Category: Maine Small Towns

International Boundary Between Maine And Canada
International boundary between Maine and Canada.

Let’s face it, Maine is pretty much sticking up all by itself in the right hand corner of the US. Quebec and New Brunswick Canada surround Maine wherever the rugged rocky coastline does not right?

So for someone growing up in a Maine border town like I did in Houlton Maine, Aroostook County, it’s no big deal. But in my job as a Maine real estate broker, I get asked a lot what it is like being on the Maine-US-Canadian border.

There are a lot of perks being a Maine border town with Canada.

How Can You Tell Where USA Ends, Canada Begins? Visual Markers Between The Countries!

We are all related too back and forth on both sides of the International boundary between Maine and Canada. If you kids play hockey, you definitely get to know your way around the Canadian provinces and where all the ice arenas are located.

Canada is a lower cost easy to access vacation option too for close to home get away with the stronger US dollar.

But the International boundary line border crossing and markings to divide the two countries Maine and Canada.

How does that work so the average Joe and Jane know which is which to avoid wandering over from one to the other by mistake?

Where I live, there are lots of roads that used to be border crossings that are not blocked off and dead end.

Whenever I am listing or showing properties in Maine near the border. It is not uncommon to see the white pickup. The one with the green line down across it.

US Border Patrol’s sector headquarters is in Houlton Maine.

Since 911 happened, a bigger beefed up presence is felt on both sides of the International boundary line border crossing.

This is what you see crossing from New Brunswick Canada into Houlton Maine’s US port of entry for a boundary market.

The I-95 Approach Leaving Maine USA Into New Brunswick Canada.
The International Boundary Commission (IBC) is responsible for surveying and mapping the Canada–United States border.

This includes the boundary between Maine and Canada.

The IBC maintains over 8,000 monuments and reference points along the 8,891 km (5,525 miles) boundary.

This kind of attention to keeping the boundary line crystal clear on foot or visible from the air ensures its clear demarcation.

No misunderstandings where things starts or stops.

International Boundary Commission

Spacing of Boundary Markers:
- Primary Monuments: These are placed at significant points along the boundary, such as where the line changes direction or at major geographical features.
- The spacing between primary monuments varies depending on the terrain and visibility requirements.
- Intermediate Markers: In areas where additional visibility is needed, smaller intermediate markers are installed. To use between primary monuments to ensure the boundary line is clearly defined.
Maintenance of the Boundary:
- Cleared “Vista”: The IBC maintains a 6-meter (20-foot) wide cleared swath, known as a “vista,” along the land boundary line. This clearing extends 3 meters (10 feet) on either side of the boundary to keep the line visible and prevent overgrowth.
  Houlton Maine Old Abandoned US Port Of Entry Customs Immigration Station.
  
  International Boundary Commission
Accessing Boundary Maps and Coordinates:
- Official Maps: The IBC provides access to official maps and the most recent geodetic coordinates of the international boundary.
- These resources are organized into sections and subsections corresponding to areas with homogeneous characteristics.
  International Boundary Commission
- Digital Boundary Data: For mapping purposes, the IBC offers digital boundary data generated from NAD83 geographic positions of boundary monuments and turning points.
- This data is intended for mapping use only and should not be used to define the legal boundary.
  Crossing From Maine Into Canada, The Houlton Port Of Entry Station.
  
  International Boundary Commission
Want more detailed information on specific marker locations, spacing?

And to view official boundary maps, you can visit the IBC’s Maps & Coordinates page.

This resource provides comprehensive maps and data pertinent to the Maine-Canada boundary.

Coming back from a one day over and the next back from Maine to Fredericton New Brunswick. There was a short line at the port of entry.

Took a few photos of the granite markers you see out the car window making it crystal clear which country you are entering or leaving.

What about the International border market spacing?

The Line Between Maine USA And Canada. The Map That Shows The Straight Line North And South.
The distance apart of boundary markers along the Maine-Canada border varies.

It’s all visual, line of site.

It all depends on the terrain, visibility, and historical agreements.

But the boundary line markers are generally placed at intervals of 1 mile or less. Here’s a detailed breakdown:

1. General Spacing Guidelines

Primary Boundary Monuments: These are typically placed at significant points, such as river crossings, ridge lines, or areas where the boundary changes direction.

In flat or open areas, primary markers may be spaced 1 mile apart.

In more rugged or forested areas, the spacing might be shorter to ensure clear delineation.

Intermediate Markers: Smaller markers are placed between primary monuments in areas where additional visibility is needed.

This helps reduce the distance between markers to several hundred yards.

2. The Cleared “Vista”

A 20-foot-wide cleared strip along the boundary (called the “vista”) ensures the border remains visible. Even when the markers themselves are spaced farther apart.

The vista allows surveyors and travelers to visually follow the border line.

