mr lakefront: Buying a Maine Lakefront Vacation Home Can Be Perfectly Divine - 03/18/09 01:03 PM
Recently I worked with a buyer "from away" who had their heart set on a particular property here in the lake region. The place was a real charmer. Rough-hewn exterior, wraparound porch, with sunsets and wide water views of the lake, and a warm pine interior. It was a place that "spoke to them".
The buyer, after giving the place the once over, was actually giggling with delight. "I know I shouldn't say this to you but I love this place". Her husband was equally thrilled but, thankfully, held off on the giggling. "Tom, lets get together tommorow at your office and write … (0 comments)

mr lakefront: Gray-New Gloucester Offers Convenient Lakefront, Clean Lakes and Ponds - 03/17/09 12:28 AM
The towns of Gray and New Gloucester are lovely rural Maine towns that serve as bedroom communities for both Portland and Lewiston.
Gray is a stop on the Maine Turnpike, just 15 miles north of Portland. New Gloucester has a village center comprised of early 19th century buildings that say a lot about this community's sense of history and preserving the past.
Lakes and ponds found in these towns are Little Sebago Lake, Sabbathday Lake, Crystal Lake, Notched Pond, and a little piece of Upper Range Pond. Little Sebago is the largest and most popular. Sabbathday, Crystal, and Upper Range are … (0 comments)

mr lakefront: LEA Site a Boon to Maine Lakefront Owners and Vacationers - 03/12/09 06:51 AM
Vacationers and lakefront owners who own porperty in southwestern Maine should be aware of the great amount of information provided online by the Lakes Environmenal Association, headquartered in Bridgton, Maine.
They have recently published their 2008 Water Testing Report on 37 Maine Lakes and Ponds in the region. This is invaluable information for anyone who cares about the health and well-being of our area lakes and ponds.
The LEA tests for and monitors such lake attributes as water clarity, chlorophyll content, and phosphorus levels. They have been doing this testing for a number of years and so can offer insights on … (0 comments)

mr lakefront: Standish, Maine is Ideally Situated For Lakefront Vacation Home Buyers - 03/09/09 07:09 AM
The town of Standish anchors the southern end of Sebago Lake and also encompasses two smaller bodies of water, Watchic Lake and Bonny Eagle Pond. If you can imagine the bottom third of Sebago Lake sitting in a coffee cup with the cup coming up both the east and west shores that would approximate the Standish boundaries. The west side is the quieter side and the east side is closer to North Windham and Portland.
Standish has a population of over 9,000 and is the home to St. Joseph's College. It also has two public libraries, a public boat launch on … (0 comments)

mr lakefront: Nothing Rotten in the Town of Denmark, Maine - 03/05/09 11:02 AM
Denmark is a small, but attractive village located in the southwestern hills of Maine, close by the New Hampshire border. Over 1000 people call Denmark home, but the summer population swells considerably with the vacationers who come to visit the many clean ponds in Denmark and enjoy a slower and more relaxing pace of life.
The main bodies of water found here are Moose Pond, Hancock Pond and Sand Pond (aka Walden Pond). Lesser ponds are Granger, Long, and Pickerel.
Denmark attracts vacationers in winter as well as summer as it is close by the Shawnee Peak ski area, is criss-crossed … (0 comments)

mr lakefront: Maine Lakefront Property Provides Value in a Down Market - 02/25/09 12:07 PM
Even though we got pasted with a huge dump of snow a few days ago, I can say without reservation that spring is within sight. I have seen robins all winter long and a neighbor told me he saw a bluebird. Can spring be far behind?
With spring comes the inevitable interest in buying a little piece of heaven - also known around here as Maine lakefront property. What everyone is asking me is "Have we hit the bottom yet?" My answer is unequivocal - "I don't know."
What I do know is that lakefront properties around here have not been … (0 comments)

mr lakefront: Naples Vacation Property Some of the Best Lakefront in Maine - 02/20/09 07:29 AM
Because it is situated at the south end of Long Lake, encompasses Brandy Pond, and also has frontage on Sebago Lake, Naples has always been considered the heart of the Lakes Region.
Well-travelled Rte. 302 runs right through Naples and the town can boast of three marinas, restaurants, a general store, a golf course and lots summer activities on the Causeway.
With their Winter Carnival over, Naples now starts to edge toward spring which brings an influx of buyers looking for new opportunities of lakefront property to consider.  Make sure to stay in touch with the Mr. Lakefront website to stay up to date with new listings coming … (0 comments)

