Real Estate & Elegant Maine Living - The Way Life Should Be

Send us Fan Mail What really happens behind the beautiful photography used to market Maine real estate? In Part 2 of this Elegant Maine Living conversation, Maine real estate advisor Elise Kiely goes behind the scenes with architectural and interior photographer Peter Morneau to share what buyers and sellers rarely see—from photographing extraordinary Maine homes and private properties to unexpect...

Send us Fan Mail What makes a buyer stop scrolling—and what can a photograph reveal about a home that the rest of us might miss? In Part 1 of this Elegant Maine Living conversation, Maine real estate advisor Elise Kiely sits down with architectural and interior photographer Peter Morneau to go behind the lens of Maine real estate. Peter shares his unexpected path from real estate agent to professi...

Send us Fan Mail What can surviving in the wilderness teach us about how we live our everyday lives? In Part Two of my conversation with Maine fishing guide, Air Force veteran, and Sanford City Councilor Cheeny Plante , we explore her four appearances on Naked and Afraid —from 21 days in South Africa to a solo survival challenge and two seasons of Last One Standing . Cheeny shares what happens whe...

Send us Fan Mail What does it mean to intentionally choose the harder path? In Part One of my conversation with Maine fishing guide and Air Force veteran Cheeny Plante , we explore a remarkable journey that began in Sanford, Maine, and led Cheeny to enlist in the Air Force at just 16 years old. She went on to become a SERE Specialist—completing the demanding Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escap...

Send us Fan Mail What makes it possible to safely explore some of Maine’s most remote places? In Part 2 of my conversation with Brian Elowe , we explore why LifeFlight of Maine is such an important part of Maine’s outdoor lifestyle—and the infrastructure that supports our tourism economy. From Maine hiking, skiing, fishing and boating to exploring remote islands and the North Woods, access to crit...

Send us Fan Mail LifeFlight of Maine: Critical Care When Minutes Matter — Part 1 with Brian Elowe What happens when a medical emergency occurs miles from the nearest Maine hospital —on an island, a hiking trail, a ski slope, or deep in the Maine woods? In Part 1 of my conversation with Brian Elowe , a board member of the LifeFlight Foundation, we explore the mission, history, and extraordinary imp...

Send us Fan Mail What is it really like to buy or sell a home in Maine today? In this episode of Elegant Maine Living , Elise Kiely moves beyond the headlines and shares what she's seeing every day with buyers and sellers across Southern and Coastal Maine. While inventory has increased and buyers have more choices than they've had in several years, the best homes continue to attract stro...

Send us Fan Mail Is the national housing market finally shifting in favor of buyers? And if so, what could those changes mean for Maine real estate ? In this episode of Elegant Maine Living , Elise Kiely steps back from the monthly headlines to explore the national trends quietly reshaping today's housing market. From housing supply and affordability to demographic shifts, family gifting, wel...

Send us Fan Mail Can a home change the way you live? In Part Two of my conversation with interior architect and designer Amanda Pratt , we step inside Shooting Rock , one of Maine's most extraordinary waterfront homes, to explore the vision behind its remarkable transformation. Amanda shares how architecture, art, craftsmanship, and the natural landscape come together to create a home designe...

Send us Fan Mail Designing Extraordinary Homes in Maine: Amanda Pratt on Architecture, Art, Reinvention & Living Well | Part 1 What transforms a beautiful house into a home people never forget? In this episode of Elegant Maine Living , I sit down with designer, entrepreneur, and interior architect Amanda Pratt to explore the experiences that shaped her remarkable career—from construction sites...

Send us Fan Mail What happens after the diagnosis? New Listeners Start Here: New to this conversation? I recommend listening to Part I first, where Laura shares how a single Lone Star tick bite led to her Alpha-gal Syndrome diagnosis, the challenges of getting answers, and why awareness of this growing tick-borne condition matters. In Part Two of my conversation with my lifelong friend, Laura Finn...

Send us Fan Mail What if one tiny tick bite changed your life forever? Most of us know about Lyme disease. But have you heard of Alpha-gal Syndrome , the life-changing allergy that can develop after a single bite from a Lone Star tick? In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, I sit down with my oldest and dearest friend, Laura Finney , to share her remarkable story of developing Alpha-gal Syndrome...

