Archive for February, 2008
Naples Swing Bridge Fix May Affect Local Waterfront Real Estate Owners
February 28th, 2008 categories: Lake Community News
The Naples Causeway Bridge controversy continues to generate a lot of discussion in this lake region community.
The Maine Dept. of Transporatation has now scheduled a meeting to promote their fixed bridge plan, which has many Naples waterfront business owners and area residents up in arms. The local board of selectmen is urging everyone to keep an open mind, but there seems to be a groundswell of opposition to replacing the current swing bridge with a fixed bridge. The cost of the project, whatever happens, plays a large part in what the state is proposing as funds are short and many projects need attention.
The main bone of contention is that a fixed bridge, as proposed, would not be high enough to allow the Songo River Queen II or tall-masted sailboats sufficient room to pass under the span, thus confining them to one side of the bridge or the other.
There could also be a ripple effect in the local waterfront real estate market. Any change in the status quo is bound to affect current and potential waterfront owners’ perceptions regarding access to the 45 miles of contiguous waterway by certain types of boats. If you’re a sailboat owner who wants to sail on all three bodies of water - Long Lake, Brandy Pond, and Sebago Lake - and find you can no longer pass through the swing bridge in Naples, it might have you going elsewhere to purchase that special waterfront property that suits your sailing needs.
In today’s Bridgton News there is a full report on the latest developments in this ongoing issue. You can read all about it in our Maine Lake News.
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Maine Waterfront Real Estate - A Good Neighbor Policy
February 28th, 2008 categories: Maine Waterfront Living, Observations and Commentary
Shortly after moving into my camp on Brandy Pond back in the nineties, I was paid a visit by some folks from across the lake. After exchanging pleasantries I found out the real reason for their visit.
It seems that I had been leaving an exterior light post on all night. To make matters worse, the light was on the lake side of the house. They informed me that leaving lights on all night disturbs wildlife in general and nesting loons in particular. They asked whether I would be kind enough to turn off the light when I turned in.
Come that evening I did notice that the entire lake, excepting the campground, did have all the lights facing the lake turned off. To this day I do not know whether this was a cock and a bull story, but I went along with it. You see, I did not want to be considered one of those egocentric, ill-mannered, pushy, rude, “flatlanders” “from away” who come to Maine thinking “this is all my own personal playground and I can do as I please regardless of who it might upset or bother”.
Now, I’ll admit, leaving a lakeside light on carelessly does not compare to, for instance, throttling up twin 500 horsepower diesel inboard motors at midnight as you hurtle down a lake at 50+ m.p.h., but they are only divided by a matter of degree. The point is to be considerate of your neighbors and respectful of where you are, not thoughtless or careless, or worse, obstinately uncaring.
When I was a boy in the 1950s my Dad would rent a camp on Little Sebago each year. After a very long drive on a sticky summer afternoon my siblings and I would be wild with anticipation as we pulled up to our special camp in our now classic “woodie” 1950 Desoto station wagon. Before Dad let us out of the car he would remind us that this was not our home. We were guests in a very special place and that we should act accordingly so as to not bring shame on the family.
A bit of advice: All the granite countertops, marble shower stalls, Bosch dishwashers and Viking ranges will not make you happy here in the lake region. One can have the best house on the best lot on the lake, but if you are warring with your neighbors you will not be happy. Be a considerate and friendly neighbor and you will be accepted and embraced by all. It’s that simple!
By the way, if you’d like to take a look at some of the great Maine waterfront properties currently for sale go to our Lakefront Locator and search all the current listings for the entire state by lake, town, and price point. Hundreds do it every day and find it very informative and useful.
