Archive for September, 2008
Maine Lakefront Real Estate – Can You Handle The Truth?
September 29th, 2008 categories: Observations and Commentary
One of my favorite actors is Jack Nicholson. In ” A Few Good Men” he played a world weary Marine colonel who was being interogated by pretty boy Tom Cruise in a military court martial. When Cruise told the colonel that he wanted the truth, Jack blurted out “You can’t handle the truth!” (Click here for that great clip.)
I was reminded of that scene the other night when I attended a seminar where the Mr. Lakefront website and blog were among a few being reviewed by a group of business folks.
Business people today understand that one’s effective presence on the internet is very important. Personally, I consider the internet to be the greatest advertising tool since Television. Having our website reviewed by fellow business people was a chance for me to get valuable input. No one likes having their baby called ugly. But I took that chance, feeling I could handle their criticism. Truth is, I was looking for a few good tips to make our site and blog more effective.
During the course of the review the class was unanimous about one particular thing about the Mr. Lakefront website and blog. They told me that Mr Lakefront was crazy to share negative information about the area with prospects who were considering the purchase of a lakefront home here.
What really bothered them was the many articles Jon and I have posted about the horrific boat crash on Long Lake which killed two people. “What possible good is there in sharing that story with people who you’re trying to sell?”, they asked. They said that it would be better to share positive stories related to waterfront property, but stay away from negative stories that perhaps tarnish the area’s image.
Should a negative story be suppressed? Should only upbeat and positive stories be shared? Should we not talk about invasive species, threats to water quality, and the strictness of state and town shoreland regulations? We don’t think so. While our Lake News and blogsite is not pretending to be the New York Times, we do endeavor to keep our readers informed about what’s going on in the area and to “keep it real”.
An acting coach friend of mine said that in order to have soft you must have hard. In order to have smooth you must have rough. Without contrast it’s all pablum.
We love Maine for the great place that it is. Living here is wonderful, but it’s not free of problems and challenges. No place is.
Can you handle the truth? Yeah, we think so.
| Discussion: 1 Comment »
Maine Waterfront Property – It’s Fryeburg Fair Time!
September 27th, 2008 categories: Maine Waterfront Real Estate News
Late summer and early fall brings with it the many agricultural fairs all over Maine. Here in the southern part of the state it starts in mid-summer with the North Waterford World’s Fair, which is followed in September with the Cumberland Fair, the Common Ground Fair, and the Oxford County Fair.
All have their attractions and are great fun to go to, but the biggest and best of all – indeed, “Maine’s Blue Ribbon Classic” – is the Fryeburg Fair, which opens tomorrow, September 28th, and closes next Sunday, October 5th.
What’s your pleasure? Sheepdog trials and the Firemen’s Muster kick things off tomorrow and begin a daily parade of fascinating displays of human and animal proficiencies the likes of which you will find no where else.
Monday is always Woodsmen’s Day where the chips will be flying, sawdust spewing, and sweat dripping from the big and burly men (and women) who know how to handle axes, crosscut saws, and chainsaws.
Throughout the week you can find draft horses and oxen pulling sleds of concrete in competition, see beautiful show horses and ponys, and experience the excitement of the pig and calf scrambles, as well as tractor pulls and skillet throws.
Of course, what would a fair be without displays of mighty vegetables. See giant pumpkins and squash in abundance!
The best part, for me however, is just walking through the barns, where all the animals are kept when they’re not competing. To be able to go from barn to barn and stall to stall and see these magnificent animals up close – to scratch an steer’s head or pat a llama, or to just stand next to an ox and get a true sense of their size and strength – all of this is so out of the ordinary for most of us that to experience it is truly remarkable.
If you have always thought about going, but just don’t seem to get to it, think of taking a day off this week and make the trip to the Fair. It’s well worth the effort and will provide many wonderful memories to share with friends and families.
For more information about the Fryeburg Fair, click here and go directly to their website.
By the way, for many people a trip to the Fair also provides an opportunity to take a look at some late-season lakefront property. We’d be happy to fit in a showing or two for you while you’re up here. Check out the inventory by going to our Lakefront Locator.
| Discussion: No Comments »
Maine Lakefront Real Estate – Lakefront Lots at Bargain Prices!
September 23rd, 2008 categories: Sebago Lakes Region
Mr. Lakefront does not usually make it a practice to promote the sale of other agents listings. I have an obligation to my sellers to promote their properties.
However, we do care about getting our lakefront buyer clients great deals, whoever has the listing. Occasionally, some great bargains become available for whatever the reason. I think it’s a good thing to let our readership know of these terrific deals.
I’m referring to lakefront building lots on beautiful Woods Pond in Bridgton. There are three lakefront building lots available . These lots all have over 200 feet on the water and are all over an acre and a half in size.
Lot #5, MLS# 903722 originally priced at $315,000 is now $169,000!
Lot #7 MLS# 869580 originally priced at $275,000 is now $149,000!
Lot#2 MLS # 869558 originally priced at $310,000 is now $199,000!
These prices are beyond end of season pricing. These are fire sale prices on nice lakefront lots on a lovely body of water.