3. Variations in Marker Placement

In areas with natural boundaries (e.g., the St. John River), markers are placed at key access points rather than at regular intervals.

In heavily forested or less accessible regions, markers may be closer together to aid navigation and ensure clarity.

4. Surveying Standards

The International Boundary Commission (IBC) is responsible for maintaining and inspecting the markers. They ensure markers are appropriately spaced and replace damaged or missing markers as needed.

Modern GPS technology and historical records are used to ensure the accuracy of the boundary line and marker placements.

5. Practical Implications

For those traveling along the border or inspecting it. Those markers and the cleared vista provide a clear and continuous visual reference for the international boundary.

The system ensures that the boundary is well-defined despite challenging geography or changing environmental conditions.

If you’re looking for precise distances or a specific area of interest, the International Boundary Commission’s maps and reports provide detailed information about marker locations and spacing.

The Maine-Canada border took a long time to resolve due to a combination of geographical, political, and economic factors. Here’s why it was so complex and why the issue persisted for decades:

Why did it take so long for the boundary line to be determined and agreed upon by both countries?

Leaving Canada, Entering USA In Maine, What You See On The International Boundary Crossing.

1. Ambiguous Language in the Treaty of Paris (1783)

The Treaty of Paris, which ended the American Revolutionary War, was supposed to define the boundaries between the United States and British-controlled Canada. However, the language describing the northeastern boundary was vague. It relied on natural landmarks like rivers and highlands. Those were poorly mapped at the time.

The treaty referred to the “highlands which divide rivers flowing into the St. Lawrence from those which flow into the Atlantic.” This definition was open to interpretation. It caused disputes over which “highlands” were being referenced.

2. Poor Mapping and Limited Knowledge of the Region

Maps of the late 18th and early 19th centuries were often inaccurate. Surveying techniques were rudimentary. The dense forests of northern Maine and New Brunswick made the region difficult to explore.

Early maps, like the Mitchell Map, which was used during the Treaty of Paris negotiations, were misleading and contributed to the confusion.

3. Competing Economic Interests

The Aroostook River Valley was rich in timber, and both the U.S. and Britain (Canada) wanted control of the resources. The economic importance of the logging industry intensified the territorial dispute.

Settlers from both sides began using the disputed land, increasing tensions as they competed for resources.

4. Strategic Importance

The British sought a secure land route between their maritime colonies (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia) and Quebec. Control of the disputed territory was critical for maintaining this connection.

The U.S., meanwhile, wanted to expand its territory. To secure the US Canada border for future settlement and economic development.

5. Settlement Patterns

By the early 19th century, settlers from both sides were already living in the disputed territory. These communities, especially French-speaking Acadians, complicated the issue. They often had loyalties that crossed national boundary border lines.

6. Political Tensions Between the U.S. and Britain

The War of 1812 heightened tensions between the U.S. and Britain, delaying a peaceful resolution to the border issue.

After the war, negotiations resumed but were slow. Each side feared conceding territory, which might be seen as a sign of weakness.

7. The Aroostook War (1838-1839)

The boundary dispute escalated into the Aroostook War, a bloodless confrontation involving American and British/Canadian militias. This underscored the urgent need to settle the boundary dispute.

Both sides recognized that armed conflict over the issue was undesirable, leading to intensified negotiations.

8. Resolution: The Webster-Ashburton Treaty (1842)

The boundary was finally settled through diplomacy with the Webster-Ashburton Treaty. Negotiated by U.S. Secretary of State Daniel Webster and British diplomat Lord Ashburton.

The treaty divided the disputed territory. Giving most of the Aroostook Valley to the U.S. while ensuring Britain maintained access to critical transportation routes.

9. Post-Treaty Adjustments

Even after 1842, there were minor adjustments and surveys to finalize the border. This slow process reflected the ongoing need to map and mark the boundary accurately.

Conclusion

The Maine-Canada border dispute took so long to resolve because of vague treaties.

Not All Boundary Markers Concrete Or Granite. Some More Modern And Shiny.

Poor maps, economic competition, and geopolitical tensions did not help the geography lesson.

The railroads on both side of the border pushed hard to know where the dotted line was going to be.

Before laying iron rails nailed to railroad timbers and clearing lines, building bridges. Not so easy when governments with history good and bad between them causes some hard feelings.

Defining borders in uncharted and contested territories is challenging. Ultimately, diplomacy prevailed, setting a precedent for peaceful resolution of disputes between the U.S. and Canada.

I’d always heard the final boundary line was decided with a bottle of whiskey.

Maybe they cut the cards or were playing horseshoes. That’s a blog post for another day.

The history of the U.S.-Canada border in Aroostook County, Maine, is deeply intertwined with the early settlement of the region, diplomatic disputes, and economic development.

