The jargon of a Maine REALTOR can raise eye brows and confuse, lose a person trying to follow one in a A Maine REALTOR, Over 4200 Of Them In Vacationland. real estate conversation.
CMA, GRI, DOM, FSBO … a Maine REALTOR sure does use some funny language, short hand to make his or her point. Get the job of listing, marketing, selling done.
Buying or selling Maine real estate is an emotional experience for the property purchaser or owner.
The job of a REALTOR, a real estate agent or broker is to educate, explain the process and tell it like it is from experience. Giving false expectations if a property is priced pie in the sky is not part of the job. Making representations about a property listing that are inaccurate, false, not honest isn’t either.
Disclosure of problem areas with a Maine property listing is way way smarter than trying to wrestle, dealing with it after a sale. But to know the real estate problem exists means thoroughly examining the property listing. Asking lots of questions to the owner, tradesmen that did work on the place. Even family members or neighbors if the sale is an estate property transfer.
Fifty percent of people settle down, move to within fifty miles of where they were born.
And to attract the attention of folks further away a Maine real estate agent, broker, REALTOR has a big part of his job putting his state on the map.
What it is like living where I do in Maine? The photos, blog posts, local community videos help paint the picture. Fill in the gray matter between the ears, behind the eyes of a Maine real estate buyer from outside Vacationland.
Maine REALTORS, the state has over 4200 of them.
Not such bad people once you take, make the time to get to know one. See them in action. Pretty darn involved in their local home towns, volunteering for community events and serving on boards. Parents, little league and hockey coaches. Sunday school teachers and sponsors of many non profit organizations. Hug one today.
Mom, Mom, Wake Up. Sausage Is Causing Problems Again.
The ladies on the Maine farm, for milk and other dairy products had old fashion names.
And when my Mom and Dad had beef cattle, were raising a herd of Durhams, then the naming changed to IRA, Holly, Jacob and other family, friend names.
The two pigs I remember as a little shaver were not the most fun on the Maine farm.
And when it came time to “process them” my three older brothers and I had trouble eating a friend. Until Dad assured us he had exchanged, traded the two pigs we raised from piglets for two other total unknowns. That seemed to help. When passing the farm kitchen platter of heaped high sausage, ham, bacon.
My Aunt Ruth has a slew of horses. Over thirty at one point and ran a summer horse riding camp. Camp Little Ponderosa’s oldest horses, steeds were Stardust and Melody. Over 32 years old and more like friends, pets. Because when you live that long, animal or not, you are around for a long time. Part of a big chunk of life and household or barn yard fixtures. As life plays out right on schedule with casual speed.
Sugar Daddy, Pepper, Thunder, Geronimo were four of the ponies at my Aunt Ruth’s Maine horse riding farm. And cleaning out their stalls, grooming, showing the horses, ponies in shows was part of the summer adventures. Along with swimming lessons, arts and crafts and help around the Maine horse farm to keep it running. Run the Maine state animal exhibits, agricultural fair video Jimmy.
Head to the fair, check out a horse show, spend a few minutes at Houlton Community Park to see the 4H exhibits video.
In Maine we tend to name our cars, pickups and SUV’s too. The longer you have them, the more they sit in the yard long ago paid for, the fondness and attraction grows. Have a red jeep four kids learned how to drive in called Sally.
The white jeep after that handed down to a new drive called Celine. And the black jeep I drive now was labeled Vadar by the kids. The Ford Excursion due to incredibly lousy gas mileage and sheer size nicknamed “The Beast”. The inability to pass a gas station without automatically signaling to fuel up caused by the 11.1 miles per gallon. No matter if she was pulling a trailer, loaded with hockey players or not.
Maybe the name calling was a better census, keeping tract method on the Maine farm than Cow 1, Steer 5, Chicken 17 or “This Little Piggie”, etc. Do you have names, pet or otherwise that are unique, special or pretty down right funny or humorous? Share them here.
Maine, wake up, start your dream in blue and green. Thanks for follow our MeInMaine blog posts.
Maine, let’s establish right from the get go that frugal is not the same as, interchangeable with cheap.
One major distinction, difference. Hard Work Outdoors On A Maine Farm. Not Much Idle Time.
Frugal is an “easy does it”,
slow as you go life pace.
