Real estate that stops the clock, that you are ga ga over.
In swanky areas of the country where money
pours in to accounts from say computer software revenues, oil reserve deposits or the old fashion earning it way of inheritance, high price real estate may be a fairly common. In rural states like Maine, except for say Bar Harbor, South West Harbor, Camden, Kennebunk, or your own private coastal Maine island, property prices are pretty meat and potato realistic. Down to earth, value rich, bargain based.
If your security or sense of self worth and inner appreciation came from having an oyster perpetual Rolex, a stable of expensive horses or exotic car collection, the yatch, imported clothing, exquisite jewelry and making sure others know you have these things, you may be missing the simpler, non money driven pleasures in life in Maine.
In Maine our backyard is 300 acres. We travel two miles to be in the dead quiet of a forest on cross country skis. Or swish swish downhill Maine skiing on a local mountain..big and small. We have crystal clean unpopulated lakes teaming with wildlife, fish, sunrises and sunsets to enjoy in a kayak while a loon cries mournfully. Maine summers when you live here full time are spent on local lakes, hiking Mt Katahdin, camping out in the Allagash Wilderness Waterway, zipping over to Canada for deals on something or to head to Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia or down to the Maine coastfor fresh lobster, clams, native grown corn. Our kids work hard on local farms and earn the twenty dollar bills the hard way and the winter clothes they
buy, or ipods are taken care of. Not thrown on the floor with disrespect or neglect or the idea dad or mom will just buy me another one. In Maine, everyone waves at you, whether they know you on a first name basis or not. It's called friendly. Got an email yesterday that outlined that hand waving process with some of the rules of rural Maine...here are a few of the high lights of the list.
1. Pull your droopy pants up. You look like an idiot.
2. Turn your cap around straight ... your head isn't crooked.
3. Let's get this straight; it's called a 'dirt road.' I drive a pickup truck because I want to. No matter how slow you drive, you're going to get dust on your Lexus. Drive it or get out of the way.
4. They are cattle. They're live steaks. That's why they smell funny to you. But they smell like money to us. Get over it. Don't like it? I-95 goes north and south.
5. So you have a $60,000 car ... we're impressed. We have $150,000 potato harvesters that are driven only 3 weeks a year.
6. So every person in rural Maine waves. It's called being friendly. Try to understand the concept.
7. If that cell phone rings while an 8-point buck and 3 does are coming in, we WILL shoot it out of your hand. You better hope you don't have it up to your ear at the time.
8. Yeah, we eat taters & gravy, beans & biscuits, and homemade pie. You really want sushi & caviar? It's available at Jim's bait shop.
9. The 'Opener' refers to the first day of deer season. It's a religious holiday held the closest Saturday to the first of November.
10. We open doors for women. That is applied to all women, regardless of age.
11. No, there's no 'vegetarian special' on the menu. Order steak or lobstah. Or, you can order the Chef's Salad and pick off the 2 pounds of ham & turkey.
12. When we fill out a table, there are three main dishes: meats, vegetables, and breads. We use three spices - salt, pepper, and ketchup. Oh, yeah ... We don't care what you folks in New Jersey call that stuff you eat ... IT AIN'T REAL CHILI!!
13. You bring 'coke' into my house, it better be brown, wet and served over ice.
14. You bring ' Mary Jane' into my house, she better be cute, know how to shoot, drive a truck, and have long hair.
15. College and high school football are as important here as the Patriots and the Celtics and more fun to
watch. The players are our daughters and sons of our neighbors, relatives, friends.
16. Yeah, we have golf courses. But don't hit the water hazards ... it spooks the fish.
17. Colleges? We have them all over. We have State Universities , Community Colleges, and Voc-techs. They come outta there with an education plus a love for God and Country, and they still wave to everybody when they come home for the holidays.
18. Turn down that blasted car stereo! That thumpity-thump crap is not music anyway. We don't want to hear it any more than we want to see your boxers. (Refer back to #1.)
19. Four inches of snow isn't a blizzard - it's a flurry. Drive in it like you got some sense, and DON'T take all our bread, milk, and bleach off the grocery shelves. This ain't Alaska ! Worst case ... you may have to live a whole day without croissants. Anyway ... the pickups with snowplows will have you within hours.
20. By the way ... if you want to talk to God in Maine , it's a local call.
The prices on our Maine real estate are attractive, realistic. Folks don't spend spend spend by climbing
out on a financial limb that snaps and then expect the government, somebody to fix it, help them with their hand out. That is not the way we roll. Maine bank foreclosures, repos are low due to higher quality local lending that studies the buyer, the property, the character of the borrower.
Maine is the 4th lowest crime state. Our front doors are "locked" with high security bread and butter knives to keep the wind from blowing them open. My keys are in the jeep. Folks respect others peoples property, feelings, family. Common sense, plenty of elbow room and love of the great outdoor Maine recreation is our joy coupled with family values and that local bean supper, hoop or hockey game.
Our life is simple, our heads are screwed on straight, realistically and whining is not a daily sport. Pick yourself up by the boot straps and be a better person each day because your kids are watching a constant life goal. And you are setting an example. It is not about you, it is about others. Get up and let that elderly person or lady have your seat in a waiting room. Stop and go back to see if that stopped car on a road needs a jump start, to make a cell call and just to see if they are alright or needing help? In Maine, we have a conscience and a little voice in our head that works 24/7. We don't play head games or forget about other people by clawing our way to the top to be King of the Mountain.
Our reality of day to day is not Hollywood created with drama, hub bub and spin. What you see, is what 
you get. If fast paced, slick moving, high flutin' living is how you are built, what you are after, you will be disappointed in Maine. We don't set out to impress. We enjoy what we have and are grateful. We travel to see how the rest of the world lives but are glad to come back to Maine where folks don't play games, are down to earth and glad to help you if you find yourself in a pinch, up against a wall. Is it like that where you live? Can you buy a quality home in the $30's, $40's, $50's, $60's, $70's, $80's and not have a mortgage you struggle with? Are there crystal clean lakes, lots of wildlife and you can see millions of stars at night? Enjoy shocking bright blue skies with fresh clean air during the day? Maine..your heart is already here. Help the rest of your major body parts get here quick as you can. And weather..if you have some preconceived notions on that, this Maine FAQ video will help state the facts.
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