Aroostook County, located in northern Maine, shares a lengthy border with the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec. Here’s an overview of its border history:

The Line In The Sand… Er In The Maine Woods And Canada. US Border Patrol Helps Police The Line.

Early Settlement and Indigenous History

Before European settlement, the region was inhabited by the Wabanaki Confederacy, particularly the Mi’kmaq and Maliseet tribes, who lived on both sides of what is now the border.

They traveled and traded freely along the St. John River and its tributaries.

French explorers and settlers established a presence in the region as part of Acadia in the early 1600s, laying the foundation for French influence in the area.

British and American Claims

The Treaty of Paris (1783), which ended the American Revolutionary War, was vague about the precise location of the northeastern boundary between the newly formed United States and British-controlled Canada.

This made it kinda fuzzy. Leading to ambiguity and disputes over the border in what became Aroostook County.

Settlers from both sides began populating the region, especially along the St. John River. The mix of French Acadian, British Loyalist, and American settlers complicated territorial claims.

The Aroostook War (1838-1839)

The boundary dispute came to a head during the so-called Aroostook War, a bloodless confrontation between American and British/Canadian lumberjacks and militia forces.

Both sides wanted access to the rich timber resources of the Aroostook River Valley. The conflict escalated as Maine and New Brunswick sent forces to assert their claims.

The dispute was resolved diplomatically through the Webster-Ashburton Treaty of 1842, which established the current border. The treaty awarded most of the disputed land to the U.S. but ensured British access to the St. John River for navigation.
No Passport Needed. Maine And Canadian Moose Travel Back And Forth Across The International Border.

Inspection, The Stop To Roll Down The Window, Hand Over The Passport.

Economic and Social Ties

Despite the formal border, economic and social connections remained strong between Aroostook County and neighboring New Brunswick. The logging industry and later the potato industry fostered cross-border trade and relationships.

Families often had members on both sides of the border, and shared cultural ties endured, especially among French-speaking Acadian communities.

Modern Era

Today, the U.S.-Canada border in Aroostook County is marked by official crossings like those in Fort Kent, Van Buren, and Houlton. These towns remain gateways for trade and travel between Maine and Canada.

While stricter border controls were implemented after the September 11, 2001, attacks, the region continues to rely on its cross-border relationship for economic and cultural exchange.

Significance

The history of the Aroostook border reflects broader themes in U.S.-Canadian relations, including the peaceful resolution of disputes, the blending of cultures, and shared economic interests.

The resolution of the Aroostook War and the establishment of a clear border underscored the importance of diplomacy. It set a precedent for U.S.-Canada cooperation.

This region’s unique history remains a point of pride for residents on both sides of the border.

We are all related back and forth.

It all helps emphasize the shared heritage and interdependence despite the international boundary.

In my job as a Maine real estate broker, the question comes up a lot.

More than you would probably think.

Is it dangerous being this close to Canada living in Maine?

No. Heck no.

Walk The Line Like The Johnny Cash Song. If You Don’t The RCMP Or US Border Patrol Want To Have A Little Chat.

It is a perk being on the Canadian border as a Maine small boundary line town.

Both sides enjoy traveling back and forth and the cross border traffic is constant.

It was hard when COVID shut down the crossing ease for both sides and makes us glad we can travel freely now.

We have blogged about traveling to PEI Canada vacations before.

And trips from Maine to Halifax Nova Scotia.

These quick and easy, affordable vacations close to home are a one more benefit of living in Maine.

We take more of these trips to explore different times of the year and to expand where we stay and find new things to enjoy. Quebec is full of history and fun to travel to from Maine.

Thank you for following our Me In Maine blog loyal and faithful readers.

And if you are new to this blog about anything Maine, welcome.

Please reach out online or stop in to see us if in Northern Maine.

I love where I live and want to share all I know about Maine with you.

Please visit the blog post of Maine search bar in whatever interests you. Let me know anything for future Maine blog post topics to cover.

The images are all personally collected and you may even find a video or two from the YouTube Maine community playlist. Please share these blog posts around your social media circles.

I’m Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers, ME Broker

207.532.6573 | info@mooersrealty.com |

MOOERS REALTY 69 North ST Houlton ME 04730 USA
December 10, 2024
Life On A Maine Island

Life on a Maine island.

Ever think what would it be like living on a island in Maine?

Yes the hidden small out to sea community is part of the state of Maine.

Maine Rock Bound Coastline, Islands. ‘Hole “Nother Expericence.

But a lot like your own country. One surrounded by water and just off the Maine shoreline. Or further out to sea. Monhegan Island is a place on the travel plans. Before I go, it’s wise to bone up and get ready with a knowledge of the history, the sample the community flavor.

So from days years ago as a broadcast journalist, in an earlier life as a young grass hopper, what can I share about Monhegan Island?