That drives some
nuts.
Causes still others
to purr, be filled with a self
satisfying
content, peaceful
inner feeling.
Frugal, a consistent, creative way to what some term “live in gentile poverty”.
Cheap is an ugly maneuver that gives no credit to the finesse of haggling. Or how charitable you are when opening up the wallet to help others with the savings you landed in your everyday spending, living.
If you did not have to work for all the dead presidents you store away for a rainy day in your wallet or purse, the art of being frugal can lose its luster, appeal. Why bother if you have an endless supply of the green stuff? Or have no expenses around you needing a check written to cover them month to month.
But when two dollars IS a lot of money. Especially if you don’t have it readily available, or have no idea where it is going to come from. Suddenly the sting of reality, being pinched where it hurts can drive home the point and make it crystal clear.
Frugal as an art form survival tool adopted, put in to play by play, day to day is easy if raised on a Maine farm.
Seeing the practice work, embracing it can provide a sense of security. Knowing you are never apt to go out on a financial limb. And then hear a chain saw fire up that you started yourself by foolish, drunken sailor on leave like spending patterns.
Frugal, fix it yourself life thinking lets you stay on the Maine farm. And to consider if you don’t owe money you are rich. If you break even, you had a good Maine farm year. Gratitude is riches was one of many reminders my Mom taught her four boys. Happy is an attitude choice.
Frugal can not flourish, exist at all if your mental depression, blue moods are served, medicated by retail spending type healing actions. The practice of whipping out a stack of plastic cards to one by one tap in to credit limits at a store or on line are not a frugal lifestyle’s friend.
Better spending impulse control, shopping around for the best deal on the goods or service you find yourself needing means taking extra time.
To study up, get schooled on do you really need it? Can you tap in to your Jack of all trades experience or ambition to scratch the itch? And what about other resource priorities? Eye balled, thrashed out with MASH unit ER efficiency to determine the best all around course of action. To not bleed out, hit a major financial artery and code, flat line, die.
Every day dollars that you spend seem like just pennies. But the old adage Ben Franklin, your grandfather or someone penned still applies. Those pennies that seem trivial become dollars that are not. Do you just want it, or do you actually need it? (Said in a tone like Clint Eastwood’s “Do you feel lucky… well do you Punk?”) The urge to gotta have it can be replaced with the knowledge you don’t really need it. But could have it, step out and buy, purchase it if you did.
The good feeling of having your financial house in order is the secondary gain from not being quick on the draw to just automatically spend, spend, spend.
And fixing a needed household repair yourself is empowerment. Like bartering services. It’s own self reward of pure personal satisfaction that you can do it yourself. Flushing out, drilling down to get the best deal if you have to spend. Or doing it yourself without the rush to pick up a phone. And waving the white flag and crying for help.
When you grow up in the country of Aroostook County in the 1960’s, television is limited.
My Home Made Real Estate Video Mini Dolly Three on air television channels, one cherry picker that can eeny, meeny, miny, moe from ABC, CBS, or NBC programs. Two Canadian signals. Public broadcasting made it four when it came on air.
So as a kid, going in town to my Aunt Hettie’s home on Franklin Avenue was a treat.
Exciting to see the NBC peacock come on cable television.
To remind you and me in the television audience that the follow program is brought to you in living color. Not black and white so hang on to your seats.
Today there are hundreds and hundreds of channel offerings. All programming fare just a wand controller away to view. With a tap of your finger to surf them. When I was a kid, lots and lots of television viewing was not the way I spent my Maine farm childhood. Where chores, jobs to help out were not in short supply. Filled the time pretty snugly.
Now I find myself more and more studying the way films, movies, television shows are put together. In college a degree in broadcasting, job in the Bangor Maine market helped hone the skills. And a double major with film study also starting the wonderment. The mechanics of how video and audio go together, are created helps me in my Maine real estate job. Videos for local area events, for individual property listings help buyers no matter where they are watching them.
The machinery to shoot the real estate videos sometimes home made, improvised.
Like this dolly for a slide shot of a kitchen’s granite counter top. Simple roller skate board wheel trucks attached to a piece of light weight aluminum with slots.
So the arch of the two axles can be controlled, adjusted to track. Swing around the counter. Or the dolly used on a slide to make it a smooth, fluid, continuous shot instead of a pan of the same scene. For an entirely different effect.