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The Rangeley Lakes Region - Where “Peace and Quiet” Meets Maine Waterfront Living
February 26th, 2008 categories: Maine Waterfront Living, Rangeley Lakes Region
For years, the Rangeley Lakes Region has attracted visitors who yearn for a quiet escape from the faster tempos of regular life. Located 4 1/2 hours from Boston, just travelling here can give one a true sense of “getting away from it all”.Nestled in the western mountains of Maine and off the beaten path, the Rangeley Lakes Region offers an experience that can not be found in the more southern or coastal areas of the state. The terrain here is different - the hills, valleys, and mountains are more numerous. Lakes and ponds of all sizes are found here and the fishing is still the best in Maine.Perhaps the most impressionable feature of this area is the simple fact that there aren’t that many people here. Consequently, fewer of the trappings of contemporary society that assault us in more populated areas are found here.
For those who crave peace and solitude, who revel in the majesty of Nature, and who long for a home or a getaway situated somewhere less touched by civilization, the Rangeley Lakes Region is the place for you.
The Rangeley Lakes include a half dozen large lakes and many smaller lakes and ponds. The larger lakes are Rangeley Lake (6302 acres / 149 feet deep), Mooselookmeguntic and Cupsuptic Lakes (16,359 acres / 132′ ), Upper and Lower Richardson Lakes (7751 acres / 108′ ), Aziscohos Lake (6872 acres / 60′ ), Umbagog Lake (7767 acres / 48′ ) which straddles the New Hampshire border, and Kennebago Lake (1764 acres / 28′ ). Twenty-five miles to the northeast sits Flagstaff lake (17,380 acres / 48′ ).
The two towns at the center of this region are Rangeley and, five miles to its west, Oquossoc. Together, their year round residents barely number 1000. There are, however, ample places to stay in the area and no end to the things you can do all year long - provided, of course, you enjoy outdoor recreation.
Lakefront Locator will get you to available listings in the Rangeley Lakes Area. LakeSmart, is a research tool that will give you important information about area lakes. If you would like to read recent news articles about this region, use our Lake News feature.
And, of course, if you have a question or need a friend in the business let us know. We love Maine’s lakes and ponds and want to share them with you.
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Association Concerns When Buying a Maine Waterfront Home
February 24th, 2008 categories: Maine Waterfront Living
You might be surprised to learn that most lakefront property here in Maine is purchased by folks “from away”. From away usually refers to folks from Massachusetts, Connecticut or some other state here in the Northeast. The attitude these folks have about associations has always been peculiar to me.
A lakefront buyer will spend a whole lotta time finding just the right lakefront property and then will refuse to tender an offer until they have a chance to read the association bylaws and understand what the annual fees cover. It amuses me when a buyer is ready to buy a half million dollar second home but hesitates because he wants to understand what the annual dues of $150 per year cover. My only thought is that perhaps buyers from away have had to deal with terribly restrictive neighborhood associations back home and are justifiably concerned. Now, I’m all for due diligence. I’m not advocating carelessness, but remember, we’re in rural Maine. Things are different up here.
Three Types of Neighborhood Associations -
Road Associations - 90% of associations are for one purpose - road maintenace. Many camp roads are private and not plowed or maintained by the town. Association dues are for snowplowing in winter and grading in the spring. That’s it!
Homeowner Associations - Some neighborhoods have a lot more to maintain than just roads. For example, the Knights Hill neighborhood in Bridgton on Moose Pond has an association beach area, clubhouse, canoe rack, marina, tennis courts, playgrounds and even a pool. Annual fees are over $700 per year.
Lake Associations - Often times a lakefront homeowner will be invited to join a lake association. Mostly voluntary, these organizations can have clout. For instance the Lake Associations for the Range Ponds in Poland successfully banned jetski use on the ponds. They wanted a quiet lake and now have one. Most lake associations are formed to maintain or improve water quality or fight an invasive species like milfoil.
Some Advice… I always advise our lakefront buyers to make an offer contingent upon the receipt and satisfactory review of association by laws within 10 days of the effective date of an agreement. If found unsatisfactory, agreement can be declared null and void and earnest money returned.
Conclusion… In all my years in real estate I’ve never had one deal unravel because of association by laws. So, here in Maine, if you want to paint your house purple, GO FOR IT!!
