Saturday, May 28, 2011

Find Your Perfect Maine Home

For many years, Midcoast Realty has been a partner in buying and selling properties for clients in the Midcoast region of Maine. We're still going strong, but we're now called Shelter Realty.

Shelter Realty specializes in helping buyer clients identify their needs and find just the right property. We'll help you find the right piece of land suitable for building or a fine and livable home.
Timber Frame beauty in Georgetown, ME
Call or email Shelter Realty with your parameters, and we will be pleased to consult with you about your options.

Potential clients or students who want to list their precious home or land will find a dedicated advocate for their investment.

For a complete list of Shelter Realty listings, visit our current listings page. Shelter represents sellers throughout the Midcoast Maine region.

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Vernal Pool Setbacks

Topsham, Maine Vernal Pool
Photo from Maine Association
of Conservation Commissions Website
In Maine there is a heated debate roaring about changing construction setbacks for vernal pools. A vernal pool (sometimes called vernal ponds or ephemeral pools) "are temporary pools of water. They are usually devoid of fish, and thus allow the safe development of natal amphibian and insect species." (Wikipedia) A bill that would allow development closer to vernal pools drew enthusiastic support from landowners and strong opposition from environmentalists Monday at a hearing before the Legislature's Environment and Natural Resources Committee.

The current regulation requires a setback of 250 feet. That number is under constant critique, making for exciting and sometimes even explosive conversations at cocktail parties and social gatherings. (Well, at least at the social gatherings we attend.) The bill proposes dropping the setback down to 75-feet. A summary of the legal language on the bill itself is... "This bill changes to 75 feet the setback for significant vernal pool habitat, high and moderate value inland waterfowl and wading bird habitat and shorebird nesting, feeding and staging areas. It also provides a mechanism to compensate landowners for the property value losses incurred as a result of more stringent setback regulations."

Friday, May 13, 2011

Housing Industry Changes on the Horizon

By Blueberry Beeton, Real Estate Broker

High-priced homes may be harder to obtain
Over the last 6 months I have seen more real estate activity than I have in the last six years! Perhaps it's a sign of people being sick of waiting, or maybe it's an anomaly to the Midcoast area of Maine or just to my own practice. It is exciting—people are ready to build additions, purchase new land, move into their dream homes. But they are being put through the wringer to get their loans processed.

It is more important than ever to research your loan options and build up your credit. If you are looking for a construction loan, having your plans really well defined and an itemized list of costs as well as a clear time line is more critical than ever.

Housing Industry Changes on the Horizon

By Blueberry Beeton, Real Estate Broker



High-priced homes may be harder to obtain
Over the last 6 months I have seen more real estate activity than I have in the last six years! Perhaps it's a sign of people being sick of waiting, or maybe it's an anomaly to the Midcoast area of Maine or just to my own practice. It is exciting—people are ready to build additions, purchase new land, move into their dream homes. But they are being put through the wringer to get their loans processed.



It is more important than ever to research your loan options and build up your credit. If you are looking for a construction loan, having your plans really well defined and an itemized list of costs as well as a clear time line is more critical than ever.



Friday, May 6, 2011

Shelter Classes Qualify for Education Tax Benefits

If you've recently filed your 2010 tax return, you might be thinking about how to offset some of your tax burden next year. One way is to take advantage of tax credits or deductions for tuition and fees paid for courses taken at accredited educational institutions.

The two-week Design Build class (July 11-22) and the one-week Purely Post and Beam class (August 7-12) at Shelter are accredited through the University of Southern Maine and would qualify for some tax benefits. For example, the Lifetime Learning Credit provides a credit for 20% of your tuition and fees (40% for students coming from Midwestern disaster areas). More information about tax benefits for education expenses can be found on this IRS web page or from FinAid.org.