On Being A Great Real Estate Blog

       When we started this blog as an add on to our website, I had a dream of someday being one of the great business and real estate blogs.  I thought we'd write incredible nuggets of wisdom and people would feel compelled to click on our site first thing every morning to see what insights we were putting forth. We'd have charts and graphs and we'd prove that things were getting better or worse with brilliant arguments, skillfully presented.  The real estate market would turn on our predictions as buyers would move in or out of the market with our advice.  We'd do Web 2.0 ! 

   I've talked to the Brokers here about being like a real blog. I really have, but they just laugh or ignore me.  They write about their favorite pub, or some nice store.  They go out in our beautiful surroundings and enjoy themselves and then write about it for gosh sakes. I beg Debby, Kathy and Tom to be serious but they say, "why?"  I ask the other brokers to write serious posts. I want to be like all the great blogs.   Muffy and Kathleen tell me they might write about their favorite night spots. Miles says he's got showings to do and besides he's going fishing or skiing depending on what time of year I ask him.  Tracy says she might write about the Garden Club or the Women's Club or one of the many other organizations she's involved with.  Bill says, "what's a blog?"  I could just cry.

   I guess the hard truth is they all just love what they do so much that they just can't understand what everyone else is so glum about.  I think if the crew here at Newcastle Square Realty World Headquarters had to be as serious as some of the other real estate offices portray themselves to be, they just wouldn't do it. They all, we all, love selling real estate.  We love living here.  If you want to talk about real estate any of the brokers here would love to talk about real estate in Mid Coast Maine with you.  But if you want to talk about how bad the economy is, how the next Great Depression is nigh or that the sky is falling, well it's just not going to happen.

   It's really not all that complicated.  This is a great place to live.  This is a great time to buy real estate. We have a great real estate office with great people  who can make great things happen for you if you'll call them. Maybe we just won't have one of the great real estate blogs.

   Oh well, it will save me the trouble of having to figure out what the heck Web 2.0 means.

Jim Cosgrove

Downeast Magazine Recognizes What Newcastle and Damariscotta Residents Already Know

Downeast Magazine has always been one of my favorite magazines. Whether it is in my doctor's office or on the conference table downstairs I can never keep myself from picking it up and flipping through the pages to find an interesting story about the state that I call home. Imagine my surprise then when I opened this February's issue and saw a story on the Newcastle Publick House and the efforts of Rachel and Alex Nevens on  "Perfecting the Pub". In the interest of full disclosure Newcastle Square Realty has been an advertiser in Downeast for a long time and we have a significant presence in their online real estate section called Maine Homes. To be completely transparent I worked with Rachel and Alex to buy the Newcastle Square building where Newcastle Square Realty had its first office over 20 years ago. Small world isn't it?

Anyway, I would encourage you to read the article and see a success story of a new business in Newcastle, opened by local people for local people. And if you have time some  Wednesday night you should stop in and hear live music from some great Midcoast Maine musicians.

 

Tom Field

What I Love About Damariscotta

    Those of us who make our home here in the Damariscotta - Pemaquid region of Maine feel very lucky to enjoy several locally owned businesses which have been around for a long time and are, happily, a part of the fabric of life here.  Waltz Pharmacy, Reny's, and Yellowfront Grocery among others.  In this entry I would like to acquaint you with our wonderful local bookstore, Maine Coast Book Shop and Cafe located on Main St. in downtown Damariscotta.   

   This bookstore is known for having one of the best collections of Maine titles anywhere, an outstanding inventory and a fabulous staff.  It's the kind of place where you can stop in looking for, oh let's say ...Irish epic historical novels, because you have a friend who reads them and you want to buy him a gift.  Not only will the staff lead you over to a great selection of what you are searching for, while rattling off several titles or authors as you go, but it always seems as though the staff person helping is familiar with (as in 'has read') each book. And if they haven't they often call over another staff member who seems to have expertise in just what you are looking for. The owner, Susan Porter, is usually in the store and the entire staff is well read, easy going and very helpful.

   For a 'small' bookstore, they seem to have magic shelves that somehow carry almost anything you might be looking to find. If they don't have it, they will look it up for you and order it if you like. They offer a large magazine selection and a wonderful children's book section where you are liable to find kids sitting cross legged on the floor looking at books or playing with the toys there.

