SUMMER LANDSCAPE SPRUCE UP

Summer in Maine may be Short

but we sure enjoy the time we have

to spend outdoors in the sun. 

 

Summer is a great time to spruce up your landscape

to make your yard more enjoyable or

to add value if you are planning on selling your home. 

 

Photo from HGTVRemodels

 

Here are a few tips to help you spruce up your lawn this summer

1.  Make your small yard look more spacious by planting flower beds in each corner.  
2. Give your shrubs a boost by covering exposed roots and fertilizing.  Over time, topsoil tends to wash away from roots which may cause the shrubs to become thin. 
3. Mulch but not too much.  Just a few inches of mulch is all you need.  Mounds of mulch may attract pests.
4. Create privacy using shrubs or trellises covered with vines.  Climbing vines are also a great way to dress up a fence.
5. Coordinate colors.  Using 3 colors that complement your homes exterior color scheme will tie the space together and improve curb appeal.
6. Mix it up.  Choose plants that have a variety of shapes & textures.  If you want to enjoy color longer, choose plants that bloom at different times.

According to Realestate.com, a 5% investment

in the landscaping of your property can increase its value

by as much as 15% and may reduce the amount of time

a home stays on the market by up to 6 weeks! 

 

Summer is short....dig in the dirt...enjoy the sun...and add value to your home!

 

If you are interested in more ways to improve the value of your home, 

call us at (207)784-3800 or e-mail brenda@fontaineteam.com. 

 

 

 

OPEN HOUSE THIS WEEKEND!

Are you ready to enjoy the Good Life in Maine?

 

Stop by one of our upcoming Open Houses at Apple Valley Estates in Lewiston.

June 29th

July 20th

August 3rd & 17th

 

All open houses are from 11am to 1pm!

 

 

This 55+ community sits on the outskirts of Lewiston and offers free standing condos with a country feel, but close to city amenities and coastal beaches. 

Some of the Amenities offered are:

• Spacious community building with full kitchen, stone fireplace, banquet area, conference room and equipped fitness center
• Tennis courts and nature trails
• Routine lawn care and landscaping
• Aggressive spring clean-up, mulch and pruning
• Driveway and walkway snow removal including salt and sand
• Scheduled housekeeping of community building and amenities
• Nature trail maintenance
• Maintenance of tennis courts & fitness equipment
• You own the land your unit sits on

 
 What are the benefits of owning a condo?

• Owner has control of his/her unit
• You can build equity with each payment
• Possible tax advantages
• Much of the grounds maintenance is taken care of by the association

 

 

If you have questions about condo ownership,

please e-mail brenda@fontaineteam.com or call

(207)784-3800.

 

We are always here for all your real estate needs!

STOP BY AND SAY "HI"!

Today, we are busy, busy, busy...

getting ready for the 18th Annual

Androscoggin Business to Business Trade Show!

 

Join us Thursday, June 13th

at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee

in Lewiston for

Maine's largest business networking event!

 

 

- Drawing for a $100 gas card to J&S Oil

- Information on Apple Valley Condos

- Fontaine string bags (while they last)

- and Flat Brenda!

 

 

Make sure to come by booth 311 to say "Hi"!

 

Admission is free if you have a business card.

The show starts at 9:30am and goes to 5:30pm.

We will see you there!

 

We are always available for your real estate needs!

Call (207)784-3800 or e-mail us at

brenda@fontaineteam.com

CAN YOU STILL GET A NO MONEY DOWN MORTGAGE?

Are you interested in buying a home...

 but worried about coming up with the down payment? 

If so, you are not alone...

 

of recent home buyers in Maine were first-time buyers.

(according to the 2012 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers by the National Association of Realtors). 

 

Good News!!

There is still some no-money down

mortgage options available! 

Here are a couple of options:

• Rural Development  - This program offers no money down loans if you meet income eligibility and credit requirements.  There are also restrictions on where the property can be located.  There is a RD Direct Option as well as a RD Guaranteed Housing Loan program that is offered through private lenders. 

• VA Home Loans - This program is offered to Active Duty Service members, Veterans, and National Guard and Reserve members.  To be eligible, you must have a good credit score, sufficient income, a valid Certificate of Eligibility, and meet certain service requirements.

 

If you don't qualify

for one of the no-money down options,

don't worry...

 

• Maine Housing First Home Program - offers mortgages to first time buyers with little or no down payments if you meet the income limits. 

• FHA offers a mortgage with only 3.5% down!  The purchase price amount that can be financed varies from state to state (see Maine's loan limits here). 

 
Setting up a meeting with a couple of reputable lenders is the first step in finding out what program will work best for you.  Not all lenders offer all mortgage options so you may have to shop around a little bit to find the best fit. 
 