Send us Fan Mail Can a centuries-old game help keep your mind sharp while also bringing people together? In Part 2 of my conversation with Melanie Charest , founder of Mainely Mahjong , we explore why American Mahjong is about much more than mastering the tiles. We discuss the growing body of research surrounding Mahjong and cognitive health, the importance of lifelong learning, and why gathering...

Send us Fan Mail Why is American Mahjong suddenly everywhere in Maine? In this episode of Elegant Maine Living , I sit down with Melanie Charest , founder of Mainely Mahjong , to explore why American Mahjong has become one of the fastest-growing social activities in Maine. What begins as a conversation about colorful tiles quickly becomes a discussion about something much bigger: building communit...

Send us Fan Mail When I started the Elegant Maine Living podcast just over a year ago, I thought I was creating a platform to share conversations about Maine, real estate, entrepreneurship, and community. What I didn't anticipate was how much these conversations would teach me. In this special anniversary episode, I reflect on what I've learned from a year of sitting down with entreprene...

Send us Fan Mail What are today's buyers looking for, and how can homeowners position their properties to maximize value in an evolving real estate market? In Part 2 of my Spring 2026 Maine Real Estate Market Update, I explore how changing buyer preferences are shaping the Maine housing market and share practical strategies for both buyers and sellers navigating today's opportunities. In...

Send us Fan Mail Is the housing market slowing, evolving, or heading toward a downturn? In Part 1 of my May 2026 Maine Real Estate Market Update, I explore what is happening nationally, why Maine continues to behave differently than many markets around the country, and why thoughtful buyers are still entering the market despite mortgage rates in the mid-6% range. We discuss: • Why today's mar...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when two middle school girls leave behind their friends, sports teams, school routines, and familiar lives in Maine to spend nearly a year living in Africa and Europe? In this second half of Elise Kiely’s conversation with the Cook Mueller family, Jasmine and Sydney Mueller share their family sabbatical experience from their perspective. When their parents first annou...

Send us Fan Mail What would it look like to step away from everyday life for nearly a year and experience the world together as a family? In this first half of Elise Kiely’s conversation with Shana Cook Mueller, Shana shares how she and her husband, Fortunat Mueller of ReVision Energy, made the bold decision to pause work, leave Maine, and take their two daughters on a year-long family sabbatical...

Send us Fan Mail In the second half of my conversation with Molly Platz, we move from the decision to return to Maine… to what it actually looks like to build a new life here as an adult. After years living in Austin, Texas, Molly and her partner Nick made the intentional decision to return to Maine and create a life that balanced community, independence, family, and lifestyle . Together, we discu...

Send us Fan Mail Molly Platz’s story is one that will resonate with so many young adults who grow up in Maine, leave to explore the world, build careers and relationships elsewhere—and then eventually begin asking themselves an important question: What would it look like to come back to Maine and build a life here as an adult, on my own terms? In this first half of my conversation with Molly, we t...

Send us Fan Mail In the second half of her conversation with Dr. Mike Baumann, Chair of Emergency Medicine at Maine Medical Center, Elise Kiely dives into what it truly means to lead and practice emergency medicine in Maine. Dr. Baumann shares how Life Flight of Maine operates in one of the most rural states in the country, what a typical day looks like for an ER physician, and how a recent health...

Send us Fan Mail In this first half of a two-part conversation, Elise Kiely sits down with Dr. Mike Bauman, Chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Maine Medical Center and Professor at Tufts University School of Medicine. With warmth, clarity, and candor, Dr. Bauman offers a behind-the-scenes look at the structure and role of Maine’s flagship teaching hospital — from the residency match...

Send us Fan Mail In this April 2026 market update, Elise Kiely shares a clear and grounded perspective on what is happening in Maine real estate today —and how buyers and sellers can respond strategically. The data points to a market that is stabilizing, not declining. While national headlines highlight uncertainty, Maine continues to move at its own pace, with moderate appreciation, limited inven...

Send us Fan Mail What does it really take to build a business—and sustain it through changing markets, uncertainty, and growth? In this second half of my conversation with Elizabeth Carper of The Styled Home, we go beyond staging and into her remarkable entrepreneurial journey. From starting a small home-based business to navigating the financial crisis, COVID, and today’s evolving real estate mar...