Where to lay your head after a long day of driving to and tramping for northern Maine real estate in the Houlton area of Aroostook County?Where do you stay?  Well, you are not in an area of a zillion Motel 6's, Holiday Inns, Best Westerns and Day's Inns.  In Houlton you have four choices for motels...Iveys Motor Lodge, Shiretown Motor Inn, Stardust Motel and Scottish Inn.  In Smryna Maine, there is the Brookside Inn to consider.  Vacationland Estates is another option timeshare to consider. Tall Timber Lodge is a collection of log sided cabins on Drews Lake that can be rented for extend stay periods! Poor Shots Sportsman's Lodge is another option for lodging in Houlton Maine area too! Seasonally there are camps on the lake to rent by the week and traveling across the border into Ca... 12/26/2007

The Houlton Maine office is FSA is having an open house January 3rd from 10 am to 3 pm. Three special people are retiring. They are head honcho Dana Wright, Patricia Flewelling and Mary Blanchette.  This office is critical to Northern Maine living, funding and education.  Years ago, its predecessor Farmers Home Administration (FmHA) used to make a slug of dollar down direct loans. In early 1980's, many repossession large older homes that were over 1400 square feet came back to the auction block and were pushed out of program.  The idea of ranch style, smaller living homes for smaller families became policy. They offered lower heating / up keep expenses for the property. So less turn back to FmHA became the USDA policy. For Southern Aroostook information on the Farm Service Agency branch... 12/24/2007

     You might think that either you live in the country or rural setting. Or you are in the hustle bustle urban setting.  But now in those two broad categorites there are a slug of other variables making them vastly different.  For example, Houlton Maine shapes up like this for housing costs and crime. HOUSING COSTS -- Aroostook vs. Other Regions   Median Value of Housing (owner occupied) Median Gross Rent (renter occupied) United States $79,100 $447 Northeast$124,400$499New England$153,100$553Maine$87,400$419Aroostook $45,900 $332       Like the cost of living, the crime rate is significantly below the average for New England, as well as for the United States.   Aroostook Maine United States Crime Rate Per 1,000 People 20(2%)36(3.6%)50(5%)      Then you add in the likelihood of that c... 12/15/2007

     There is a local lady in Houlton Maine who works day in and day out at the Catholic Church's Food Pantry.  She is the leading force looking for loads of dented cans from large grocery chains and donations from this boy scout troop, civic organization or folks from every denomination.  She is amazing and had eight kids of her own.  There is a long list of helpers she created for  unloading and emergency donations when the need is urgent. This lady is like the CEO for world hunger in the local Southern Aroostook area. I asked her how come this cause...what drives her to be so creative and diligent year after year.  She said as a child in the Boston area, she was hungry...alot.  She was raised with little money or food to go round and it became a way of life, survival.  She did not co... 12/10/2007

    Over 1000 auction items, over $50,000 retail value for local projects in Houlton Maine / Southern Aroostook County! Three nights to peddle products with the Houlton Rotary Club accepting the bids using WHOU radio, Polaris cable TV network and streaming on-line. This year's auction funded $15,000 toward two local school play grounds, student exchange trips over seas and many,many local programs.  Scope out the images from the successful 52nd Houlton Rotary Radio/TV/Internet Auction below. You Tube Video on auction here. 11/23/2007

     Here is the info on the upcoming fundraiser for the Houlton Rotary Club.  The club supports many area projects but really got behind some major league playgrounds this year.  Vist the site and see how industrious and hardworking this Northern Maine group is. Aroostook County is the top of Maine..largest of the 16 counties.  Close to 70 members meet mondays at noon at the Episcopal Church's Watson Hall if you are in town for a make up meeting.  Rotary..service above self! 11/14/2007

     No Repairs! Over 60'Long Barn With Box Stalls Too! Cathedral Ranch With 2 Full Baths Is Spotless.  Bring Your White Gloves..We Dare You! Mid $90's! Log On to www.mooersrealty.com or ping us for more at info@mooersrealty.com 207.532.6573 10/29/2007