Be Prepared:

When you meet with a lender, what will you need?

 

2 years of tax returns with W2's

30 days of pay stubs

2 months of bank statements

 

If you are interested in purchasing a home

 with little or no money down,

call us at (207)784-3800

or e-mail brenda@fontaineteam.com

 to get started today!

 

HAVE YOU ALWAYS WANTED A WATERFONT HOME?

If you have always wanted to own

a waterfront home in Maine... 

 

Now is a great time to purchase one.  

Prices are affordable and interest rates are at all time lows.

 





If you are considering purchasing waterfront property,make sure you are familiar with shoreland zoning in Maine.  

 

What is Shoreland Zoning?

 

 Land withing 250 feet of the normal high-water line of any great pond or river,

upland area of coastal wetland or defined freshwater wetland,

and within 75 feet of normal high-water line of streams.

Click here

 

Besides restrictions set in place by the State of Maine, each individual town may have additional shoreland zoning rules and restrictions, so make sure you do your homework if you are considering a waterfront home.    

 

Click here

A few things to consider when you are looking at waterfront property are:



Non-conforming structures

Expansion possibilities

Clearing trees and other growth

Minimum setback requirements

Lot Coverage

Flood Elevation

 

Click here

Your real estate agent can be a valuable resource to help you find the information you need to make an informed choice.

 

Click here

 

 

Call us at

784-3800

to find your dream Maine waterfront home today!

 

SHOULD YOU LEAVE YOUR APPLIANCES WHEN SELLING?

 

In the latest episode of

Your Real Estate Solutions

with Brenda Fontaine...

 

 

Join Brenda Fontaine as she discusses whether it is a good idea

 to include appliances when selling your Maine home.

 

 Julie Poulin from Mortgage Network discusses no money down loan options.

 

DeeDee Whittemore from Phenix Title talks about the dangers of

discounted title searches and title insurance.

 

Do you have a question about real estate that you would like

to have Brenda or one of our experts answer? 

 Just e-mail us at brenda@fontaineteam.com 

or call

(207)784-3800

 to schedule a private meeting with one of our skilled agents.

8 EASY WAYS TO PROTECT YOUR IDENTITY

 

 

Identity theft is in the news more and more often. 

Nothing is worse that finding out the hard way

that someone has stolen your identity. 

 

For example - a week before you are scheduled to

 close on your new home, you get a call from your lender

to tell you they can no longer grant your loan

 because of the furniture you charged on your credit card...

except you did not buy any furniture.  

Yikes!

 

Once someone has started using your identity

you are fighting an uphill battle to fix the problem,

 but there are some easy things you can do to protect yourself

so you don't end up in that situation.

  

8 Easy Ways to Protect Your Identity:

 

One

Don't share your personal information on social media

or by e-mail.  This includes your Social Security number,

address, and date of birth, etc...

 

Two

Make sure you have anti-virus software, anti-spyware software

and a firewall installed on your computer. 

 

Three

Use strong passwords on any accounts you access on  your computer. 

Don't use the same password for every site.

 

Four

If you keep a file of bills or personal information at home,

make sure it is locked...and don't leave the key in the lock.

 

Five

Shred anything with personal information (such as bills)

that you don't need before you throw it away.

 

Six

When you go away, request a hold from the post office

so mail with personal information is not left in the mailbox. 

 

Seven

Check accounts for unauthorized activity and

your credit report on a regular basis.

 

Eight

Ask the company who insures your home if they offer

identity theft insurance and purchase it.
 

 

Are you interested in more tips to help with 

buying or selling a home in Maine? 

 

Let us help! 

 

Call us at

(207)784-3800

or e-mail us at brenda@fontaineteam.com. 

 

 

DO YOU NEED A VACATION? WIN IT HERE!

 

The sun is shining and the weather is finally getting warm...

If you are like me, the beautiful weather makes you think of

 

How would you like to spend a week in Florida

at a beautiful resort for FREE and

help grant a child's wish at the same time? 

 

&

 

 

are holding a Grant-A-Wish Raffle

in the hopes of raising $6000

to grant the wish of a child. 

 

We need your help to make it happen.

If you purchase a raffle ticket for only $25,

you have a 1 in 275 chance of winning a 1 week stay

at Wyndham Bonnet Creek Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida

 in a 2 bedroom, 2 bath suite...a $2100 value! 

 

Call (207)784-3800 to reserve your ticket today,

or stop by the office at 336 Center Street in Auburn

and pick up your tickets.

