Realtor Thursday

A conversation with Nancy Timberlake, RE/MAX by the Bay– Portland ME

Poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow described his boyhood home in his poem “My Lost Youth”:

“I remember the black wharves and the ships,
And the sea-tides tossing free;
And Spanish sailors with bearded lips,
And the beauty and mystery of the ships,
And the magic of the sea.
And the voice of that wayward song
Is singing and saying still:
“A boy’s will is the wind’s will,
And the thoughts of youth are long, long thoughts.”

The Portland Maine waterfront still offers the same beauty and mystery that captured the imagination of one of the city’s more famous residents. Longfellow’s boyhood home is nestled next to the Maine Historical Society on Congress Street and open for tours from May to October. You can still wander along the docks off Commercial Street where fishing and lobster boats mingle with yachts and excursion boats.

Many areas of Portland are a step back in time to the Victorian era with stately mansions and wide, tree-lined streets. Renowned architect, John Calvin Stevens, moved to Portland at the age of two and is responsible for developing the Shingle Style home in the 1880’s. Portland’s West End offers many fine examples of his work.

The city of Portland, with a population of 64,000 and metro population of 230,000, is the largest city in Maine. Only about two hours from Boston by bus, train or auto, Portland is the financial and cultural capital of the state. The city is served by the Portland International Jetport.

Our Town

Portland has received all sorts of accolades from many sources including ranking as one of the ten safest cities in “Travel Smart Consumer”, #2 healthiest cities for women in “SELF” magazine, one of the ten greatest adventure towns in “National Geographic Adventure Magazine”. But, I think my favorite “best” endorsement came from “Bon Appetit”– dubbing our city as America’s Foodiest Small Town. If you love good food and fine micro brews, Portland has to be on your list of favorite destinations or you might need to relocate here.

The renowned Old Port area has an incredible concentration of fine dining, funky eateries, and brew pubs. Of course the seafood is guaranteed to be the freshest possible and many of the restaurants pride themselves on using local seasonal produce. If you want a special night out, you can enjoy Fore Street restaurant whose chef-owner Sam Hayward won Best Chef-North from the James Beard Foundation.

I can also personally recommend the cupcakes at Two Fat Cats Bakery. A very fun establishment with friendly staff, Two Fat Cat’s serves up a moist cake with a thick topping of butter cream frosting. They also make delicious cookies, pies and other treats—not that I have tried them all—yet.

Portland, home to Maine College of Art, has also become an art center with many fine galleries and an outstanding art museum. The Portland Museum of Art is currently exhibiting works by Winslow Homer until September 2010. Homer first exhibited at the museum in 1893 at the age of 57. The museum also acquired his home and studio at Prout’s Neck to be opened to the public in September 2012.

Portland galleries and the museum are open every first Friday for Art Walk. The streets and restaurants in the Arts District are buzzing with excitement as locals and visitors enjoy the exhibits and street vendors, most of whom are local art students displaying their work. You might pick up a piece by a future Wyeth. Most of the studios offer wine and cheese so it makes for a fun night out.

The People

Portland people are great! There are natives, like myself, and people from all over the United States and the world who work, live and play in this wonderful city.

We stay because of family and friends, the changing seasons, the progressive politics, the breath-taking coast, the safety—we have a low crime rate, the cultural diversity and opportunities, the easy access to outstanding medical facilities, the excellent school system including area colleges and universities and a host of other reasons.

Realtors and Technology

This year I decided to do all my marketing online. Since that’s where the action is, it just made sense to be where people are looking. Statistics show that 90% of consumers are going to the internet to search for a home; 94% of first-time buyers!

Odds that buyers find their home online rather than newspaper: 36/2 and that buyers find a home online rather than a home magazine: 36/1.

I also decided as part of my business plan that I would set aside time every day to blog on several sites including active rain, Facebook, and my blogger spot. Social networking is here to stay and it is a lot of fun—really!

Preparing to Buy

I love working with new buyers and sharing their excitement about getting a new or first home. We begin by looking at their wants and needs list so I can set up a search which meets their criteria. It is important to think through what is most important like location, school system, number of bedrooms, baths, and of course, price.

I setup their own personal website where they can choose favorites and possibilities. I usually advise that we look at no more than 5 or 6 properties at one time so they can keep them sorted and make comparisons without heads spinning!

I also make sure that new clients have met with a lender who has explained the loan process and told them what price range they should consider. You don’t want to be looking at properties that are never going to be affordable and lead to disappointment. I also do a buyer’s Comparative Market Analysis once they are ready to make an offer to be sure that they are getting good value on the home of their choice.

Buyers: Find a REALTOR with a good reputation who knows the area well. Ask to see endorsements. Your broker should help you understand every step of the process and keep you well-informed.

Word of Wisdom

If you are preparing to sell your home in the near future or even in a few months, it is time to take a hard look around and try to see your home as a potential buyer might.

If you are an accumulator type, you have to make some decisions. Time to go from top to bottom and clear out clutter, personal items, and junk that you know you will never use or need. You can go room by room and decide what can go in the trash, what can be packed up, what can be sold. You can donate a lot of items to places like Goodwill or Salvation Army. Have a yard sale or take things to consignment or auction. You must deal with the stuff or risk losing money on the sale of your home.

Then, when you think you have cleared out, start cleaning and sprucing up. Repaint ceilings and walls and get rid of scuffs and smudges. Organize your closets, cabinets and drawers.

