In a recent poll from Gallup, real estate has once again been voted the best long-term investment. And it’s claimed that top spot for 12 straight years now. Homeownership is one of the top ways to build wealth, even with home price growth moderating and ongoing economic uncertainty. If you’ve been trying to decide if it makes sense to buy a home today, let’s connect and talk about the programs that can help you become a homeowner.

Let's talk! To reach an agent in Midcoast or Greater Portland email us at info@catesre.com 

You Could Use Some of Your Equity To Give Your Children the Gift of Home

If you’re a homeowner, chances are you’ve built up a lot of wealth – just by living in your house and watching its value grow over time. And that equity? It’s something that could help change your child’s [...]

Maine’s Paint Stewardship Law requires the paint manufacturing industry to develop a financially sustainable and environmentally responsible program to recycle leftover paints, stains, and varnish. PaintCare is a program set up in Maine that accepts all brands of paint, stains, and varnish – even if they are 20 years old! All PaintCare [...]

Talk about the economy is all over the news, and the odds of a recession are rising this year. That’s leaving a lot of people wondering what it means for the value of their home – and their buying [...]

If buying a home is on your radar – even if it’s more of a someday plan than a right now plan – getting pre-approved early is still one of the smartest moves you can make. Why? Because, like anything in life, the right prep work makes things clearer.

The best time to get serious about buying is before you’re ready to buy. Here’s why.

Pre-Approval Helps You Understand Your [...]

There’s a lot of talk about a recession lately and how the odds of one are rising. If you’re wondering what that means for the housing market, here’s what the data tells us. While you may remember the price crash in 2008, that’s not the norm. Looking back to 1980, home prices usually rose, and mortgage rates tended to fall. If you have questions about buying or selling a home in today’s market, let’s talk.

Cates Real Estate | 207-701-5600 | info@catesre.com 

#mortgagerates #crashof2008 #homeprices #recession

Headlines are talking about the inventory of new homes and how we’re back at the levels not seen since 2009. And maybe you’re reading that and thinking: oh no, here we go again. That’s because you remember the housing crash of the late 2000s and you’re worried we’re repeating the same [...]

Last year, 70% of buyers abandoned their home search – and maybe you were one of them. It makes sense. Inventory was low, prices were high, and mortgage rates were up and down like a rollercoaster. All of that made it really hard to find a home you loved – and could [...]

Recession talk is all over the news, and the odds of a recession are rising this year. And that leaves people wondering what would happen to the housing market if we do go into a [...]

HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION:

The homestead exemption reduces a home's value by up to $25,000 for property tax purposes.

To qualify, the applicant must:

• be a permanent resident of Maine 
• the home must be the applicant’s permanent residence
• applicant must have owned a home in Maine for the twelve months before applying 
• application must be filed on or before April 1 with the municipality where the property is
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