What to do for fun in Northern Maine, what recreational options exist in "The County"?

Well pace yourself. Lots happens year round in Aroostook, the largest of the sixteen Maine counties.

It just starts with picking a season. A month or week in it. So many of the four color brochures for parts of Maine show little time put into keeping them fresh, current and pertinent.

So you have to dig deeper.

To find the juiciest, sometimes most elusive but memorable. 

Word of mouth from the locals is the best source but gee.

You might miss something that is rich and rewarding but just under publicized. Not thousand watt marketed to spread the word. To reach out to the masses.

The best experiences in Northern Maine are not highly publicized.

Which keeps them special, intimate and away from the distraction of commercial hoopla. The marketing blitz surrounding many tourist attractions in Maine. That demand a high volume of participants to underwite and monitize them.

So here goes to delve into a list of suggestions of stuff to do in Northern Maine.

An attempt to digitally splash some events that happen yearly in Northern Maine. That you return to and hopefully feel part of as the year's tick by. Looking forward to the next event in Northern Maine as soon as the last one is in the history books.

For starters, Houlton Maine is the County Seat or "Shiretown" of this northern section of "Vacationland". In the beginning, Joseph Houlton and the gang set up shop just after the 1800's barely started to roll.

Everything is good and the listing for sale in Maine has a sale pending rider screwed to the top of the silent real estate salesman.

The MLS shows the property is under contract and headed its way to a sit down, long table with all the cushy chairs for the final transfer paperwork.

Maybe.

You are not out of the woods.

Just because a deposit to buy has been put down as earnest money.

And all the pages of the purchase and sales agreement contract are initialed and signed the right way.

There are many steps in the real estate candy land game.

To get to the finish line.

More in the property listing sales that involve a bank.

And the pickiest programs for mortgage loans are the no or low down payment ones.

So it is not negative thinking or failing to be a positive half full glass approach to the matter. That causes the concern. All along the way.

Often the real estate sales that seem to be going the smoothest are the ones that worry an agent or broker most. Because we are expecting the roll up your sleeves and hard work from listing, marketing, selling. To continue all the way to the closing finish line.

Because the back and forth dickering, negotiating to find out how much real estate price wiggle room there is has everyone tired, maybe irritable and bloodied.

From the tug of war, back and forth. To put together the real estate sale that actually closes. And all the paperwork gets recorded in the local registry of deeds in Maine where the property is located on the planet.

The state of Maine.

Big topic for a little blog post about Maine. The state up here in the upper right hand corner of the nation. Parked on the Canadian border. Where no, it is not dangerous living this close to Canada. 

But back to Maine.

Just how to sum up the entire state to someone that had never set foot here?

Spending time under a rock and out of the loop.

With no knowledge from a hairdresser or barber that tout the facts, figures and spread the myths like an expert.

That never motored across the big green bridge or set down, landed in a silver bird in Vacationland.

The links to Maine to drill down into subjects have to be in the blog post. To expand when something that interests the blog post reader seeking information on Maine can do just that. With a tap tap, toggle.

A blog called ME in Maine is a big shot in the arm to cure the thirst for the community small town rural flavor. If you are hungry, in Maine , do as the natives do.

More than pass the green lobsters that turn red with the steam bath.

Or slicing into a baked potato, tackling a hot slice of blueberry pie. Yes please. Two scoops of the home made, hand cranked ice cream drizzling, riding high wide and handsom. A top that pleasure wedge please.

The small town community events, the grange hall or church suppers. Those public gatherings small towns pour their heart and soul into is where you meet the neatest local people.

Like this Maine farmer with a red addiction.

Like most jobs, it looks easy on the surface.

Because real estate listing, selling, trading deals with all types of people and many charged with high emotional levels, there is more to it. Than just show up and time to make the donuts.

More than just going through the motions and settling back on your haunches in a relaxed state.

Always reinventing how we list, market, sell (repeat) the real estate properties for sale in Maine is part of the job as technology advances quickly.

And you better keep up if wearing the blue and gold R, the hardest working letter in the real estate alphabet bar none.

