Thursday, November 24, 2011
Maine Housing Market Shows Positive Signs
SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine
Maine's housing market continues to show signs of improvement with a nearly 7 percent increase in sales of single-family homes last month when compared to the year-ago period.
The Maine Association of Realtors reported Tuesday that there were 945 home sold last month, compared to 885 in October 2010.
The group also noted that median prices declined by nearly 1 percent to $165,000.
Association President Mike LePage says the majority of Maine's counties showed significant gains. Somerset County had a more than 38 percent gain in sales in the rolling quarter compared to the same period last year, while the median sales price rose almost 40 percent
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Maine Home Sales Inch Up in August
The Associated Press - 9/22/2011
SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine
Sales of single-family homes in Maine rose by 15 percent in August from a year earlier, but the median sales price fell by about 3 percent.
The Maine Association of Realtors says agents last month sold 1,090 homes. That up from 950 in August 2010.
The median sales price was $165,000, down from $169,750.
For the three-month period from June through August, home sales in Maine grew by 2 percent compared to the same period last year. The median sales price fell by about 1.5 percent.
Cumberland County had the highest median sales price for the three-month period, at $235,000. Aroostook County had the lowest price, at $80,000.
SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine
Sales of single-family homes in Maine rose by 15 percent in August from a year earlier, but the median sales price fell by about 3 percent.
The Maine Association of Realtors says agents last month sold 1,090 homes. That up from 950 in August 2010.
The median sales price was $165,000, down from $169,750.
For the three-month period from June through August, home sales in Maine grew by 2 percent compared to the same period last year. The median sales price fell by about 1.5 percent.
Cumberland County had the highest median sales price for the three-month period, at $235,000. Aroostook County had the lowest price, at $80,000.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
How to Sell Real Estate...FAST !
Maine Humor
from Down East Magazine
by Ida LeClair
A few weeks ago, my Dad calls me up for a little advice.
“Ida,” he says, “a friend of mine wants to sell his condo, and he’s on the third floor. Where does he bury St. Joseph?”
“Huh! Beats me. Let me do a little research, Dad, and I’ll get back to you.”
“Thanks, honey.”
You’ve heard of this, right? You want to sell your house, so you bury a statue of St. Joseph upside down in the yard. You do a novena every day for nine days, St. Joseph puts in a word with the Big Guy, and you sell you house lickety-split. We did this when Dad put his house on the market, a few years after our mother died. Worked like a charm!
It was easy to get the scoop on the whole St. Joseph thing back then because we had someone on the inside, my father’s sister, Georgiana. Get this: Georgiana left Mahoosuc Mills when she was seventeen years old, and went to France to become a nun. Her parents wanted her to wait a year, but she felt a calling. Besides, Georgiana knew: another year in Mahoosuc Mills and she’d be married. She made the right decision, too, ‘cause Georgiana had an impressive career: teaching, running a hospital, being on the Provincial Counsel and finally, working with older nuns as they were preparing to die. Georgiana passed away herself last October. She was ninety-three, and she’d just had her Jubilee Celebration: seventy-five years as a nun.
Georgiana was a sister of St. Joseph, and the statue that Dad buried in his yard was hers, a beautiful wooden one, hand carved in Italy. Needless to say, with that kind of juju, Dad’s house sold a week after the sign went up. ‘Course it helped that Irene and me cleaned and de-cluttered that place to within an inch of it’s life. Still, that’s impressive!
With the passing of Georgiana, I’d lost my go-to person for all things Catholic, so I was on my own with the question of St. Joseph and the condo. I decided to go directly to the source: the Internet, which I’m slowly getting the hang of. (I think!)
I googled “sell house St. Joseph,” and found tons of stuff. There were lot’s of Web sites for Catholic gift shops, of course. Apparently, the St. Joseph House Selling Kits are one of their most popular items. Who can argue with success, right?
There was also some conflicting information on what prayers you’re supposed to say once you bury St. Joseph, and whether he should be facing the house or the road. But Georgiana told us to put St. Joseph upside down, facing your house, so I’m standing by that. My niece Caitlin says it doesn’t really matter because it’s all about “intention,” but that’s too woo-woo for me. I say just choose something and get behind it.
After losing a couple hours on the Internet (‘cause that’s what happens. You start researching St. Joseph House Selling Kits and end up ordering a new summer pocketbook with matching umbrella), I reported back.
