As we enter June in our great Maine Lakes Region, it feels a lot more like entering a spring month vs a summer month. The week starts out consistent with the past couple of months with grey skies, and now is a good a time to talk about what to do on a rainy day in Maine. There are many things to do that are a short car ride or easy day trip away. Maine has two Casinos to visit, one close by up Rte 11 to Rte 26 north where Oxford Casino is located on the southern border of the town of Oxford. And there is Hollywood Casino in Bangor if you are visiting or passing through that area . There are many great museums, including the Portland Museum Of Art located in downtown Portland. A bit south from there in Kennebunkport you will find White Columns – formerly the Knott House – which chronicles the times spent at the White House and nearby Walkers Point by the Bush family. Maine has a rich heritage worldwide in Shipbuilding that continues to this day evidenced by The Brick Store Museum in Kennebunkport. There is no better shipbuilding museum then the one right next to the General Dynamics huge current shipbuilding facility – Bath Iron Works – in Bath Maine, where you will find the Maine Maritime Museum just south of the sprawling Navy Yard, a real treat on the historical original shipyard site for history buffs.
Less than an hour north from there in our state capital of Augusta you will find an awesome facility worth at least a couple of hours: The Maine State Museum is a must-see, located right next to the huge Maine State Capitol dome building – designed by Charles Bulfinch – on capitol street, flanked on the other side by The Blaine House, the official home of Maine’s governors since 1919. On March 15th in 1820, the District of Maine which had been a property of Massachusetts, officially became the 23rd State.
There is much to be learned about the our history of shipbuilding, textiles, shoes, forestry, lumber, fishing, and our State’s heritage. Get out and discover should you and your family be facing a grey day not suitable for hiking, boating or the beach. You will be glad that you did, as there are many great things to see and experience.
Make it a great week!

This is a delightful time of year now that warmer weather is more the norm, and everyone deserves to get outside and enjoy life and the local beauty we are surrounded blessed to be surrounded with. This weekend brings the annual old Port Festival to downtown Portland, with a highlight this year being a giant Ferris wheel called The Casco Bay Eye set up on the waterfront in area of Dimillos off commercial street. What once started-off as a one day Saturday event, the annual Old Port Festival now has events each year over a four day period ending this Sunday, June12th this year.
Closer to us here in the Maine Lakes Region there are two upcoming annual favorite events to enjoy during the next two weekends. Always Father’s Day Weekend each year – Father’s Day being next Sunday, June 18 – Naples Maine and the Causeway will be enjoying their biggest event of the year with the Maine Blues Festival which runs Friday evening through Sunday. If you enjoy Blues music this is a must see and hear, always fun event with the schedule, number, and caliber of events and artists involved always impressive and delightful:

https://www.mainebluesfestival.com

The very next weekend brings us the Windham Summerfest on Saturday, June 24th. As part of the festival if you enjoy cars:

And here just below is the schedule of events, including great family and music entertainment capped off by fireworks in the evening:

http://windhamsummerfest.com

Get outside and enjoy our Great Maine Lakes Region!

More people traditionally come to our Maine Lakes region town of Naples this weekend – Always Father’s Day Weekend! – for the great Maine Blues Festival than any other weekend in the summer, with the Naples Arts Festival later in the season also drawing a great crowd. Here is a link to assist you with this weekend’s festivities with the Blues Festival:

https://www.mainebluesfestival.com

From the Stage next to Merced’s to Bray to Tony’s Parking Lot to Captain Jacks to the Freedom Cafe and Rick’s and beyond, there is so much to do, see, experience, and listen to.. and the weather looks like it will cooperate this weekend and regardless there is so much to see, do, and hear under cover it is always a worthy trip and time well spent for anyone who appreciates live music and talented musicians playing primarily the blues.

This weekend typically marks the real start of the summer season, although shop owners, retail establishments, and the hospitality industry including restaurant owners are all indicating a fast start to the season both here in The Maine Lakes Region and throughout the northeast. Whatever you choose to do this weekend and the time leading up to the 4th of July festivities in a couple of weeks, get out and enjoy yourselves!
Make it a great week!
And for all of your Maine Lakes Region Real Estate needs, give us a call today. You will be glad that you did! (207) 692-5200

This weekend on Saturday the 24th there is a great free fun family festival in Windham – North Windham for you long timers! – aptly named simply the Windham Summer Fun Festival. The parade is at 10:00am followed by a day of many options for activities for young and old alike. Here is some information:

As you can see in this schedule of events, there is a lot of music and entertainment capped off by fireworks in the evening:

And from personal experience the music and bands are top-notch!

Find all this and more, here:

http://windhamsummerfest.com

Everyone here at Maine Real Estate Choice wants to make sure that you, your family and friends have a great time this summer, and safety matters. We hope that this simple reminder helps, to not allow yourself or any family member or friend drive if there is any question of safety due to any possible impairment.