    Every Thanksgiving week, the Houlton Rotary Club collects over $50,000 worth of items to auction off..it is part of Thanksgiving in Houlton Maine.  College kids home for the holiday drop into Watson Hall at the Episcopal Church on Main Street to visit, to bid, to meet old friends. Bidding on happy meals from McDonalds...tshirts, basketball tickets, yards of concrete, homemade items galore. The proceeds from the four decade rotary auction going to youth projects like exchange trips overseas, funding new lighting and sound equipment in local school systems.  Or helping the local Houlton Regional Hospital purchase blood gas analyzers and other equipment that might not be purchased otherwise.Sponsoring little league teams, soap box derby race cars, helping build an outdoor ampitheatre f... 10/26/2007

     It's sunday morning a day of worship, rest and time with your children.  In Houlton Maine where do you attend your house of worship? Here is the list along with service groups for Southern Aroostook County.Service Organizations and ChurchesChurch Of Christ Of Houlton 207-532-3730County Road Baptist Church - Houlton207-532-3381First Baptist Church - Houlton207-532-3196Good Sheperd Episcopal Church - Houlton207-532-2927Gospel Light Baptist Church - Houlton207-532-2200Houlton Elks Lodge #835Houlton Full Gospel Assembly207-532-2414Houlton Rotary ClubHoulton United Methodist Church                                      207-532-3332Houlton Wesleyan Church207-532-9480Literacy Volunteers of Aroostook CountyP.O Box 522Limestone, ME 04570207.325.3490Maine Council of ChurchesSaint Mary Church ... 10/05/2007

     Low cost power, water and sewer means local community of Houlton Maine gets low utility bills.  Plus industries locate here for a smaller share of their operating dollar being drained by power consumption.  Rates compared with rest of New England look like this.  ResidentialIndustrialConnecticut$0.1819$0.1388Massachusetts$0.1794$0.1455New Hampshire$0.1493$0.1490Rhode Island$0.1387$0.1223Vermont$0.1371$0.0873Maine$0.1408$0.1316Houlton Water Company$0.0868$0.0790New England$0.1688$0.0790Note: HWC  Tranmission and distribution cost .0250        Houlton Water Company is community owned, and the town gets paid dividends plus locals get rates lowered when the utility makes money....unheard of in most utilities that have a monopoly and are not so kind hearted and more profit driven. Click... 10/05/2007

       Go ahead..Get up from that desk with three stacks of papers and wander around to one of the comfy chairs you use to greet and quiz buyers and sellers in.  Feel uncomfortable? It shouldn't .  It's part of your office. Sit like it was the first time you had been in the office, look around at this guy's awards, family and hobby pictures, community involvement evidence..and look thru new eyes.  Don't use your own eyes...make them the next buyer from New Jersey or the elderly lady who is going to trust you with the listing on her home of 40 years and five kids.  See some need for changes from this perspective? Was the place remodeled eights years ago and ready for an update plus removal of boxes, piles or just desk clutter.  While you update, think what the folks that sit in these cha... 09/16/2007

        Man's best friend? No...its not a real estate broker...its a loving cat or dog.  In the Southern Aroostook area, the Houlton Human Society is active, healthy and now housed in a brand new facility.  Funds raised in the Houlton area from individuals and civic groups like the Houlton Rotary Club that saw the need to take good care of man's best friend.  Visit the Houlton Animal Shelter for new adoptees and organization news.  You may find a furry friend you want to share your home with too!  For more articles on pet food recalls, animal care and links to tons of hepful pet sites, visit here ! If you are in the Houlton Maine area, drive out to the new shelter built with state of the art materials on the Callaghan Road.  Cathy Davis, the head of the non profit group says many folks ... 08/19/2007

When the ice storms of southern Maine caused long power outages, northern Maine just received a thick blanket of white snow...so much that the arena where youth play hockey caved in.  Luckily no one was inside and FEMA money plus insurance funds helps make a bigger, better facility with ice making! For youth hockey news visit here.  For high school hockey news, click this site! 08/19/2007

