Own Maine Real Estate Blog

The real estate drones used to get a bird's eye perspective in stills and video needs to be registered with the FAA. Back in the end of July 2015 the National Association of REALTORS had an opinion on aerial real estate drone use.

Quote "Given the current FAA prohibition, the National Association of REALTORS® recommends that its members not use this technology for any purpose related to selling property."

We have had a drone for real estate photography, videos since early in 2014.

The quad copter drone uses, carries a Go Pro camera not the big model we have in the video arsenal.

Which would be too heavy to lift tree top high.

Like anything, a good thing can be used for harmful purposes.Drones are no different in the wrong hands.

And accidents happen when a drone goes astray or is too close to an airport.

The take off, landing of real airplanes, helicopters needs policing. Rules to regulate drone aerial photography were pretty wild in the beginning. Needing a pilot's license batted around. 

A the FAA, the public, the media thought about what was needed. To sky marshal herd and police the swarm of drones. As lawmakers came to the party way way late. After the drones were already out of the barn.. I mean DJI box.

The seller of a Maine home wants to see the place sold.

Pretty cut and dry. Quickly, with the shortest, least hassle possible. No drama please. But saving a real estate commission is always in the back of his mind. Wouldn't it be nice to just snap your fingers.

Get full price and everything to just fall into place. Like in the movies with happy endings. Or those so so Hollywood real estate reality shows. (Gag) Excuse me.

Without the aid of a real estate professional and the commission check at the property closing. Cut with his name on it.

Often sellers who don't put their home for sale on the market more than once or twice in a life time forget. What is involved in the setting the price. The marketing the real estate.

For guidance, the Q and A understood fully to get to a real estate closing as efficiently as possible.

Keeping the pathway from listing to conference room closing groomed smooth and easy. Avoiding the bumps, twists, turns.

Complicated negoiations, demanding people, the layer of players involved in sales of real estate property listings add stress. They all need someone to set expectations. Explain the process. To help guide the step by step. Keep everyone on board. On what do we do, where do we go and when, how, why.

Timing is everything in real estate sales and to blow a chance to sell can mean a long delay lining up another buyer for the Maine home listing.

What does not help is when the property owner has a couple people who have expressed interest in the past. So could we please exclude them from the listing? They won't be buying most likely but what if. Let's exclude them from the real estate contract. Oh oh.

There are some absolutes in life that all can agree on and Maine home buyers have them too.

So do sellers of houses in Maine. For example, you never hear a Maine home buyer ask for something jammed in. A house too small and owning a very cut up, confusing floor plan. Where you bump into people and walls, doors.The room flow is not good.

But none object to too many closets. Or nifty built ins to stash stuff.

Maine home buyers don't want a place that is lacking any lot, ground  around the house either.

Give me Maine land.

Load it up.

Because Maine is wide open everywhere you look.

Other urban areas may serve up zero lot lines and wall to wall homes like meat and potato routine.Where it is why bother having side windows because all you see is the siding, into the home next door if the curtains are drawn.

Why does it happen/?  Because space is at a premium in the city. In Maine, nothing could be more from the truth. So when no space inside or out, buyers say pass. And time to bring in the chainsaw to lower the property listing price.

The tug on wallet or purse to open wide and say Black Friday or Cyber Monday sale savings.

Means insert the pair of ear plugs. Reach behind your head to tie tight the darkness of a blindfold. You do not want to flash back to the time of The Sirens.

Where to avoid crashing into the rocks.

To miss the drop anchor, gang plank dropping with a splashing thud too.

For the going ashore, the sailors having  to be lashed to the sail boat masts.

Until the coast was clear and they were out of the tractor beam, harms way to tempt them to hit the beach sand.

For a little courting and sparking. Like the ladies in the Brother Where Art Thou movie to steer clear of too.

So buying a Maine home.

Easy does it racking up debt. Keep your head clear. For the red rover, red rover come on over. Keep your stick on the ice. Helmet latched on.

Stay out of the penalty box for the charge of over spending. Slashing, roughing up your credit.