   The bookstore has its' own cafe which offers pastries, smoothies, lattes, espressos, sandwiches, soups and much more. There are plenty of cozy little nooks to sit and relax inside as well as several outdoor tables, all Wi Fi accessible.  Real estate brokers being notorious coffeeaholics, it is not at all unusual to find one or more in the cafe at any time, both those associated with Newcastle Square and those that wish they were. 

   I was checking on the bookstore's website recently and found that they have added a web cam on the roof of their building, cleverly called "Camerascotta" which gives a lovely view of downtown Damariscotta, the harbor and the river beyond.  what fun!  You can read more about the bookstore on their website but be sure to stop in and look around next time you're here. It is a delightful part of our downtown landscape right next to the library and part of what I love about Damariscotta, Maine.

 

Kathy Wyman (Look for entries and information on the other businesses mentioned above in upcoming blog posts!) 

 

Winter Fishing in Mid Coast Maine

   There are many things I love about winter in Maine...Early into the new year, it's so much fun to watch villages appear out of nowhere.  Ice fishing villages that is. Over the weekend, I took a walk to Damariscotta Mills with a good friend on a very bright and clear afternoon.  Instead of our usual path along the road, we decided to return via the snow covered ice on Great Salt Bay, curious to see some of the smelt huts up close.  We stopped to chat with 3 gentlemen who had come outside because the sun had warmed their hut so much that they needed a little cooler air.  They gave us a "tour" of their setup...the woodstove, seating arrangement, fishing lines, bait, fishing holes, etc.  We were surprised the smelts were so tiny.  Seems like a lot of brouhaha over an itty bitty fish....Apparently they cook some for themselves and sell the rest...There were two bald eagles soaring above, keeping an "eagle eye" on the village.  I'm getting the sense that it's not very much about the fish...A sunny winter day in Maine, good friends, fresh air, a few beverages, some cribbage and lively conversation.  Sounds perfect to me! 

 

Debby Schling   The Real Estate Broker who walks on water

 

Advice for "Snowbird" Maine Home Owners

     Furnace failure creates frozen pipes and accompanying water damage.  Broken windows lead to critter chaos and security concerns.  Fallen trees cause property damage.  Storm debris, snow and flooding restrict access to the property.  All of these can happen when you leave your home during the winter months.

   HomeCheckers Midcoast LLC suggests going over a checklist to prepare your home before you leave on business or vacation travel, whether it be for a weekend or a month.  With just a little effort, damage can be avoided in most cases.

   Every property is unique, but there are a few points every homeowner should remember.  A good general inspection can save you a lot of headaches.

   Set your thermostat to no lower than 55 degrees, and keep interior doors open to allow heat circulation. This will maintain your home at an adequate temperature to avoid frozen pipes.  If you do not receive automatic oil or propane delivery, be sure you have your tank filled before leaving.

   Check to see that tree limbs are not within striking distance of the house or power lines, in the event of a storm, and have them trimmed if necessary.

   Instruct your plow driver to avoid piling snow near perimeter drains to prevent flooding. Have someone check on your home in your absence.  That person should be someone you trust to be your contact in the event of an emergency: a friend, family member, neighbor or property management service.  If you choose a local service to watch over your property or check on those items you may have forgotten, you have the benefit of knowing a professional is keeping an eye on your home. Whoever checks on your home, give that person a list of preferred service providers for reference in the event of an emergency and also information on how to reach you if anything unusual happens.

   If you choose to monitor your home yourself, you can purchase a reasonably priced freeze alarm to keep track of the interior temperature and power status in your home by phone. However you will still need to designate a contact person to follow up on any issues that may arise.

   If you have a full security system in place you also need to have someone available to respond to an alarm or emergency situation.

   Remembering to take care of your home before leaving town can prevent trouble from happening in your absence.  By putting safeguards in place you can protect your property from the wrath of winter.

   If you have any home management questions we would be pleased to discuss your particular situation with you and of course you can visit our web site for more details on HomeCheckers Midcoast LLC.  I hope that wherever you are or are going that it is warmer than here!

Ann Poole   Opening the door to your peace of mind

Does it Snow a Lot in Maine?

