When you live in Aroostook County Maine, outdoor winter Maine recreation is a big deal.

Yesterday I slowed the Jeep as I passed Tidd's Sport Center, eyeing a row of multi colored snow machines..of "pre-owned"snowmobiles, and across the road, a ME potato farming operation was moving slowly across a field, harvesting gold spuds to store for the winter. 

     To live in Aroostook County, in the Houlton Maine area means winter is not a time of hibernation. Just one of the four seasons and for many, the one we like the most.

     Snow skiing, snow sledding, ice fishing, playing hockey with your kids on a lake on a sunny day, skating at a local arena friday nights.

     Maine is four seasons and winter is just one of them.

Light snow today so we think of the farmer in this image taken yesterday..and wonder if he has many more acres left to dig.

     Not going to dig our our Christmas decorations yet but hint of white stuff makes us think about snowsled trails, down hill and cross country skiing. I will have folks in Florida think it must be expensive to heat an Aroostook County home and I ask them one question. What is your monthly electric bill. A fellow from Tampa this week said roughly $450 a month...wow. That is expensive and when you heat with wood in Northern Maine, five cords of wood is pretty inexpensive heat. And you often cut, split and stack it with your family yourself from a family woodlot.

Not heating with wood now, but did for years back during the last oil embargo. It's a nice kind of heat. Gives you an inner glow, a good feeling to have a cellar full of wood for the furnace, for the fireplace. That feeling that everyone is going to be warm as toast this winter. Let it snow, I'm ready but just not trotting to the attic tonight to bring down the Christmas decorations yet. Let's get Halloween behind us first!

Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers - Maine, If You Are Cold Winters, You Are Not Dressed Right.

    

As a Houlton Maine real estate broker, welcome to Houlton.

The second statement I make to new home owners to be with kids, is make sure the superintendent of the school system for the town you are considering buying in has given his blessings if you want the child to changes school systems. Often a new border patrol, customs, immigration agent assigned to duty in Houlton Maine will have say a talented music student they want to go to SAD 29, the Houlton Maine school system. But the new home they are considering purchasing is in the SAD 70 Hodgdon Maine school system. Or the home in Houlton, Littleton, Hammond or Monticello which is the SAD 29 district has a new owner to be who wants Jimmy or Jill to go to the smaller SAD 70 schools.

     Don't assume that students just cross district lines and the state subsidy of $4500 to $5500 goes with him to the new school. With cut backs, tightened economic conditions, no school system wants to let go of that subsidy. They need all those state checks to pay the salaries, heat the school, fund the sports, music, extra curricular activities that basically keep the district doors of education open, vibrant, effective. 

     Get it in writing and for the record, SAD 70 or SAD 29 are both super smaller school systems with caring, hard working sincere teachers. But instead of worrrying about paying tuition above and beyond or starting in one system and getting a letter the next year that no more swapping district checks, get it spelled out in writing from both systems. If the superintendent changes, you are still all set. There are also home schoolers and a strong back up/support network if you want to go that route. And the Houlton Christian Academy has roughly 200 students enrolled and serves as another education option in the Houlton/Hodgdon Maine area. We mentioned the music program...this is an example of SAD 29th's state choral competition music video.

Keys To Your New Maine Home Here - Learn About, Explore, Find Maine Information