Terry Driscoll Realtor Mid-Coast Maine Residential Real Estate

There are so many great things about living and working in a close-knit community like Bath. One of those really great things is that we take care of our kids, not only by having wonderful schools with caring administrators, teachers, staff and volunteers, but by providing families with a whole array of recreational activities that give our kids alternatives to television, video games, and the mischief that boredom can create, by encouraging them to become involved in sports, hobbies and activities, getting them outdoors, and interested in all that our community and our world has to offer.

One local program that offers some interesting and fun options is “Adventures at Huse.” This program is an effort of the Sagadahoc Community Justice Project, in partnership with Regional School Union 1, to facilitate out-of-school activities for youth and families. This is a Volunteers of America New England program. Program events are held at the Huse School (hence the program’s name) and there are Saturday as well as after school programs.

Adventures at Huse is open to anyone ages 5 to 105 and programs are held at the Huse School, 39 Andrews Road in Bath.

Upcoming Saturday Adventures (held from 1 to 3 pm) include:

March 7: Knitting

March 21: Lacrosse Clinic

with Morse High School

April 4: Wool spinning & dying

For More Information: www.adventuresathuse.com

If you live in the Neighborhood, Come Join the Fun. If you would like to live in the Neighborhood, CONTACT ME - - I'd be pleased to help you find and purchase your next home.

UPDATE: As of 2 seconds ago on Monday, March 9th - - ROCKLAND IS IN FIRST PLACE! But, only by 86 votes. The voting closes on Friday April 3rd so there is stil time to cast your vote for Rockland as America's Coolest Small Town. Thank you to everyone who has voted!

Budget Travel Magazine is running a contest where everyone can vote for "America's Coolest Small Town." I always like to try to put Maine on the map (especially when it's FREE) because it is such a great place to live and visit. I'm hoping that all the Active Rainers (who don't live in one of the other 21 cities up for the title) will go to the website and VOTE FOR ROCKLAND. Just click on Rockland's "star" on the map of the US and vote. If you've ever been to Rockland, you can also add your comments and photos. If you're not sure where Maine is on the map - - it's the STAR that is furthest EAST. I feel like I should tell you something about Rockland to help legitimize your vote - It is a wonderful coastal town where life centers around the harbor - the Maine Lobster Festival, the North Atlantic Blues Festival and the Maine Boats, Homes and Harbors Show all call the waterfront of Rockland home. The Maine Eastern Railroad runs excursion trains in the summer (Lobster Express), fall (Foliage Tours) and at Christmas (Candy Cane Express) between Bath, home of Allen & Selig Realty and yours truly, and Rockland. Rockland has a fun main street with neat places to eat, shop and look at art. Rockland is home to the Farnsworth Art Museum and a lobster fishing fleet. Very eclectic. Here's a picture of the harbor during last years Homes & Harbors Show.

CLICK HERE TO VOTE NOW! and show the power of Active Rain!

When I voted this morning, Rockland was #3 - - Let's see if we can move it to #1 Where it Belongs. THANK YOU.

At the suggestion of our real estate agent, when we sold our home in San Diego 9 years ago, we gladly paid for a 1-year Home Warranty for our Buyer. One week later when we were purchasing our home in Maine and asked about the Home Warranty, we were told by our real estate agent that “We don’t really do those around here and they don’t cover anything anyway.” Not wanting to appear more “from away” than we obviously were - - let’s face it, we had just driven corner to corner across the US-of-A - - we simply let it go. This was before I became a REALTOR myself - - we just didn’t know.

In some parts of the country, Home Warranties are routinely used; in other parts, not so much. There are agents who love them and those that are indifferent to them, so . . .

What is a Home Warranty & How Does It Work?

A Home Warranty is a service contract for the repair or replacement of specified systems and appliances in your home such as plumbing, electrical, heating, built-in appliances, etc. that break down as a result of normal wear and tear. There are a number of reputable Home Warranty companies that operate nationwide. For an annual fee, the warranty company will pay for repairs or replacements of specified parts, systems and appliances in the covered home. The warranty company contracts with approved, insured service technicians and the homeowner will generally pay a nominal trade service fee for each repair requested. If a covered system or appliance cannot be repaired, it may be replaced. As with any contract, it is important that you read it and understand which systems/parts and appliances in your home are covered and which are not. Most of the Home Warranty companies offer upgraded plans or flexible coverage plans that will cover additional systems and appliances for additional charges.

Who can purchase a Home Warranty?

Anyone – A Seller, a Buyer, a FSBO, your Aunt Millie!

Like we did with the sale of our California house, a Seller can agree, as part of the contract, to purchase a Home Warranty for the Buyer of the home. When a Seller agrees to provide this warranty, it is like saying, “My stuff all works fine right now, but you never know when something might break; I certainly don’t want you to have any unexpected problems, so I’m including this with the purchase to put your mind at ease.” It is a sign of good will on the part of the Seller.

