April 11, 2025

MUBEC AMENDED:

The State of Maine has amended the Maine Uniform Building and Energy Code (MUBEC). Municipalities that enforce the MUBEC began enforcing the amended adoption on April 7, 2025.

Review this one-page info sheet

Additional information about MUBEC and the specific codes

APRIL IS NATIONAL FAIR HOUSING MONTH!

Each year in April, REALTORS® reconfirm our commitment to upholding fair housing law as well as our commitment to offering equal professional service to all in their housing search.

CODE OF ETHICS - ARTICLE 10: 

REALTORS® shall not deny equal professional services to any person for reasons of race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity. REALTORS® shall not be parties to any plan or agreement to discriminate against a person or persons on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity. (Amended 1/23)

REALTORS®, in their real estate employment practices, shall not discriminate against any person or persons on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity. (Amended 1/23)

Review the 2025 Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice

REALTOR® RALLY – JOIN US April 17th!

Registration is open until noon on April 14. No cost to attend, parking is free, and we help with the talking points! Pre-registration is encouraged to assist MAR with advance planning and communications to legislators. 



10:30 a.m. Augusta Civic Center, North Wing

"Pre-Rally": Federal Issues Briefing with NAR, meet Maine REALTOR® Legislators, Q&A with MAR Advocacy Leaders and Government Affairs Team, and a networking lunch. 

1:00 p.m. Hall of Flags, Maine State House: Tour the State House, visit the Senate and House chambers and watch our government in action, network with REALTORS® and Legislators. We will have Guest Speakers in the Hall of Flags (invited) and dessert to share with your legislators.

Already this legislative session we’re faced with increased fees at the Registry of Deeds, increased real estate transfer tax, local option taxes, expanded PFAS testing, property tax stabilization, establishment of a deed fraud commission, streamlined permitting for certain multifamily housing developments, and a Maine Constitutional amendment to allow municipalities to apportion real and personal property taxes on the basis of property classification. 

MAR VIRTUAL REALTOR® RALLY - MOBILE ALERTS:

Be ready for the virtual portion of MAR’s REALTOR® Rally! Text REALTORS to 30644 to register for mobile alerts. When a state or national REALTOR® call for action is launched, you can take action from your cell phone!

REMODELING RESEARCH FROM NAR:

Americans spent $603 billion on home remodeling projects in 2024. Read NAR’s latest research that highlights projects that bring the greatest homeowner satisfaction (the “Joy Score”) and cost recovery

FBI REPORTS MAINE REAL ESTATE FRAUD:

Between 2019 and 2023, the Boston office of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) reported 262 real estate fraud victims in Maine with total losses totaling $6,253,008. This week we’ve learned of potential fraud attempts in Biddeford (Pool Street) and Freeport (19 Cousins Road). 

Read the FBI’s media release here

INVESTIGATE ALL LEADS:

Use your Forewarn app (a NO-COST member benefit provided by Maine Listings).

• Conduct a reverse lookup of the telephone number in FOREWARN and if it comes back with anything other than the expected person – investigate further. 
• Conduct a reverse name search in FOREWARN and call the number(s) provided to confirm the person’s identity and whether they did indeed contact you to list the property. 

In addition, you should verify information about the listing property and owner with the town/municipal tax records and the registry of deeds. 

For prospective sellers who are not physically located near you/the property, ask them to Zoom, Google Meet, Facetime with you for a first meeting – and ask them to show their identification on the screen. While scammers may also have fraudulent identification, they are likely to be unwilling to show their face on a screen. You can use a phrase like, “it’s our office protocol for new customers and clients”. If they’re unwilling, likely a red flag. It is not enough to receive identification via email since scammers are using fake passports and/or drivers licenses.

BE CAUTIOUS:

We are seeing a growing trend where REALTORS® are receiving “courtesy leads”, “profile leads”, or leads “from the app” from major real estate portals. Many of these “leads” are potential fraudulent sellers. As a reminder, follow the instructions above and do your due diligence to verify information about the listing property and the property’s legitimate owner. 

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