The island of Monhegan, a plantation in the Gulf of Maine. About ten to twelves miles off the mainland, depending on your news source. The Maine island is part of Lincoln County.

Monhegan has a shadow island of Manana that is often in the same tourism write up information. The name is Abenaki language meaning “out to sea island”. It chews up about 55 to 70 minutes for the ferry ride out and back to Monhegan Island. Like most of living in Maine, it depends on the weather.

Here’s the ferry schedule and cost to hitch a watery ride to Monhegan Island.

The Monhegan Boat Line, make contact at 880 Port Clyde Road Port Clyde, Maine 04855 1 (207) 372-8848

The Laura B or the Elizabeth Ann are the two ferry boats to get you to and fro from Monhegan Island.

It was back in 1603 you start seeing information about the earlier explorers stopping by Monhegan Island. Way way before Maine became a state in 1820.

There are tales of pirates, fishing and fur trading commerce in the Wikipedia link above. Tourism is part of the business model for Monhegan Island.

The local Monhegan Island Maine town website.

Here is a video for from just 5 days ago that popped up online as I start the plans to visit Monhegan Island soon.

Monhegan’s Island Inn adds a lot of information to anyone toying with a stay there.

They remind that power is generated locally, no ten mile extension cord from the mainland. So hair dryers, air conditioners, mini fridge in your room or anything that is a big power hog. None of that are in your stay at the Monhegan Island Inn.

It’s let everything air dry and take your time using Mother Nature.

You look way way better in that wind swept dried slowly anyway right? Your hair does not have to be perfect in the sea breeze. No one to impress with only 64 full time year rounders on the Maine island. That population swells to 400 as the red colored temperature rises in the glass tube. But those snowbirds retreat quickly as the temperature sinks, goes the other way.

Monhegan Island is a walking island scare larger than a square mile.

Fishing, tourism are the main income source for the Monhegan Island economy. Agriculture is encouraged and potatoes have been raised on the island that measures about 1000 acres more or less.

What’s Going On? Who’s Selling What? Everything You Need To Know On Monhegan Island.

You can text, make a cell call but the Internet is no robust beyond the basics. I won’t be shooting a video and trying to upload the render to the clouds above Monhegan Island on the trip there.

Here’s a video for the Island Inn Monhegan Maine.

Who hungers, thirsts for a life experience on a Maine island? Anyone seeking one of simplicity, self sufficiency. That seems to enjoy their own company. Or just a small circle of friends sans the crowd setting, paid parking and traffic. It’s use your feet, peddle power tooling around Monhegan Island. Leave whatever you drive parked back on the mainland.

Lot of seagull chatter dubbed in, but no talking, just neat visuals to swallow from the Island Inn Monhegan Maine video.

Henry Trefethren of Kittery Maine for three hundred pounds on February 6, 1790 purchased Monhegan Island.

He wanted to buy it as early as back on October 2, 1777 from Benjamin Bickford. Not sure if the little skirmish with the Red Coats across the pond was the cause for delay or not.

When Mr Bickford bought Monhegan Island in 1770 there was a lone residence, a single barn.

The original Henry Trefethren Homestead dubbed “The Red House” is parked on rocks at middle beach (Swim Beach). Ruth Grant Faller produced a fine book that one by one outlines all the houses on Monhegan Island with imagery, descriptions, the family connection history.

Stay tuned faithful Me In Maine blog post readers. I will be sure to take a few cameras in the days ahead. Maybe the drone if weather and wind allows to capture more details up close and personal from Monhegan Island Maine.

I’m Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers, ME Broker

207.532.6573 | info@mooersrealty.com |

MOOERS REALTY 69 North Street Houlton ME 04730 USA

October 24, 2024
Fall Foliage Leaf Color Near Peak In Maine

Fall foliage leaf color near peak in Maine.

Nothing like the explosion of color in the forest canopy of trees this time of year. This year the lack of water combined with fewer low temperature dips affects the brilliance of Maine fall colors. I live and hunt, peck in Northern Maine, Aroostook County and right now is peak for fall colors.

The Maine trees are loaded with colorful leaves and it’s enjoy it while you have it time.

Fall Foliage Colors In Maine. Come On Up, It’s The Peak For Color In Many Places In Maine.

When you live in Maine, the slow change from standard green to a variety of fall colors is slow.

Sometimes a big wind or combination of lots of rain water can wreck the fall foliage finale. Bus loads of folks come in to Vacationland just to see the fall colors. You can get caught up in the vivid hues of colors detonating all around you.

When it’s just you and a hunting companion, your trusted dog or a loved one sitting along side in your pickup or four wheeler on Maine trails.

The fall leaves, smells of being out in the woods tramping for freezer meat hits you.

Fall Colors In The Maine Woods. Explosion Of Color In Maine Right Now.

