by Sarah Craighead Dedmon

When Nick Gustafson, his wife, and two children last summer visited Maine, they fell in love with the coast and resolved to buy a home Downeast. But a tight housing market meant they went home empty-handed. 

Gustafson decided to get creative with their house-hunting strategy. A licensed real estate broker in both Florida and Maine, he mailed letters directly to dozens of homeowners, asking if they were willing to sell.

“I was trying to think a little outside of the box,” he said.