Opportunity is knocking. Is anybody listening? Two years from now I hope not to hear one of our clients say “I shoulda, I coulda, if only I woulda”.
If you are interested in knowing more, let us know. We love Maine lakefront properties and want to share them with you.
Check out all the current lakefront listings on our Lakefront Locator.
| Discussion: No Comments »
Maine Waterfront Property – Living Green, Shopping Local
September 18th, 2008 categories: Maine Waterfront Living
I was talking with a friend of mine in Portland today who publishes an annual guide to “living green” in Southern Maine. This book, called the “SunriseGuide” is chock full of great information, but the bonus is that it contains over $5000 worth of coupons that help the purchaser buy products which sustain and nurture a healthy and friendly environment.
Anyone interested in living the good life in Maine, especially on a lakefront property, should take a look at this book. Once you pick it up, you can’t put it down. It offers tons of helpful hints on such things as financing energy efficient home improvements, tips for improving your gas mileage, nature-friendly insect repellent, composting, and the efficacy of cloth diapers.
In addition, the advertisers have to satisfy a criteria, and I quote, “It is our goal that all products and services advertised in the SunriseGuide have significantly reduced environmental impacts compared to their competitors or alternatives.” How cool is that?!
The book is divided into areas of interest including Food & Dining, Health & Outdoor Living, Home & Garden, and Style & Personal Care. Each section has an editorial focus as well as coupons from vendors in that area of interest.
From green building suppliers, to wellness spas, to many places to eat, to greenhouses, to recreational centers, to the Portland Symphony and Portland Museum of Art – all have valuable coupons here ready for use by you and your family.
Part handbook, part coupon book, this publication is a keeper. The 2009 edition is due out soon, but there are still plenty of 2008 issues available and the coupons are good through the end of the year.
Take an online look at this compelling publication and decide for yourself if you wouldn’t benefit from having a copy. Click here to go directly to the SunriseGuide website.
| Discussion: No Comments »
Maine Lakefront Real Estate – Come to the Brewfest!
September 12th, 2008 categories: Sebago Lakes Region
If you’re looking for a really great way to hang out at a beautiful Maine lakefront venue while sampling the tasty offerings of over 25 area microbrewers, mark September 27th on your calendar. It’s the 5th annual 2008 Brew Festival at Point Sebago in Casco sponsored by the Greater Bridgton Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce.
This is a family event that has grown up over the last five years to where they are expecting as many as 3000 to attend. In addition to all the microbrews you get to sample, there is also plenty of food and music.
The Brew Festival is known for its “safety first” approach to hosting this event, as well as for the beauty of the beach it is located on and the variety of activities you can take part in. For a list of the participating brewers click here.
There will be ten or more food vendors and three bands and other muscians to provide sustenance and entertainment while you enjoy the brew.
There are still advance tickets available for $20 which will entitle you to 10 sample coupons and a free glass. What a deal!
For more information use this hotlink to the GBLRCC Brewer’s Festival. See you there!
By the way, if you’d like to check out some nice lakefront property either before or after the Brewfest, we can help. Get a preview by using our Lakefront Locator, then give us a call to set up a showing.
| Discussion: No Comments »
Maine Waterfront Property – Getting Familiar with Shoreland Zoning
September 9th, 2008 categories: Maine Waterfront Living
Last week I provided a link to information that explained the rules and regulations regarding removal of vegetation on shorefront property. Because we had such a good response to that post, I thought I would offer up some more free information.
The Maine Department of Environmental Protection has produced a 36 page booklet entitled “Maine Shoreland Zoning – A Handbook For Shoreland Owners”. This booklet explains, in clear language and with the use of drawings and diagrams, the state’s Mandatory Shoreland Zoning Act.
While it is meant for informational purposes only and not to be used as a substitute for the law itself, this publication goes a long way in explaining and showing different aspects of the Act. Find here explanations of what a non-conforming structure is, expansion rules for non-conforming structures, what a grandfathered lot is, building setback and lot coverage restrictions, guidelines for erosion control, septic disposal rules, clearing vegetation and timber harvesting guidelines, and an explanation of the roles of local boards and state agencies.
For anyone who currently owns property in the Shoreland Zone or is thinking about purchasing property that lies within the Shoreland Zone, this publication is a “must have”.
The best part is that it’s free and you can download it off a website and print it out on your printer right at home. Click on this hotlink:
http://www.maine.gov/dep/blwq/docstand/szpage.htm ,
then scroll about halfway down the page and you’ll see a link to the pdf file that says “Maine Shoreland Zoning — A Handbook For Shoreland Owners”. Click on that and it will take you to the file. Make sure you have enough paper in your printer as it is a 36 page document – but it’s well worth the expenditure of paper and ink.
| Discussion: No Comments »
Maine Lakefront Real Estate – “Win-Win” Becoming a Thing of the Past
September 5th, 2008 categories: Observations and Commentary
Years ago, when I first dipped my toe into the waters of lakefront real estate here in the Lakes Region of Maine, I was told by a long time veteran broker that too strong of a market, one that favored either the buyer or the seller, was not good for business.