“Dad,” I says, “tell your friend with the condo to get a flower pot, fill it with dirt and put it outside his door. He’s supposed to bury St. Joseph in the pot upside down, facing the condo. And once it sells, he should put St. Joseph in a place of honor in his new home, just like you did.”
On Sunday, we had a little get together at Irene’s for Mother’s Day. After dinner, Dad says, “Oh, you remember my friend with the condo?”
“Sure do, Dad.”
“Six days.”
“He sold it in six days?”
“Yup.”
“Wow!” I says. “Once again, St. Joseph comes through!”
That’s it for now. Catch you on the flip side!
from Down East Magazine
by Ida LeClair
A few weeks ago, my Dad calls me up for a little advice.
“Ida,” he says, “a friend of mine wants to sell his condo, and he’s on the third floor. Where does he bury St. Joseph?”
“Huh! Beats me. Let me do a little research, Dad, and I’ll get back to you.”
“Thanks, honey.”
You’ve heard of this, right? You want to sell your house, so you bury a statue of St. Joseph upside down in the yard. You do a novena every day for nine days, St. Joseph puts in a word with the Big Guy, and you sell you house lickety-split. We did this when Dad put his house on the market, a few years after our mother died. Worked like a charm!
It was easy to get the scoop on the whole St. Joseph thing back then because we had someone on the inside, my father’s sister, Georgiana. Get this: Georgiana left Mahoosuc Mills when she was seventeen years old, and went to France to become a nun. Her parents wanted her to wait a year, but she felt a calling. Besides, Georgiana knew: another year in Mahoosuc Mills and she’d be married. She made the right decision, too, ‘cause Georgiana had an impressive career: teaching, running a hospital, being on the Provincial Counsel and finally, working with older nuns as they were preparing to die. Georgiana passed away herself last October. She was ninety-three, and she’d just had her Jubilee Celebration: seventy-five years as a nun.
Georgiana was a sister of St. Joseph, and the statue that Dad buried in his yard was hers, a beautiful wooden one, hand carved in Italy. Needless to say, with that kind of juju, Dad’s house sold a week after the sign went up. ‘Course it helped that Irene and me cleaned and de-cluttered that place to within an inch of it’s life. Still, that’s impressive!
With the passing of Georgiana, I’d lost my go-to person for all things Catholic, so I was on my own with the question of St. Joseph and the condo. I decided to go directly to the source: the Internet, which I’m slowly getting the hang of. (I think!)
I googled “sell house St. Joseph,” and found tons of stuff. There were lot’s of Web sites for Catholic gift shops, of course. Apparently, the St. Joseph House Selling Kits are one of their most popular items. Who can argue with success, right?
There was also some conflicting information on what prayers you’re supposed to say once you bury St. Joseph, and whether he should be facing the house or the road. But Georgiana told us to put St. Joseph upside down, facing your house, so I’m standing by that. My niece Caitlin says it doesn’t really matter because it’s all about “intention,” but that’s too woo-woo for me. I say just choose something and get behind it.
After losing a couple hours on the Internet (‘cause that’s what happens. You start researching St. Joseph House Selling Kits and end up ordering a new summer pocketbook with matching umbrella), I reported back.
“Dad,” I says, “tell your friend with the condo to get a flower pot, fill it with dirt and put it outside his door. He’s supposed to bury St. Joseph in the pot upside down, facing the condo. And once it sells, he should put St. Joseph in a place of honor in his new home, just like you did.”
On Sunday, we had a little get together at Irene’s for Mother’s Day. After dinner, Dad says, “Oh, you remember my friend with the condo?”
“Sure do, Dad.”
“Six days.”
“He sold it in six days?”
“Yup.”
“Wow!” I says. “Once again, St. Joseph comes through!”
That’s it for now. Catch you on the flip side!
Thursday, April 28, 2011
To Buy...or Not To Buy ?
…THAT is the question – not for Hamlet -- but for many first-time home buyers, folks looking to upgrade their living situation, and for those contemplating purchasing a vacation or second home on the waterfront in Maine.
While there are some strong signs pointing to an economic recovery – big gains in the stock market, increasing employment figures, and a generally more optimistic view of the future – there are still those predicting a double dip for our economy.