Remembering all the past life trips tramping the woods looking for signs of game birds, black bear, white tail deer or a big Maine moose.

The latter if you are lucky enough to win the moose lottery permit for whatever zone.

The leaf peeker performance is a production that Jack Frost and Mother Nature orchestrate together. Fall colors always remind me of potato harvest, apple picking, firewood processing.

Maine Is 91 Percent Wooded. Fall Harvest Foliage Colors Are At Peak Levels Now!

As a kid picking potatoes, graduating to working on the spud harvester or on truck, in the storage warehouse. The fall colors just add to the experience of being outdoors in Maine working to make some extra spending money. For the winter coat, other school clothes.

Haying season before the potato harvest and some raked blueberries in Maine to earn their keep.

Working on the farm did not hurt the skill set. Days getting slowly shorter, leaves piling up and the shift to the season ahead. Seasons pass at the local ski area and what’s new at the slopes you strap on the boards to swish swish.

Fall Harvest Colors And Maine Lakefront. Priceless.

Last winter there was a snow drought in Maine.

Unseasonably warmer temperatures and less white stuff impacted outdoor recreation. Felt bad for anyone purchasing a brand new snowmobile that stayed parked or profiled on the back of the owner’s pickup.

Fall Harvest Colors In Fall, Now Would Be A Good Time To Come Up To Maine To See Jack Frost’s Handiwork.

The repair places, welding shops reported a slower winter because less damage or breakage from anything snow removal related.

Snowblower sales were down too. I kept a couple personal properties cleared of snow and the workload was easy. Only plowed three times all winter because snow accumulation was lacking here in Northern Maine, Aroostook County. Maine snow is an important part of the local economy in small communities around the rural landscape of Vacationland.

This week, heading down to the Maine REALTOR State Convention in Rockland.

Have blogged about past Maine REALTOR state conventions before on this Maine blog channel.

The change of fall harvest colors is not the same as I travel early tomorrow from Aroostook traveling county to county. Are you overdue for a visit to Maine? Or you live instate but want to explore a new corner of Maine? What are falls like where you are and is there remarkable foliage color? Come on up. Thank you for following the Me In Maine blog.

I’m Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers, ME Broker

207.532.6573 | info@mooersrealty.com | MOOERS REALTY 69 North ST Houlton ME 04730 USA

October 7, 2024
Maine House Building, The Home Plans Today

Maine house building, the home plans today.

The approach to house building in Maine, what home plans consider today that has changed. This blog post is about the new housing starts in Maine and the trends I am seeing as a real estate broker.

It’s no secret the Maine housing inventory of existing homes is pretty ravaged and picked thin. Finding a quality house or even rental these days is difficult. Because Maine is in the top ten destinations for part time second vacation homes purchases and full time relocation. So buying Maine land, building new housing is picking up popularity.

Bring the outdoors inside is more important than ever in housing design floor plans used building a Maine home.

House Plans, Building A Home In Maine. What To Consider. Want Open Concept Cathedral Living Space With Walls Of Glass?

So the approach to house building today in Maine.

What I am also seeing is smaller square footage and cathedral open spaces. Combing the living areas into one large opening with plenty of south facing glass. That is a common approach to home construction in Maine. Or if the budget is very tight, a lot of home buyers in retirement mode are opting for a small simple Amish building. Pre fab one room and you can combine more than one for “wings”.

Old New England farmhouses like Victorian era Maine homes were a tad on the large size.

Had to have a double, triple helping of living space because of family sizes. The grandparents living out back in an add on “L”. Often the young newlyweds housed in this small apartment and simply changing places with the aging in place parents. Generous sized homestead kitchens to have elbow room around the table and for home grown living off the land meals.

Maine House Building, Bringing The Outdoors Inside. Cathedral Open Concept Living Space Popular Today.

Since the 1940’s on the kitchen seems to have shrunk from the original New England Farmstead and Victorian rambler.

The formal dining room replaced with an area beyond the kitchen space. It seems your home is still your castle but running the roads more means the formal dining room used a couple times a year is a waste of space. I am seeing much larger kitchen areas, breakfast nooks and way more cabinets in today’s house compared to yesteryear housing stock.

Recycling centers, less wasted hall space and more cathedral or vaulted ceilings. More home office den space and with the cathedral open space, more small cozy corners.

The foundations on new Maine house building is often crawl space and even a concrete slab.

To hold down building costs and to aim for everything on one floor. It is cheaper to go up or make living space down below if there is a dry walk out daylight basement. Side hill Maine land listings with a gentle slope are being picked to tuck the new house into the level to rolling landscape. A view often helps new Maine house builders decide which piece of land acreage to select.

Your Kitchen Is An Area, Not A Room In Many Open Concept Living House Plans Today.

