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Purchasing a home is a big decision, but it can have big benefits too that renting cannot provide: Stability:  first and foremost your home is YOUR HOME. A place that you can call your own.   An  investment in your future . Each month you make a payment, you are one step closer to paying off your mortgage loan, and building equity along the way. May provide  a tax deduction . Each year, you may be able to write off your mortgage interest payments and property tax on your personal residence. There are other potential tax deductions tied to owning a home too. For some, this can be a significant tax savings. Be sure to consult your tax professional to determine what makes sense for you. Appreciation  of market value. While not all home values rise and fall at the same rate, over time, property values have kept up with inflation and can provide some price appreciation, which is helpful if you want to sell to move to a new location or into a bigger home. The combination of your e

Sales of single-family existing homes continue to recover from the impacts of the early months of COVID-19.  Maine Listings reports a sales jump of 12.43% in July 2020, when compared to July 2019.  Values rose 10.83% to a median sales price of $254,900, comparing July 2020 to July 2019. The MSP indicates that half of the homes were sold for more and half sold for less. Maine’s nation-leading low COVID-19 metrics and mortgage interest rates hovering at three percent and below, are contributing to very strong demand for residential real estate. The July statistics indicate pent-up demand from the initial drop-off impacts of the pandemic.

Purchasing a home is the largest investment most people will ever make. To help insure that this investment is protected from the unexpected cost of the replacement or repair of a septic system, it is important that the system be inspected by a trained septic system inspector. Why Should You Request a Septic System Inspection?  Replacement of a system can cost $12,000 or more. Such an expense for a new homeowner may be substantial. Once a malfunctioning system is detected by the local plumbing inspector it usually must be replaced immediately, since it is a violation of the Maine Subsurface Wastewater Disposal Rules and is a health hazard that can potentially contaminate nearby wells. For your protection it is important to determine if a system is malfunctioning prior to purchase. Without an inspection it is impossible to know what is the condition of the system. What Does a Septic System Consist of?  A septic system is an underground treatment system that takes care of sanitar