mr lakefront: Seeking Lakefront Perfection is the Enemy of the Good Maine Vacation Property - 02/13/09 08:08 AM
Writer/philosopher Gustave Flaubert coined the expression "Perfection is the Enemy of the Good". I heard a variation of this quote recently when Maine's Senior Senator Olympia Snowe, when explaining her decision to vote for the compromise stimulus package, said "Perfection is the enemy of the essentials."
Local talk radio here in Maine has a conservative bent. Local conservatives were venting on The John McDonald Show this morning. "How could our two Senators dare to call themselves Republicans after deciding to vote for a package so full of pork?", they asked.
I was kind of surprised when Susan Collins went along with … (0 comments)

mr lakefront: Buying Lakefront Property in Maine is Like Ballroom Dancing - 02/08/09 06:12 AM
Recently Mr Lakefront decided that it was high time that he learned to ballroom dance. If macho football players like Warren Sapp, Jason Taylor and Jerry Rice can risk making fools of themselves on Dancing with the Stars, surely I can give it a go too.
On Tuesday nights I visit The Ballroom in downtown Harrison, Maine. The owner, the charming Nan Brett, has hired the exquisitely beautiful and cultured Polina, a Russian émigré, to teach ballroom dancing to us rural western Mainers in the Lake Region.
Polina appears to be as delicate as a Faberge egg, but boy, oh boy, … (0 comments)

mr lakefront: Casco Offers Up a Wide Variety of Maine Lakefront Property - 02/02/09 11:05 AM
The village of Casco lies along Rte 121, about five miles north of Rte. 302 and Raymond. It's a quaint little place with several white clapboard houses, a general store and gas pump, the library, a Grange Hall and a church.
Cast an eye a little further afield and you'll find the reasons that many lakefront home buyers gravitate to Casco - the variety and number of water bodies that call Casco home: Sebago Lake, Thompson Lake, The Heath, Pleasant Lake, Parker Pond, Thomas Pond, Coffee Pond, and Crescent Lake.
Here are the current 18 lakefront listings that call Casco home. … (0 comments)

mr lakefront: Maine Lakefront Homes - Protecting Yourself From Carbon Monoxide - 01/29/09 11:23 AM
I'm taking a break today from writing about Maine lakefront real estate to pass along a "Heads Up!" from our State Department of Public Safety about carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning and protecting yourself from it.
It's wintertime and homes are being heated by oil, gas, and wood, with CO as a byproduct. Homes are also being kept closed up, thereby keeping air exchange and ventilation to a minimum.
As you probably know, carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless gas that is given off in the combustion of fuel when heating your home (in this case) whether you have an oil furnace, gas furnace, … (0 comments)

mr lakefront: Bridgton Attracts Many Maine Lakefront Real Estate Buyers - 01/24/09 11:46 PM
The town of Bridgton is one of the most popular destinations for buyers of lakefront property in the Sebago Lake Region. And why not? Bridgton has some of the most desireable lakes and ponds in the area, has a downtown that boasts a new movie theater, a new, expanded Reny's for retail shopping, a new Hannaford and updated Food City for groceries, a first rate seller of fashion and home furnishings at Craftworks, several attractive B&Bs and resorts, two booksellers, a wonderful new hospital, restaurants, a cafe...and the list goes on.
Located less than an hour from Portland and the turnpike … (0 comments)

mr lakefront: Maine Waterfront Property - New Ways to Help Your Search - 01/19/09 03:23 AM
Over the last couple of years we have been refining the search capabilities on our website to make it easier for potential buyers of Maine lakefront property to find what they're looking for - even if they're not sure exactly what it is they're looking for.
With our Lakefront Locator you can search all of the currently listed lakefront and lake access properties in Maine. You can search by region, by price, by lake, and by town. We have further tweeked our capabilities by allowing you to list properties from the lowest to highest in price, or from the highest to … (0 comments)