In the days when immigrants traveled to the New World to begin a new life, the living quarters were small and cramped.

Often up over a storefront or shop. Working long hours, learning the new language and customs and making the housing not the primary concern. The business was the master and space to peddle a product or provide a service mattered most. COVID made new Maine home builders ask first about Internet connectivity at this, this and that location.

Being on a cheaper electrical utility provider is on the list of questions unless the Maine house will be off grid and making their own juice.

House Plans Today, More Open Living And Combing Spaces With Lots Of Light. Formal Dining Rooms Are Missing In Many New Maine House Plans. Just Not Used.

Do you only consider resale of the new construction Maine house or what the heck.

Let’s make it the latest, greatest and a statement of the people who are going to live here. Often money is always in the equation to whittle away at the grand plans building a house in Maine. Is a bank pushing for completion before a closing and the end of a construction loan phase?

Or is the Maine house a build as you go DIY affair? Where the people in the weather tight but not nearly complete house don’t mind a table saw set up in the living room.

Maine Homes, Gotta To Have An Outside Porch, Plenty Of Bathrooms And Open Space Today!

Waiting for a sale on materials building a new Maine home.

Doing as much as you can yourself to contain the labor costs. Repurposing from other houses if lucky enough to glean an oldie goldie Maine home before the excavator engine starts up for the demolition. I see cabinets, staircases, stained glass windows, kitchen sideboards, old lighting fixtures all mixed into new housing stock in Maine.

So back to the big wide open expanse where your have the engineering trusses in place to be able to make it the focal point of your new Maine house.

Does all that glass, no cozy corners or hideaways make the new home in Maine less comfortable? Higher ceilings are a plus for anyone on the NBA but rob into living space. But if you the home builder only need a couple bedrooms and the family is raised and out of the nest, who cares right?

Old Maine Houses Had Butler Pantries, Sleeping Porches, Turrets And Fireplaces In Many Rooms. Lots Of Ginger Breading.

What if your home building couple is a second, third time or more around blended family?

His, hers, ours means gotta have room, living space to fit them all in. So a cape or colonial home with a basement to develop is often reflected when you study the house plans. As you unroll the blue print sketch and the schematic for all the major house systems.

Material costs go up and down and in my area of Maine, being right on the Canadian border, the lumber and other building items often purchased from across the US Canadian border. There are a lot of perks being a Maine border town with Canada.

Old housing in Maine often had hidden rear staircases and all the pantries, butler closets and servants corners were hidden from view or easy access.

All that space is up for grabs to repurpose and slim and trim. Today, redesign and serious reduction of the square footage to stretch the dollar in a time of heavy duty inflation, heating, financing costs means study lots of housing plans. Your home should be a place that fits your lifestyle and budget.

Bay Windows, Patterned Floors, Built In Cabinets, Dumb Waiters… Old Victorians Built, Filled In Differently.

Maine is a handful of cities and over 450 small communities.

Building big and gaudy to impress is not something that happens in rural Maine. Maybe along Ocean Ave or crawling along the rocking coast of Maine where out of state plates in the expensive zip codes happens. But not in sparse populated rural sections of Vacationland, where Maine Yankee frugality forces house building to be practical and functional.

Maine house building up on the upswing and off grid, no year round access is a positive to some.

The new Maine homes with expansive open decking right off living area for everyday use and easy outdoor access. Also seeing rustic cozy touches, lots of stones weaved into the landscaping to make the new construction Maine home reflect the spirit of the owner.

I’m Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers, ME Broker

207.532.6573 | info@mooersrealty.com |

MOOERS REALTY 69 North ST Houlton ME 04730 USA

September 6, 2024
I Just Want To Be Left Alone.

I just want to be left alone.

Leave me along, just let me be. Hear that desperate plea desire uttered almost daily from Maine real estate buyers.

Space, privacy, peace and quiet. In crowded populated areas it may be impossible or just too darn expensive to create it. In rural Maine, not hard at all.

Farm Property In Maine. Your Nearest Neighbor A Half Mile Away.

The wanting to be left alone. It’s not that most are anti social. The group just share the common goa for different reasonsl. Getting away from people too close for comfort. Especially the ones constantly on your case on how best to lead your life. That have to point out where you are doing it wrong, missing the target.

Ever notice many of the folks self appointed to help you with your life should spend more time housekeeping their own?

It gets old living with the evil eye and wondering here it comes again. Tightening up or smiling and trying to back away and run for the hills. What I am doing wrong now in someone’s opinion?

So Maine is the perfect place to create some space.

Land Not People. That’s Maine. Loaded With Wildlife But No HOA’s, No Four To Six Lanes Of Traffic.

Less people, more wildlife and 450 small communities, villages. Just a handful of cities in Maine.