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Naples Causeway Bridge Plans “Slowing Down”
February 22nd, 2008 categories: Lake Community News, Sebago Lakes Region
A week or two ago I posted an article about the ongoing controversy swirling around several new proposals for the repair or replacement of the Causeway Bridge in Naples on Rte. 302. A news article today in our local Bridgton News tells me that the whole project is being put on hold pending further study.
There are currently three active proposals attracting consideration and the Maine Department of Transportation felt that it would be better to get more public input before choosing an option and proceeding with a schedule. The long and short of it is that nothing will be happening with the bridge in 2008.
I have posted the full article from the Bridgton News in our Lake News on our website and you can see it here.
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The Belgrade Lakes Area - Where Waterfront is the “Maine” Attraction
February 22nd, 2008 categories: Belgrade Lakes Region, Maine Waterfront Living
The Belgrade Lakes Region is one of Maine’s premier communities and four-season vacation and recreational destinations. The area offers peaceful lakeside surroundings, superb fishing, as well as swimming, boating and hiking. A variety of shops, restaurants, and lodging choices await the weekend visitor, vacationer, or year round resident.
With their many seasonal events, boat tours, golf courses, hikes, or easy trips to the scenic Maine coast and area mountains, the greater Belgrade Lakes area provides multitudes of opportunities for fun and recreation throughout the year.
While the greater Belgrade region includes the China Lakes area to the east and the Winthrop lakes area to the south, the actual Belgrade Lakes are usually defined by a chain of seven fresh water lakes ranging in size from 500 acres to 8,000 acres. All the lakes feature excellent fishing and boating and all have state maintained boat launches for easy accessibility. The seven lakes, in decending order of size, are:
Great Pond - Belgrade and Rome - 8239 acres, depth 69′Messalonskee Lake - Belgrade, Oakland and Sidney - 3510 acres, depth 113′
Long Pond - Belgrade, Mt. Vernon, and Rome - 2714 acres, depth 106′North Pond - Mercer, Smithfield - 2115 acres, depth 20′
East Pond - Oakland and Smithfield - 1823 acres, depth 27′Salmon Pond - Oakland and Belgrade - 562 acres, depth 57′
McGrath Pond - Oakland and Belgrade - 486 acres, depth 27
The China Lakes area, located just east of Maine’s capitol city of Augusta, is comprised primarily of four water bodies - China Lake (3939 acres/ 85′ deep), Webber Pond (1233 acres/ 41′ deep), Three Mile Pond (1174 acres/ 37′ deep), and Togus Pond (674 acres/ 49′ deep), and five towns - Augusta, Windsor, China, Vassalboro and Winslow.
To the south of the Belgrade Lakes and west of Augusta is the Winthrop Lakes region. Scattered amongst the towns and villages of West Gardiner, Manchester, Monmouth, Winthrop, Leeds, Wayne, Readfield and Fayette are a dozen lakes and ponds, the most prominent of which are Cobbosseecontee Lake (5236 acres), Androscoggin Lake (4020 acres), Maranacook Lake (1844 acres), Lake Annabessacook (1415 acres) and Echo Lake (1109 acres).
All of these areas are about 3 1/2 hours from Boston with easy access to the Maine Turnpike.
Whether a destination for a vacation retreat, second home, or relocation, the greater Belgrade Lakes area offers something for all ages and seasons. The Greater Belgrade Lakes Area - where quality of life is the “Maine” attraction.
Lakefront Locator will get you to available listings in the Belgrade Lakes Area. LakeSmart, is a research tool that will give you important information about area lakes. If you have a question or need a friend in the business let us know. We love Maine’s lakes and ponds and want to share them with you.
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The Greater Sebago Lakes Region - Home of Maine’s Premier Waterfront Real Estate
February 21st, 2008 categories: Maine Waterfront Living, Sebago Lakes Region
Stretching from the Maine Turnpike in the east to the New Hampshire border in the west and from the Standish/Cornish area in the south to the Sunday River/Bethel area in the north, the Greater Sebago Lakes Region offers a complete package to vacationers and relocators alike - a multitude of lakes and ponds, a variety of amenities and attractions, and easy accessibility from the Boston area and points south.For over one hundred years the Greater Sebago Lakes Region has been the premier destination for those who want to enjoy clean recreational water, lake and mountain vistas, and four season fun in Maine.The lakes and ponds in this region come in all shapes and sizes. More than fifty have a surface area over 100 acres. From the quaintness of Coffee Pond at 106 acres to the mighty Sebago at over 30,000 acres, this region has a body of water to fit every criteria.
