What's in a name and how do Maine buyers, sellers, other agents, brokers, REALTORS remember that name, how to spell Mooers Realty? Your last name, or the name of your real estate office, agency, brokerage in Maine...maybe using the image of a cow in a marketing approach is a memory remembering tip. The black and white cow did well for Gateway computers..for a while. The black and white Holstein is a farm animal every one likes..because it gives milk, ice cream, does not talk back, has expressive big brown eyes. How can you not like a Maine dairy cow? And when someone asks how do you spell your last name, what's on the sign out from your Maine real estate office, I give them one free stab at it and then shift over to good enough, or tell them to picture, think of a bunch of cows..th... 04/23/2010

     A vacant Maine house, a home that is vacant, waiting for a SOLD sign on the front lawn and you toying with the idea to rent it out or not. You the property owner have heard, seen horror stories about renters that destroy a place. Had to be practically tear gassed to get them out, exhausting all the legal remedies, deputy sheriff visits. But you yourself would be a super duper renter, off to work and when home puttering to make it neat, clean, better. Finding a renter as good as your respect for the place would provide a happy ending for the home owner. A win-win situation for both of you right? Are all the good renters property owners now though unless a divorce happens, a job transfer? And other than elderly home owners who sell and that moved to apartments for the ease, are most ... 04/13/2010

Maine SAD 29's Joe Fagnant, head of the music department is organized, friendly, musically driven, self challenged so hosting the Maine High School Jazz Show Choir Festival is right up his alley. This year's Maine high schools,, 39 of them, bussed to Southern Aroostook County for musical competition. Here is a taste of this year's performances thanks to Maine music video I was able to capture while MC'ing the event.     Houlton Maine took third place honors and male vocalist state award for Maine went to Tyler Delano of this group that performed songs from "Hair Spray". Last year's Maine music competitions were just as talented, choreographed, musical superb..watch in a sampler with this Maine high school music video.      Will post more on these talent groups as time allows. It was a g... 04/12/2010

     When you live in a small Northern Maine town called Houlton, in Aroostook County, it is neat to be noticed by the nation. Broadcast into homes coast to coast. Thanks to a clip on a show like the Stephen Colbert Report. Watch the video clip from the Comedy Channel network and see a glimpse of the area I serve which is parked on the Canadian border of New Brunswick.     Half of my relatives are from Canada so when the media sharpens an axe between nations, this disclaimer that Canadians and Mainers in our area do get along well. Border crossing a lot, in my case with two boys who played 98% of their minor games in the province of New Brunswick. The news organizations have picked up on the story and added, embelished and played with the story on a world and national stage during a slo... 04/08/2010

Picture you're on a firing field, artillery range and practicing rifle marksmanship to prepare for the real in combat. Shooting and being shot at in combat somewhere around the world or in your own country. Your are on your stomach, gun ker- plink, ker-plunk firing one by one at pre-arranged targets down field. The soldiers you will serve with on each side of you doing the same marksmanship exercise to avoid getting rusty, to keep your artillery skills up with that rifle. Your gun jams, which happens. As as you reload, check the magazine quickly from instinct, your target is hit without your help. Your solider in matching green or camouflage next to you shot his target and instinctively hears your gun not go off in similar succession and quickly swings his rifle to the left, hits your t... 04/08/2010

     Music and Houlton Maine..no secret this area of the state is rich with music talent and a reputation for high quality productions that win top honors year after year. Why? Talented music teachers that work together and have a common goal, know what each has for a role in meeting the top expectatons the program is known for. Because kids sing hymns early on at churches. Due to younger musicial playing in McGill's Community Band. Because through out the year in Houlton Maine, performances from show choirs, jazz bands, musicals, percussion emsembles and many, many other choral and band groups perform. So love of music and experience and support from the community. A new performing arts center is under construction now and this is year two for the state Maine jazz festival. Last year o... 04/05/2010

As you drive up in to Market Square and park, get out of your car in Houlton Maine, you suddenly get hungry, aware of your stomach. Very very hungry, border line starving, anxious, reaching to see if you have an extra dollar or two to hit Sadie's Bakery. The Houlton Maine blog post video is missing one thing..that smell of chocolate, molasses or prime Sadie's Bakery donuts. It's been that way since 1948 in the Shiretown of Aroostook County.      The unmistakable home cooked smell that reminds me of a day as a kid walking on the long driveway at the farm. As I enterted the farm house on the County Road, mom just fishing out fresh, hot, wonderful smelling donuts. Thats odor filled the kitchen, told me life was good. The little holes rounded up too and rolled in sugar. Isn't life the littl... 04/02/2010