 

1 ticket - $25

5 tickets - $100

 

 

FREE EVENT - TOUCH A TRUCK

Do you want something fun and FREE

to do with the family this weekend? 

 

Come Touch-A-Truck!

This Saturday, May 4th, the United Way of Androscoggin County

is holding the 3rd Annual Touch-a-Truck Event!

 

Come out and see fire trucks, police cars,

construction vehicles and the Fontaine moving van

 

 

as well as participate in a children's book swap

 and children's activities....

all for FREE! 

 

When:  Saturday, May 4th from 10am-1pm

Where: Central Maine Community College

 1250 Turner Street in Auburn

 

We hope to see you there!

 

Did you know that when you buy or sell with the Fontaine Team,

 you can use our moving van for free? 

Call us today to get your home sold or to find your dream home!

 

(207)784-3800

Update: 

Photos from Touch-A-Truck 2013

 

FUN THINGS TO DO IN MAINE THIS SPRING!

I don't know about you, but I have spring fever! 

 

Bring on the warm weather, let's get out of the house

and go do something! 

 

Are you looking for things to do this spring? 

Check out these events in April and May...

 

Sugarloaf Reggae Festival

May 11th - 14th 

The 25th Annual Reggae Festival at Sugarloaf Mountain Resort

kicks off with Reggae Rhythm and Booms fireworks display,

continues Friday a outdoor Reggae Rave and continues on Saturday

with the headline show...John Brown's Body with Mighty Mystic.

 

Kora Shrine Circus

April 12th -13th Androscoggin Bank Colissee

April 15th - 17th  Cumberland County Civic Center

April 19th - 20th  Augusta Civic Center

The 60th Annual Kora Shrine Circus is a 2 ring circus

with elephants, a double trapeze act and a motorcycle thrill show.  

 

 

Maine Home Show

April 27th - 28th

The Maine Home Show at the Androscoggin Bank Colissee

is the place to be if you own a home or are buying a home.  

 Fontaine Team will be there, so stop by and say "hi"!

 

Touch a Truck

May 4th

 

The United Way is putting on Touch-A-Truck at

Central Maine Community College.  This FREE event features trucks

 in all shapes and sizes including fire trucks, cement mixers

 and the Fontaine moving van!

 

 

Bath Mayfair

May 4th

The Mayfair in the town of Bath offers a citywide yard sale,

 downtown scavenger hunt, Maypole dancing, sidewalk chalk art,

a farmer's market and FREE yoga!

 

 

 Northern New England Home Garden and Flower Show

May 17th - 20th

  

Held at the Fryeberg Fair Grounds, the New England Home, Garden and Flower show

 offers garden marketplaces, home and garden seminars,

fair food and celebrity guests. 

 

Maine Comic Arts Festival

May 19th

The Maine Comic Arts Festival is held at the Ocean Gateway

in Portland and features artists, writers and publishers with no dealers.

 

 

Bug Light Kite Festival

May 18th

A day of kite flying at Bug Light park with activities for the kids,

displays, a barbecue and kites for sale.  Bug Light will also be

open to the public during the event! 

 

If you are interested in moving in Southern or Central Maine,

I would love to help!   Call me at (207)784-3800

or e-mail brenda@fontaineteam.com.

TIPS FOR SPRING CLEANING

 

Time to air out the house and start spring cleaning. 

Something about the weather getting warmer makes you want to

 have things clean and fresh...you may just not want to actually do the cleaning. 

Here are a links to some of my favorite spring cleaning tips

that I found on Pinterest to help make your spring cleaning a little easier. 

 Just click on any photo to see the instructions...

 

In the Kitchen

 

Clean the greasy gunk off of your small appliances

using Cream of Tartar and water 

  

Clean your dishwasher with white vinegar 

 

 

In the Living Room

 

Clean a microfiber couch with rubbing alcohol 

  

Clean your TV screen with a coffee filter 

 

 

In the Bedroom

 

Freshen your mattress & remove stains with baking soda,

 dish soap & hydrogen peroxide 

 

Dust your lampshades with a vacuum & dryer sheets 

 

 

In the Bathroom

 

Clean a clogged drain with baking soda & vinegar 

 

Clean a shower head with baking soda & vinegar 

 

 

In the Laundry

 

Clean your washer and dryer with vinegar 

 

Everyone knows that having a clean, clutter free house

can help it sell faster so spring cleaning could be just want is needed

to convince a buyer to make an offer on your home. 

If you are not selling...living in a fresh, clean house is always nice. 

 Check out more cleaning tips on my Pinterest Board by clicking here!

 

If you are interested in finding out more about

how to get your home sold for top dollar faster,

call (207)784-3800 or e-mail brenda@fontaineteam.com.