The desire surfaces a lot, about starting a farmstead, homesteading in Maine.

No so long ago back in history, most of us were small farmers of sorts. Food is a basic need that leads the list of essentials for daily life. And an increased awareness about what exactly is good food to fuel our bodies is the buzz, rattle and hum today.

Wanting to know what you are putting on your family's table has become front and center important.

Nutrition, good slow cooked quality food not the fast kind with empty calories is the growing shift in what is munched on.

Sent to the stomach below at least three times a day.

Lack of safety in a city, the high traffic and steep cost of living help propel the desire even further for a farmstead, to own a homestead in Maine.

Life is short and where to bring up your children best makes the choice obvious for small rural, low cost farm property Maine.

So where to begin, what are the ABC's of finding, buying and running a farmstead in Maine? To make it pay. Pull it off without a hitch.

If you don't know the first thing about homesteading in Maine. I can help because of my farming in Maine background. Raised on a 300 acre farm that I purchased from my three brothers after my mom passed away helps keep my hand in the farmsteading way of life.

You see the term "reverse mortgage" a lot in the media streams.

And have been urged to get one as reverse mortgages sound like the next best things next to sliced bread. But what are they and who needs a reverse mortgage? Can you see anyone in the crowd, are you one who does?

You spend much of your life paying off a mortgage and to be debt free.

And to go in a direcition that sounds backwards, to take on debt once you are free and clear sounds like a bad idea. As you get older but clarification on what exactly is a reverse mortgage.

So how do reverse mortgages work? The money you get usually is tax-free. And here is what else the Federal Trade Commission says about reverse mortgages.

How many kinds or types are there for reverse mortgages? Three exist.

The single purpose reverse mortgages – offered by some state and local government agencies, as well as non-profits. Then there are  proprietary reverse mortgages that are private loans. It all gets rounded out when discussing reverse mortgages when talking federally backed, guarantted reverse mortgages. Called Home Equity Conversion Mortgages (HECMs).

Wiggle it just a little bit, to find the room to negotiate on the real estate property listing price.

What's the mark up to the real value today? How low will he or she go? The owner of what you would like to buy. What is going on inside his head? How badly does he want or need to sell?

Or is the Maine property listing owner that you are after in no hurry whatsoever?

To sell and let go.

Timing is everyting in life, real estate.

Is there something going on in the life of the property listing seller that is pushing the need to get to a closing pronto?

The gotta have a sale stat, ASAP?

Or quick like a bunny as we told the kids around bedtime. When the clock on the walls says we are all holding up the nightly Sandman visit. This pressure drives the sale price up, down, sideways.

So wiggle room, what is the market up in a real estate listing?

It is murky, there are gray areas unless you get some good answers to hard real estate situation questions. Because people are involved and supply and demand is always a factor in the current real estate market.

Had a buyer bird dogging for his son in Iowa who wants to buy a farm in Maine we have listed for sale. He wanted to know is there always a ten percent market up on real estate in Maine?

In life timing is not always the best, like when you own a home that shrunk from family expansion.

And you want, need to sell a house before buying another castle. With more room to roam. Extra bedrooms, baths, a rec room. For all those place settings around the kitchen table to have enough space to grow up in comfort.

A bridge loan, when buying a new home.

How to get from one home to the other with some breathing room.

To give adequate time to allow for the sale of the old one is a housing transfer option flip flop.

But what if no extra money in the dig deep in the kitty at the end of the month to pay the bills you already have? For the 2nd home mortgage payment added stress.

Hmmmm.

But not for everyone is over extened financially. The timing to buy is right except already own a home outright or with a mortgage or two.

And is quickly given the nod of lending approval. From a bunch of banks that would jump at the chance. Would float a new home loan slam bam while you carry the old mortgage payments too.

But sleeping nights home selling one, buying one.

Can you? Or is 3 AM a wake up call you can not stop getting inside your head. Tossing, turning, making trips from the bedroom to the bathroom.

You worry about the length of time for the old home to sell. And just want to wait. Should you is the million dollar question? Even if the banker says come on, relax, sign here and here.

The best deals of the year that all get razzle dazzled, hyped to hysteria so Christmas shoppers spend spend spend.

Does real estate fall under the excitement of Black Friday, Cyber Monday marketing price adjustments?

If you are searching for real estate in a small population, large land area that is rural like Northern Maine, you can relax.

You have more than a couple days, a handful of hours to get your best deal on Maine real estate property listings.

Good news to report. Forget setting your alarm clock for two in the morning or rolling out a sleeping bag in front of the big box store.

These deals, blue light specials. They happen all day and night long and through out the calendar year.

Big supply, less demand and being parked up here in the northeast corner of the country make it always the low price for real estate listings, properties for sale in Maine.

We have blogged about Black Friday, Cyber Monday Maine real estate deals. And how they are not limited to just a small window of time to stock up.

And explained that kid in a candy store excitement always surrounds buying the listed properties for sale in Maine.

The inventory is always three and four times less than the buyer from out of state or the country expects to find. Asking is there a misprint? And why are prices on property listings for sale in Maine, the real estate so so low? What is wrong?

What is it about a bargain, "always the low price" as Wally World boasts?

Searching, out, finding cheap Maine real estate property listings is no different.The same thrill of getting more for less.

When online or local buyers start the hustle.

Shake and bake to find the lowest price for the most property out there.

In the study of what is for sale currently on the open market to consider.

Carefully stocking the shelves has to happen. Very well on the cheap Maine land for sale offerings that is one popular category to keep robust. Hot, steaming and ready to serve up like a 24 hour buffet.

No appointment needed for the sit down feast.

In small rural Maine real estate markets it is not all about just homes, houses on the chopping block either.

The beauty of our Northern Maine real estate market is the prices are always divide by three, four or more. On what most out of state property buyers expect to pay. When opening the wallet or purse and saying "ahhhhhhh".

The lower to the ground prices make it easier to adjust to other cheaper Maine goods and services too. Has to be that way because the discretionary spending is lower in Maine.

We get value, buy what we need not just want. And exhibit better spending impulse control. Do a lot of bartering, trading for services too.

Examples of some low cost homes for sale in Maine? Well for instance, how about a home in Ludlow Maine for $15,000? Heck the drilled well, concrete septic system, over acre of Maine land in the country is worth that. But wait there is more.

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.