If you are thinking of buying a home, getting a mortgage, hold your horses on the extra spending to get a house loan.

Because debt ratios raise their ugly head. You were approved for a Maine home loan before the Turkey day after, or the following Monday but the temptation of rock bottom pricing on holiday gifts took over. Game over for buying a home and the slide the keys please.

Besides the being vigilant to avoid buying anything extra when buying a home in Maine. To look squeaky clean during the hold your hat in your hands. Steady the course to the real estate property closing.

There are some other important items on the list to never forget.To the now you are approved for a Maine home loan. But oh no, wait a minute. Guess you not longer are qualified after all.

There is nothing pleasant about seeing a family home in Maine have to be listed to sell because of divorce.

Because neither spouse of a divorcing couple can swing the house mortgage payments alone.

Or struggle to service the loan on the Maine home. And keep up with all the other costs associated with owning, maintaining a Maine home.

To avoid the hard knock of the wolf at the door called foreclosure.

Often accelerated  because of the added hefty expense of a Maine divorce.

All those billable hours that rack up the longer the Maine divorce drags on. As the lady with the blindfold and holding the scales decides if the two partners can not. Justice today is expensive when it is settled climbing up and down court house steps in a prolonged Maine divorce.

By the way, Maine is the 46th lowest state for FSSR.

Not every divorce in Maine means splitting hairs over property ownership. Because our Maine houses cost less, don't have huge second and third mortgages piled on them for liens as a rule.

Many Maine homes are a work in progress, pay as you go DIY housing exercise. With help from family and friends. Lots of bartering and no money exchanged.

In the small rural areas of Maine life is simple.

There also is not a lot of left over discretionary funding at the end of the day. To fool around with in a re-financing maneuver to let one half of the untying marital knot to stay put. Pay the other off if there is any house equity established before the divorce proceedings started in earnest.

No one likes to make a mistake in real estate. Or waste a second of time in buying, selling their properties in Maine.

Life is short. Hear it ticking, bleeding out? Recovery from picking the wrong professional in the buying, selling of your Maine listing is long and costly.

For starters, there are not bad people.

Just the missed perfect fit because homework was not done to find the right pick.Upfront, going in.

Remember the old Maine expression? It is hard telling not knowing.

What do you need? Where and from whom do you get what you expect in your real estate buy or sell exercise?

Being candid is critical in real estate discussions.

Which foot is the shoe on is part of it with the real estate hokey pokey. If buying, are you ready? Where to start? What can you afford? Where is your gotta have, don't want list?

Not like just finding the item on the shelf up very high or down real low. And then tossing it in the cart. The boogie and high tailing it. Pouring on the coal. Heading for the big box corner check out to ring it up. And then try to remember where did you park the ride to the mall. In the sea of vehicles surrounding the store.

More complicated with the layers of players to get to the real estate closing transfer of a property listing these days.Solving the real estate puzzle takes the right person navigating and setting the expectations.

Credit, the turn your head and cough thorough examination has to happen first and foremost. The results you might not like because of oh I don't know. Little things like over spending and upsite down debt ratios. Or in the cellar credit rating. Which some folks wonder how did that happen? Seem surprised, actually shocked.

The out of state Maine homes for sale buyer is in the dark.

When thinking of purchasing a property listing in a small rural area especially. Because unlike the city chanmber of commerces that flood the airwaves, spilling the black and four color ink information on the Internet highway, small rural real estate markets lack that attention.

The life in a small Maine town is easy does it and kept simplified.

The resources to cause a splash in the local community marketing is not there.

Less people, less noise on and off line. So as a Maine real estate broker peddling property listings, it is often hold your houses. I mean horses.

Before the parade of what's for sale happens, the carousel like the luggage at a busy airport is stopped. Because we need to have a little talk first.

The other end is curious and seeking answers. Assurances that this move is a smart one. That won't be regretted if the wagon train has to change directions. Again.

Look Mom, no bank.Smooth sailing.

Sometimes it is because of the low price property listings in Maine for sale. All about how easy it is to buy them outright and not need a mortgage on say Maine land.