One of the biggest proven impairments is having your cell phone within reach when you are behind the wheel. This week on Tuesday, the Maine State Legislature passed a bill headed to the Govenor’s office to ban all but hands free use – you can still talk on the phone using Bluetooth / speaker / phone not in your hand only, however any texting will be a violation of a $75 fine 1st offense, 2nd offenses $150 within 3 years, with provisions for license suspension and loss of license for repeat offenders. The bill was passed in the house and senate in part due to research like this: AAA nationwide has reviewed dozens of traffic safety studies, which suggests that any use of a mobile device increases a vehicle crash risk by up to four times, while the use of a hand-held phone, especially if it is being used to text, can increase the crash risk by a factor of 23. Maine would join Connecticut, Vermont and New Hampshire in banning hand-held devices. The legislatures in Rhode Island and Massachusetts are contemplating similar bills.

So be aware, be safe, and get out and enjoy this wonderful summer here in our great Maine Lakes Region!

Here in the great Maine Lakes Region – which is located just a half-hour drive west of the Greater Portland area on route 302 – there is a much to do and experience this time of year! Schools are finishing up,  most have had graduation ceremonies, and the many seasonal summer camps are welcoming their counselor and campers either this last week or next. Kudos to the Windham Summerfest committee, volunteers and participants for a very successful and enjoyable Festival this past weekend and from a first-person account, the fireworks display this year was spectacular.
There are many fireworks displays in the next few days that are scheduled, and here is the State of Maine Link for you to investigate where you might want to go this week, and make sure to search all pages that are available via clicking below:

https://www.pfr.maine.gov/ALMSOnline/ALMSQuery/(X(1)S(toctrjk5golg5rb21aqn5opk))/SearchResults.aspx

We hope you will get out and enjoy these wonderful Fireworks displays in the region – and we are quite certain that there is something for everyone to enjoy this Fourth of July early summer Holiday season.

We want to remind everyone that the single most common visits for medical care during the 4th of July Holiday season results from various degrees of burns from Sparkelers first and foremost, followed by too much exposure to the sun without sunscreen.  Thank you for focus on safety and driving defensively with awareness of motorcycles, bicyclists, and pedestrians while enjoying the Maine Lakes Region is appreciated by visitors and year-round residents alike.  Everyone here at Maine Real Estate Choice wants your holiday to be both safe and fun, and for all of your real estate needs, call us if there is a property you would like to see and it is our pleasure to help you maximize your investment if you are considering selling property in the region.  Call us today, you will be glad that you did! (207) 693-5200.

This Second week of July is upon us, and has new things to report here in the area along with the traditional Maine Lakes Region summer fun and events that we expect.

One unexpected event last Saturday had 5 confirmed tornados in our region including what takes place when a tornado hits one of our lakes as this Sebago Lake picture shows the distinct and dangerous waterspout:

This is a very rare occurrence with Maine rarely having tornadoes actually touch down.  Many blessing that other than some localized property damage, no lives were lost and the impacts were much more minor than they could have been.

This Week, the many seasonal summer camps are now running in full force as Maine Summer Camp season is upon us. Here is the impact of this industry in our region based on a recent Portland Newspaper release:

Report: Maine camps generate $332M for economy
Maine’s 330 summer camps employ 500 full-time and 10,500 seasonal workers. Summer camps generate a total economic impact of $332 million, including payroll, benefits and goods and services bought by the camps that range from bug spray to fuel to food. A ten year old study also found that the economic impact of the summer camp industry to be about 90 percent of Maine’s boatbuilding sector, about 40 percent as big as the value of the annual lobster landings, and about 34 percent as large as the state’s commercial logging sector.

Some of the elite, top camps share a website:

https://mainecampexperience.com/Find-a-Summer-Camp/Interactive-Map

If you search Maine Camps on Facebook, you have great presence there including this site featuring over 100 options:

http://mainecamps.org/maine-camps-map/

We again welcome staff and campers families alike to contact us, if you would like to own your own spot of heaven here in the region!

This weekend the band playing at Brays Brew Pub in Naples on the Brays Website are advertising this week that they are playing at Gary’s Olde Town Tavern so it looks like changes will be coming if you look here:

http://braysbrewpub.com

And there appears to be a very new Facebook Page with this logo:

So changes appear to be here with more to learn about this long-time Maine Lakes Region establishment.

For all of your Maine Lakes Region real estate needs, our dedicated team here at Maine Real Estate Choice is dedicated to assist you with unparalleled experience and professionalism.

Please call us today, and you will be glad that you did!

Here in our great Maine Lakes Region, everyone here at Maine Real Estate Choice and our neighbors and friends know how blessed we are to have the opportunity to live in this wonderful place year-round, and there are many facilities here in the region that flourish this time of year – we mentioned the many day and overnight camps in the area – and there is one special camp that we want to make everyone aware of, that does fantastic work for children and their families in need: Camp Sunshine. Located right here on Sebago Lake, there are two upcoming events we would like to mention at this time because they both take place in a few weeks on August 12th, to help the camp with its mission to assist those families with children who are affected with a Cancer diagnosis. There is the 24th annual ride that starts just north of here for those of you who enjoy vehicles will less than 4 wheels! Here is the link and information for you:

http://www.l-aharley.com/default.asp?page=campsunshine

And getting your tickets early to the ride gives you the opportunity to secure a destination room if you wish as this event almost always sells-out room capacity, and everything goes to a great cause. The very same day for those who prefer 4 wheel travel, you and your family can take a very short drive to Freeport to the L.L.Bean Campus for this event:

https://www.campsunshine.org/subdomains/watermelonfest/festival.html

where the streets of Freeport and the L.L.Bean Campus will be transformed into Watermelon Central! Starting late in the morning about 11:00am through to 4:00pm there are many events schedule with live music to enjoy, providing another opportunity to support a great asset in our region, and the many families that Camp Sunshine serves with their programs and great cause towards the positive, when families are confronted with the unthinkable.  Thank you for your support in advance.