He explained that in a strong seller’s market the seller takes advantage of the many buyers and, conversely, in a strong buyer’s market the buyers take advantage of the many sellers. Of course, one side can only take advantage of the other when market forces are on their side.
I was reminded of this the other day when Diane Monaco, our senior buyer representative, poked her head in my office and said, “I’ve been reading your blogs lately. They all seem to describe unreasonable buyers. Why don’t you tell our friends about some unreasonable sellers.” Well, okay. Here goes!
In the great seller’s market from 2002 to 2005, sellers became very demanding of buyers. That’s because supply was very low and demand was very high. I witnessed offers of 99% of the asking price being turned down by sellers. Some sellers wouldn’t give up a cent. “We’re not giving it away” was their attitude.
I remember a 35-year-old seller selling a lakefront home that his grandfather had built in the forties. The seller had inherited the place and decided to sell. When it came to negotiating an offer one would think that he had personally built the place by the sweat of his brow. Someone who was to make a half a million dollars bargained for every last penny as if his life depended on it. Good business? Perhaps. Bad karma? For sure.
During the height of the sellers market one seller asked me to make it a requirement that all buyers produce a letter from a reputable financial institution proving that they were eligible to purchase prior to viewing his home. The seller didn’t want any riff-raff daring to look at his home. Only folks that had passed financial muster and were thus deemed worthy could view his home. Think I’m making this stuff up? I’m not.
Another seller, prior to a closing, instructed the selling agent not to give the keys to the lakefront home to the buyer until it could be proven that the proceeds of the sale (in the form of a cashier’s check drawn on a reputable bank) had safely been deposited in the seller’s bank in Florida. For three hours after the closing, the buyers, deprived of the keys to their new home, sat in the reception area of a local attorney’s office waiting for the bank in Florida to acknowledge the receipt. All the while, a moving truck with all the buyers belongings sat idling outside, belching diesel fumes as if to say “this stinks”. Where were the sellers? They went off for a celebratory champagne lunch! How do I know this story is true? Because I was the buyer. How much bad karma was stirred up that day? Plenty!
In more equitable markets the ideal is to have both buyer and seller feel as if they have gotten a fair deal. “You give a little and I’ll give a little and we’ll come to an agreement.” Both give and both get. This is the so-called “Win-Win” situation. But in unequitable markets one side has tremendous leverage over the other and that leverage can sometimes lead to feelings of greed, frustration, and resentment.
A great sales manager once advised me that, when it comes to negotiating, do your best, but don’t leave a bad taste in your opponent’s mouth. It was simply bad for business. “You can’t make everyone a friend, but do everything possible to avoid making enemies. Never make the other side feel like losers by taking away their pride”.
At one time it was considered good form to be gracious in victory. Leave the other side their pride (and a few dollars!) so they feel like they’ve won something, too.
Well, today we’re in a buyer’s market. Supply is high and demand is low. The shoe is on the other foot. Now we have buyers making very low offers to sellers, hoping to find someone desperate enough to accept. What about Win-Win? I’m afraid that concept has been relegated to the dust bin of history – back when the market was more equitable.
Today, market conditions are being leveraged by buyers and brought to bear on sellers. Are sellers feeling the squeeze? You bet. It can be downright painful. Good business? Perhaps. But, how I long for that more equitable market, where “win-win” will once again rule the day.
********
If you’d like to check out the multitudes of lakefront listings currently for sale, look no further than our Lakefront Locator. Just click on the hotlink and be carried away to hundreds upon hundreds of lakefront homes to choose from.
| Discussion: No Comments »
Maine Waterfront Property – Can I Cut Down That Tree?
September 2nd, 2008 categories: Observations and Commentary
Buyers of waterfront property have many things to consider when looking for just the right property to buy. Right at the top of the list are questions concerning the land and what can and cannot be done with trees, bushes, and other vegetation that lie within the protected shoreland zone.
Most people like a nice view of the water. Can trees be cleared to open up an otherwise obstructed view of the water? Can dead or diseased trees be removed even if they’re in the protected zone? What about cutting existing limbs and clearing out underbrush? And what about that nice path you want to make all the way down to the water? I mean, what’s the point of having a nice lakefront home if you can’t see the water or walk down a nicely cleared path to the water?
Well, Maine’s Department of Environmental Protection has put together an information sheet describing, in a succinct way, the dos and don’ts about trees and other vegetation in the shoreland zone. It provides a helpful reference point and guidelines for landowners. Here is a hotlink to that information: http://www.maine.gov/dep/blwq/docstand/ip-szveg.htm
Please keep in mind that you should always consult with your local Code Enforcement Officer to get a specific answer to any question you have about what you can and cannot do on land that lies within the protected shoreland zone. The CEO is the person who applies, interprets, and enforces the Shoreland Zoning Ordinance. Foregoing a consultation with him or her is inviting trouble. Penalties and fines for not complying with the ordinance are punitive and severe.
Enjoy your shorefront property to its fullest by knowing the law and living by the rules. It’s in everyone’s best interest.
| Discussion: No Comments »
Tom - MrLakefront