     Anything you post on line to market, sell your real estate or promote your community can scatter like seeds in the wind, or spread like wild fire. It's fun to google a blog under different short and long tail queries and see what comes up, where you show up half way around the globe or many many miles from your home base. Like this blog post on a Houlton Maine farm for sale, complete with video, "live" actors who work for fruits and vegetables and are real hams.      Or the local Houlton Maine science fair video upload finds a comfortable place on another site I had never sampled, knew about until today. Or a Maine apartment five unit we would love to put a sold sign on shows up like Johnny Property Seed planted it somewhere else on the internet to live long, grow and prosper. And ... 03/31/2010

     It's said some folks are born made for the profession they eventually settle in on, and maybe this early image holding a primitive early version mobile cell phone text device from Western Auto was the start of my real estate career.      In front of the home next door to where we lived before the move to the farm back in about October 1958 ready to text message news of a new neighborhood real estate listing on Franklin Avenue, Houlton Maine 04730. Or is that a graham cracker I'm holding? Anyway how you got in to the real estate industry, the turn of events that led up to the listing, marketing, selling property rodeo we all have several t-shirts from. You know, the ever changing profession involving marketing local ME real estate, the community it is located, and a little dash of o... 03/28/2010

    My real estate office is 32 feet from my house on 69 North Street in Houlton Maine.And my neighbor Kim who moved here with her husband who is a US Border Patrol agent was a girl scout as a kid.     So from since we sold the family the home next door five years ago, the size of the local girl scout program increased five times!     Today a big truck arrives with pallets of girl scout cookies. Lots of them. The next door neighbor's garage was chalk full of boxes, more boxes of girl scout cookies.     And as the neighbor with connecting driveways, it has been like LAX airport with parents, little girls arriving to pick up boxes..big boxes of girl scout cookies.In and out and seemingly like the air drop in Haiti, boxes have quickly been put in to the distribution network. Car doors open... 03/06/2010

     Top three questions asked over and over about Houlton Maine from real estate buyers considering relocation here. One, tell me about your weather. Two, is it safe for raising a family here. Three, what about health care...do you have more than a band aid station. Extremely fortunate to have Houlton ME Regional Hospital serving the Southern Aroostook area. HRH has a motto of "Focused On Better Health" with a major push for decades on preventative health care. Education on medical conditions...to manage them or better yet, avoid them with lots of clinics, education.      I've gotten to know Houlton ME Regional's CEO Tom Moakler over the years at Rotary events. And other than being a died in the wool NY Yankees fan in the heart of Red Sox Nation, he is sharp. Not a bad tennis player ei... 02/28/2010

Family. Everyone is from one. Some that are tight, close, solid. Other's that are spread in to the wind like wheat chaff. Not in touch, not caring to be. Fall out from past divorces or how the estate was diffied up. And someone got more or less than they should have. The grief of a death can test the strength, resolve of a family relationship dynamic. The institution is sacred and fragile at times in any family's ups and downs that happen right on schedule, right on time in anyone's life. I'm the youngest of four, riding high and handsome on my ten year senior brother's shoulders in this old photo. Life is good when you are part of a family. One that you have a distinct role in and that missing any member would affect the rest of that family. I grew up on a Maine potato farm and like my... 02/23/2010

     In Maine, as winter snows melt, the rivers and streams swell to higher levels on their banks. Thoughts of getting on the Maine water, in a canoe, kayak formulate. Maine canoeing, kayaking to celebrate spring start to play on the mental projector. Don't wait until Friday night before the race you always take part in. You may have forgotten your brother Bob or one of your kids "borrowed" the water craft last. And it is not parked where you think. Look under that collection in the garage or over the shed and make sure you are ready.     Nearly 90 canoers, kayakers took part in last year's Houlton Maine river race on the Meduxnekeag. The Maliseet word for "rocks at its mouth". A river starting at Drews Lake, which actually is Meduxnekeag Lake but not one locally calls Drews that. Picki... 02/21/2010

