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Augusta, ME Real Estate News

By Lisa Hicks, Serving Central and Southern Maine
(Hoang Realty)
 Are you looking for meditation groups, Reiki sessions, crystal bowls or other types of natural healing and spirituality tools?  You can probably find what you need at Merkaba Sol, located at 153 Water Street in Augusta.  From the witches’ balls in the front window, to the wall of oracle cards, to jars of healing crystals and stones, to incense and sage sticks, this wonderful shop has everything you might need in your search for natural healing.  They sell crystal and Tibetan singing bowls, Chakra candles, incense, crystal jewelry, books and CDs on spirituality and natural healing topics, healing stones, Tarot and Oracle cards, Himalayan Salt Lamps, and many other spiritual tools. They offer energy and sound therapy techniques like Sacred Gong meditation, Reiki and Yoga, and also teach ...
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By Tanya Busch, Maine Real Estate
(The Maine Real Estate Network)
It seems like it’s been a very long time since a national spokesperson like the National Association of Realtors’ Chief Economist, Lawrence Yun, has combined the words ‘optimistic’ with ‘upcoming real estate market’. But that’s pretty much what he did last week! This spring home buyers and sellers from Lewiston Auburn to Augusta Maine have reason to be encouraged. Personally, I’ve seen the busiest and most productive February (typically one of the slowest months of the year with our Maine winters) … in my real estate career dating back to 1999.  Our local residential real estate outlook is being buoyed by an upward trend in the national “pending home sales” numbers. Yun points to January's pending home sales as reaching the highest level since April 2010. The number rose from 95.1% in ...
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By Tanya Busch, Maine Real Estate
(The Maine Real Estate Network)
The typical 2012 real estate buyer in Kennebec County Maine assumes that buying a pre-owned residence saves money. Period. In most situations, this is true. Because the current high levels of available properties for sale exceed buyer demand, an Augusta, Maine area buyer can get more bang for their purchase dollar (usually) buying an existing home and doing some minor renovations.  But what about the long term cost of home ownership? What about the buyer who can qualify for a slightly higher mortgage with the ridiculously low interest rates? Wouldn’t it be prudent for them to also consider building a new custom home rather than to buy a deal, and fix it up later once they’ve saved the cash to do renovations? Building new construction in Kennebec County affords the new homeowner with pea...
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By Tanya Busch, Maine Real Estate
(The Maine Real Estate Network)
  Losing a home to foreclosure is a truly disheartening experience for too many homeowners these days in Lewiston-Auburn or Augusta Maine.  It’s an unfortunate outcome for many otherwise model citizens: typical hard-working adults who fall victim to circumstances which are sometimes simply beyond their ability to control. It can happen for any number of unforeseen reasons: illness, divorce, or simply the repercussions of the larger economic forces in Central Maine that cause a job loss or closure of a business enterprise. Whatever the cause, when a foreclosure happens the immediate problem is “‘Where do I live now?” quickly followed by “How long will it be before I can buy a home?” Our Central Maine and Southern Maine real estate offices at The Maine Real Estate Network are no strangers...
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By Tanya Busch, Maine Real Estate
(The Maine Real Estate Network)
Most sellers in the Augusta Maine area don't hesitate to list with a professional real estate agent in 2012 – especially in the current Buyer’s Market where Maine home sellers need all the leverage they can get! On the Buyer’s side, however, the idea of shopping for homes For Sale By Owner (FSBOs) and potentially “saving the commission” can be alluring.  There is a problem with that theory however: the Seller’s purpose in “going FSBO” is generally to save the commission. And you can save the same commission twice”, not even in the Capital City. That monkey math only flies in the State House! It's worth a closer look at some of the tradeoffs, both benefits and risks, that may accompany this kind of sale.The most commonly held belief (and it’s nearly universal among new buyers) is that b...
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By Tanya Busch, Maine Real Estate
(The Maine Real Estate Network)
January 2012 Real Estate Market Update The median sale price for homes sold in Kennebec County Maine, or the Capital City area, held their own last year despite a slight statewide dip. While the number of homes sold in Kennebec country decreased over the prior year, I’m personally finding that the market seems to have picked up the last couple of months … during a period when both buyers and sellers tend to go dormant for the holidays. It’s been the opposite in my personal business. It seems like a lot of those buyers that have been looking for months, are more optimistic about the overall economy and convinced that the market and rates have bottomed and are writing offers.  With interest rates at crazy lows, and the real estate market in the Augusta Maine area appearing to have bottom...
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The term you hear most often is the simple ‘lease option’ – actually short for “Lease with the Option to Purchase”. It is an agreement made between a home owner and renter that includes a provision giving the tenant the opportunity to purchase the property at a pre-determined price at the end of a rental period at the tenant’s option. In the 2012 real estate market with tight lending stipulations, the provisions of a lease option agreement can make sense for sellers under certain circumstances and be attractive to potential Capital area buyers as well! It’s important for Augusta Maine property owners to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using a lease-option to appeal to potential buyers. One advantage for the seller in a lease option can be the terms.  Among the variables tha...
