MeInMaine Blog

Author: Andrew Mooers

  • On My Way This Weekend For Quick Trip To Washington DC To Pick Up Son Alex Mooers.

    Elliot Mooers Anxious To Get On The Ice To Play Hockey As A Mite Player At Five.
    Elliot Mooers Anxious To Get On The Ice To Play Hockey As A Mite Player At Five.

    With four kids, college trips are common to pick up, deliver return to school and this weekend I am logged on at a motel in York Maine, watching the Spartan movie “300”, blogging on a lap top.

    Alex, the oldest son has one more semester at George Washington University. And it will be nice to have he and his younger brother Elliot home from Colorado Springs, Colorado where he is returning next week from completion of his first year of college. Youngest daughter Amanda is thru school in Boston and moving to a new apartment the end of the month so talked with her on the way down Interstate 95 in the jeep. Her oldest sister Elizabeth in New York City plans to come help her make the move and all is well among the four children.

    Kids, family, raisng children is most precious, valuable time spend in a person’s life time. Kids teach parents things, keep them honest and have an enthusiasm, drive, vigor that is healthy to be around.

    I am glad the four siblings were raised in Maine, they are lucky they grew up in “Vacationland”.

    Maine is a simpler approach to life, backed by work ethic, family values, ourdoor respect for the four season resources we are charged to be good stewards over. Picking potatoes to earn spending money did not hurt the kids and helped shape their sense of what effort is needed to earn a dollar. How to hang on to that dollar and when it is exchanged, value in return is part of the frugal bargaining.

    Maine may be what is missing in your life. Thank you for following this blog, and your comments to help shape its direction. Please watch our videos on the local Maine community and follow our 1300 plus Active Rain blog posts. Visit our state, meet our people, learn and sample the flavor of what every Mainer knows. Being grateful to live up here in the right hand corner of the nation, on the Canadian border far enough to not be spoiled by over population, pollution, crime.

    I’m Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers
    207.532.6573
    info@mooerrealty.com

  • You’re Lucky Enough To Be Able To Drive, Cruise, Fly In To Maine, Aroostook County.

    Maine Lakes Are Unspoiled, Fished Filled, Soothing To Be On, Look Out Over.

    Aroostook County, the top of Maine, the size of Connecticut and Rhode Island combined.

    Somehow, by fate, coincidence or just sheer luck you get to spend a day in the “Crown of Maine”, in Aroostook County. What to do to make the best use of your time, to hit the highlights? Like a cruise ship that floats to three islands, and you collect all three t-shirts getting off to sample each venue for a day. Your cruise ship is in Aroostook County, parked, waiting for you to get back on board, to sail south.

    You are not going to be doing the Allagash Wilderness Waterway trip. Too many days and that is an advernture for the next few day vacation you set aside on your return to Aroostook County. The Allagash trip is technically in Piscataquis County if the truth be known. Just like Baxter State Park is technically in Penobscot County’s northern most regions for the north entrance to climb Mt Katahdin.

    So you are only here for a day which means a quick trip across the Canadian border in to New Brunswick, Quebec that both border us could be in the short time frame. Just to say you’ve been there, read the metric signs, learned a little roadside French. Collected a loonie or two for a sourvenir. If you had little kids with you, a climb up Horse Mountain, an easy trail in Baxter State Park would be memorable. Or a similiar hike up Echo Mountain at Aroostook State Park, Haystack Mountain in Caste Hill would give you scenery, exercise in the short period you cruise ship is anchored in Northern Maine. Outdoors is big in Maine. All four seasons. If you landed here in the winter, snowsledding to really cover ground would be a possibility. That adventure gets you to places not accessible by car and loaded with wildlife, scenery.

    Just spending the day on one of the many lakes, ponds, rivers in Aroostok County could be what you had it mind. Put your feet up, lean back on a lake deck and peer out over the water.

    Just relaxing without any huffing and puffing in Northern Maine.