So (pulling curtain aside to create a passage) come on. Wander backstage in a typical rural Maine real estate broker's day. Experience the issues discussed, hammered out solutions and see a pattern of what happens in the normal day.

Most sales have happy endings. 

But a few highlights of what else can raise it's not so pretty head. To deal with because of people's quirks, miscommunication, hurt feelings, and just because of not being brought into the process deeply enough.

To avoid the bad taste and stinging eyes, choke in the throat long afer the real estate purchase and sale or derailment happens. Time and attention, as much as it takes is needed all along the way from real estate listing to property closing.

Haunted houses in Maine, not just popular around the Halloween trick or treating spot on the calendar.

In our job listing, marketing and selling Maine real estate, we have the topic come up about spooks on the premises.

And some would argue, if the Maine house is haunted, does that raise the value or hurt it?

Depends if you are Stephen King, someone making a movie.

Or writing a book with the desire to find a property listing in Maine with a spooky history.

Often the stories around the haunted house in Maine are passed around, embellished. Added to big time like anything heard on the grapevine. People like a good tale. To chew the fat and discuss things.

Make it entertaining. Or just contribute something to the story thread. True or not is not so critical for idle chatter. To stay in the spotlight.

Down at the barber shop, sitting on a stool munching at the local Maine diner. Or while grabbing an armful of essentials at the corner Piggly Wiggly convenience corner store. Killing time in line at the check out.

And over a long Maine winter, there is plenty of time to tap into the imagination.

Haunted houses tales from past folklore and the local rumor mill shared.

While playing cribbage, ice fishing or watching a hockey puck, maybe an orange ball. So back to haunted houses in Maine you ask?

The folks out there in the wild blue yonder needing to buy or sell Maine real estate.

Out of thin air, who can we find on radar sweeps. That our agency provides what they need. What they seek. Seeing, reaching out and touching to make the connection in marketing Maine real estate property listings.

It helps that in a former life, broadcasting in Maine was part of the training.

Learn about the personal tale in this link.

Working in Maine broadcasting helped see the members of the audience out there needing to buy and sell real estate.

So the process of how to do it, explaining what comes next and why in property listing sales becomes more immediate, intimate.

Available online without having to actually darken the agency door.

Or to do a real walk through of property listings now on the market.

We take the folks serious no matter how we got the phone to buzz or email server to hum.

Or double doors to the agency to creak open and shut in a healthy frequency. And need  lots of oil squirts just like the Tin Man squeaked to lubricate the communication.

The on air behind a camera or RE 290 microphone hands on experience couple with marketing, journalism and broadcasting.

That combination is invaluable in today's information society.

Where everyone wants and should expect custom made treatment in what is now circling the property carousel of real estate inventory.

The Maine Association Of REALTORS state convention is in the fall.

Rotating around the state of Maine to be the meeting place. Of ideas, of methods to do business in the list and sell of Maine real estate.

And to gain continuing education credits to make the Maine real estate commission happy.Plus improve the way we attack our days with buyers, sellers, all the association layers of players in the real estate arena.

Networking, finding better ways to do the dog and pony in the list, market, sell (repeat).

The best of the industry collect and make the time, spend the money, allocate the resources to make the state convention of MAR important.

To attend yearly and take back to the various small markets, a few larger ones in Maine what is learned. New developments in the industry ripple across the land.

Much can be gleaned from others in the real estate trenches slaying the property listing dragon. For the clear to close memo to get to a transaction sit down. To pass the keys, sign the deeds.

To apply the knowledge that embraces the newest technology in real estate learned from speakers that are the best in their field or topic.

To improve customer service, turn around time.

Nothing hurts the real estate list and sell process more than delay.

Unless it is missing information that the buyers have to dig for. Or decisions made in the buying or selling of maine real estate that don't have accurate, up to the minute information to help in making them.

The listing price on the real estate property for sale, when should it be adjusted, lowered?

For starters, if there is a ton of wiggle room in the purchase price, the seller, agent are off to the wrong approach.

Setting the wrong expectations of how the real estate sale is going to unfold.

Not headed in the right direction for a happy ending.

