The retirement relocation to Maine, lots of people are doing it. For no shortage of personal and practical reasons. To fulfill lots of deep down desires. But the science of retirement planning, picking a place to match what people see themselves needing down the road. What works best for a person's retirement is tied to so many factors. As as a real estate broker in Maine, the job of matchmaking the property to the retirement lifestyle the buyer wants is part of our rewarding job. Your outside surroundings help create the atmosphere that percolates and radiates inside a person.Achieving contentment in retirement means first spreading out all the puzzle pieces on the card table. It is a serious process for seniors to consider all the elements. And retirement age does not always arrive wh... 05/03/2017

Northern ME, Aroostook County is one big land mass, the largest of the sixteen in Maine.Nicknamed 'The Crown Of Maine" it is a popular destination for sporting enthusiasts of all types. That make it a yearly habit to come north often to Maine for the wildlife, the fresh air, the clean water. Less people, no traffic is one big perk and all this eye candy of unspoiled natural surroundings is part of the tug on the heart strings.Being on the Canadian border with the Altanic Maritime provinces does not hurt the attraction to Maine.Where I live in Houlton Maine, it is like a two nation vacation being parked smack dab on the Canadian border with our cousins "over home" eh?A lot like the blue green split down the middle island stop at St Maarten where it is the best of two cultures rolled up i... 04/28/2017

The place you bought that used to fit like a glove no longer does and someone starts dreaming about a "house addition".Lots to consider before putting up the staging, lining up the workers and getting the permits. For the  hammer and nailing to piece it together correctly from whatever is delivered for housing materials from the local lumber yard. Will what you want to add on to the home you currently own achieve your housing needs for now and beyond?Or will you be swimming in too much house in just a few short years ?When the kids fly the coop and leave the nest that now has larger payments when that extra money should be going reallocated and flowing into the college accounts? Eventually you the home owner with all the extra, empty new space finds yourself swimming in the shoes of a h... 04/24/2017

The history of the home listing for sale is not always known or shared. We are not talking the days on market history for (DOM) but the past bits and pieces of the property information shared. Understanding how the home was built, who lived there and why this addition was put on, for what purpose.The builder at the time of construction if alive could share much.Who did built the house and what was his reputation? Where did he shine or come up short?What was added to help or hurt the place over the years?What used to be on that empty lot to the east?Where are the barns, horse and machinery sheds, chicken house that are long gone on the farmstead house property listing for sale? It all adds to the attraction and explains much of the why this is the way it is evolution in the home ownershi... 04/16/2017

Homes with land in Maine, that is one property listing category that gets asked for a lot.Because Maine is wide open spaces, fresh air, clean water. Country living but not being out in the boonies. This 10 acres plus property has a one owner home. She's a raised ranch with daylight basement. A knotty pine rec room in that cellar with outside entrance could be a home offer to telecommute to work in Maine. The land in Maine for sale surrounding this home on a dead end road with all kinds of scenery is fertile farm soil.A field that became a house location with trees and open space was ideal for this owner who has steadily improved the property listing since it was built slowly, carefully.Tile floors in the kitchen and dining room, birch down the hall, in the master bedroom and oak in the ... 04/04/2017

"When is my house going to sell?"... the home owner asks the question at the kitchen table listing.Or even before the house hits the market when you bump into each other pushing the wire cart with the squeaky wheel at the local Piggly Wiggly. How's the market, what's my place worth off the top of your head. He says he won't hold you to the figure formulated by the stewed tomatoes or waiting inline at the deli counter. The home seller wants the real estate agent or broker to sneak a peek into the crystal ball. So they can mark the closing date well in advance and to plan for the big day.But hold it partner.First things first. Before cashing the bank check from a home sale proceeds.First things first. Time is ticking by ... hear it? And the seller can snap the whip and expect the quickest... 04/03/2017

The Rolling Stones rock band made lots of money singing about time being on your side.Yes it is. Or no it is not.One thing for certain most folks are in one major hurry and for the garden variety of list of reasons all agents, broker run into on a daily basis.Lots of new ones we learn about in the real estate trenches as markets change for better or worse.Like most things in life, more complicated spills into many experiences in the business World today. With layers of players added to the  take a number, hurry up and wait. But what about the big time factors that can be wrestled with and kept under control to avoid the time suck that kills real estate deals.And thinking on your feet to dodge the bullet that deep sixes a real estate deal. Causes white sheets and toe tags to be applied w... 03/30/2017