    Low key, but still with water in front of your, along with fish jumping, a coffee in your hand while the sun rises, birds serenade you. You saw a moose, deer, black bear all from your open deck or while driving around Aroostook County. Bean suppers at local community churches or say the Southern Aroostook Agricultural Museum are not a bad use of a few hours during your trek thru Northern Maine either. Or if you land here around June 19th, you could watch the Northern Maine Soap Box Derby Race in Houlton Maine. It was the nation’s largest five years in a row!

    The best part of Aroostook County is not the unspoiled rolling fields, woods, waterways and long views. Not the wildlife in Northern Maine either or watching the changing of the seasons. It’s the people. Hardworking, family oriented, down to earth and interesting. Simple living by choice, but anything but simple mentally. Mainers have their feet on the ground, are focused on taking care of the neat region we are blessed with. We enjoy where we live, who we are, and want to meet you too. You will come away from Aroostook County’s day visit with a sense of peace, hope. Knowing there is a place where the pace of life is not 200 miles an hour, other people matter and time out to enjoy the four season beauty of a place like Aroostook County really happens. You’ll be back from your day long taste to spend more time here. To get to know Aroostook County..the “other Maine”.

    I’m Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers
    207.532.6573
    info@mooersrealty.com

  • Building On A Maine Waterfront Lot, Land On Lake, River, Pond.

    Man Made Roads, Driveways, Development Around A Lake, River Can Mess Up That Water Resource.
    Man Made Roads, Driveways, Development Around A Lake, River Can Mess Up That Water Resource.

    The days of firing up the bulldozer, backhoe or excavator to remove rocks along a Maine lake, other waterfront property are long gone.

    Not without a permit and showing you are improving an existing situation, waterfront development and restoration is a process where there has to be good intent. To protect the resource that man messes up when too many individuals crowd around a precious resource like the Maine ocean, a lake, river, stream or pond.

    We all want waterfront. To spend time on the water, beside it and reflecting, enjoying the four seasons of Maine. But if the animals, wildlife, fish could talk, they would say loud and clear that man messes it up. Clearing 30% of your lot and not changing the landscape in the 100 feet from the edge of that Maine waterfront is the first rule of order.

    Crew cutting the Maine waterfront land, putting in a long lush green lawn that would rival that of a top shelf golf course is not making the wildlife, local population happy.

    Keep it pristine, plant trees, not remove them. Think roadways that cause further soil erosion and sediment in the lake that makes it hard to breath, see if you are a fish or swimmer yourself. Consider giving the lake to your kids in better shape than you receive it. Think watershed, a lumber, timber cutting operation miles and miles away that dump soil, nutrients in to that body of water you enjoy so much.

    Building driveways at an angle, or with a landing above the cottage you intend to build to avoid runoff is the lot is sloped, tilted toward the waterway. Piles of topsoil when it rains hard just wash and blow into the lake and muddy things up, literally. For more on soil erosion protection of a Maine lake study up on how to protect the water resource before it is lost, visit the ME DEP shoreland zoning website. This shoreland zoning for Maine property owners flyer is also filled with the good stuff. Owning Maine waterfront is a partnership with that waterfront, the wildlife.

    I’m Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers
    207.532.6573
    info@mooersrealty.com

  • In Maine, Playing Injured, Farming With Duct Tape, Bailing Twine, Haywire.

    The Weather Is Everything When Planting, Harvesting A Maine Crop Of Anything. Working With Broken, Ailing Equipment Is Nothing New When Money Is Tight, The Pressure On To Get Crop In.
    The Weather Is Everything When Planting, Harvesting A Maine Crop Of Anything. Working With Broken, Ailing Equipment Is Nothing New When Money Is Tight, The Pressure On To Get Crop In.

    Are you used to your day in day out routine going flawlessly, without a hitch and if it does not, your crank factor meter pegs out? You may not be cut out for living on a Maine farm.