The real estate agent, broker guides the process.

The best way to lead the marketing of real estate. To gain the most exposure of the property listin. Is to have the property price in line with the current market.

Because if ignored, the over priced property only helps sell other real estate listings.

It makes them shine as a whale of a deal. Because they are in line, dead center. With the other property ducks parading. Waddling up and down the real estate cake walk runway. For the "make me your home, pick me pick me" dog and pony.

If the property owner leaves the price parked too high for year after year listing renewal, the market that is ignored.

Shelf life happens and mold on the real estate listing tarnishes it's chances of ever selling. Moving on down the conveyor belt to the hop off. Sit down, sign the paperwork shuffle with the keys at the real estate closing.

The reasons Maine real estate buyers pick a location are many.

And one question that tops the list is there a Walmart in Houlton Maine? Yes there is Dorothy. Walmart Store #1974 is located at 17 Ludlow Road, Houlton Maine. Just before the Shop And Save grocery store and across from the Maine Tourist Information Center.

You can frequent the Wally World in Houlton Maine.

We no doubt will bump into each other from time to time.

Wheeling the wire cart around, up and down the eyes looking for the lowest price.

Walmart, always the lowest price right?

Or trek north about 40 miles to another Walmart in Presque Isle Maine.

Maybe hop the International border after the last exit 305 on I-95. And go through the automatic double doors at the Walmart in Woodstock, New Brunswick Canada.

So we have you covered for your Walmart outlets for shopping in the Houlton Maine area.

What is important to any of us varies. But some queries just top the list when a buyer is looking, hunting for property listings in Houlton Maine's Southern Aroostook area.

Closing costs on a Maine real estate property sale, what to expect?

What are they going to be? Well for starters if you are trying to get just as low as possible closing costs, paying cash helps.

No bank overhead for the mortgage process in underwriting a loan makes the out of pocket expenses lighter at the real estate closing.

Owner financing a property in Maine means no bank.

But the cost to prepare the promissory note, the first mortgage on the property legal documents.

Recording those legal instruments at the local county registry of deeds where the property is located are an expense.

But back to that bank financed sale. The associated costs like a lender's title insurance premium charge, the origination fees, document preparation charges and more nickel and dime line items on the HUD-1 settlement statement can add up.

And under the heading of "closing costs" there are pro-ration of property taxes, heating oil that show up with the legal fees.

Along with the property appraisal charges and all the inspectors that eyeball the property and it's title. To make sure everything is kosher. Up to speed and hunky dory.

 What is it like where the property listing for sale in Maine is located?

To a local real estate buyer, why tell the local community story? They just want to jump right into what is for sale.

To begin the sorting, matchmaking and filtering to find the one property for sale in Maine that is just the right listing.

To fit their needs to a "T" at this point in time.

That works well for the season in their life they find themselves in currently.

So local details on the area are best addressed in the videos that promote it. The blog posts that spill the details, paint the local community picture. An area wide approach to the tell me about your area completes the missing information.

The out of town or state or country buyer of Maine real estate knows what the different areas where he or she has lived are like.

They need to know much more about where they are considering investing a big chunk of money.

Because little is often known about the new job location assignment in small rural Maine. Or the spot that makes the short list of places to retire and relocate to now or down the road.

Nothing makes a person feel all alone and out of the loop like traveling and you're off line.

Wifi for Internet if you are heading due north in Maine. So when you roll into Houlton Maine, taking that left or right off Interstate 95 exit 302, getting hooked up is key. All fueled, you and the vehicle you drive. Plus connected on the Internet is key.

So for starters who is providing Internet in Houlton Maine? 

And when you roll off the highway, either I-95 or US Rt 1, 2, 2A, what is there for options to park the car or SUV, camper. And to see lots of bars of a rich, constant wifi signal for Internet use?

To search. And hone in, pick up and lock on a wireless Internet signal? To catch up on emails. To let folks you love, the family and friends know you made it safe and sound. To the County Seat of Aroostook County, Houlton Maine. 

Well the Tourist Information Center just off exit 302 in Houlton Maine is a good place to start.

