson, New Hampshire, their full-time home.

This is not a story about being forced to move or following the traditional downsizing script. Penny and Jeff are active skiers, hikers, golfers, and outdoor people who have spent close to 30 years enjoying the Mount Washington Valley. Over time, Penny realized that the home they were maintaining in Massachusetts no longer reflected where they actually wanted to spend their time.

They found a lot in Jackson, chose a house design, and are preparing to build a home where they can walk outside into the kind of environment they already love.

Mary and Penny talk about what goes into a decision like this when you have spent decades building a life in one place. They discuss the financial realities of maintaining two homes, property taxes, healthcare access, leaving longtime doctors, adjusting to a different community, selling when the market is not perfect, staging a house, and figuring out what to do with rooms full of furniture you no longer need.

Penny also brings the perspective of a former mortgage lender and longtime community leader. She is currently serving as Rotary District 7910 Governor, so moving north does not mean abandoning the relationships and service that remain important to her.

This conversation is for anyone who has ever looked around the house they once thought they would never leave and wondered whether the life they want now might be somewhere else.

GUEST BIO

Penny Hamel is a longtime community leader, former mortgage lender, and the 2026–2027 District Governor for Rotary District 7910.

Penny has been involved with Rotary since 1989 and has served in a number of leadership roles over the years, including Club President, Assistant Governor, District Trustee, District Secretary, and Chair of District Friendship Exchange. Her professional background includes more than 20 years in the financial industry and mortgage lending.

She has lived in the same Massachusetts community for essentially her entire life and has spent 31 years in her current home. Penny and her husband, Jeff, are now preparing to sell that home and relocate full-time to Jackson, New Hampshire, where they are building a new home near the mountains they have enjoyed for decades.

Their connection to the Mount Washington Valley is not new. They have owned property there for close to 30 years, including their current Jackson-area home for 24 years, and have built much of their recreation and social life around the region.

Guest Resources

Rotary District 7910:
https://www.rotary7910.org/

Penny Hamel, District Governor 2026–2027:
https://www.rotary7910.org/Page/dg-penny-hamel-2026-2027

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This episode is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice.

Connect with Mary: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-foerster-realestate/

https://www.instagram.com/realestateconnectionspod/

Real estate is about more than buying and selling property. It is connected to how we live, build wealth, care for our families, navigate change, and plan for what comes next.

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