It's no secret that for a smaller Northern Maine school, Houlton Maine's jr and sr high schools excel statewide in music.

Over 64% of the Houlton Maine junior high school students are active in 12 music ensembles. Over 42% of the high school student enrollment make the music program state reknown.  Houlton Maine is the home of five state championship high school show choirs and has hosted several state music competitions. The Houlton Maine junior high show choir is a two time state champion and award winning bands, choruses, jazz bands, jazz choirs perform year round in local presentations, state level programs and in out of state music festivals.

     Currently, a new Houlton Community Arts Center is being built and the Houlton Maine jr / sr high school auditorium is being totally renovated, expanded. Balcony seating, new lighting, new sound..stage, the works. The local Houlton Maine taxpayers approved a bond to get the project rolling and local citizens have put their shoulder in to the project.

Currently, sale of new seating in honor of your class, a departed love one, or your tax deductible business contribution is gaining momentum.

The Houlton Maine music program has out grown the number and size of musical productions. The new facility will also be used by dance groups and other cultural opportunities with traveling productions. If you would like to be part of the exciting project, contact 207.532.6551, ext 22. Also, it's hoped the new auditorium will be fully operational for the opening of the this year's musical "Damn Yankees" November 20,21,22. In the mean time, McGill's Band in Houlton Maine practices year round, has over 100 members that perform in parades, in the Houlton Amphitheatre behind Cary Library in Memorial Park. Watch the video of one of their performances.

This Houlton Maine music image says it all.

    

As a kid, Maine Halloween trick or treating, what a concept I thought with glee.

Going up to total strangers houses with your cousins, ringing the bell after hopping up the front porch stairs and the light comes on. An older lady or gentlemen look a fake surprise or fright and everyone screams "Trick or Treat"! Other goblins up and down the street are moving like the plague from house to house as most front porch lights are on. As an adult, can still remember the houses where the best treats were. And before the Facebook, Myspace, Twitter social networking, word spread on which home owners took this Halloween concept seriously and went all out. Kids spread the word on homes, neighbors to put on the must visit list before curfew and the ones not worth door knocking, that ate in to house to house production, collection. It was more than candy quantity...it was quality of treats, the experience you went thru to get something plopped worth keeping in to the open sack.

     Had a fellow in from Arkansas that remembers a local home town home owner giving out silver dollars..and this was in the late 1960's when silver dollars would buy more than a happy meal. I remember the Chamberlain sisters who would invite you in to their big federal style Court Street, Houlton ME home and fresh, hot donuts..usually chocolate and molasses were waiting with hot cider.

That stop was a highlight of the door to door candy or cavity campaign but getting out of the place took some effort as everyone had to remove their masks, let the ladies know who your dad and mom were and socialize a little before eating, drinking and running to the next neighborhood home.

That stop did eat into production but the donuts were addictive. The home was a definite must stop and on the top three of places to visit. I knew of some kids carrying another mask, disguise that would double back and try to hit the same candy bank again.

     I remember a stop with my own 4 kids on Commonwealth Ave Houlton Maine, where three families joined forces and dooryards. It was like Disney land in Southern Aroostook County. A big Army tent was set up with blacklights, and zombies roaming the premises, in jerky motions indicated they may have been to the other side and come back for unfinished business, to haunt little kids with costumes, pillow cases full of various forms of sugar. There was a fellow in an open coffin, and a BOO hollers as the kids got closer to see if that was a real, sleeping or dead person in that final resting place. Snakes hooked to a pulley with piano wire or fishing line danced in the trees operated by an old geezer with a chain saw in his lap on the front porch. Lots to see and everyone pretty quiet as the kids went thru the "stations" weaving in to get a glimpse, grab a treat and then pick up production in the door to door frenzy.

Another neighborhood with a kid in a tuxedo, white gloves, spats and a nylon over his head making mime like robot, Michael Jackson moon walk motions. Saying nothing and just in the neighborhood we were marauding. Getting curious, who is this guy glances as kids steered a wide path around, not sure how to take his presence and out of place attire, look. He has since gone on to work in a circus, juggling, high wire acts, and carnival like with his skills honed with the Halloween opportunity to entertain, amuse in Houlton Maine. Another home owner worked at Nabisco and that home's candy bowl had oversized treats like you get in the movie theatre. There was always a line, take a number, have a seat or stand in line reaching in for a treat from the treasure chest to sample, munch on to keep your energy up.

     I personally like the home where there was a small orange, black and white bag with the blackened witch on a broom outline in the moon lit sky that was filled with a variety of treats. My personal favorite in the trading the next day in someones living room with other short door bell ringers? Paydays. I was not a sweet tooth or obsessed with candy as a kid because of the sound of a high speed dentist drill in the back of my head, a fear from my mom who like most folks, was not sending the dentist a Christmas card or looking forward to the six month check up. But paydays, Nestle Crunch that were a close top three treats and enjoyed in the potato field breaks each fall were always involved in a trade. The peanut butter chocolate anything rounded out the top three and the first treats to download, cast off and just be rid of? The popcorn balls that were dryer than a desert, maybe left over from a decade before that got tossed into the bag but almost rejected by this goblin.