A Seller can further benefit from the home warranty by opting to purchase, usually for just a bit more money, coverage for the home during the time it is on the market. What if the dishwasher dies during the listing period? And what if the dishwasher isn’t the only thing to go? With home prices down right now, do you really want to sink more dollars into your home if you don’t have to? Does the warranty company care if your appliances and systems are not new? Generally not, they just want them to be in working order.

When there are many homes on the market to choose from, any added incentive a Seller can offer is a good thing. If two homes are otherwise equal, a Home Warranty provided by the Seller could end up being the deciding factor. Has your REALTOR discussed including a Home Warranty for a Buyer on your home for sale?

Consider the case of a first-time buyer. They put most of their savings into the down-payment and closing costs and had just enough left to put up some nice curtains and buy that great area rug for the living room. It’s going to take several months for their savings account to recover. The first month they are in their dream home, the dishwasher dies. They knew it was 10 years old, but hey, mom’s dishwasher lasted 25 years! Home Warranty to the rescue - - no dishpan hands and the credit card balance is spared! So much easier.

What does a Buyer do if he wants the Home Warranty but the Seller won’t pay for it? There are no rules about who pays for a Home warranty – the Buyer can pay for the coverage or perhaps, negotiate with a reluctant Seller to share in the cost.

The Buyer may also elect to renew the home warranty. If you buy a house that came with a warranty and you like having it, the warranty company generally notifies you of its renewal and you can carry the coverage forward yourself. You might think of this as a way to control some unexpected expenses - - you know what the annual fee is and you know what your out-of-pocket will be for each service call. The warranty can make your budgeting process easier.

What is peace of mind worth to you? Could that be an incentive to purchase? For a buyer who doesn’t have extra cash stashed away for unexpected repairs, a home warranty could be an attractive deal-maker. Has your REALTOR discussed writing a Home Warranty condition as part of your offer?

Do all my transactions involve a Home Warranty? No, sometimes it isn’t possible, practical or realistic. But, I do discuss this option with every Seller (my company policy requires its agents to have Sellers sign a declination if they do not want to offer a warranty) and I discuss home warranties with every Buyer (ditto company policy here) when writing up an offer and negotiating a purchase and sale agreement.

So, Love or Indifference? I love having this tool in my box!

Sometimes, it can be difficult for people who have never visited Maine to understand the appeal of our craggy shores, especially this time of year when we are most likely under a blanket of snow and frigid winds blow through the tree tops.

It is a beautiful, simple way to live - - I found this video that gives you a very small glimpse into the the little corner of the world that I love; if you watch carefully, you will see Bath's Maine Maritime Museum and Library Park among the scenes depicted in this video.

PLEASE ENJOY: "A Window On The Coast"

Long before Global Warming, $4.00 heating oil and, yes even before gas-guzzling SUV's, the household I grew up in was quite Green-oriented and intensely focused on the efficient use of energy; suffice it to say, we were way ahead of our time. But, before you go thinking that my father must have been a genius, some sort of soothsayer, or the original tree-hugger, let me set that straight - - he and my mother were both raised during the Great Depression so, even though we never went without, we didn't buy anything we didn't need and we certainly didn't waste what we had. The energy policy in our house back then may require some translation in this day and age. Most of my father's policies started with the words, "What's the matter with you?" As in "What's the matter with you, the house is lit up like the Las Vegas Strip (or seasonally, like a Christmas tree)?" Translated, that meant "When you leave a room, turn the lights off." Another one of his favorites was, "What's the matter with you; are you trying to heat the great outdoors?" That meant, "It's 30 degrees below zero; shut the door quickly when you come in from outside!" You get the idea? Similarly for the hot, humid, summer months, "What's the matter with you, were you born in a barn?" That is the correlation to the winter version of close the door - only it was meant to keep the cool air inside and the hot air outside - it also served a secondary purpose of keeping flies out of the house, but that's a different topic. And one more, for the teenager who liked to take 25 minute steamy, hot showers, thereby depleting the hot water tank for all others, the question was, "What's the matter with you, trying to make the well go dry?" This was obviously a message not only for energy conservation, but for resource conservation as well.

As much as times change, they stay the same. I remember the gas lines of the 70's and my father buying a fireplace insert to heat the house rather than pay the high price of heating oil back then. It was an adventure (NOT!) to have 5 kids sleeping in the family room to stay warm. Sound familiar?

Our household energy policy was based on common sense and dollars and cents - pretty simple and you can implement a simple household energy policy of your own. There is lots of good information at the Maine State Housing Authority (MSHA) website. Just follow the links from there to get help with evaluating your home's energy use and also get information about projects you can do yourself that will help save on your future energy costs.

Please feel free to visit Allen & Selig Realty's Bath office at 15 Vine Street to pick up a free packet of outlet and switch plate insulation (while supplies last)! "What's the matter with you, don't you know that every little bit helps!"

Contact Allen & Selig Realty Today

207/443-2200

Or Visit us On the Web:

www.AllenSeligBath.com