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By Tanya Busch, Maine Real Estate
(The Maine Real Estate Network)
  Here in the Augusta area the holidays are in full swing! This is hardly an unpredictable phenomenon, but this year there did seem to be a slightly longer delay than usual following Thanksgiving. The cheer-inducing holiday lights and colorful store window ornamentation have begun to do their work in earnest. It’s a good thing, too, because festive decorations can go a long way toward mellowing out any feelings of anxiety that tend to accompany the onslaught of end-of-year business and household deadlines… the freshly fallen snow doesn't hurt either. It's beautiful outside. There’s nothing like the sound of holiday music echoing over the Kennebec River to make even everyday shopping seem more special, and to help squelch that feeling that there’s just not enough time left to get everyth...
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By Tanya Busch, Maine Real Estate
(The Maine Real Estate Network)
Marketing homes for sale during the holiday season is challenging, yet for the serious seller prepared to put in some extra effort, having the only home that sells this time of year will be ample reward. Here are some quick tips to help you outshine other Augusta area homes for sale during this holiday season:   Stage Your Home for the Holidays Christmastime is the most colorful holiday of the year.  When it comes to staging a home for sale, this particular season’s décor also has the power to evoke a unique emotional reaction from potential buyers.  Choosing tasteful but appealing holiday décor can help potential buyers visualize their families in a familiar home setting, and can go far to distinguish your listing from other Augusta homes for sale.   Attention to interior lighting is ...
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By Andrew Mooers | 207.532.6573, Northern Maine Real Estate-Aroostook County Broker
(MOOERS REALTY)
Lucky to have a top notch, on the ball Maine REALTORS Association which makes my job as a ME real estate broker, or anyone that's an agent so much smooth, easier. Here is the latest news direct, hot off the presses in August Maine.   The MAR Legal Hotline, news to keep from getting in to hot water. Not making mistakes from just knowing the correct procedure in Maine real estate is worth the membership ticket price of admission to MAR alone.   It pays to be an active contributing member of the Maine Association of REALTORS.   The annual state MAR REALTOR Convention last year was in Bar Harbor ME.     This year's educational statewide REALTOR annual meeting is October 4-6th this year at the Samoset in Rockland Maine.   MAINE ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS E-NEWS     Saturday, September 24, 2011...
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By Lisa Hicks, Serving Central and Southern Maine
(Hoang Realty)
 Bowling, The Christmas Tree Shop, and Tango...Cool!  Unstoppable Woman? - Day 9   These three things really have nothing in common, except that it was their intersection in my life today that gave me one of those moments when life is exceptional.  And people are exceptional.  And dogs, too. I love dogs.  We have three currently; we once had five but I was way over my stress-limit with constantly tripping over five dog bodies.  Anyway, I just had dropped my daughter off at the bowling alley in Augusta, Maine; she and her soccer team were celebrating their win last night by bowling.  I had 2 hours to kill.  My husband had me run an errand to Lowes which took all of 15 minutes, so I wandered aimlessly through Sears and Fashion Bug (boring...another 20 minutes gone...geez, still over an ho...
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February 25, 9, 10 and 11 a.m. "Strings at Sea," Kinderkonzert for ages 3 to 7, Portland Symphony Orchestra, $4/door, $3/in advance, Olin Arts Center, Bates College, 75 Russell Street, Lewiston. FMI: 207.773.6128 x 308, www.portlandsymphony.com. February 25, 7:30 p.m. Language Arts Live, literary readings by Caroline Knox, Dorothea Lasky and Dara Weir, poets from Wave Books, free, Chase Hall, Bates College, Lewiston. FMI: 207.786.6326, www.home.bates.edu. February 25, 8 p.m. Bela Fleck and the African Project, banjo virtuoso joined by the amazing African musicians Bassekou Kouyate, Anania Ngoliega and John Kitime, $35-$45/tickets, purchase on-line, Waterville Opera House, 1 Common Street, Waterville. FMI: 207.873.5381, www.operahouse.com. February 26, 8:30 a.m.-noon, 11th Annual Maine M...
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December 3, 7-9 p.m. Puma and Vocal Collective, celebrating Jazz Week,free, Jewett Hall, University of Maine Augusta, University Drive, Augusta.FMI: www.uma.edu. December 4, 5-8 p.m. "8 X 10 X 80," 8 X 10 works by local artists just$80 each, proceeds split between artists and gallery, opening reception,Harlow Gallery, 160 Water Street, Hallowell. FMI: 207.622.3813, www.harlowgallery.org. December 4, 5:30-8:30 p.m. Artwalk, luminaries will light the way as yousample the work of over thirty artists throughout downtown locations,Main Street, Gardiner. FMI: 207.582.3100, www.gardinermainst.org. December 4, 8 p.m. Mannheim Steamroller Christmas Concert,multi-platinum selling group celebrating 25th anniversary of their firstChristmas release, $44.50-$54.50, Augusta Civic Center, 76 CommunityD...