    Surviving the low points. Squirreling away money during high times and investing in what is the highest priority on that farm. Being resourceful, creative. That is the spirit of every Mainer.

    On that farm like an athelete in a championship do or die game series, that is injured, you play thru the pain. As Carly Simon sang bird like, you “Haven’t Got Time For The Pain.” When the calendar in the farm house kitchen reminds you a storm called planting and harvest seasons have hit, you pick it up a notch. To get the process started, the seeds in the ground because there is a climate growing season clock ticking. And that mature crop of plants put away for the winter, or sold as field run out of the back end of your harvest operation.

    I blog a lot on a 180,000 +/- member real estate industry platform called Activerain. My job to promote the properties in Maine I list but also point out why I like living here. Why the potential real estate buyer looking for Maine property, liking the low low prices will be happy here too. The new servers of Activerain are not dialed in, performing like a spinning top. Yet. And as the glitch causes an interruption in service, it is interesting to see the reaction of the AR natives. Some take it in stride, work around the burps, hitches, cyber potholes. Other take it personal and want the world to know how frustrated they are. I am glad I don’t feel the need to vent and stay patient. Do the best I can and keep moving.

    For starters, the Activerain site should not be the end all marketing device for real estate.

    Like the long scull boats, some that have many pairs of rowers, you need to be using, feeding lots of blogs, video, social media, website platforms to get the message out.

    Fall back to another member of the team. Lean on other avenues that convey the message, broadcast in a slightly different nuance, approach, signal. Tiger Woods has more than a putter in his bag to get around the course, to win the golf competition.

    I think the Activerain server seizure, fits and starts as the server gets replaced may not bother me so much because of being raised on a Maine potato farm. I know what lean years feel like, how dependent on the weather a farmer’s family is. Making equipment do, last, extend with duct tape, bailing twine, haywire and a spot weld way way beyond the wear and tear it was designed for is how we kept that family farm. Thru thick and thin. Be tough skinned, tender hearted and roll with it. Deal with it. Never lose sight of the target, the mission, the day to day path thru the woods. Remembering lots of miles to cover before you sleep tonight. Getting bogged down, having a melt down takes too much out of your, hurts production, loses the championship game and makes you not fun to be around.

    I’m Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers
    207.532.6573
    info@mooersrealty.com

  • “Heading To Maine, Bought A Waterfront Cottage On Grand Lake.”

    The Outdoor Entertainment Of Being On A Maine Lake, The Ocean, Something Connected To Waterfront.
    The Outdoor Entertainment Of Being On A Maine Lake, The Ocean, Something Connected To Waterfront.

    If you owned a Maine waterfront property, wouldn’t getting excited about the next three day weekend stretched in to four days to be on an open deck over looking a lake be therapeutic, healthy?

    To change up the scenery where you live now? Not to mention the advantages to owning a second home, a vacation place in Maine you could rent out carefully. Maybe you have been renting for the last few years. Think of the money someone has benefited from in your stay and you did not trash the place, make it look like a Stephen King movie was staged there.

    Maine waterfront can mean property on the ocean, a lake, river, stream or pond. There is something about water like an open fire that attracts. Maybe it gives off positive ions like the blaze in the fireplace or outdoor pit you gaze in to. Detaching and catching up with yourself in your busy life.

    Your kids splashing, fishing, learning to swim, sail and the nightly summer talks on the deck, grilled feasts are another reason. Maine waterfront is the best investment, the one you will have the most fun with. And appreciation?

    Well, more than one person has smiled and uttered the observation that “they are not making any more Maine waterfront real estate.”

    Your only homework is to figure out the monthly budget and to factor in if you owned a Maine waterfront property in this, this or this price range. You can do it and know years down the road will look back and kick yourself if you don’t. The time is right, here is an A-Z of properties in Maine, waterfront real estate from A-Z. And if this list does not quite do it, let us know your requirements, price range and I’ll tap in to our Maine MLS cookie car of ME waterfront real estate to help in the search. Here is an example of a place on 120 Butterfield Landing in Weston Maine for $159,900 with 110′ frontage on Grand Lake.