Houlton Maine area homes for sale, anything new for property listings?Sure is... spring has sprung and new real estate offerings are available to seriously consider. If you are in the market for a new home for sale in the Southern Aroostook area. Searching for a puzzle piece to fit your housing real estate need?First home, 20 Lincoln Street Houlton Maine.Watch the video for 20 Lincoln Street Houlton Maine home that could be a two family. Ideal if you have a loved one you want close, to live under the same roof line. But to have independence. A quiet side street location, just a couple blocks from the Houlton Regional Hospital, from shopping center, the down town too. Double garage! $64,500 is what the stick price says for a listing figure if the bank pre-approval letter say keep it affo... 03/25/2017

All real estate agents, brokers who have been around a few market cycles have seen them.The real estate listing that has had no shortage of green stuff poured into the sticks and bricks. But the end result was out of whack, just created a harder to sell property listing.More than a simple case of loud colors or too much chic shabby or poor housekeeping. A listing that lingers on the market not because of over pricing or a poor location. Because anything will sell if priced right and the price nibbled, reduced by the owner to reflect the market rejection right?We're talking the place we drive into the dooryard to inspect, to dissect and list for sale.Where maybe three owners pecked away pretty hard. In a short period have all dipped pretty deep into their pockets to add their creative sp... 03/21/2017

Wednesday, March 15, 2017 Will Vegas Bob be purchasing Land in Alaska - California or Maine       Alaska by Robert Swetz  Will Vegas Bob be purchasing Land in Alaska - California or Maine   Robert Swetz aka Vegas Bob aka Alaska Bob has been searching for land in the states of Alaska, California and Maine for several years now. Alaska Bob purchased several vacant land lots in Alaska some time ago and is interested in purchasing more in AK.      Mammoth Lakes California   There are several areas in northern California with vacant land that Robert Swetz is interested in but California is so over priced being at the peak of a bubble. Robert Swetz would rather purchase after the bubble pops and purchase low than to pay top dollar.      Maine    And then there is the beautiful state of Maine ... 03/15/2017

Throw it up high on the real estate market and quickly get the property clear to close instructions.If every listing became a property sale pretty much by itself. No training wheels, no creating dotted lines or leaving a trail of bread crumbs for everyone behind you to follow.We all know at Active Rain that it takes many carefully watched steps through the listing process into the marketing arena and then to rise above to become a bonafide real estate closing statistic.For the appraisers to use as a comp to keep the process of list and sell going. The process steps are large in number in every real estate property transfer.And they suddenly spin, change up as new cracks and wrinkles appear to add to the intrigue.As the real estate professional does his or her best to reduce the drama. T... 03/08/2017

(Buzzer BBBZZZzzzzzzzzzz sound) All real estate markets are not the same and there is a major difference on how the big city and small rural ones behave. What is important to the city mouse is vastly different like the size of the price tags for his country cousin.  In urban markets the list of gotta have before you slide the house, condo, co-operative on the market is not a carbon copy match for the rural real estate market. The cost for the properties swing wildly nose bleed high in one city market, to the extreme the other way close to the ground in small rural real estate markets.  Security is big and always a concern in the city. Not even a concern in the smaller rural real estate market. Where doors are not locked, the keys left in the vehicles in the huge yard. Space is at a prem... 02/12/2017

How much house can I afford to buy?A big question, a real estate unknown right up there with what's the value of my home? Buyers and sellers need help from real estate professionals because the two questions earlier change as life happens. Personal spending can eat into the available resources to buy a house. The market value of your home goes up and down like boats in the harbor when the tide approaches. But no matter which camp you are in, the sellers, the buyers or both, using helpful real estate calculators can make it a simple math exercise in the decision making. Debt to income ratios, what the mortgage loan program demands for caps and ceilings. Read more on article How Much Home Can I Afford To Buy?  that expands on the all important topic.Different home loan programs work best ... 02/07/2017

