The Maine home buyers are in love with the property, the place fits their needs like two glass slippers.

But something happened after saying "I do", signing the purchase and sale agreement. And along the way to the clear to close memo being circulated.

Time is one of the biggest factors. Like a patient with health problems, Maine home sales have ailments, aches and pains.

To not ignore.

To  address quickly  that crop up during the real estate operation.

What factors make the real estate in Maine home sale teeter and fail?

Found another place that the buyer likes better for less money is a real head turner sale derailer. The long list of have to fix, replace, correct this this and that hurts the attraction spell mesmerizing a Maine home buyer  that puts a place on layaway. A Maine home to go under contract and leaves the market temporarily. But may not stay there MIA long enough to clear the hurdles for a real estate closing.

The length and what's on that list to cure for property problems, the associated costs is often a bone of contention.

The buyer may have no money, or motivation to apply the skills for what needs correcting. Thinks the seller should pick up the tab.

The seller of the Maine home could be strapped for cash. Thinks the same in reverse because he, she is selling "as is". Which is not good enough to clear the Maine bank secondary mortgage market hurdles to wrap the package.

Land for sale in Maine, because last check they stopped making any more of it.

And because with the big supply of property acreage in Maine, we are able to offer large parcels for little amounts of money in the exchange.

Land in Maine is low cost because the further into the Pine Tree State you go, the trails get a littl more narrow. 

Less traveled, unspoiled and the people fewer in number who live in these rural parts are extra special unique.

The country way of life includes protecting the environment. Passing it on with the same respect and good stewardship we all were taught growing up. Careful to not harm the waterways, aware of what causes erosion that chokes fish. Hurts the waterfront habitat.

And when the population of wildlife outnumbers the local residents of a small Maine town, you think about what is best for those critters.

Kinder to woodlots in Maine too.Easy does it with the surroundings and tramping lightly. Carry in, carry out in camping and not messing up the Maine land and what is growing on it, swimming in the water around it.

You want to buy a Maine woodlot, something with some timber on the land up north.

Like soils in Maine, woodlots, acreages of timber are different too. The drainage and lay of the land, how the woodlot was last cut and when.

The mills in the area and price they are currently paying. Up or down.

All make the timing to buy a Maine woodlot to require a little skill.

Some thought about when is the next harvest of the wooded sections due to happen on this Maine forested land?

That scheduling and who to use in the cutting operation are all intrical parts of the property listing purchase consideration for each and every Maine woodlot.

More and more woodlot management questions come up and there is nothing like a current Maine land forestry report to know the true health of the timberstand.

A selective harvest to remove individual trees from a crowded stand helps keep the cycle going. The one of regeneration and maintaining an uneven-age stand of tree species.

The goal ? To maximize the yield when you thinking of the Maine wooded land areas as if it was "tree farming". It is. A crop of trees please to super size. With the wish to maximize the per cord increase in the acreage of the Maine wooded land. By applying tried and tested sound forestry practices.

The move to Maine.

What is good to know in the transition, the relocation in your moving to Maine side step? The one that folks who never stepped foot in Maine sure are full of information they don't mind feeding the ears on each side of your head.

Well if you plan to plant yourself in the upper right hand corner of the country, the Northern most tip of New England, a job here.

You need less money to pull it off in Maine.

Because money is not the end all.

What is important is not tied to a dollar sign. Not holding you hostage to have secured and control a King's ransom to be especially comfortable in Maine.

Or a source of income would be smart to line up before your move to Maine.

To knock down the day to day overhead expenses. Free you up from worry. Income or a nest egg of savings in the Maine relocation move. That follow you like a shadow would be another pretty sound piece of advice.

To have in place as you cross the big green bridge into Eliot, Kittery. Southern most parts in this place with the space all four seasons called Maine.

Rent purchase, option to buy properties in Maine is a common daily inquiry made at our real estate office.

Over the phone, thru emails, the visits to the lobby of the agency, Where  we hear the plea. Like a child's game of Fish, "got any rent with option to buy homes in Maine?"

No one likes wasting money on rent that is like cash in the trash.

It's like leaving on running water wasteful and you never get ahead or start the investment of home ownership.

The binoculars raised to scan the property listing horizon slowly.

To study the landscape to make it work for Maine housing seeker.

The rent purchase to own, ease into the Maine property listing buying that works well from the buyer's perspective.

Because often credit has taken a hit. Just not able to get a Maine bank home loan. Employment is iffy at best. But the rent to own home buyer not wanting to just move in. Then shortly thereafter get the tap on the shoulder to head right back out that door.

It is expensive to hook up all the utilities, get the furniture moved in, the family used to the home sweet rented don't get too comfortable home in Maine.

And the unknown of how long will we be here when there is a real estate for sale sign speared in the front lawn outside the property listing.

