Cooler temperatures are here, but the real estate market is still hot! Fall is the best time, outside of the spring months, to sell your home. There are fewer homes on the market to compete with and many buyers want to close before the snowy winter months. Everyone is also back from summer vacations, families have found their groove with the [...]

Sale prices for multi-family buildings in Greater Portland are way up. I recently compared prices from the first half of 2018 to 2017 and found South Portland multi-family sales were up 18%, Westbrook 24%, and Portland a whopping [...]

The most popular time to list a home in Maine is spring. I start getting calls from sellers in early March as the days lengthen and the snow begins to melt. This past spring was no exception and was in fact one of the very busiest markets I 've ever [...]

It 's a red hot real estate market out there with many homes going under contract in days, and for over asking prices. So, what 's up when your home lingers on the market? Here are some of the top [...]

The race to buy a home in the Greater Portland real estate market is on, and it 's one of the most competitive ever. Open houses are packed, sellers are receiving multiple offers, and homes are under contract in days with many selling at far over asking [...]

As the owner of an older home, you are the keeper of an archive of stories. Whether joyful, fanciful, wondrous, or raucous, those stories and the memories they imprint are what makes a house a [...]

Improvements that will help you use less energy but may not have a positive impact on the sale price:

• Add foam insulation to outlets and switch plates
• Caulk or apply spray foam areas where air might be escaping, entering or moving
• Install CFL light bulbs
• Install programmable thermostats
• Weatherstrip all exterior doors
• Weatherstrip, seal and/or insulate attic access hatch, house vent, and fireplace
[...]

Is there a lsquo;selling season ' or an ideal time to list and sell your home?

Sellers typically follow this up with statements/questions like:

• Everyone lists in the spring because that is when buyers are looking, right?
• We 're heading into winter - no one moves in winter or over the holidays, right?
• It 's the middle of summer - there is usually a lull and very few showings or sales,
[...]

With the time change and the colder weather, what are some tips for home sellers?

• Leave the house lit up and showing ready when you leave for work.
• Leave all exterior and several interior lights on all the time.
• Turn the heat higher than you may normally keep it.

Are there items buyers should be more aware of this time of year?

• Bring a flashlight so you can really look
[...]