So it comes down to the age-old question: how do you know when we have reached bottom? And… as always… the answer is: no one can know for sure – until several months after we have already passed it…
Our view is that 1) real estate is always “local” in nature – what is happening in one part of the country, state, or metro area may not be happening in another, so you need to investigate the specific area you are interested in, and 2) unlike some “red-hot” markets in the 90’s and the first few years of this decade, prices in Maine did not go up that rapidly, and therefore don’t have as far to fall…but prices here HAVE come down 10-20% on average since their high point.
While the cliché “now is always the best time to buy” may not have been true during the recent 3-4 years -- with the current large inventory of properties available, very low mortgage rates and Sellers who are very negotiable on price – we have some buyers who are taking advantage of the existing market conditions to make some excellent purchases.
If you would like to find out if there are any bargains that fit your property needs, either give us a call or submit a “Customized Property Search at:
http://waterfrontpropertiesofmaine.com/customized-property-search.php
While there are some strong signs pointing to an economic recovery – big gains in the stock market, increasing employment figures, and a generally more optimistic view of the future – there are still those predicting a double dip for our economy.
So it comes down to the age-old question: how do you know when we have reached bottom? And… as always… the answer is: no one can know for sure – until several months after we have already passed it…
Our view is that 1) real estate is always “local” in nature – what is happening in one part of the country, state, or metro area may not be happening in another, so you need to investigate the specific area you are interested in, and 2) unlike some “red-hot” markets in the 90’s and the first few years of this decade, prices in Maine did not go up that rapidly, and therefore don’t have as far to fall…but prices here HAVE come down 10-20% on average since their high point.
While the cliché “now is always the best time to buy” may not have been true during the recent 3-4 years -- with the current large inventory of properties available, very low mortgage rates and Sellers who are very negotiable on price – we have some buyers who are taking advantage of the existing market conditions to make some excellent purchases.
If you would like to find out if there are any bargains that fit your property needs, either give us a call or submit a “Customized Property Search at:
http://waterfrontpropertiesofmaine.com/customized-property-search.php
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Some New Talent
Waterfront Properties of Maine is pleased to announce the addition of Erik Amundsen to our team of experienced waterfront brokers.
Erik came to us from Prudential Real Estate’s office in Camden, Maine. His waterfront experience began in the 1960’s, when his Connecticut family purchased a summer place on a small island off the Midcoast Maine area near Port Clyde.
He took over his family’s boating business in the late 1960’s, which owned and operated a boatyard, a marine supply store, plus a full service marina.
When Erik sold the business in 2003, he moved to Maine permanently, purchasing and renovating a 1777 farm house on Seven Tree Pond near Union. In addition to embarking on a second career in real estate, he has started a small vineyard where he hopes to produce some premium Maine wine.
His specialty is coastal waterfront properties and he may be reached by phone at (207) 542-1404 or by email at erik1am@aol.com
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Portland, Maine Ranked #4
Ten Real Estate Markets to Watch in 2011
An Inman News Special Report
By Andrea V. Brambila, Friday, March 11, 2011.
Inman News has ranked the Portland, Maine area as #4 out of the 10 real estae markets to watch in 2011:
#4.Portland-South Portland-Biddeford, Maine
Total population (2009): 516,826
Median sales price (Q4 2010): $223,000
Median sales price % change (Q4 '09-Q4 '10): 8.3%
Sales volume (# units sold in 2010): 4,607
Sales volume % change (2009-10): -0.5%
Unemployment rate (Dec. 2010): 5.9%
Foreclosure activity rate (2010): 1 in 150 units
Walk Score: 55
Low unemployment, a rising median sales price, high affordability, a jump in building permits, and better-than-average projected job growth added the Portland market to the list. The market's median sales price rose 8.3 percent between the fourth quarter of 2009 and the fourth quarter of 2010, to $223,000, according to NAR. Unemployment was at 5.9 percent in December and projected job growth from the third quarter of 2010 to the third quarter of 2011 is 2.8 percent, higher than the nation as a whole (1.9 percent).
The area's major employers include L.L. Bean Inc., Maine Medical Center, UnumProvident Insurance, Hannaford Brothers supermarkets, Banknorth Group, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield and Fairchild Semiconductor. The area is also home to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and an Air National Guard base
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
-
(New!)
Saving for the Super Bowl: How to Throw a FREE Game Day Fiesta
Get 6 smart tips to save big on your game-day party—and share some of your own tips for a chance to win a Super Bowl bash on us. Read
Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this.
Copyright 2011 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®
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