But for the seller, property owner who needs another place to call home, the long term rent purchase option may not be the best maneuver. If there is a mortgage on the place, a little clause in the fine print can kick in.

We write a lot of blog posts in Maine and the ones on saving money go through the roof for views, clicks.

Like one awhile back about heating fuel oil assistance in Maine helpful links, information. But it is time for an update on help for heating your home in Maine this winter.

Because keeping kids in an apartment, household, elderly people warm while the snow piles up in Maine is pretty important stuff.

Not to be neglected, overlooked.

Before it is an emergency for Maine heat oil assistance and the tank is bone dry, temperatures diving, dipping lower.

Help with your winter home fuel utility bills is serious stuff when the northeast wind howls. Snows piles up deeply.

And the structure housing you, your loved ones is screaming all over for  inadequate insulation.

To make it more efficient to heat and stay cooler when it is the hottest day of July in a Maine home.

We have blog posted before on  Joe's oil, heating assistance for low income individuals.

And content about lowering fuel consumption, the best place to start after tightening up a house. To switch it up to what technology has brought us.

For the long term solution to easing the problem of staying warm. How to pay for it year in and out in a cold weather state with a winter season like Maine. The one up here in the upper right hand corner of the country.

Restaurants, diners, greasy spoons and public suppers, the places to eat in Houlton Maine.

You are some kind of hungry, could eat a horse while in Northern Maine.

It happens at least three times each day and this time you find yourself in Houlton Maine. Wondering about places to eat in a new land with fresh surroundings.The purpose of this blog post is to spell out the A to Z of places to eat, Houlton restaurants, diners, take outs.

(I will double bad to update and add or remove the options to save you time and to know all the places in Houlton Maine to eat choices.)

What are there for restaurants in Houlton Maine?

You can hear your stomach grumbling. Getting light headed too and better sit down to eat or grab some take out food in Aroostook County's oldest town. There are many dining in or take out eating options.

Don't let the small town size population, all this natural space of Northern Maine fool you.

Plenty of out to eat in Houlton Maine dining options to please the fussiest palate or hearty appetite.

Houlton has full blown restaurants, take out fast food outlets and plenty of home grown community dining options.

In the area, church suppers, farmer's museum and snow sled club spreads all possibilities depending on your schedule.

The suppers put on around the calendar year, you can break bread with the locals, learn about the area you are parked in. That works best for some very educational and lively meal conversation from the folks who live here. It is how you learn the history, customs, get directions and meet the people up close and personal. What's that? (Whispering) Oh sure, I'll pass the ketchup. No problem. You are welcome.

These local volunteer cooks all work hard putting on a feast for a King and Queen.

Usually the supper for a good cause, to fund a local project or help someone in a tough spot health wise or who lost a home in a fire, etc. Our Monday noon lunch meeting at the Rotary Club of Houlton at the Watson Hall is like that. The cost $8 if you are a Rotarian.

What to do when you the real estate in Maine buyer or seller or both is just not ready?

When the idea of a closing is a ways off because another home needs to be sold out of state.

Or the credit score is a little light, messed up. Needs to be squared away tidy. Along with other loose wires under the hood up of the buyer's financial idle ride.

The one that gets them to the real estate closing.

Or keeps them locked out.

Stalled, in the breakdown lane with the rumble strip to the left.

As the loudly ticking clock keeps perfect time. The sun rises, sets. Calendar months are "X"ed off, turned up or torn off and thrown away.

Waiting for things to clear up, come around so a real estate sale can take place eventually can be frustrated.

Timing is everything in life. In real estate that is part of so many facets of a person's day to day. So if you are not ready, browse, search, kick some tires. It's more than okay to look. As often as you want scan the new to the market listings.

Asked the question a lot, how is the Maine real estate market?

Is it hot, or not? To answer the question, it depends which type of property listing we are talking. What section of the real estate in Maine price range brackets we are wondering about specifically.

Overall, the market in Maine for real estate sales is extended or shortened marketing time.

But not a nose bleed high price hike happening one way, or dive down to China the other direction.

In the rural areas which most of Maine is small towns, it is not just houses or homes being listed, marketed, sold either.

But raw land in Maine, owner financed woodlots, waterfront properties for sale, small business properties, rental income complexes. Or listings where no bank, but cash on the barrel head happens too.

The reason for cash sales is so low listing prices on the Maine real estate properties. Unlike urban areas where eight out of ten people have to hang their hat. Chase the dollar. Worry about all that crime, traffic. Other life shortening stuff.

Old wives tales, something circulated that might have applied at one time but not anymore.

Or just a myth, fabrication for the secondary gain. Like the one about no swimming until a half hour after lunch kids. Was it because scientifically in most cases swimming cramps happened if Mickey's little hand moved half a notch, his big one a half turn?