    

   I moved to Damariscotta from Massachusetts in 1987.  Many of my family members still live there (sad but true).  It seems to be a yearly topic of interest among some of my 'southern New England dwelling' family members as to how much snow we are having to deal with here in Maine.  Anytime New England is receiving a snowstorm my family, especially my 86 year old mother, assumes that we are buried to our eyeballs "up there in Maine".  (she always asks, "are we keeping warm?" as well, as if we have no electricity or heat when it snows here.) Most storms on their way to us here in Maine go through Massachusetts.  My family in central and western Mass. usually get clobbered with several feet more snow than we get here.

   It's a question I often get from home buyers as well.  "Does it snow a lot in Maine?" they ask with some apprehension.  Now I can only speak for the mid coast area.  Inland and Northern Maine are a whole different story.  But my answer is, that in the 20+ years that I have lived here, most often we don't get enough snow to keep the snowmobilers and cross country skiers happy. Now, it's true, some years we do get hit- just like the rest of New England, but in general our proximity to the ocean creates more moderate temps along the coastal towns and very often when the city of Augusta (25 miles inland from Damariscotta-Newcastle) is getting a foot and a half of snow we are usually just getting 4 - 5 inches of the white stuff. We also hear the words "wintry mix" quite often, which can mean rain, ice, sleet, freezing rain etc.  OK, so maybe actual snow would be better!

   The biggest difference I have always noticed is that winters on the Maine coast last a bit longer than what I grew up with.  Definitely through March, sometimes well into April.  I can think of one year when there were still no buds on the trees yet in May. And there was one June where everyone in our office was still wearing turtlenecks and socks in mid June - but that was very unusual  and of course a week later we were all in sandals and shorts.

   So yes - spring can be an elusive season here in northern New England. Winter is not necessarily the toughest season but waiting for the "warm up" throughout spring can be!  Because those of us who live here know that when winter is finally gone and we see June, July, August September and October, even most of November stretched out ahead of us - there is no more beautiful place in the world.  A fantastic place to live, work and play and more than worth putting up with in the winter!

   Considering a move to Maine?  Call or email me.  Mortgage rates are low, home prices are low and the local banks are just waiting to lend. We'll get you into your new home in time to enjoy the spring!

 

Kathy Wyman - from the balmy Pemaquid Peninsula.

Save Your Brain, Move to Maine

                             Calling all Bostonians.  And New Yorkers. And Philadelphian's, and inhabitants of  any of those other huge cities to our south, what the demographers call BosWash, the megalopolis that covers the top half of the Eastern seaboard of the United States.  Move.  Now. 

   According to an article in the Boston Sunday Globe entitled How the City Hurts Your Brain and What You Can Do About It, living in the city may not be good for you. Scientists have found that just being in a city setting for a short time can impair brain function. "...spending a few minutes on a crowded city street...brain is less able to hold things in memory and suffers from reduced self control."

   Apparently a lack of nature is very bad for your mental health. This is why they built Central Park in the middle of Manhattan. The article refers to studies that show hospital patients recover more quickly if they can see trees.  Women in housing projects report less stress if their apartments look over green grass instead of bricks and pavement.

   A city is so overstuffed with stimuli that the brain is unable to remain focused on the important things that it needs to be dealing with and instead deals with those things that will bring pleasure. Strolling down Bostons' tony Newbury Street requires so much of our prefrontal cortex that we are unable to maintain self control and must purchase $5 cups of coffee and expensive, uncomfortable shoes. The density of cities is directly tied to outbreaks of cholera and bubonic plague.

   Here in Maine, and specifically in downtown Damariscotta , we don't have problems like that.  We've never had a plague that I know of. You can get a cup of coffee for a buck and a half or you can spend more and get one of those fancy lattes if you wish to. You can't buy Italian shoes here but you can get a good pair of winter boots or summer sandals at the discount store. We do have a pretty decent library and an active local theater group.  But, no one is complaining of over stimulation and most folks do a pretty decent job of maintaining their self control. (Except of course during the Early Bird sale in the fall but that's another story.)

   We don't have a park downtown but we do have a harbor and we probably have more undeveloped land that built up space. It's very nice, actually.  Why don't you come visit us and give your brain a rest?  Stop into our office on Main Street and we'll be glad to give you a nice map of the area and point out all of the really nice spots.

 Jim Cosgrove

Pemaquid Point Sunrise

 

The first sunrise of 2009. Photo by Debby Schling at Pemaquid Point, Maine.