Hit the bathroom, stretch those legs, and tap the keyboard to log on. Located at 28 Ludlow Road, Houlton Maine, the rest stop is loaded with propaganda on fun stuff to do.

If you can hang around and spend some time in this border town with Canada directly to the east. The province of New Brunswick and being the gateway to Atlantic Canada makes the Houlton Maine port of entry one busy place. Especially during school vacations, summer break for the kids.

Buying Maine land for sale, all patches of dirt are not the same.

The drainage, lay of the land in Maine is part of the consideration on which property listing stands out brightest. In the pick the property when talking Maine land acreage.

But the actual soil profile, the type of soil as you auger down into the Maine land.

Or scoop a box here, a sample there. To whisk away to the University of Maine or some other labratory to do a soil analysis. To see what you have.

To learn the PH and how much lime, fertilzer is needed. Especially when considering the use for the Maine land for sale that you had in mind.

Soil can get depleted. Worn out.

Some soil profiles make the Maine land better suited for pasturing animals and not planting, cultivating row crops.

Ledge or bedrock just below the land surface could be lurking. Right up until the tractor hauling the chisel plow or spring tooth harrow comes into a loud contact. And subsequent sound of broken equipment that soon follows.

So what do we have for Maine land, the underneath all is the soil? And the condition of the wooded sections of the Maine land, if the property acreage is in the tree growth program. All is important information. To use in considering what to buy for Maine land. Which works best.

We have soil and water conservation books on the profile of the area Maine land we list and sell. One for the north and south sections of Aroostook County. Other books for Washington, Penobscot County soil profiles.

Providing the aerial views and designations of the soil profile. The listing of all the soil profiles and what each is all about. To know what part of the land for sale is Caribou loam or Thondike, Monarda profile type. Just looking at the species growing on the wooded sections tells you what the soil maps provide.

When you harness the Internet and feed the "information bear", lots of wonderful things happen in the exposure.

The reach beyond the local areas means it is like moving out of the shallow end of the marketing pool.

And going out over your head but enjoying the feeling. Of marketing around the globe. After you get your bearings and focus on just how to do that best using which platforms and search engine marketing tactics.

Things have changed in marketing real estate listings in Maine.

No longer is it stick a sign in the lawn.

Or nail one to the tree.

And then an ad inserted for a few lines of copy once in awhile in the local newsprint.

No no, the exposure and real estate advertising has to hit more sets of eyeballs, eardrums. And what we promote is not just what is described, titled in the real estate deeds.More than just talking about the property listings.

How special Maine is comes up in most daily Maine real estate discussions.

We don't use black and white Poloroids that you peel back and coat to preserve.

The purchase and sale contract agreements don't get hand delivered to the attorney or banks either. Now scanned, easy to read copies are richocheted around the horn.

In the kid's card game, being short suited in something is not good if you are anxious to get rid of your cards.

Real estate property sales has the same approach. Solar homes for sale in Maine is not a well stocked property type but we do list, market, sell them.

Or we find the land for a solar home in Maine and help in the construction process or who can do this and that. 

In building a solar powered house, one that is passive and active.

In using the sun's rays to the maximum when it shines and can be harvested.

We listed a solar home in Maine property this week.

Details on the property listing at 35 High Street Houlton Maine 04730. Watch the video in the link.

But what if you are thinking solar homes in Maine, and have an idea of what you want the place to look like? To take the time to piece by piece put together the solar house puzzle pieces.

Where do you turn for a resource to get to to speed on solar homes and the latest technology to go with that type of housing?

The owner of the place we listed using passive and solar for heating, power reached out to the Mother Earth News people. Also to the Whole Earth catalog reviews.

Back in 1992 and steadily added to the array of cells. That switched from Nicad to hydrogen based batteries. Putting up the 24 solar panels and 1500 gallon holding tank that is heavily insulated to contain, store the energy from the Sun.

Traffic control, setting up showings, making sure real estate appraisers, home inspectors have little or no delay.

Along with the Maine real estate property buyer and seller in working around everyone's schedule.

