I cannot help but wonder where have all the good lenders gone as of lately: I am the first Realtor to tell you that tighter regs were warranted and needed to stop the proliferation of bad loans that ran rampant throughout Maine only years ago. But where are all the good lending programs? There has to be some type of middle ground between loose irresponsible lending that borders on the line of fraud and programs that are flirting with being so restrictive that the average Mainer cannot fulfill their dream of home ownership. I am huge believer in the thought that people should save their money, reduce their debt and set achievable goals- I also think that most people who truly want to get ahead in life SHOULD take some form of controlled risk- they SHOULD come outside of their comfort zones a little bit- Real Estate investing is a great way to take that controlled risk. It can come in the form of a owner occupied multi unit- with a savings and income to back up the responsibility- but it doesn't have to be reserved only for those who have the 80,000 cash to put down as a down payment. I hope that lenders tighten their belts, open their minds and then start writing checks to those out there who would step up and take acceptable risk with proper knowledge- I think the entire housing market and overall economy would thank them.
Our service is simple and effective. We will list your home "For Sale With Owner and Maine Realty" for only $500!
We offer Maine Resdients a convenient and cost effective approach to take the hassle out of selling their homes.
For $500 up front we place your home on the Multiple Listing Service, we show case your home on the popular Realtor.com website with up to 25 photos! For a small $60 fee we can place a sign in your front yard letting potenial buyers know that your home is on the market, and we screen and forward all prosepective buyers directly to you! You will conduct all showings and open houses and you can negotiate your own selling price and terms. We will set up all of the legal disclosures that are required by Maine and Federal law and help with the transaction all the way to the closing. At closing $500 is paid to the listing agent- this is a great way to sell your home while getting the marketing exposure you need and saving potentially thousands of dollars in commissions. We also help you determine a cost effective (and cost savings) co-broke that you will offer other real estate agents who bring you buyers because they found your home on the MLS!
No one will ever have to sell their home alone again, now you can partner with Maine Realty to make this process easier, and save you money!
If you use Maine Realty when you're looking to buy your first/ next property, your Maine Realty agent will: provide access to all MLS listings, set up showings, be ready to conduct negations, obligations and paperwork between you and the seller, (or the seller's real estate agent) i.e. disclosure forms, offers, purchase & sale agreements and sales contracts. He/she will also stand ready to offer assistance, if requested, in, setting up meetings with loan officers, arranging the various inspections, and finally the closing.
THE BEST PART, with choosing a Maine Realty agent to represent you when buying your first/ next property, is not only that you will receive the highest level of committed, professional, knowledgeable and courteous, service in facilitating what's listed above, you will also receive a rebate check in the amount of 1% of the sales price at closing.
Too good to be true?
Try us out and let us put our reputation on the line for you.
Listing property: Maine Realty represents and maintains a full fiduciary responsibility to the seller of any property that is exclusively listed with Maine Realty. When an in-house buyer purchases a Maine Realty Exclusive Listing, the 1% rebate will be paid to said buyer at closing.
Having a buyer's agent is key to your success when you are buying a home, an investment property, a piece of land or commercial property. A buyer's agent works exclusively for you and helps in ways that cannot be imagined- from expertise in a particular area, to the experience to know of potential deals before anyone else does. A great buyer's agent often means the difference between getting the property you want and not. I offer full service buyer's agency and best of all my services usually never cost my buyer's any money- in fact my buyer clients get a check from me at closing!
Maine Realty is proud to be a full service real estate company in the State of Maine that has made it an option to pay buyers, who purchase ANY properties (listed with ANY agency) through Maine Realty, a rebate of 1% of the sales price at closing*.
Too good to be true?
Call:207-671-6604!
See the article at the link below for some great information from the Department of Justice on why rebates are a good thing for buyers
(make sure to bookmark my home page in your favorites so that you can come back to my site).
The State of Maine allows Realtors (Agents, Brokers under an Agency) to offer Real Estate Rebates to customers and clients- The US Department of Justice promotes such rebates as they foster competion- in fact there are only a handful of states that do not allow Real Estate Rebates, and several of those states have been sued by the Us Department of Justice for limiting competiton by promoting their anti rebate laws.
see the link below for what the US DOJ has to say about Real Estate Rebates:
I think Real Estate Rebates are an awesome tool- and I am proud that Maine Realty (Portland Maine) offers them to our customers. Our rebate program is simple, if you purchase a property through Maine Realty as your buyers agent we give you a cash rebate- payable at closing for 1% of the purchase price of the property. Maine Realty can do this because it gives such a high percentage of its commission back to its agents and brokers (typically 90% of the gross split).
Real Estate rebates allow buyers to have more money in their pocket- they are not getting a discounted service when they get a rebate - they are getting full buyer agency representaion from start to finish-
I have heard many Realtors in my area speak badly of real estate rebates, simply because they do not know anything about them- and because their agencies have a policy of not allowing rebates most likely because the rebate would cut into their bottom line.