Like the old song “Stop the World and Let Me Off”, the Waylon Jennings song … The poor love sick guy wanted to stop the spinning.

Couldn’t function with the “As The World Turns” of romance gone bad. Can not survive without the other.. just sick of tired of going round and round when the partner’s flame went out and passion elsewhere sparked. Missing the kissing and tender hearted care after his love went away.

Where is the lever anyway to stop the carnival ride, the one called pull here in an emergency for relief from day to day round and round?

The Carnival Food, Fun, Games, Rides. Did You Get Your Fill This 4th Of July In Maine? Everyday Maine Is Not Crowded, Not Wall To Wall People Or Bumper To Bumper Traffic.

Maine offers a natural unspoiled setting for recreation and nature.

Four season’s worth of oodles of options. For leisure time spent fishing, paddling a kayak or canoe. Hiking a trail. Down hill, cross country skiing all providing exercise and a jaw dropping view.

Follow The Path Less Traveled. The One Up In Rural Maine.

The term “backyard” is very different depending on where you do live on the blue and green spinning marble.

To someone in Maine, your country neighbor is half a mile away. There may be a rock wall separating your property from the two hundred acres or more next door. In a 300 lot urban subdivision, everyone calls the fence company. To define the “backyard” that is measured in feet not acres. No side lawn, front yard and zero lot lines happens.

Grass, do you mow and how long does it take each week? Weed wack only and lots of bark chips not grass to shorten?

In Maine, we mow lawns like we hay.

Big open nicely mowed for the weekend lawns are the norm. Maybe they put drink holders on riding lawn mowers for a reason. I know people who say they do their best thinking mowing the lawn. Not in circles but angled, neatly trimming like you learned from a family member black belt lawn specialist growing up in Maine.

Maine Homesteads, Big Lawns, More Wide Open Space. No People In Sight To Spoil It All.

If you live where why have side windows but you can see the grain of your neighbor’s vinyl siding. No side yard, no back yard and parking. What about parking? Where do I do it? It has to be done out on the street. Or round the corner at a multi story parking garage for a hefty fee.

To get a sense of space, where you live now do you have to trot out of the cul de sac and down the street to a nearby park to get some?

Here’s a perfect example of a new property listing with 60 acres of land Maine homestead and only large land acreages, not people surrounding it.

Watch the Maine real estate video.

Looking for peace and quiet with plenty of elbow room?

Maine, one more reason to consider Vacationland to get space. You can spend time with yourself and figure things out or enjoy not having people people people.

The statement “I just want to be left alone” probably happens because the person crying out for space can not get it. Wall to wall people everywhere you look where they live now.

Life On The Maine Farm. Easy Does It Simple. Early Morning Chores, The Day Wraps Up Late At Night.

Spending some time with yourself in rural Maine but also prepare to get involved and volunteer.

Living in Maine is home grown not store bought. And more “if it is to be, it is up to me” approach to simple living in Maine.

No traffic, little crime, just pure and natural without the privacy fencing, zero lot lines, plenty of parking.

Maine is the way life should be. People are friendly because their personal space is protected and no problem maintaining it on a daily basis. Not just a week’s vacation in Maine for rehab. Maine, is she what is missing in your life? Do you want, need a piece of ME?

I’m Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers, ME Broker

207.532.6573 | info@mooersrealty.com |

MOOERS REALTY 69 North ST Houlton ME 04730 USA

August 11, 2024
Cheapest Places To Buy A House In Maine?

Cheapest places to buy a house in Maine?

This Maine real estate market report runs down where you can get your best bang for your housing buck. It also answers other current market questions that come up daily running a Maine real estate office.

The lower priced Maine real estate is part of the attraction. But so are the home grown local community events and all natural recreation options to consider in Maine. That’s no bull.

Everyone Pitches In And Turns Out In Small Maine Towns! Parades Are Big And Popular In Maine Communities!

First things first, the current Maine real estate market highlights.

Have to set the stage on what’s shaking now in Maine listing sales. For the fourth month in a row, Maine house sales increased. Maine is in the top ten states for desirability due to lower prices, less crime, little traffic in rural areas especially.

Maine has a very low percentage of renters, more home owners.

All Natural, Outdoors In Nature. That Is The Big Maine Attraction.

The state’s available Maine housing inventory is the ninth-lowest in the nation.

The latest figures from Maine Listings via the ME Association of Realtors shows 1,180 homes changed hands, up nearly 4 percent.

The Maine median sales price increased over 7 percent. Maine is a more affordable state for owning your own house. Especially as you head up into the rural interior areas away from the pricey coastline.

Because Maine is such a large state, the real estate market report is not a one size fits all.

You cannot broad brush sum it all up accurately without breaking down the numbers. Listing inventory continues to be in short supply and multiple offer situations are still happening.

Sneak A Peek At The Maine Real Estate Housing Numbers.

