I live and work in Maine for reasons many of you share: proximity to the mountains, lakes and sea good, safe, schools for my kids access to great medical resources friendships that endure 20 minute commuting and a quality of life that we say is "the way life should be" As a real estate broker, I'm able to use many of my past experiences and current skills to help people navigate through the complexities of real estate transactions in today's world: financing choices finding locations that will protect equity getting top dollar at sale dealing with "rights" granted others by deeds issues of lead paint or asbestos, to name just a few. Often, I use my own real estate experience and learning to help my clients make well informed real estate buying or selling decisions. I've bought and sold new houses and old homes; houses with frontage on the ocean, or lakes; alongside highways or cornfields; in suburban subdivisions or rural areas. I've moved instate, and between states many times. These experiences are further supported by what I learned from ongoing real estate educational courses and an intensive 160 hour training program for builders of solar and alternative energy houses. As an owner, I've torn up floors, pulled down walls, hung sheetrock, jacked sills, laid electric cables, sweated pipe joints, built dams, and long ago lost count of the many holes dug for trees now grown. I can confidently offer to put all of this experience to work for you as either a Buyer or Seller. Way back "when", I graduated from Notre Dame, served as a Navy officer, held a variety of manufacturing and human resource assignments with GE and UNUM, and spent a year as a lecturer at Harvard Business School. I have run several small businesses and been a consultant to others. My community involvement includes service as Chairman of the board of directors of the Portland Chapter of the American Red Cross, vice president of Falmouth Rotary, and President of the Falmouth chapter of Business Network International. I have a stepson and stepdaughter in college, a golden retriever dog who frankly doesn't care about college, and a home in New Gloucester. In the spare time left over, I play racquetball enthusiastically if not well, fly light airplanes carefully, cook reasonably well, and enjoy sports! Austin and Associates want our clients to have the information they need to make the best possible decisions when buying or selling real estate. With that in mind, we want you to know that almost all of the properties "for sale" in Southern and coastal Maine are available for your viewing on the Internet! You can search by town, price, amenities, or other preferences. (Most of the properties also have color photos that will load pretty quickly depending on your modem) Give it a try. Click HERE to hot link to Maine's statewide multiple listing service. Check out properties that interest you! Then, when you find one you like, call or e-mail me so that I can help you buy it on the best terms. Or, if you're selling a property, check out your competition to get a better feel for the value of your property compared to others. And don't forget to ask me how I can launch a "sure sell" campaign to market your property and get you the highest possible return at sale! Austin de Groat Keller Williams Realty 50 Sewall Street Portland, Maine 04102 207-553-1321 Cell 207-415-2108 Austin@austindegroat.com

Home Here are some of the things my clients have had to say about my real estate practice "Let's not end our friendship just because the real estate business is behind us. Anyone who can keep jello on a hot fork, which is what you did when things fell apart is someone special in our book!" -- Hans and Barbara Jenni "Marc and I both want to thank you for this becoming a reality. I really don't think it would have happened without your help. Thanks again for your time and energy. We are thrilled to be the new owners of Tarry-A-While." -- Nancy and Marc Stretch "Anne and I are writing this letter to tell you how very impressed we are with the quality of service that you have given us as prospective home buyers. We have worked with realtors several times in the past having purchased 4 other homes. Never have we felt as confident and trusting in a realtor as we have with you. Anne and I truly believe that you are watching out for us and protecting our interests even better than we could ourselves." -- Jere and Anne Hoover "Before the day becomes cluttered with the push and pull of life, I want to tell you how very much you have helped during the past months. Of course your technical know-how was great to watch. However, it was the professional and personal constancy and caring about so many little things that added so much to the work you did for us." -- Carole and Don Esley