But often owner financing Maine can be one neat, sweet easy vehicle to hop into to arrive at the real estate closing quickly.

And get the low cost property listing, the Maine land paid off in quick fashion. So free and clear happens and the enjoyment of the Maine real estate increases all that much more. Read the full article on owner financing Maine real estate.

So how does it work and when is it a good idea to have a seller carry the mortgage on Maine land, other property for sale?

Or not so hot an option when selling Maine real estate.

Well avoiding a bank, the overhead charges and a higher interest rates, the time delay in the process of lending money. That is one reason it works so quickly and bypasses the middle man with the combination to the bank vault tumblers.

And on low cost property listings in Maine, to spend two or three thousand dollars to buy a few acres of Maine land priced under $10,000 makes little sense. Seems pretty wasteful.

And we know Mainers are frugal, like to barter and stretch those hard earned dollars right? Don't leave money on the table. Get the best bang for the buck is what rolls around in the spending decisions.

On the other side of the mortage carried by the property owner, the seller gets a nice annuity set up. Usually with no prepayment penalty so it could be all over with quicker than the number of payments on the amortization schedule spells out.

But with a first mortgage record at the local registry of deeds, and the buyer deciding to invest in a drilled well, full concrete septic and driveway, the power pole. Well now we are talking.

Late at night, things happen to cause buyers and sellers of Maine real estate to wake up. Stay wide eyed.

To toss, turn and worry about the property purchase and sale process. How come?

Not an exercise they find themselves doing every day. It's one big chunk of money to fork over. Or saddle up to apply the lien with the notarized promissory noteis personal guaranteed to at the closing.

When a long mortgage payment is applied to their monthly budget.

When they already juggle lots of other financial obligations.

You want to keep it smooth sailing, easy does it.

Running out of money, what if I lose a job, the car acts up and needs an expensive repair at the world's worst time? Or how to pay for kid's braces, fund those college education accounts? How to make ends meet and can I really afford this buying, selling of a property? Is this the right time? So I can sleep nights inmy new Maine home.

How secure is my job and if there were employment layoffs, where would my neck be in the line up on the chopping block?

Takes time to weigh the options in anything involving real estate. The life largest purchase for most. Worry about the unknowns in life linger. Gives you a sinking feeling. Especially if tight resources make the money extra precious.

Squeasy, uneasy feelings enter the head and stomach of real estate buyers. With no nest egg squirrelled away especially. And even though a Maine bank is smiling, saying you are all approved. Can you pull really pull this purchase off successfully? You may not be so sure.

To buy a Maine home, or to rent an apartment is not a fun discussion to have without yourself either.

Because home ownership is the dream of all in the land right? To be connected. Part of a community as a tax payer who studies, serves on boards, votes on the issues facing the burg.

But shelter, I think we can all agree. It is one of the most basic needs. Up there with food, water, love. And lots of emotion is tied to the real estate property listing for the seller too.

Because with homes, everything from bringing in the new born babies one by one, the Thanksgiving turkey, the Easter Ham and the Christmas tree, for all those holiday celebrations.

The decision to let go, to list and sell your Maine home.

Whew. It is extra tough when the sticks and bricks have been your Maine home for decades. Maybe built by your parents and the house sale has a little guilt feeling associated with even listing it.

Because a house becomes a home when you raise a family, have those holiday traditions here. But things accumulate, are dragged home to enhance the use of it for all the members inside.

Everything else that happens around both sides of those four walls called  home sweet home usually has some cargo associated with it.

But now that the silent real estate salesman is planted in the front yard doing it's job to attract buyers. What will you, the property owner have to remove?

Or leave for the new buyer of the Maine home. What should stay or go in the Maine  house sale?

There are some do's and don'ts and language about broom clean mentioned in many purchase and sale agreements.

But what is the standard depends on the buyer and seller of the Maine home to a degree too. And if there is a bank appraiser involved in the property sale with his or her own suggestions.