mr lakefront: Maine Lakefront Real Estate - Mortgage Rates at Historic Lows - 01/15/09 11:33 PM
This mortgage news came into my email box yesterday:
CHICAGO (MarketWatch) - The benchmark 30-year mortgage fell below 5% for the first time ever in Freddie Mac's weekly rate survey as economic weakness continued to push interest rates lower, the mortgage agency said Thursday.
The article went on to say that this is the lowest rate ever recorded since they started tracking this number in 1971. The rate is 5% less than it was a week ago.
 I know we keep beating this drum about low interest rates, but if you feel that we will find our way out of this economic … (0 comments)

mr lakefront: Maine Waterfront Property - Dropping Rates, Rising Opportunities - 01/09/09 05:11 AM
Falling mortgage rates provide a reason for hope in a pokey, off-season Maine lakefront property market. As activity levels decline, so will prices, while strong inventories continue to offer lots to look at. Given the low mortgage rates, this combination of factors sets up a good opportunity for prospective buyers of Maine lakefront property.
The latest headline on mortgage rates said they were the lowest in 30 years. I called around to several banks in the area and asked them about their APR on a 30 year fixed rate loan. Kennebunk Savings - 5.16%, Key Bank - 5.65%, TD Banknorth - … (0 comments)

mr lakefront: Maine Lakefront Real Estate - Beware Pitfalls of Personal Property - 01/08/09 12:07 AM
Most lakefront homes in Maine are sold to folks "from away". These types of buyers have their primary home back in the suburbs of major cities like Boston, Hartford, and New York. When purchasing one's primary home in the suburbs it's rare that the home one is purchasing will come furnished.

It's different when it comes to buying a second home here in the lakes regions of Maine. Most seasonal lakefront homes, when conveyed, come furnished or partially furnished. How come? When folks with second homes on the lake decide to sell the question arises: "What do we do with … (0 comments)

mr lakefront: Maine Lakefront Real Estate - Getting the Word Out - 01/02/09 09:03 AM
I got a call from my brother who asked me how the market is for lakefront property. I told him that selection was great, interest rates were at 5% heading even lower, prices had fallen 10 to 15% and sellers were motivated.
He said, "Tom, that's great news! Are you getting the word out to to those wanting to buy lakefront property?"
I said, "Well, I think so. But, you know, I'm not sure."
I told him that my message might be getting lost among the great deluge of "bad news" such as government bailouts, bank failures and unemployment figures.
The … (0 comments)

mr lakefront: Maine Lakefront Property - Year Round or Seasonal? - 12/27/08 09:44 AM
When it comes to buying lakefront property answering fundamental questions will greatly affect affordability. For instance: Are you looking for a summer place or a year round vacation home?

Nine out of ten people when posed this question will answer " year round vacation home".
However, consider the ramifications. A year round lakefront home will cost one 20% more than a similar seasonal "summer place" No big deal? Well, it's the difference between paying $400k for a seasonal or $480k for year round. If you're only going to be using the place May through September a seasonal place might be … (0 comments)

mr lakefront: HGTV's "House Hunters" Episode Features Mr. Lakefront Team - 12/19/08 06:43 AM
HGTV program "House Hunters" will air an episode on January 1 at 8 p.m. that features local real estate buyer's broker Diane Monaco of the Mr. Lakefront Keller Williams team in Casco.
A producer for "House Hunters" had contacted Mr. Lakefront real estate earlier in the year after visiting their website and blog. They wanted to feature a Maine lakefront vacation home in one of their program segments. Mr. Lakefront buyer's broker, Diane Monaco, had been working with several possible candidates and was able to find a couple who were willing to participate in the project.
"House Hunters" takes their viewers … (0 comments)

mr lakefront: Maine Waterfront Property - Whistling Through the Graveyard? - 12/13/08 11:22 AM
Everywhere we turn, it seems, the media dishes out the doom and gloom. The predominant feeling in most any market right now is fear.
But there is some good news out there if you care to hear it. How about this? The rate for a 30 year fixed rate mortgage is at a 4 1/2 year low. That's right - a 4 1/2 year low!
I got the news from my email where I get dispatches from financial gurus and news organizations who ply their trade online. Here's what Leeb's Market Forecaster had to say this week:
12/8/08 -"Strange as it … (0 comments)

 

Jon Whitney

Naples, ME

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