Small, tiny apples that were brown from bruises, or early frost and had black blight spots were not traded..they were tossed immediately. I remember one drunk apartment owner who called my trick or treat posse into the home and in to the kitchen, opening up the cupboards and saying help yourself...forgot to buy candy. Somehow reaching for a can of Dinty Moore beef stew or baked beans seemed not right. Giving him, Mr Hammered from a thirty pack some popcorn balls, apples if they had not already been jettisoned to "re-gift" or "re-treat" seemed appropriate and Robin Hood like. Kids have a sense of honor, rules of the game and fairness at the earlier age. when they are under 44 inches tall and can not go on all of life's rides.

Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers - Maine, It's Safe To Trick Or Treat Here, Live Here.

 

    

Activerain's Bob Stewart threw down the challenge gauntlet searcing for examples of how we use the treasure chest of blog posts to do further good in our day to day real estate operation.

There are many ways we take the trip back in to the blog post inventory and assemble a series of them to ricochet email correspondence back to the sender. We have a connection with a past client and these "what is going on in the area newsy blog posts" bee-lined to their inbox help us stay connected. For past happy buyers who decide to sell, or have friends to refer. For sellers to keep us in their mind. We start a relationship that eventually with these emails with blog attachments push them off the fence, eventually.

     But probably the two top ways we use the AR library is targeted at relocation and retirement prospective buyers. They are folks that many have never been to this area of Northern Maine before so they have questions. Lots. Just like you would if you were considering a life changing move to a place eight states away that you had no previous experience. We get a visit, get their email and then start slowly launching old blog posts about the topics they need answers on. To get them to move, buy, relocate here. These blog posts help us deepen the relationship. We give them something other than just real estate information. Local information they are starved, thirsty for. It's the connection these past and current blog posts help us maintain with a mailing list to share them without being a pest, not too frequently sent. Slow drip. Careful email mortaring...with the blogs attached to the emails that hit the areas they are most interested in..the schools, health care, crime, etc. That's why you need to know your customer..what they want, what they are worried about and give them what they ask for. Hit those areas with blog posts about those areas. Written especially for them (but used with others like them). Think of a blog post that you send out to hundreds of folks from your email end of the chain. Not just readers, followers from finding it on line on their own.

     For starters most real estate websites are set up, and then dust mounts. Oh sure, they have an idx/mls stream for new listings, price changes and the office staff tinkers on the real estate listing section.

But other then a Happy Halloween or a opening image change once in awhile, the site is cold, static, and not up to the minute. Blog posts are real time, like Twitter tweets. Right now, or at least what it is like in your area today, or this season.

So we do new round up new, crank out these type of current today local blog posts where we attach them to a new, never been here before emailer or calls that we ping information to so they become acclimated, knowledgeable about our home town. You'll see this blog post has video embed of a local activity..Maine youth picking potatoes to earn their winter coat, their ipods. Southern Maine real estate brokers along the coast could have the same kids learn work ethic video piece with blueberry raking, fishing for lobster, digging for clams to taylor make the presentation to their area of the state. Not cookie cutter fit the entire state but localism, tons of good stuff..the copy, images, video of the local area you crafted. And no mention of selling real estate, just the tag on the end that this guy or gal is a real estate broker for future reference.

     So when we get asked the number one question, what is your weather like in winter or the other three seasons, we start out the intial response email with the polite thank you for contacting our office and your interest in Maine. And we send property attachments loaded with more details than they see on the idx or realtor.com, plus indicate all four seasons are fun for recreation, etc. And we also send a teaser line with in winter if that was there big concern, worry that we ski, snowsled, play hockey with our kids at an arena or on a frozen lake under the bright sunshine and we do not hibernate in the winter. And to read more here with a link insertion. Or sometimes, we know the other end of the fiber optics cables has been bombarded with real estate images..the inside, outside and lots of copy, video, images of the property. But what about the area...is there away to just slide in some local Maine eye candy..nothing heavy, just a ten second eyeball scan to reinforce they are going to like it here?

     This blog post is one of many we draw from that is a simple extra from 2008 to drop in the real estate bag before it gets taken out to the customer's car so to speak. Like a grocery store stuffs a flyer in the bag to get them to come back. To be different than other stores. To build a connection, a relationship, reaching out with something extra. You got the customer considering your area in to the AR site. And low and behold, they can search other Maine topics and bump in to you again from other posts. They find you have already been there for them, crafting and hammering out other informative blog posts on the area you serve. When you have approaching 1200 blog posts, there should be lots to draw from. You write many knowing where you chamber of commerce "holes" are and beef up the shelves by writing, posting, stocking those shelves.

     We have blog posts to send along to real estate sellers sitting on the fence about listing. We have a slow drip campaign to nudge this audience and creative, simple blog posts like this and get them reading, keeping you in their thoughts to turn to as the agent / broker to pick. This post and a slew of others with the same "bent" or slant get tucked in to an email about "Mr Seller, have you thought any more about listing your waterfront cottage that is not getting much use anymore...we are here to help.