For safety, out of concern of hazardous materials or dangerous situations because of the junk that accumulates with the treasure in a Maine home over the years. Especially down in the corner of that long, deep dark, damp cellar basement that is out of sight, out of mind too.

Often a seller of a Maine home, the elderly ones especially, can figure the place is worth more with all the contents. The furniture Dad and Mom passed down after World War Two was built to last.

But the real estate buyer often has his own unless just starting out. So ask but be prepared for the big garage sale. Or the roll in trash dumpster. The buyer and seller of the Maine real estate don't share the same view on what is valuable.

The house, real estate for sale.

It is not just a property listing address and parked in a collection.Never ho hum, all the same. The place represents a lifestyle. Something that enhances a person's life.

Or should. For the current time being, looking toward the future into retirement.

All of the houses, Maine real estate of any kind for sale represents an investment too.

Real estate marketing is emotional big time.

You get attached to something that is warm and fuzzy special. Maybe that has been missing for too long. And you desperately seek it out. Long badly for it.

How does the purchase of this property listing improve my life? Often involves seeing loved ones gathered around, part of the real estate purchase dream.

Waterfront properties for sale in Maine especially open the door. That lead to lots of fun, memory making next to the recreational fun kind of H20. Those never go out of style.

In the case of residential real estate, houses become the buyer's home. The place where holidays are celebrated. A sacred place that is a nest feathered to make it the most comfortable.

One by one the brand new bundles of joy brought home to bundled in pink or blue blankets.

Lifestyle choices about making sure the home in Maine has a first floor bedroom. For the fearful of steps elderly inlaws or home or the house owner themselves. As parts start to wear out and one floor living looks more and more appealing.

Often when a new property buyer has been nose to the grind stone working to advance their career. Maybe too busy and overwhelmed.

With raising a family and just too little extra time to consider something more. Time ticks by and is just not in great supply. Too little left over time to pursue neglected pastimes.

You have a home in Maine to sell, what to expect in the real estate sale?

Lots of factors considered going in and all along the way to the clear to close real estate house sale memo.

For the sit down, let's have a closing on the home for sale in Maine. The first issue to wrestle with for the seller is are you sure you really want to sell?

Not do you kinda, sorta think you could make the move.

To pass the house keys please.

But when a ready, willing and able buyer to purchase arrives on the scene and says "I'll take it, this is the one.".

Can you follow through with the sale of the Maine home or does deer in the headlights panic happen?

The property being priced too high is fooling yourself as the seller of the Maine home or any property listing about to be put on the open market.

Any real estat agent or broker has been a witness to awkward property sale conversations.

It is no fun to hear another REALTOR, someone else in the same industry be tarred and feathered, stoned. When the real issue is the listing was way too highly priced.

And he or she should have just declined. Walked away.  Because you can not help an owner of a overpriced listing on property they believe will sell for much more than it is actually worth.

You have a home in Maine to sell, what to expect in the real estate sale? Lots of factors considered going in and all along the way to the clear to close memo. For the sit down, let's have a closing on the home for sale in Maine. The first issue to wrestle with for the seller is are you sure you really want to sell?

Not do you kinda, sorta think you could make the move. To pass the keys please. But when a ready, willing and able buyer to purchase arrives on the scene and says "I'll take it, this is the one.". Can you follow through with the sale of the Maine home or does deer in the headlights panic happen?

The property being priced too high is fooling yourself as the seller of the Maine home or any property listing about to be put on the open market. Any real estat agent or broker has been a witness to awkward property sale conversations.

It is no fun to hear another REALTOR, someone else in the same industry be tarred and feathered, stoned. When the real issue is the listing was way too highly priced. And he or she should have just declined. Walked away.  Because you can not help an owner of a overpriced listing on property they believe will sell for much more than it is actually worth.

So selling your home in Maine, what else can go wrong? Once your determine the seller is going to go through with it and not get the jitters. Sellers remorse that makes the whole process useless. A waste of time, money, emotion.

Information, accurate details to make important Maine real estate listing buy or sell decisions.

Nothing compares to real World, up to the minute fresh information about what is happening in the market surrounding the property listing. But getting the most up to date details on what is for sale, what is happening in the area is not always easy. How come?