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October 15-16, times vary, Wabanaki Perspectives and Human Awareness, panels, discussions, basket-making, demonstrations, storytelling, drumming, youth activities and more, various venues campus wide, University of Maine, Augusta. FMI: www.uma.edu/wabankiperspectives.html. October 15, 6 p.m. "Edgar Allan Poe's Annabel Lee," reception with the film's writer/director Michael Rissi at 6, University Art Gallery, Maine premiere of film at 7, Roberts Learning Center, University of Maine, 238 Maine Street, Farmington.            FMI: 207.778.7424, www.poeafterpoe.wordpress.com October 16-17, times vary, 5th Annual Maurer Meals Project, local foods for healthier communities, to raise money for the Justin A. Maurer Memorial Scholarship at University of Maine, Farmington, locally owned independen...
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By Lew Corcoran, Real Estate Agent, Home Stager, & Photographer
(Better Living Real Estate, LLC)
Get a Free List of Websites of Government and Bank Foreclosure Listings in Augusta, ME There are a number of websites that contain free listings of government and bank foreclosed homes in Augusta, ME. These websites contain descriptions, color photos, and addresses of the foreclosed homes for sale in Augusta, ME. And, most of these websites have government and bank foreclosure listings nationwide. There's no charge to search the foreclosure listings on any of these websites, and there's no 7-day free trial period either. Virtually all of these websites do not require any personal information to get access to the government and bank foreclosure listings. You can access these foreclosure listings anytime you want and as often as you want - free of charge!  Click here to get your own direc...
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By Lew Corcoran, Real Estate Agent, Home Stager, & Photographer
(Better Living Real Estate, LLC)
FHA, VA, and USDA Rural Development Loans in Augusta, ME Are you looking for a home mortgage loan in the Augusta, ME area? Then you've come to the right place! Northeast Community Mortgage is a mortgage broker serving Augusta, ME, and many of the surrounding areas. When you decide to buy a home or refinance a mortgage in Augusta, ME or in the surrounding area, your search for a home mortgage loan should start and end here.  With so many lenders to choose from in the greater Augusta area, you should choose one you can trust to find the mortgage loan that will best meet your needs. As a mortgage broker, we help our clients obtain a loan from the lender who has the terms that best matches their needs. In terms of mortgage programs, we specialize in FHA, VA, and USDA Rural Development loans...
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By Lew Corcoran, Real Estate Agent, Home Stager, & Photographer
(Better Living Real Estate, LLC)
The Mortgage Interest Rate Lock Advisory for Augusta ME for October 7, 2009 Here are some of the events affecting mortgage interest rates today in Augusta, Maine. What the Mortgage Backed Securities Market is Doing Today: The price of the FNMA 30-Year 4.5% MBS coupon opened at 101.81 this morning - up 4/32 from yesterday's close. The 4.5% MBS coupon closed at 101.69 yesterday - up 1/32 from its opening - and is currently trading at 101.81 - up 4/32 from yesterday's close (as shown by the blue line). The chart below shows today's price trend of the FNMA 30-Year 4.5% coupon: The chart below shows the price trend of the FNMA 30-Year 4.5% coupon over the past 30 days: Remember, on mortgage backed securities (MBSs), as the price goes up, the yield comes down - and mortgage interest rates com...
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September 17, 8 p.m. Roomful of Blues, an award-winning band, the Jason Spooner Trio will open the evening, prices vary, doors open at 7 p.m., The Landing at Pine Point, 353 Pine Point Road, Scarborough. FMI: 207.774.4527, www.thelandingatpinepoint.com September 18, 8 p.m. Friday Night Live featuring Cathaus, playing everything from the Beatles to Squeeze and Elvis Costello, $10/21+, The Landing at Pine Point, 353 Pine Point Road, Scarborough. FMI: 207.774.4527, www.thelandingatpinepoint.com September 19, 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Acton Apple Festival, crafts, food, children's activities and more, food, fun and fresh air, rain or shine, Town Hall, Mary Grant Preserve, several orchards and Acton Congregational Church, 59 H Road, Acton. FMI: 207.636.3430, www.actonucc.org September 19, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. ...
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By Jon Whitney
(Anne Plummer and Associates)
September 10, 5-7 p.m. "Ekphrasis," Opening Reception, an exhibition celebrating the interface of word and image, sponsored by the University of Maine Farmington Department of Sound, Performance and Visual Inquiry, free, UMF Art Gallery, 246 Main Street, Farmington. FMI: 207.778.1062, www.farmington.edu September 11 & 12, 9-4 Friday, 9-1 Saturday, Annual Lawn and Bake Sale, Livermore and Livermore Falls Historical Society and the Livermore Falls Women's Club, History House, Crash Road, Livermore. FMI:207.897.4695, www.franklincountymaine.org September 11, 11:30 a.m. -1:30 p.m. Fish Chowder Luncheon, includes chowder, biscuits, pickles and homemade desserts, $6/person, take out available, Congregational Church, corner of Bowdoin and Main Street, Winthrop. FMI: 207.337.2063, www.winthropm...
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By Ron Rodrigue
(ELM-CITY HOME INSPECTIONS)
  Now conducting: THE TankSure Program with every Inspection! receive a FREE Oil tank inspection . You can also receive a $1000. Tank replacement warranty. One of five Certified Independent Home Inspectors in the state of Maine.
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Augusta, ME Real Estate Professionals