    Or another spot, a video to watch on the Maine waterfront, 26 Sandy Beach Road, Danforth Maine. Or a Linneus Maine log lake home video.

    Waterfront in Maine, lakeshore properties, you know it’s what the doctor ordered. To show down, smell the flowers, catch some fish, get new scenery and shake up your day to day routine. While you can.

    I’m Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers
    207.532.6573
    info@mooersrealty.com

  • Maine, Maybe That’s The Ringing You Hear In Your Head.

    Bail Of Where You Live Now, Relocate To Northern Maine, And Watch Your Health, Attitude Improve.
    Bail Of Where You Live Now, Relocate To Northern Maine, And Watch Your Health, Attitude Improve.

    Time to move from where you live now to Maine.

    If you have a ringing in your head that is not going away, and is getting louder, maybe if you listen closely you hear the distinct word “Maine”. If you can not sleep and the high pitch humming, ringing, buzzing, headaches and depression, mood swings, testiness, increasing state of anxiety is beyond a concern, maybe where you live is the reason for it all.

    Maybe nothing medically is wrong, but geographical you are experiencing urban sprawl, over development. Or just live in fear of gangs, numbed by the news of non stop stories each night about kidnapping, drive by shootings, crime on the upswing.

    Maine is the 4th lowest crime state. Aroostook County where I live is half of that pretty stellar crime statistic again.

    Why? Simple. Way way less people, more open space and all around elbow room. You jam rats in a small area and step back, watch how they behave. Same dynamic. Or it’s like you become a bear living with one, or two many in tight quarters. Man, the machine was not designed for cities, tight spaces, a corosive or hostile environment.

    Second reason for low crime, keys left in the vehicles parked in the yards is local Mainers work hard for all they have. They are proud of, brought up to respect the value of that hard work. The items you, anyone buy with that hard earned money and sacrifice. Don’t waste resources..yours, mine, anyone’s. Period. Basic, black and white pride of ownership, the way we roll. And not wanting to have someone trash your personal property and returning the same favor of leaving something not yours alone. Or even protecting it and getting involved if something does not look quite right at your neighbor’s down the road. Get a plate number, make a call. Even go up to the property, confronting the out of state vehicle at Mr Jone’s hunting camp with 100 acres to the south of you. We ask the guy what’s up, are you a friend of Mr Jone’s and hear the story, the yarn spun. See if his breathing increases, his eyes avoid contact with our own. Decide whether a call to the Maine state police or local sheriff, police department is in order. We have the neighbor out of state on cellular speed dial and the property owner appreciates the keeping a look out for something strange, out of place at their property.

    Pretty hard to beat the natural four season beauty of Maine, the sense of personal safety and that your property won’t get tampered with, anything stolen after a break in.

    So back to the ringing, the just not feeling your self these days. Get pure, real relief in Maine. Less noise of traffic, industry, more sounds of nature. Wind in the pines. Birds chirping happily on a sunshine rich day. Loons singing or crying depending on your perspective or their mood at the time on a Maine lake under a brilliant, intensed dotted black velvet fabric with more stars than you ever knew were overhead. What you have been missing due to all that light and air pollution where you call home now. The place that no longer is the neat little burg you moved to twenty years or more ago. Time to move, relocate.

    Maine, that’s the voice in your head, the sound being made inside. The volume increasing between your ears because you body is unhappy you are just not taking the cue to vamoos.

    Ask me about low cost Maine real estate on a lake, river for full or part time recreational use. Get healthy, get to Maine, the way life should be. Watch the Maine videos of local events and see what you are missing out on in so many ways, so many levels of your life.

    I’m Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers
    207.532.6573
    info@mooersrealty.com