     You can not Priceline.com a cheaper price for a plane ticket to Houlton Maine. No matter how much coaxing, tutoring by Captain Kurk, you can not "go lower". Why? Smaller rural Maine airports don't have plane loads of folks streaming in multiple times per day.  The options for HUL Houlton Maine 04730 for commercial flights are to wander up the road 40 miles to PQI (Presque Isle Maine 04769). Or climb on  Interstate 95 for the under two hour drive to BGR (Bangor Maine 04401). Often, heading further south to (Portland Maine 04101) gets you that much closer to the major hubs. Which means less stops, shorter flights to wherever you are going. On family trips we have taken off from MHT (Manchester NH 03101) or BOS (Boston MA 02101) I know of a local attorney that goes across the Canadian... 02/12/2010

     Here is the local Maine video on the 2009 Northern Maine Soap Box Derby race. Our local race was the largest in the country...not just Maine, for five years straight. Boys and girls with dad, mom, uncle Bob or your big brother/sister to help as Mr Goodwrench. Over 60 volunteers, many with no kids in the race show up year after year. To see the fright and then joy as "the thrill of the hill" gets in to the racer's system. As young racers pick up speed, holler, sing, hang on for dear life.      Our local Houlton Maine race is now run on a specially engineered hill, built along the specs of the one in Akron Ohio, the world series of down hill stock, superstock and master car racers. Kids from 8 to 17 can race derby cars and whole families make trips around the country in the rally rac... 02/11/2010

     If you are a kid, on a Sunday during a snowstorm, thoughts begin to play in your head revolving around "Are we going to have snow cancelled tomorrow?" Snowstorms, plowing the white stuff, seeing folks shoveling out on the news makes you feel how? If you grow up in the North East, snow is something we look forward to, snowsled, ski on, enjoy sliding and everything else that comes with it. Ice fishing, snowsledding, hockey games, hot chocolate after snowshoeing in it. In Maine, snow fuels a 350 million dollar winter industry.      If you live in an area that does not get much snow, any snow, no matter how much is a big deal. Panic, unfamiliarity, confusion and even excitement as long as no one gets hurt. Frustration from cancelled flights, delays and postponed events cause a daily wr... 02/07/2010

     When you live in Maine, practicing real estate sales, and are parked up against Canada to the east, the question is asked a lot. Can you sell property in Canada if you live in Maine? I am not licensed to list property in Canada. The province I happen to be parked up against is New Brunswick. But on the west side of Aroostook County and to the north, Quebec is the province close to Northern Maine real estate brokers. Canadian real estate brokers in border towns with the US get asked the same question.      I have been over the Houlton Maine, Canadian border four and five times a week when two of my boys played hockey. Nearly 99% of our games were with Canadian teams. With cross border traffic trips loaded with players, hockey equipment sometimes four games or more with tournaments, ... 02/07/2010

     Do you flash your Rolex, brag about your car, name drop about who you know, or what blue blood schools your kids attend? Getting noticed...do you dream of large homes with maids, staff and a garage full of cars designed to impress others? Think you are special, put on earth to be awed, sought after for advice and your presence?        Do you have an ego needing stroking? Have an attitude and need attention? Are you a gold digger? Do you want to live in a gated wealthy snobby community and is your life about money..only money?      Think you were always destined for greatness? You don't strive to keep up with the Jones...that you are the Jones.   Translation...You are NOT built for living in a Maine rural community.   Impressing others and having the latest material items is not wha... 02/04/2010

The Houlton Maine Rotary Club has been busy with a series of planning meetings for the big April 8th 2nd annual bingo fund raiser. The rotary club would like you on board, and not to miss out.  The place for the event? St Anthony's Hall..in the St Mary's Catholic Church on Military Street here in Houlton ME 04730.      If you would like to be a game sponsor..the cost is $100 and your get your banner displayed at the event.      Your business featured on promotional signs and materials. The same brand logo featured on a sponsored bingo game for your company.       Your business will be recognized through the event. You can distribute business promotional materials at the evening Bingo hooplah which has a large attendance.      Watch last years first ever Houlton Maine Rotary Bingo Night ... 02/04/2010

    My dad AKA Buppy was tail gunner in a B-24.And during the WW II early morning bomb run briefing, the nine guys in his crew were issued a survival kit of sorts. For use if the four engine Army Air Force bomber was forced to make a landing, or worse was shot down. In that leather pouch besides an ampule of morphine, the silk thread to sew your gash up yourself. Also packed in  to the mini survival kit was a chocolate bar for quick energy, a map of the area you army air corp member GI Joe was about to commence bombarding during daylight hours.Oh and some silver certificate currency. The kind of money with a blue seal so if the freedom fighter from behind enemy lines wonders if the money is any good, or will only help you with some bills with a dead US president on it for guaranteed pay... 02/02/2010