       Ready to race your soap box derby car?  Cars, kids and parents come from all over the country to experience gravity racing to win points to go to Akron Ohio for the big world series of racing! Houlton's fall race application available here!  Registration form here! NORTHERN MAINE SOAP BOX DERBY                                                             HOULTON, MAINE                                                 SATURDAY NIGHT UNDER THE LIGHTS"                                              SATURDAY & SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8&9, 2007  LOCATION:  DERBY HILL, HOULTON PARK, HOULTONTIME:  CHECK-IN 7:00 TO 8:00A.M.:  OPENING CEREMONY, DRIVER & PARENT MEETING 8:15 A.M.  RACE BEGINS PROMPLTY AT 8:30 A.M.  REGISTRATION:  PRE-REGISTRATION ONLY:  REGISTRATION MUST BE RECEIVED BY WEDNESDAY, SEP... 08/17/2007

               So you hope to buy a piece of land...just wander into a bank like a home loan, right? No. Unlike the secondary mortgage market where you can buy a home with no down payment and the mortgae gets sold to investors, land is a different animal.  In Maine, you will need 20 to 40 percent down payments and the bank making the loan does not sell the mortgage.  For this reason, if the bank is hanging onto the mortgage for 15 years, the rate is higher too.  The Maine bank wants to make it worth their while  waiting for the loan money to trickle in. Sooo..sellers that will carry the note or mortgage should be sought out. You can customize the loan to fit your down payment and monthly installment budget. Some cut - over woodland is available with 100 percent financing with the thinki... 08/12/2007

         The Party Is Underway! Lots of planning and events for the entire family available for the Houlton Maine 200th Birthday Celebration!  For highlights of events thru out August visit here. The Southern Aroostook area is rich in history and here is more on the past for Houlton Maine here!  Spread the word and help Northern Maine get the attention this event deserves! Joseph Houlton cruised in to area in 1805..and two years later the settlement because a town and lots of folks from Salem Massachusetts area made the long trek north to start new! Plan to visit "The Shiretown" Houlton Maine during this historic event..from fireworks, to reanactments, to early farm demonstrations, plays, open houses and a town reunion..there is something for everyone!       08/06/2007

Earlier had a post on the Houlton Rotary Club , but thought it wise to show other groups that are very active in Houlton Maine.  One such entity is the Houlton Lodge Of Elks and another is the Houlton Masonic Lodge.  Scope them out.  These groups are strong and a vital part of making Houlton Maine a better place to live, work and play! Will add more to this in the future to help viewers / readers that have never been here. Visit here for links on tons of other local groups and for local images! 08/04/2007

      In Houlton Maine, the Rotary Club is over 80 years old and a strong force in Southern Aroostook.  Meeting each monday at noon at the Episcopal Church's Watson Hall, nearly 70 members plan out fund raisers and stage events to make the community a better place to live, work and play.  The biggest fund raiser is the TV & Radio Auction held at Thanksgiving week each year.  In the past, funds have been raised to build the Houlton Ampitheatre in the park behind the local library for outdoor concerts, moneys put into the Farmer's Museum's new barn, and funding for the Northern Maine Soap Box Derby Hill to mention a just a few endeavors.  Youth oriented causes and helping Houlton Regional Hospital purchase equipment are two major areas that Rotary has put its shoulder into to push hard to... 08/02/2007

For starters, in Houlton Maine there are five local banks and a credit union.  Start with these local banks first as they know the turf, get better turn around from appraisers and attorneys and save you tons of time. The local banks are  Machias Savings Bank  Katahdin Trust  First Citizens Bank  TD Bank North  Key Bank  Bangor Savings Bank  For  mobile home loans but not the big ticket real estate, visit Houlton Federal Credit Union  For a list of many Maine financial institutions, click here!  Northern Maine is the size of four states alone in land mass, so there are many more Central Aroostook and Northern Aroostook County banks! Email me and I will help you locate the latest lists on line today! 07/25/2007

Please take minute and introduce yourself.  I am new on Active rain and would be pleased to here from anyone who loves Northern Maine. What is your Favorite spot? Time of Year? Let me know what you love about Maine.   06/20/2007