Bigger than life and death important in the purchase and sale. Pretty big stakes involved, large steps need to be taken when the buyer or seller wants to play the real estate game. What moves to make, when to hold your hand on the game piece and just be patient. There are rules for both sides of the real estate buying and selling exercise playing field. To make it pleasant, productive, pretty much quick and painless. To avoid the thin ice, the mud holes of quick sand and to keep everyone in the real estate row row row your boat on the way through the mist to land at the property closing. For the touch down and tail gate party out back the home sweet home of your own. To free up the seller so he can do it again and replace his housing as he moves on and never looks back making tracks. It... 02/01/2017

How is the real estate market in your home town? You and I get asked the question pushing the wire cart in the produce aisle. The same query is made when you are at the car wash making change for tokens or sitting on the bleachers at a local sports game contest. How's the real estate market in Maine is important news and not just toss around like talk about the current weather. Or the how about those Red Sox, the local sports team's winning or struggling record, etc. Family additions and needing more housing space is a big need. Downsizing or estate sales, forced divorce or investment purchases are too! People make decisions based on the real estate market conditions and want you the expert that works in the property listing trenches to fess up. Is it hot, cold, or meh... in flux and wh... 01/25/2017

Buyers and sellers of real estate, they look to the professionals to identify, to clear cut the obstacles.To expertly lay down the path from realistic pricing to marketing the listing, to helping obtain financing, working to find solutions to obstacles on anything from anyone that comes up along the way to get everyone to the real estate closing.Sometimes bloodied, weary from extensions to satisfy all the layers of players surrounding the real estate listing to sale process.But fish or cut bait is the Maine expression.No time to whine. Just have to buck up, deal best with the red flags and not wave the white ones of surrender.For hard earned success, never let up results, the right navigation to a completed real estate property closing.Today more than ever, the online real estate websit... 01/19/2017

 You need a starter home, a retirement house and this home for sale at 26 Smyrna Street Houlton Maine 04730 can be both.Or buy, rent out for profit, use this property in Houlton Maine for a 2nd home, vacation destination. Low cost, highly maintained, quick occupancy because the ranch style home is vacant.Built solid in 1935, the attached garage came into the property picture in 1975 on this technically US Rt 2 location.That west direction from the edge of town makes four wheeling ATV and snow sled riding extra fun.Many lakes, a golf course just a few clicks in this west of Houlton Maine location.The rear porch room of the Houlton Maine one floor simple living home is 12x10, the garage 20x15 with inside entrance to the full cellar. Modern furnace serviced each fall religiously and the fu... 01/18/2017

Real estate video, nothing better to show the local community flavor, the property listings currently for sale on the real estate market.But resistance.Why the fear of real estate video that lingers?The biggest critics like many things in life are not using real estate video. They cite videos they have seen, listened to that did they did not like and shelved the idea of shooting, editing, rendering, uploading the real estate loops. And then settle back on their haunches saying photos are fine, add some copy and call it good.The real estate buyer on a mobile device, many miles or time zones away does not feel the same about property listing video as 97% of agents, brokers, REALTORS.The dinosaurs who have no video channels or empty cupboards in the ones they did set up years ago. The ones... 01/11/2017

The experiences the real estate buyer enjoys because the property has right features on their hand crafted wish list. When the real estate listing is responsible for the lifestyle pursuit success, there is a strong connection that leads to a sit down or through the mails closing. The property in Maine sells itself because the match is perfect. It works, it creates the lifestyle the buyer is after.What do you like to do for fun, what past time soothes the nerves, trips your trigger?What could you never do where you live now that you wished you could?And are ready to make the move to find what is not available wherever the real estate buyer hangs his or her lid.Something is missing in the life of so many urban real estate buyers.Because they can not get what they need with all these peopl... 01/10/2017

The title to the real estate, the important legal paperwork showing property ownership is stored inside the walls of the local registry of deeds. Maine has sixteen counties but 17 registry of deed locations. Lots of types of real estate deeds. But like the Brooklyn Bridge, the existence of a deed is not worth the paper it is written or typed on if the title to it is not yours to convey.  In our job as a real estate broker in Maine for 38 years, so many buyers and sellers figure if the deed to the property is a warranty one, all is good. I would rather have a quitclaim deed with squeaky clean title than a warranty deed with a flawed title behind it. Because you have to fix the flaws, or insure over them and a clean bill of health is always better than sickness to nurse back to health. Bi... 01/07/2017