Knowing sometimes no matter how hard you try, it is never fast enough or speed of thought easy.

But driving by a property in Maine for sale first can produce a never mind.

Homes too close or traffic too heavy.

No curb appeal.

No breathing space around the sticks and bricks.

What is next door to what is for sale too looking like Stephen King made a movie at the location.

We find with video for Maine real estate the time is best used.

For everyone involved in the listing, selling of a Maine real estate listing.

Because the video for the real estate is not just focused on the house, homes, structures on the land. But where is it, what are you looking at in all directions.

Telling and showing the online buyer of real estate in Maine that this is what you get. What you do not and should not expect.

Big real estate markets have lots of professionals crowded around the trough.

You gotta have a stager to get the house ship shape. You need a REALTOR to watch over the building process.

You need an attorney with an esquire after his or her name.

To eyeball the bank paperwork, represent all the interests.

And everyone else needs to lawyer up too. 

All the chairs around the long conference room table get used in large real estate market closings. You need insurance for this, this and oh yeah that.

The tab for the layers of players, all the A - Z inspectors built into all those zero places in the purchase price tag of the real estate listings.

In a small rural Maine real estate market, all that changes. The prices for the property listings are low hanging.

Closer to the ground which means simple happens. The buyers and sellers we deal with are not just highly specialized in one area and severely lacking or blind in others.

No no, the hands on way folks are raised in Maine means you are not a stranger to power tools. Very hands on and confident from experiences growing up.

How long can a dock be on a Maine camp?

Are there rules and regulations that spell out the specific length a dock out in front of your waterfront property/ Or the material that must be used? The answer to the lengh of a dock is that the length is not limited. Except for safety sake.

If your dock is going beyond just allowing the Maine lake camp owner to hop in for a spin.

To enjoy all that a Maine lake property offers for scenery.

The setting surrounded by trees and a playground to wildlife of all kinds.

To have the boat you pilot on a Maine lake from the camp, cottage or home.

To be able to motor freely glide in and out of it's mooring spot.

After the playtime is done. For a place to park those floating lake water toys.

And not become a navigational hazard because the dock may be too far out into a traffic lane situation. That needs to be addressed before something awful happens.

Before an accident, someone gets hurt out in front of your Maine lake property that had the dock, wharf too long.

Maine game wardens out on the lake to check fishing licenses and monitor the wetting the line and the take.

Those men and woman in dark green can also observe navigational hazards that could be due to a Maine lake camp dock just too long, where it should not be.

Or for night slow revolutions around a lake in Maine, those boats with the green and red front bow lights. The rear white lamp don't want to be bumping into a dock, a wharf that extends into their watery lane of movements.

Reflectors are not a bad idea on whatever dock you extend out in front of your Maine lake camp property.

You are on a life important mission, the hunt for properties for sale in Maine.

What exactly are you after? Because there are real estate markets within the bigger pool the listings swim in. Homes, houses in Maine for sale are not the only flavor.

Lots of land in Maine, commercial property and water front listings to pick from and in all price ranges, locatons.

So drilling down through what is available means applying the filter.

To cut to the chase on the properties listings for sale in Maine that make the cut.

End up being the one. Or pretty darn close to it. Money is usually can object that narrows the selection of which one to select. And timing is everything in real estate in Maine, in life.

We get asked a lot about the how's the Maine real estate local market. Have to ask which one...to clarify what the property listing for sale in Maine real estate buyer is really sniffing out. To be sure the right advice and direction is taken to serve them best.

The reasons to move, relocate to Maine.

The small town living values, pitch in and get involved makes the Maine connection strong. Kids are king and family is everything. You know safety is a given too in the 4th lowest crime state that Maine is.

Just finished up working the Maine State Soap Box Derby Race for year 2015.

The new crop of drivers makes the event new and different. Kids have an energy. The fun and grins, laughter is contagious.

You can be a kid with the lower to the ground younger ones, little people.

Some adults forget what fun is and can become sticks in the mud. Too serious and uptight because they don't remember.

Or maybe adults are just too busy to make time for the many children oriented youth events in small Maine towns.