     Short and sweet and with this type of blog post to get them in to the blog to see you use this vehicle a lot to hit new relocating, retiring propsects. To educate folks about the area, to find buyers, to market property.

     Other examples of using blog posts to reinforce your emails, to post on your site as a reference resource are ones we write with helpful links to Houlton Maine area schools, events their kids will enjoy (this one is a good follow up for someone that was here months ago, but as an easy watch this easy video. You hope they can see themselves, their families living here, doing this or that activity.) During the intial visit of someone toying with the idea of relocation, retirement here, we follow up later with an email that could have a few new listings like they wanted, and if you noted they are a rotarian, tack this along as what they will be doing for service club work in retirement here. Make them feel like they already live here. Show them what they don't see because they don't live here now..the stuff CNN, ESPN don't cover but you do on the local level. Hometown, simple, down to earth.

     And lastly, this is my favorite way to "show" the new real estate buyer who is a stranger to these parts what the area is like. Instead of making him read and a few images of the area, a few helpful links, video gets rolled in. Embed many local community videos, something for everyone in a buffet fashion and all they do on the other end is push play, sit back and they hear, see, get a feel for what the local Houlton Maine area is all about. Who is the person selling the real estate, reporting and keeping the prospect up to day with emails with attachments to these helpful blog posts..do a three minute video to tell them in your own words, so they can meet you. They want to know about churches, local banks, Maine moose season , the new Maine co2, smoke fire detector law beef up, which school system will my kids go to, so give it to them with a blog attachement of the videos in your emails. You don't have to rewrite these same FAQ answers over and over, attach the well written, link, image, video laddened blog posts to do it for you and save boat loads of time. You write them to reuse them and that drives lots of traffic to the Activerain blog beehive.

Maine, It's Just More Fun Here.

In Maine, we are very fortunate to have super medical facilities in place, staffed by folks who want a friendly, crime free, pollution free area to raise a famly in.

So unless you need a brain transplant, or plan to upgrade all your major organs with loaners, Maine health care in the Houlton Maine area is superb. The same goes with local Houlton ME banking, financing institutions. So we don't have to scramble out of town to catch an attractive loan program, or a local professional that understands the ins and outs, the mechanics.

I just got back from a Maine Association of REALTOR state convention at the Samoset in Rockland ME.

The many southern Maine loan orginators and mortgage brokers who have hospitality suites after classes wonder how to get more of Northern Maine's bank buying customers. Have to smile, remind them we have some pretty sharp financing individuals in place.

Six local Houlton Maine banking outlets and with land loans, waterfront real estate, many many owner financing loans. No bank, Custom made and remember our prices are so much lower, so is the loan. It all boils down to well made local loans using all the financing VA, HUD, Rural Development, SBA loan programs. Plus the smaller local Maine banks have a custom made portfolio loan that is flexible, driven by the old days of not just credit score or years on job. It looks at the person, the property and considers all the aspects of the borrower and property. Not jammed into a cookie cutter loan situation where appraiser's stratch their head. Or where underwriters try to make comparable sales / listings what they are not. Watch the local Houlton ME banking video options and jot down some names, telephone numbers to contact.

Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers - Maine, Well Worth The Trip, Our Location Protects Us From Noisy Cities.

    

In buying real estate, folks look at the purse, decide if the price tag matches the size of that purse or wallet.

But just as important as the cost, the looks, the features involves a move to a brand new unknown area. The hospital if mom is coming and has a heart condition is a big concern. The local public library I have had real estate buyers say is their judge, barometer for how stellar an area is. The schools for a quality education are another area the relocating real estate buyer is very keen to know more about. All schools, hospitals, libraries are not the same quality, possessing the same level of excellence or reputation as the ones they are leaving behind. So part of our blog posts about the Houlton Maine area delve into the big three.

     Videos that show the excellent Houlton Maine music program also a highlight of posts to a variety of video platforms to get the word out..like this one, and the local high school prom, the science fair, a hockey game, the graduation from that school are critical. The border patrol, customs, immigration Houlton Maine real estate buyer needs to know as he considers the next port of entry to move to along the Aroostook County / Canadian border.

The local Maine real estate broker is a logical fellow to provide that information on a low key, simple approach so they can transport to Houlton for a few minutes from where ever they presently live.

So advertising, blogging and video posts about just real estate is missing the special flavor of each town, all the neat people who live here. This is an example of what we do thursday nights behind Cary Library at the Houlton Amphitheatre. Neat music duet video. We're happy here..happy as well..maybe the fellow in the upper right hand corner of this post. The expression "you can't make a silk purse out of a pigs ear" suggests in relocation that moves to different areas may be doomed for failure. the success of the move depends on the building blocks of the community. That's where they blog posts, videos, podcasts come in.

Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers - Maine, It's Not This Nice Everywhere Else.

Maine, What We Don't Have Makes It Special Too!