Or did the ladies want to clean up the paper plates from the cook out, talk, have a coffin nail to puff on and then, okay.

Butting out the Virginia Slim. Let's get back to motherhood, apple pie, baseball and Chevrolet. Adjusting the curlers and nodding their head to summons, bring those kids back into action. Quaker's Meeting is over and childhood resumes.

In real estate, the myth about home property listings don't sell in winter.

Or the other misinformation about no one buys real estate, even thinks about what's for sale around the pair of year end holidays, New Year's Eve too.

Like a woman who love shoes, other fashion accessories, cameras for real estate, the best ones are always a popular subject.

As a real estate broker in Maine trying to get the word out about property listings. It is a tool, a weakness to buy bigger and better.

I like to seek out, try to have the best image and video cameras to capture the property listing for sale in its best light possible. To showcase the neat area of Maine I am excited to serve and live in, raise a family.

But like anything in life, the best of the shooting irons for cameras, both still and video is a moving target.

And new players in the race track gate get released almost daily.

Sometimes to save  money, and to get the best product it means holding back a little in the check out line for new cameras for sale.

To see if this new model is all the propaganda claims it to be.

And to buy six months or a year later for fire sale prices on real estate digital still, video cameras.

Because it is not quite cutting edge technology any more. But a proven winner that is tried and tested. Or a dud that failed to meet advertising expectations.

This is the REALTOR.org field guide for cameras for real estate with some tasty stats.

The problem with buying a Maine home for sale is often not the credit score, debt ratios, length of employment on a job.

But house down payment, only thing missing if the delay is not caused by having to sell another home first. Before buying the next house in Maine under the microscope. Showing up on real estate in Maine radar green sweeps.

So down payment options, how to buy a Maine home?

Well if you are a veteran, first thank you.

And please use that VA house loan mortgage elegibility certificate Uncle Sam printed off.

You've earned it as a veteran for the leg up to get yourself riding high, wide and handsome. Warm and cozy inside your own Maine home.

You don't need a down payment to buy a Maine home going the VA route.

There are down payment house loan assistance programs that give applicants loans, or could be a grant too.

To cover all or just part of the required down payment needed to grease the skids. To get things moving from just looking at a listing to actually getting the keys. To the Maine home shortly afterwards at a real estate closing.

Dorothy reminded, remarked "that is a horse of a different color" as the procession around Emeral City unfolded.

But what about the color of your house, and if you are needing a sale to happen quickly?

Does the color of your home affect the real estate property sale? Or the value, or the time to expect it to be sitting, hanging around the market?

They say real estate is emotional.

And there was a time when you went to insure a red colored car, the coverage for fender benders, thefts, etc was higher.

The color of the guy or gal with the perceived lead foot tied into the picked color of the outside sheet metal.

Considered a little more racy, exotic than basic Mr Ford Model "T" black everyone else was 10 and 2 driving.

But if real estate buying and selling is emotional and if a home is painted the right trigger color to cause interest that leads to desire. Well, should you play it safe like inside colors like home stagers coax?

Or are there a few colors that just work best? Just like a couple colors in the box get used, worn out more quickly when you were a kid creating refrigerator art work.

The transfer of information in the real estate operation where everyone is in one major hurry.

To see the newest property listing for sale. That hops up on the MLS conveyor belt. For the show and tell.

But lack of information from the get go is the reason like airport luggage that goes round and round the carousel that properties linger.

And the longer the hanging around, real estate loitering, the more folks that spy it circling wonder what is up with that?

Looks okay from the outside but there must be a reason the property listing is not selling. Developing mold, shelf life. Even ten foot pole marks to appear.

What can go wrong in the real estate operation of matchmaking to find a buyer once the seller agrees to the sign being planted in the front lawn?

Plenty. But lack of information is the biggest obstacle as the buyer tries to coax it out of whoever answers the real estate office phone. Or gets the email from the agency server that should be quick like a bunny answering all the questions that pour in.

The seller of a property listing in Maine who says he wants to sell, but wants five times what the place is worth.

That is not a motivated seller. Not an owner who is realistic. Does not make him a bad guy for having the common "buy low, sell high" approach to real estate buying and selling. But over priced property listings just bloat the system.

Get in the way on the MLS real estate conveyor belt.

Liked stalled traffic on a high speed multi lane highway, the agent, broker, REALTOR who takes the listing is the gate keeper.

If one by one each real estate professional got up, thanked the owner for their time but walked, life would be easier. Just say no, I can not help you. Whew.

To avoid real estate buyers who get upset when the bank appraiser says no dice. Too rich for the bank's blood on taking back a mortgage for an over priced piece of real estate collateral backing the loan. The one securing the lien made on the dirt, recorded at the registry of deeds.