The main attraction is Sebago Lake, with its great size and depth, and its two sisters, Brandy Pond and Long Lake. These interconnected bodies of water form our own version of an inland waterway stretching 35 miles from Harrison at the north end of Long Lake to Standish at the southern end of Sebago Lake.
In between are the 11 miles of Long Lake, the Naples Causeway with its swing bridge, Brandy Pond and the Songo River, the old wooden locks on the Songo and, finally, entry into the northern portion of Sebago Lake. This stretch of water provides some of the best recreational boating that Maine has to offer.
Other notable lakes in the area include Thompson Lake in Otisfield, Poland and Oxford, Kezar Lake in Lovell, Highland Lake and Moose Pond in Bridgton, Pleasant Lake in Casco and Otisfield, and Panther Pond in Raymond.
Aside from the water related activities, the Greater Sebago Lake Region offers a wide variety of other things to do depending on the season including golf, skiing, snowmobiling, hiking, hunting, horseback riding, antiquing, summer theater, historic house tours, museums, and shopping. There are many interesting places to stay in the area with an especially good selection of B&Bs. Area cuisine runs the gamut from the very modest to dining at its very best.
The city of Portland, Maine’s largest city, is an hour or less away providing an assortment of cultural and entertainment activities as well as historic buildings to tour and some of the best restaurants in the country. Portland also serves as the gateway to the Casco Bay Islands and the Maine seacoast.
The White Mountains of New Hampshire are just to the west with North Conway, a mecca for outlet shoppers, acting as the entry point to all that this nearby region has to offer.
Lakefront Locator will get you to available listings in the Sebago Lakes Area. LakeSmart, is a research tool that will give you important information about area lakes. Remember, you can change the house but you can’t change the location. So, do your homework! If you have a question or need a friend in the business let us know. We love Maine’s lakes and ponds and want to share them with you.
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Looking at Maine Waterfront Real Estate? Here are Some Location Considerations
February 20th, 2008 categories: Maine Waterfront Living, Observations and Commentary
The Sentimental Choice — If you spent your childhood summers on a particular lake or in a particular town you may have an emotional affinity to that lake and/or town. Don’t fight it. Go for it! With Lakefront Locator you can select your lake, town, and price range and quickly determine what’s available there.The Weekender Choice — If you live in the Boston area and plan to use your lakefront home mostly on weekends, you might want to limit your drive time. Some folks will find a 4 hour drive from Boston acceptable. Others will want to limit the drive to under three hours to their lakefront property if they are planning regular weekend use.
The Commuter Choice — If you’re employment requires long distance travel you may wish to locate within an hour of the Portland and Bangor airports. Contact us and we can tailor a search plan that meets your needs.
The Ski Bum Choice — Maine has some great winter skiing destinations. If you are a winter skier it would be wise for you to consider a lakefront location that is close to your favorite ski destination. For example, if you love skiing at Sunday River near Bethel you might wish to find a lakefront home off the Route 26 corridor from Gray to Bethel.
The Snowbird Choice — Some folks plan to live full time in a lakefront home for a good part of the year. Most of these folks are summer residents who flock to Florida with the coming of winter. Considerations like distance from Boston don’t matter much. Other considerations like distance to the nearest hospital are more important.
The Born-to-Golf Choice — If golf is your passion and you refuse to do without, let us help you find a lakefront location that is close to a number of fine golf courses. There are great courses here in Maine and we can help you locate near them.