No odors—artificial or otherwise. The home should be odorless and clean.

Don’t forget the exterior. You must have heard of curb appeal. It is your chance to make a great first impression so the showing doesn’t turn into a drive-by.

Professional stagers can help if need be. There are types for every budget.

When I stage a home I try to use what the homeowner has on hand if possible and just add a few touches like accent pillows, new toiletries, or a colorful throw. It doesn’t have to be expensive to look inviting and to make the most of the space.

Statistics show that staged homes do sell faster.

Schools

According to the Portland Schools’ website, the Portland Public School System, Maine’s largest, educates 7,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade, and approximately 4,900 adult learners. Its facilities range from a one-room schoolhouse on an island in Casco Bay, to the nation’s second-oldest public high school and a state-of-the-art elementary school.

The Portland school system enrolls 300 new refugee or immigrant children each year. The system currently has more than 1,800 minority students speaking 60 languages. At Portland High School alone, students hail from 41 countries and speak 26 different languages.

Portland schools are committed to helping students prepare for modern technology so all students are issued laptop computers from sixth grade to graduation. By 2011 schools will all have wireless service. Casco Bay High School was named by the International Center for Leadership in Education as one of 25 “model schools” nationwide in 2010.

In June 500 students graduated from local high schools, 37 attained diplomas from

Adult Ed and 208 passed the GED.

Going Green

Portlanders, as all of Maine, are very progressive about maintaining a healthy environment. Portland is the host city for ecomaine, a non-profit waste management company that operates a waste-to energy plant and recycling operation.

Portland residents use recycle bins for all glass, metal, paper and cardboard, and plastics. The process has been simplified by a single stream, leading-edge technology type system which eliminates the need to separate those materials. The easier it is to recycle, the more likely that everyone will participate.

Maine law also requires all old TV’s, computers and cell phones be recycled at certified sites like Portland’s Transfer Station.

Ecomaine processes more than 27,000 tons of recyclable material every year. Their waste-to-energy plant produces enough electricity to serve all the homes in South Portland and Gorham and reduces the volume of trash by 90%.

Portland also has a great initiative called Green Streets which is a local grass roots effort to get the whole community rethinking its behavior to have a more positive effect on the environment. On the last Friday of every month they encourage people to take the following action:

Wear green, Walk, bike, carpool or use public transportation, Celebrate the outdoors!

Portland has a Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee which works towards making the city a better place to walk, bicycle, or travel by wheelchair. The city has even added a grant-funded position for a coordinator.

Portland also participates in the international Greendrinks movement which is a volunteer-mananged social network group. Their website states: “The goal of Greendrinks is pretty simple: good times shared among people working in, or interested in, environmental and sustainability issues”. Their July event will support the Portland Trails non-profit urban land trust.

Bottom Out

The Portland housing market underwent a decline as did the rest of the nation but the tax payer credits and the improving economy seem to have helped turn a corner.

We are seeing growth in sales although prices are holding fairly steady after the fall. In first quarter of 2007, 203 single family homes sold for an average price of $239,000; in same period of 2008, 78 homes for average $229,000; in 2009, 62 homes for average $202,000; and in 2010, 87 homes for $205,000.

We’re moving up!

About Nancy Timberlake: A Portland native, I attended local schools and graduated from Mount Holyoke College with a degree in Art History.

My husband and I reside in a century old Victorian home in Portland and enjoy the art and culture the area offers, including the Portland Museum of Art, many galleries, theaters, antiques, and restaurants.

I worked in the travel industry promoting the area to large groups of tourists visiting the city while on cruises. I also owned an antique business which complemented my love of decorating.

I will be sensitive to your personal needs, conscientious and diligent as I guide you through the process of buying and selling property. I am enthusiastic about sharing my love of Greater Portland and my knowledge of its vibrant housing market with you.

Clients have said:

“Working with Nancy took a lot of the anxiety out of buying my first place”–Holly

“She led us step by step through the purchase process”–Emily and Christian

“Nancy was calm, accessible, thorough, knowledgeable and fun. We sold our place within a week and worked through closing without a hitch.  She made every step of the process clear and easy.  I walked into my closing feeling confident and happy.  I recommend her without reservation and will continue to rely on her in all my future real estate dealings.”—Mary

“We’re hoping some of our friends buy houses soon so we can put them in touch with you.”—Nicole and Braden

NANCY TIMBERLAKE

Realtor

Accredited Home-Staging Specialist

Energy Smart Real Estate Specialist

RE/MAX By The Bay

970 Baxter Boulevard, Suite 201

Portland, Maine 04103

Making Real Estate Easy!

207 553-7314 (Direct)

207 773-2345 (Office)

207 773-2525 (FAX)

Personal Website: www.mainehomesmarket.com

My Blog: http://ntimberlake.blogspot.com

Testimonials:  http://marketing.remaxdesigncenter.com/03/70203/859631/859631.swf

My Facebook Fan Page: www.facebook.com/nancytimberlakerealestate

LIVE searches at RE/MAX.com: http://workingforyou.remax.com

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This guest post is part of our Realtor Thursday Series. We invite realtors from towns and cities all over the country, big or small, to participate. Our goal is to “travel” to as many towns as we can in every state. Every town is unique and wonderful to our readers. If you would like to showcase your town, your neighbors and your talents as a realtor, please contact us at liz@dalesiegel.com