Well for starters, if a Maine real estate agent, broker figures he or she will tell you all about the new property listing when you darken the agency doorway.

That is a problem in today's time is money, give me all the details drive through take out window quick like a bunny. 

And the approach to marketing if it is still by telling one by one the scoop on the new listing on 123 Morning Glory Circle, the bungalow with the mother in law apartment on the south end.

Then face to face personal is nice but the inefficiency is written all over the way listings in Maine for sale are marketed.

Just fishing locally instead of globally reduces the flow of buyers to a trickle not a steady stream.

Real estate in Maine is fixed based. All about being local and the property listing shines brightly in rich detail or not.

Catering to just local buyers or a real estate purchaser who actually drives into the Maine town for a looksie around is limiting ther exposure. You are the market for the new Maine real estate property listing to be wide open World wide.

Maine rental homes.

The wear and tear on a property listing for sale in Maine can be impacted big time when the occupants are many in number. And the number of animals mirrors what the man with the beard did.

The one with the big boat that took 100 years to round up and build the vessel they took a ride in.

Animals can be scary to buyers.

Real estate agents and brokers too. Fear of getting bitten is not a good mix. With the natural property showing jitters of to buy ot not to purchase this place currently being toured. Garbage removal in Maine rental homes is a big issue too.

Sellers, owners of Maine homes need to help with the financial burden of a place for sale and often carry two mortgages.

The one back here on the home in Maine for sale. Reaching deep, digger hard for the extra money to juggle. To pay the costs of the new place where they relocated, retired, moved to out of town to hang their hat.

So Maine rental homes, as long as they are short term and don't have the wrong occupant can create income to offset even if not totally cover the expenses of the property.

If the tenant pays the rent on the Maine home faithfully. And if animals, the way the tenant keeps the property are ship shape. And if not lots of "guests", couch surfers are coming and going like planes at LAX airport.

Wear and tear. Sometimes the Maine home renter is a better fit for the residential listing on the market to sell. Because I love kids, was a single full time Dad, had four raised from grasshopper stage to completion to set free from the nest. But more people, no matter how respectful is wear and tear.

And in some case, bring in some angry kids with personal issues that cause they to take it out on the property. The holes in the walls of the Maine rental home do not help in the marketing. The walk throughs of the place for sale suddenly so sour. Cold not hot to trot and buy happens.

Wearing the shoes, walking in the moccasins of the out of state Maine real estate property buyer means distance is a hurdle to clear.

The buyer for a listing for sale in Maine that lives in Warwick Rhode Island, Hartford Conneticut, Boca Raton Florida, Scottsdale Arizona or Long Island New York for example is not able to trot back and forth to look at a few properties here and there.

Add to the delay in getting inside a place is a greater problem the further away the buyer is too.Delays of any type are costly.

We have sold properties to buyers out of the country all over the globe and today's technology if embraced gets the credit.

For getting the buyer inside, outside, all around the property listing.

And to have access to one by one the local community events using video works so so well. Answering around the clock the FAQ questions about the area, property listings in general.

Before a brand new to the area buyer can even consider a purchase, where to make the real estate property sale is the big unknown.

Tied to picking the one of four locations the job transfer allows for instance means doing the "home work".

To check out local schools, how is the Internet service if you the buyer telecommute to work in Maine.

Local banking in Maine  options for a purchase have to be explored, thrashed out thoroughly. Being in the lobby in person is not so easy when the distance away the banker and the buyer are is considered.

There is nothing like face to face, seeing the expressions, hearing the tone, knowing the voice and that there is a real live person helping with the solutions needed. In the hunt for real estate in Maine, local community information too.

Like life, real estate appraisers in Maine have a lot to keep up with because of constant changes in adjusting the way they arrive at a property value.

Not only does the market value of real estate property change, but the method to determine the fair market value today is constantly being reworked.

The real estate appraiser must get certified with continuing credit clock hours in the classroom just like brokers and agents.