Where I am a 90% broker at my agency, Maine Realty can offer the wonderful gift of a 1% rebate to my clients and customers and I will still net more commission than if I was working at a traditional "large big box" agency so it is a win/win for me, my clients, and my agency.
I would love to hear any comments that anyone has on these rebates- also I'd love to hear from buyers who are looking to purchase property in Maine and would like to get paid a cash rebate at closing!
Our program pays 1% of the purchase price up to 1,000,000 maximum rebate of $10,000
Consumers Can Save Thousands of Dollars in Commissions
Consumers who live in states permitting them the option to choose innovative brokerage options, such as rebates or fee-for-service MLS-only packages, can potentially save thousands of dollars on commission payments.
This table shows that consumers can save as much as $7,500 in commissions on the sale of a median-priced home.
Table: Brokerage Options and Potential Savings on Home Sold for $222,273
I am telling all of my investor clients that now is a great time to be buying- many think that because of the winter snow and the doom and gloom in the air that they should keep still- I am encouraging them to the opposite:
Right now presents some of the best buying opportunities in a decade in my current market. I've been promoting a real estate investors approach to buying in this market. While it is surely scary for some to think about laying down a sizable amount of money in a housing market that is being beat up on the new nightly- it truly is a great time to put your money to work for the long term.
While Maine has not seen the huge rise in foreclosures that some parts of the country has there are still a fair share of opportunities out there for short sales, and pre foreclosures that make this truly a great time to pick up a property at a great price. While you might not be able to flip the purchase in three months, you will be able to hold on to it and nurture it so that you can take a healthy return on your investment.
A trend that was made popular on the west coast is the issuing of rebates to buyers after a closing, this is also known as fee splitting. Many of the agencies who issue such rebates often give a percent of the purchase price back to the buyer if the buyer chooses that particular firm to be the selling agent. This percent is normally 1% of the purchase price.
This rebate is often viewed favorably from the buyers and selling agents alike. The rebate is a tool the selling agent can use to show the buyer the value of choosing them. The buyer gets the added benefit of getting a rebate at their closing.
If you are not familiar with these rebate programs, you should do some research online, and check with your local real estate commission. 41 states (including Maine) allow such rebate programs in some way. Each state has the ability to place specific restrictions and guidelines to any fee splitting program.
These rebate programs should not be confused with "Kickbacks". These rebate programs are legitimate practices which owners and designed brokers can use in their businesses. When these programs are used within the guidelines of the law they can be great tools to promote competition, especially in a market where real estate sales have slowed or are softening.
When it comes to getting back to customers or potential customers, five minutes is too long let alone 8 hours. First and foremost real estate professionals are in the business of lead generation--at all times. This means that we most always, always put our clients and customers above our own good and wellbeing. There is something so basic about this concept that sometimes it gets over looked.
by being there for the clients whenever they need us to be there, gives the impression that we are going to be there for them at a drop of a hat (which we mostly likely will be at this point)
The morale of the story: Knock on more doors, thank people and give them your info: it’s as easy as that
Largest of the New England states of the NE United States. It is bordered by New Hampshire, the Canadian provinces of Quebec and New Brunswick, the Atlantic Ocean (the Gulf of Maine), and the Bay of Fundy.
Area, 33,215 sq mi (86,027 sq km). Pop. (2000) 1,274,923, a 3.8% increase since the 1990 census. Capital,Augusta. Largest city, Portland. Nickname,Pine Tree State. Motto,Dirigo [I Direct]. State bird, chickadee. State flower, white pine cone and tassel. State tree, Eastern white pine.
Manufacturing is still the largest sector in the state's economy. Maine is a leading producer of paper and wood products, which are the most valuable of all manufactures in the state. Food products and transportation equipment are also important, but production of leather goods (especially shoes) has declined. The mineral wealth of the state is considerable. Many varieties of granite, including some superior ornamental types, have been used for construction throughout the nation. Sand and gravel, zinc, and peat are found in addition to stone. However, much of Maine's abundant natural and industrial resources remain undeveloped. Agriculture has always struggled with adverse soil and climatic conditions. Since the opening of richer farmlands in the West, Maine has tended to concentrate on dairying, poultry raising and egg production, and market gardening for the region. The growing of potatoes, particularly in Aroostook County, was stimulated by the completion of the Aroostook RR in 1894. Blueberries, hay, and apples are other chief crops, and aquaculture is growing in importance.
The population of Maine is centered on the cleared land along the coast and major rivers, Augusta is the capital; Portland, Lewiston, and Bangor are the largest cities. Maine's two great parks are Acadia National Park on and around Mt. Desert Island; and Baxter State Park, which includes the northern end of the Appalchian Trail at Mt. Katahdin in the N Maine wilderness.
*Information from Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition
Disclaimer: ActiveRain Corp. does not necessarily endorse the real estate agents, loan officers and brokers listed on this site. These real estate profiles, blogs and blog entries are provided here as a courtesy to our visitors to help them make an informed decision when buying or selling a house. ActiveRain Corp. takes no responsibility for the content in these profiles, that are written by the members of this community.
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