For some, southern New Hampshire is the ideal three-day jaunt up from Boston or autumn leaf-peeping destination. But for Ebony Martin, it’s home.  Though the 42-year-old now owns a house in Manchester, NH., there was a time when the market was so competitive it felt impossible to elbow her way in. Martin had been looking for over a year on her own, “only finding little shacks that needed to be completely renovated in order to live in,” she says. At that point, she felt ready to give up. Setting the scene on homebuying Manchester holds two unique titles: the most populous city in New England north of Boston and the hottest housing market in the country. A February 2026 report from Realtor.com ranked Manchester at the top of its top 20 sought-after real estate hubs, with an average of 3.4 viewers per property.…