The banking industry has its own checks and balances procedures too on top of state and federal regulations to make the appraisal process of homes, anything tied to real property underneath it. That rises and falls or stays pretty much steady as she goes in value.

My Dad was a licensed appraiser of real estate in Maine for many years.

So besides my personal work experiences with other real estate appraisers in the market when out on property tours to determine value for  lending institutions, I had lots of behind the scenes discussions with my Dad.

Who constantly was learning as the appraisal process evolved. Beyond the days of the local Maine home banker single-handenly, physically touring the property.

To arrive at what works thumbs up or down. To determine if the sticks and bricks was worth the number on the purchase and sale contract of sale paper for a loan. Sizing up the collateral for the Maine home loan using one "loan" arranger. Hi ho Silver. Easy big fellow... (snort, paw, neigh neigh, whinny whinny).

There was a time where every real estate broker could appraise property because the regulations for an appraiser had not fuly evolved. Now everything gets tightened up, racketed down daily to comply with state and federal regulations.

Leased land in Maine, for properties for sale in the middle of nowhere.

The concept of leased land can at first come off unsettling. Like what kind of racket is that?

Where you pay a yearly lease, with lots of stipulations and like "renting a space" enjoy the great four season outdoors of Maine.

But in a coin operated, put in the dollars in the slot on top. To buy time.

If someone had never been in a condo, knew nothing about the concept of what condominium living is all about.

That explanation could hit you the same weird way. "What do you mean I own from the outside walls in and have to work together with the condo association?". Paying this, that fee and being part of a condo association.

Well, for starters to be in the outpost of the vast north Maine woods, you are not going to own the acre of land parked next to that crystal clean lake.

As the owner of thousands of acres of timber Maine land, you would not want to sell off small lots and lose control of the pristine surroundings.

You would want to police and protect what happens with your land acreage that is a cookie jar of timber for your mills.

Or an investment carried on through family land trusts and managed by foresters. Who want to maximize the lumber, pulp, whatever is harvested off the Maine wood lot acreages.

But the income to offset property taxes. That is one reason the share the land in Maine, the leasing out of the property locations happens.

Like most professions, making it look easy and smooth as silk is an art.

When you love what you do, that passion makes the job a labor of love right? But what happens that gets circulated that is not quite accurate in real estate listing, selling of property listings. Lots.

Because it is not just empty houses we sell or raw vacant land in Maine.

No no, people with deadlines, emotions.

Major get out of my way strong desires to have it their way as Burger King promises.

The whole sound bite is not circulated.

Missing information lost in translation or understanding the situation makes for public confusion. Jumping to the wrong conclusions and classic "he said she said".

Hollywood movie productions, or slimey national publications around the grocery check out are famous for them if you are in the know of the topic to catch the inaccuracy.  To know and speak up about what is all wrong with the story being spun.

Examples of what on the surface gets broadcast that could not be further from the truth in real estate transactions?

Topics where a home is lost due to lack of payment, foreclosure tops the list. Like prisoners at a correctional center, we all know everyone is innocent right?

Well, pride enters the picture and admitting the seller lost the home due to letting the payments lapse, the property taxes not being current.

The old rule of thumb for how much house can I afford?

What is the limit to what I can buy for a house based on income, debt that I carry? What can you can me about Maine home loans?

How much house can I buy, qualify for any way Mr Maine real estate broker?

Riddle me the answer to that will you?

Like most things in life, it depends on a few factors in the real estate shake and bake.

Everything gets more complicated right? As the wander away from the days of save up 25% of the purchase price for a down payment and finance the Maine home locally.

We still have lots of local loans made but more and more buyers are a little short on extra cash stashed. To have the horsepower to buy a Maine home. So pulling the house buying trigger means for many to turn to the secondary mortgage market.

Those low and no down payment loans to buy a Maine home are delicate, precise.

Pretty cut and dry about what is needed. For the property buyer's profile today financially, employment wise. And the strict standards of the home for sale in Maine itself.

What is the formula for buying a Maine home? For years the simple cut to the chase method was a house payment should not be more than one week's paycheck.