The Seashore Choice — If you love the idea of lakefront living but your spouse or significant other liswants to be near the coast, consider a lakefront location that suits you both. There are some wonderful lakes near the coast like Damariscotta Lake in Nobleboro that will make you both happy. For lakefront listings neat the coast take a look at the Mid-Coast and Downeast regions in our Lakefront Locator.
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Maine Lakes Close to Boston? Try the Sanford Lakes Area
February 18th, 2008 categories: Maine Waterfront Living, Sanford Lakes Region
The Sanford Lakes Area is in northwest York County, Maine’s southern most county. It is the lakes area that is closest to Boston in both mileage and minutes.
This lakes area gets it’s name from the Town of Sanford which is the regional shopping area for the entire lakes area. Sanford is only one hour and forty five minutes from downtown Boston, but it’s a world away from the hustle and bustle.
Although smaller in size than the neighboring Sebago Region to the north, the Sanford area features several fine lakes and ponds. Here’s a quick travelogue sampling.
Heading northwest from downtown Sanford/Springvale on Routes 109/11 you soon will come to a large fork. I first came to this fork fifty years ago and still get goose bumps as I view the length of Mousam Lake. The right fork, Route 11, will take you to Shapleigh, North Shapleigh and on to Newfield. Along the way you’ll travel along the east shore of Mousam Lake and Square Pond. These two lakes rank high on the list of the area’s finer lakes. The left fork, Route 109, will take you to Acton, the home of the Acton Fair. Here you’ll find Wilson Lake and the magnificent Great East Lake which sprawls over the border into New Hampshire. Leaving Sanford on US 202 takes one north to Alfred. In Alfred you’ll come to the intersection of US 202 and Route 111. If one proceeds North on US 202 you will enter Waterboro. Taking Route 5 will take you by Little Ossipee Lake, a true gem of a lake. From Alfred one can head east to Lyman on Route 111. Route 111 forms the southern boundary of an area in Lyman that contains a group of small, but lovely, ponds - Bunganut, Kennebunk, and Wadley to name a few.
Directly west of Sanford is West Lebanon and beautiful Northeast Pond which we share with our friends in New Hampshire. Directly east of Sanford you’ll find Estes Lake. As we mentioned, all of lakes are a short drive from Boston and within easy reach of the Maine Turnpike.
If you are interested in taking a closer look at lakefront property in the Sanford area, try our search feature, Lakefront Locator. You can search by town, lake, lake size, and price and see all the current listings.
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What do the Red Sox and Maine Lakefront Real Estate Have in Common?
February 16th, 2008 categories: Observations and Commentary
Today was a very important day for Red Sox fans. Today, pitchers and catchers reported to Spring Training in Fort Myers Florida.
It’s been a tough off-season here in Maine. The hot stove talk wasn’t nearly enough to keep us happy. What should the Sox do with Coco? What is the nature of Okajima’s new mystery pitch? Does it slide, sink or rise? Did Curt Schilling put one over on Theo? Will Dustin Pedroia fall victim to the sophmore jinx. Burning questions all.
Okay, you’re wondering what the mid-winter musings of this Red Sox fan have to do with lakefront property in Maine? Actually, a lot.
Yesterday, we Mainers suffered our 23rd snow storm of the winter!! The really bad news is that we’re only half way through the winter. We look forward to baseball and the coming of Spring with Great Anticipation!!
What the Sox and Lakefront property have in common is that they share the same season. The baseball season runs from Spring Training through the World Series. That’s mid-February to mid-November. This almost precisely matches up with the listing and selling season for Maine Waterfront Real estate.
Last week I sent over 9,000 postcards to lakefront homeowners asking them to consider the services of Mr Lakefront if they decide to sell. Already, I’ve gotten quite a few responses back from interested lakefront sellers.
With the days getting longer, lakefront buyers are starting to call and email us about particular properties. This trickle of inquiries in February turns into a roaring flood by June, only to subside after Labor Day. The market slows but stays active until Thanksgiving. From Thanksgiving to mid February the Red Sox and the Maine Lakefront Real Estate market take a well deserved rest after the rigors of a long season.
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Tom - MrLakefront
