By Barbara Scott
Staff Writer
“Once a salesman, always a salesman,” said Steve Scott, real estate broker and owner of Bernard/Coury Realty in Caribou.
Scott is celebrating his 15th year anniversary as owner of the long established real estate company. The original owners and brokers, Reginald ‘Reggie’ Bernard and his father-in-law Joe Coury of Fort Fairfield began the company in 1973, primarily operating in land sales.
Steve Scott owner and real estate broker of Bernard/Coury Reality
In 1983 Bernard/Coury Realty added residential and commercial sales/listings but still had the heaviest concentration in land.
A car salesman, Scott worked in his family-owned dealership for 20 years, 15 in sales and five as a co-owner with his father, Sheldon Scott. The Caribou Motor Company, located on South Main Street in Caribou was the oldest New England Ford/Mercury dealership with 76 year of continuous ownership.
Upon the sale of the dealership and with salesman running thick in his blood, Scott was prompted to enter the real estate arena. Taking the necessary real estate courses from Reggie Bernard, Scott developed a friendship with Bernard and as he went from sales agent to associate broker under the veteran Bernard he began selling real estate out of the Bernard/Coury office.
Following the death of Bernard in the early 1990s, Scott purchased the company, moving his office from the original downtown location to the then former Caribou Motor Company.
“When I moved the office back to the building where I had spent so many years of my life, selling cars and even as a kid, shoveling coal into the old furnaces there, it was like things had come full circle. “I was certainly glad I was no longer involved in the car business, because of the loss of Loring, high fuel prices and even worse, high interest rates, but was very comfortable to be still selling; it’s the same principle, just a bigger product,” he added.
Since his move to selling real estate Scott still does a lot of land sales, averaging around 3,000 acres per year, following in the original owners’ footsteps, but also provides service in residential, commercial and industrial sales.
“I really enjoy the real estate business, actually I’ve sold property for a number of people I sold cars to in the past.” said Scott. “Basically I am working with the same aspects of financing and working with the same individuals in the same financial institutions that I did when I was selling vehicles. In a lot of ways this is the easier of the two when you speak of financing. Right now there are a number of programs available to assist people looking to purchase a home, business or property,” he added. “Right now there is financing available for first-time home buyers, conventional loans, commercial loans as well as industrial property loans. The assistance is out there for serious buyers.”
Some of the positive changes that the realtor mentioned regarding the real estate market included the increase of prices for homes and the lower interest rates. Waterfront property has also been a keen selling point over the past 10 years due to the increase of buyers from out of state, looking to purchase this type of property. The prices for waterfront property in this area compared to out of state or in the southern part of the state is remarkable. Waterfront property also tends to command the higher prices due to the fact that the “Camp, Camp” has been become a four season home.
Presently Scott has moved the offices of Bernard/Coury to his family homestead at 128 High Street, where office hours include Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to whenever. Saturday and Sundays on demand. “It’s that salesman in me,” said Scott, “ if someone wants to look at a property, list a property or talk financing, I’ll be there.” Telephone: 492-4571.
Also working out of the Bernard/Coury Realty location is Curtis Richards, sales agent; and Rebecca McBreairty, associate broker.