Waterfront real estate listing sales especially are often bidding wars with the higher than list, cash buyer seeking few if any contingencies coming out on top.

When you list and sell properties in Maine, the housing, just land, small business properties, apartment, etc all the markets within a market behave differently. Region by region no two market property listing segments show you the exact same statistic.

Maine Waterfront Property Listings, Never Enough. Always A Little Higher Priced And Precious.

Where are the majority of Maine single family house buyers coming from in the current real estate market?

Maine Listings data tracking buyer zip codes says the majority statewide are from Massachusetts (7.44%) and next New Hampshire (3.88%). Florida house buyers purchasing in Maine come in at nearly 2% of the transfers, Connecticut at over 1.5% of sales.

The states with the highest house sale price tags are another group paying cash for Maine houses, other property listing types. The attractive to sell high there and buy much lower in rural Maine is a trend.

Interest rates are not a factor for a Maine housing buyer purchasing with cash. Here’s a sample of what house prices in Northern Maine property listings look like to compare to where you currently live on the planet now.

The cheapest places to buy a house in Maine?

Despite Maine’s healthy brisk housing listing sale numbers, the National Association of Realtors reports a housing sales dip of 2.1% across the country.

Looking, Flying Over Houlton Maine, The County’s Oldest Town. Aroostook County Has The Cheapest Maine Housing Of All! Prices Up, Supply Is Down.

Slicing and dicing the Maine real estate market into the sixteen counties and individual communities tells the real listing sales story. Study the latest Maine Listings PDF real estate listing sales housing report.

Aroostook County is the lowest median priced for buying a house.

The average price is $158,132 and house sales are down over 16% due to sold out, lack of inventory.

House prices in Aroostook County are up 1.80% this year compared to last. When an area of Maine has smaller salaries, the property listing prices on all the real estate is lower too.

Kinda like money is taken out of the equation and many locals can do their own household repairs.

Skills taught earlier in life are tapped into to make later living easier and less costly.

Working On A Maine Farm. Outdoors, All Kinds Of Weather, Long Hours Laboring Year Round.

To show the contrast, Maine’s Cumberland County numbers show housings sales are down 2.35%. But the media house price in Cumberland County is up 6.24% from $536,500 last year to

Maine Outdoor Music Band Concerts Get High Local Attendance!

$570,000 in 2024 YTD.

You better make more money, have a higher paying salary to pull of buying a house in Maine in the more expensive coastal zip codes.

The closer to population you get, the higher the Maine house price tags increase. The cost to insure your Maine house goes up too along with the price to pay for property repairs.

Quite a contrast huh in how things shake, rattle and roll real estate wise in Maine?

As a Maine real estate broker for close to 45 years, I’ve witness first hand in the foxhole trenches a wide variety of markets.

But one factor remains the same, everyone is on the hunt for the lowest cost places to buy a house in Maine.

But what really gives the wrong information is the one stat for the entire state of Maine for median sales price, the days on market, for anything that tries to size up “Vacationland”.

If you are searching for Maine real estate, my advice is don’t try to cover the entire state.

Instead, do your online homework first, then take a trip to sample ME.

Maine Farm Fields Bloom With White, Purple, All Kinds Of Potato Blossoms.

Once you find the area that matches your lifestyle interests best and pleases your wallet at the same time, drill down into any and all new property listings.

Otherwise, you will need a helicopter or private jet to zig zag back and forth like a dragon fly to tour the communities, the property listings in it helter skelter.

Draw a circle of how far you want to be from a hospital, your job, schools, Walmart, a golf course, a lake, the wood land rec trails.

Then take a deep dive into what is available and be patient.

To find the cheapest places to buy a house in Maine.

Study what comes up that matches most of the items on your “gotta have / don’t want” Maine real estate property listing search list.

Selling a house out of state and buying a new one to replace it in Maine.

When the new Maine house is in a attractively priced rural area, be prepared to have money left over.

It’s the trend shown in other earlier Maine house sales real estate property listing reports.

Living free and clear, debt free and caught up helps you enjoy life fully.

Living in the 4th lowest crime state of Maine does not hurt either.

Grow Your Own Food, Raise The Flower Gardens On Your Own In Maine.

Rural Maine the cheapest places to buy a house.

No one wants to have two and three mortgages to struggle to make ends meet.

Your home is the largest investment most of us ever make right?

Everything subject to change for Maine real estate house listings sale prices and supply of what is available on any given day.

Thank you for stopping by!

Hope this Maine blog post is helpful.

That’s the current run down on cheapest place to buy a house in Maine, other current factors in the state’s real estate list.

I’m Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers, ME Broker

207.532.6573 | info@mooersrealty.com |

MOOERS REALTY 69 North ST Houlton ME 04730 USA

July 9, 2024