Maine Real Estate Video
Green screens, stage lights, sound boards, mics, jib cranes and updates to video camera, the software to edit the video loops. Part of my job to market the real estate listings using video. And to collect the Maine videos you might enjoy watching, listening to about the local area. Scope out our You Tube videos.
No doubt the ink is now dry on your list of resolutions for the new year. Babe And I Are Wicked Hungry, Ready For A Maine Baked Bean Supper. One of mine is attending more Maine baked bean suppers. Because that’s where you meet the real people of the Pine Tree State.
The food is stellar with the Maine cooks well skilled on making a meal to remember.
One you won’t leave the church basement, grange hall, local community community center hungry.
That will get you to the next meal when the triangle bell rings and its time to sit down to eat again.
The folks you dine with become quick friends.
The table conversation like an open town hall meeting.
Covering the state of affairs topics today in the small Maine town, in the country and world at large.
The logic, wisdom from the Maine folks passing the platters of red dye number three natural casing hot dogs, spooning out potato salad have thought about the discussions around table. Breaking the home made bread. Sharing the yellow eye, soldier, pea and jacob’s cattle beaked beans. Pick your favorite.
Maine is a rural state, with eleven people per square mile in the region I live in, Aroostook County.
The outdoor four seasons recreation, working in the woods and the farm fields works up an appetite. One that only a seasoned Maine cook at a bean supper truly understands.
The proceeds from the low cost Maine bean supper benefits a worthy cause. So its like triple gain. Your stomach’s red blinking “EMPTY” light goes off. You connect, rub shoulders with folks loaded with common sense. Sharing their life skills, a can do spirit. And the very economical price of admission goes to make the local community brighter, stronger. You feel good, fed in more than one way. Until the next supper you hear about while putting on your coat, heading for the jeep.
Protecting, preserving the Maine baked beans tradition, keeping it coming for the public supper small town forum year round experience.
Happy New Year.
What’s on your list of resolutions to enrich your life, to make each day count more fully?
Snow Surround Insulation Happens During Flurries In Maine.
Being cold is no fun and especially for someone on a small fixed Maine income that needs a helping hand with the winter oil heating bill.
Wearing a snow suit inside during Wheel of Fortune or re-runs of Law and Order (DUN DUN sound) does not make 52 the new 68 degrees for a living room temperature setting.
We have no polar bears, igloos, dog sled teams to get around in Maine, but it does get nippy.
Had an older past Maine real estate customer give me a tip about help for the home owner who is not flush with cash to spring for a load of heating oil. He called it “Joe’s Oil”, low income assistance for Maine heating fuel. The Citizens Energy Intiative from the Kennedy Foundation is one neat, literally heart warming program to talk up, spread the word about for any one living in the cold weather states in the country. This fellow told me this morning he received a free 100 gallons of kerosene last year, again this year to heat his Maine trailer home.
Discounted and out right free oil if the application paperwork for assistance is filled out, sent in has helped many since the program started in Maine, the northeast since 1979.
Here’s more on how to apply in Maine for winter heating oil assistance. Call toll free 1-800-452-4668 for more on the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (commonly called LIHEAP or HEAP.)
LIHEAP or HEAP provides money to low income Maine homeowners and renters to help pay their heating costs. The funds are distributed throughout Maine by 11 Community Action Programs, in most cases directly to the fuel vendors. So check for more details at whoever you buy your oil, gas from now for more on help to keep from being cold this winter in Maine.
The program is not intended to pay for all heating costs, but to assist in paying the heating bills.
Again tap out or dial 1-800-452-4668.
Apply for LIHEAP and to be automatically considered for the Low Income Assistance Plan and the Appliance Replacement, Weatherization and Central Heating Improvement programs, contact your local Community Action Program (CAP) agency.
Please also stop shivering, thinking there is no help, that no one cares. Any Mainer in this situation, or if you know of one, have them call or help them get in touch with the Citizens Energy at
1-877-JOE-4-Oil (1-877-563-4645) to receive a heating fuel oil assistance application. Please note that the number experiences an extremely high volume of calls.
Call center hours are Monday-Friday, 9AM-5PM Eastern Standard Time. Spread the word, make others warm this Maine winter.