Not serious to sell is the signal the seller of overpriced property listing sends. Hoping a miracle happens. Someone hits the lottery and has more dollars than brain cells comes along to make the real estate miracle happen.

The out of state Maine real estate buyer said his local news providers don't put all the murders on the broadcast nightly.

Because there would be no room for the news if they did. So many drive by shootings, gang violence, school disturbances and car wrecks, property arsons, etc reported.

So the news that the locals in the urban area get to watch, listen to is filtered, sorted, controlled. Where he hangs his hat in areas that are numbed to the steady stream of bad news.

It is like there would be lots of good news if there was not the amount of tragic happening round the clock in the concrete jungle.

Maine is not like that.

In the 4th lowest crime state it is all about helping others, not hurting or stealing from them. Life a little more precious. Family is everything.

Less people makes for way way fewer problems too. No so many accidents, more time spent holding open doors. Letting others go in traffic. Rather than road rage.

The cost of real estate in Maine is lower too. You can purchase property here that would be impossible to own elsewhere. All due to the high cost of living. The layers and layers of piled on fees.

You learn plenty in the day to day of listing, selling in small Maine real estate markets.

But state conventions, Maine REALTOR meetings are a souce of rich education too.

This week am parked in classes at the Samoset for the annual Maine REALTOR state convention and trade show in Rockport. Beautiful setting, neat to see old friends that are doing the same list, market, sell (repeat) in other markets from around the Pine Tree State.

The underlying theme during, between real estate continuing education classes this year all abut doing more from the local turf.

Instead of shipping our real estate listings to California or Washington to buy back better positioning in the "mls scrape", it is key to be more robust back here in Maine.

Where the real estate listings eat, drink, breathe, live.

Have always been a believer to stock the local shelf first.

Maybe it is years of raising vegetables and peddling produce on a Maine farm.

But fresh, full and local trumps stale, missing information shipped back to us that originate here. But too much strained out in the scrape.

Maine farm properties, listings with acreage so the real estate is used for crops or critters.

We grew up on a Maine farm, own one now. So it is very easy to loosen the tie. Slip on the blue jean overhauls, steel toe work boots. To slide on the work gloves and answer questions about Maine farms for sale.

The lifestyle of simple living on a Maine farm.

I enjoyed being raised on a Maine farm.

The reason folks want the outdoor playing in the dirt living.

Is often they want kids to learn from the experience.

Everyone pitches in, has a distinct role in the Maine farm family experience.

Creating wealth out of the soil, water, sunshine. Lots of hard work and always looking skyward.

For support, to study those black clouds rolling in overhead the Maine farm too.

That can mean an interruption in what you had planned to do on the Maine farm this afternoon. The next few days. Being flexible, a jack of all trades too helps keep the farming operation rolling smoothly.

New younger breeds of Maine farmers are coming online. There is a resurgence of locally grown, close to home farm products market buying underway. These are exciting times and better, healthier food for the family is the end result to sustainable Maine agriculture.

Real estate news, it is not always clear blue sky, sunshine and rosy.

Because like a Doctor who scans the flip chart, studies the latest tests results, the buyers and sellers need to hear sometimes what they would like to avoid.

In the case of the real estate property seller, learning there is a shortage of their type of property is music to their ears.

Because no, or short supply and priced realistically means here comes a quick property sale.

Start packing, we're moving soon. It's a new day to make hay.

This real estate listing for sale in Maine is not going to be that way for long.

Same with a buyer who gets pre-approved and knows before setting foot in the home in Maine that he can have it if he wants it.

If it is "the one", a match for finances and his hen scratched mental "gotta have" list of property listing requirements.

But the bad news, the heart to heart using lots of candor in real estate discussions.

The seller who expects three times what the place is worth. The buyer who has swiss cheese holes all over his credit report.

Sometimes it is make them uncomfortable, but you can not help them. Not much you can do unless, until something happens. To move everything off dead center where the buying or selling is stalled. Dead in the water.

Give them hope for later on, explain why this, this and that too need to be part of the real estate equation. To have a successful Maine property listing sale.

Moving to Maine, you finally are taking the reins, pointing the family sedan north up the pike.

Relocating to Maine full time works best if you have some savings. Because although living here is cheaper than higher insurance, property costs in the city, the income generating side of the math equation is lower.

Often much less than what the property buyer is accustom to before crossing over the big green bridge coming into Maine from the south.

Living debt free is part of settling in, being in Maine.

Without debt that makes you old before your time, a giant mortgage that keeps you up nights, Maine is not about over spending.

Doing debt is not how we survive in Maine.

How we free ourselves up for enjoying living without financial worry. We raise our food, heat with wood.

Maine is all about bartering, trading goods or services too. Feeling more empowered because you do it yourself. The DIY expanding into if I can do this, maybe tackling that would not be so difficult.