If you know of anyone who has any thoughts as to questioning what their land, home, and property might value in today’s marketplace, even if they or you are not necessarily “ready to sell” at this time, we would appreciate the opportunity with no cost, no obligation, and zero pressure from us, help you fully understand the value you may have in your current situation. It is surprising how often just asking the question Am I in the ideal situation for me at this moment, can prompt great things for you and your family. Give us a call today, and it is our pleasure to discuss anything that you would like to, regarding any of you real estate needs.

We appreciate any and all of your support for the many worthwhile local events in our region.  Get out and enjoy summer!

This coming Thursday, July 27, after work starting at 6:00PM will begin this year’s three day festival in Casco known as Casco Days. Always an area favorite and a family-friendly event, there are many things to do and enjoy for us year-round residents, and for visitors alike.
On both Thursday and Friday evening, July 27th and 28th, the midway opens at 6:00PM. On Saturday morning in midway Will be opening at 10 AM, and will stay open up until 4:00PM when it will close for a two hour supper break, re-opening again at 6 PM in the evening on Saturday.
To clear up any confusion, the fireworks are scheduled for opening night, Thursday, July 27, and not over the weeekend. Saturday night, the scheduled band is one of the highest rated family acts to ever perform regularly here in our great Maine Lakes Region: Rick Charente and The BubbleGum Band. Backed by seasoned and talented musicians, Rick always puts on a great show for kids of all ages, whether a toddler, parent or grandparent, you will find it difficult not to sing along with Rick’s catchy family oriented tunes.
Set some time aside for this weekend to enjoy Casco Days, and please remind your friends and family that the fireworks display will be taking place around 9:30 PM Thursday evening, July 27th.
Make it a good week!

This blog somehow ends July with this next week bringing us into August already here in the great Maine Lakes Region. Everyone here at Maine Real Estate Choice wants to remind you that we have rarely in our careers seen a better time to explore the possibilities of checking on the real value, that your Real Estate may hold.  You will be glad that you gave us a call if you are considering the possibilities of seeking a more ideal location for your primary residence or vacation property.
The next blog it will be August, and early August brings us here in Naples, Maine an annual event marking it’s 24th year this summer:

https://www.acbs.org/event/mountainview-woodies-2017-naples-maine-boat-show/

A display of beautiful craft with interesting things to see and do, the event runs August 8-12 at the Naples Town Docks.

Berry picking has been great this season and will not last much longer. Here are some area spots for self-picking:

http://www.chipmanfarm.net/strawberry.html

Gillespie Farms, Inc. – strawberries, peas, raspberries
752 Mayall Road, New Gloucester, Maine. Phone: 207-657-2877. Fax 207-657-2870. Open: You pick strawberries 7 days a week when in season typically, Mid June through early August, call for times.

Crabtree’s Blueberries – highbush blueberries
703 Bridgton Road, Sebago, ME 04029-3344. Phone: 207-787-2730. Call for directions and information. Route 107, 1.5 mile north of Sebago Town hall, Sebago, Maine.

Maple Springs Farm – Pick your own flowers and raspberries.
808 Maple Ridge Road, Harrison, ME 04040. Phone: 207-583-4698.

The wonderful people at Camp Sunshine will benefit from you visiting the L.L.Bean campus on Saturday August 12th for the Watermelon Festival, and if you are not familiar with the most awesome work that Camp Sunshine provides to individual children and their families, here is a link for you:

https://www.campsunshine.org

Get out and enjoy the excellent weather, as somehow this blog marks our transitions from July into August, 2017!

With the first week of the month of August 2017 behind us and this next week bringing us already into the middle of the month, young and old alike are taking advantage of summer fun here in our great Maine Lakes Region, grabbing vacation days and full-weeks to enjoy the remaining days and evenings of summer before grade schools and sooner-for-many college orientations and classes begin.
In July, the Maine Fair Season kicked-off as it does each year in northern Maine with the agricultural-based fun making it’s way southward with both the Topsham Fair August 8th through the 13th and the Skowhegan Fair the 10th through the 19th taking place this weekend – and next weekend as well for the always well attended Skowhegan Fair.  The Fair Season culminates on the west side of our area again in full fall with the Fryeburg Fair taking place the exact first week of October, the 1st through the 8th this year, at the Fryeburg Fairgrounds. If you are “from away” visiting our great region, it is certainly worth a day-trip to enjoy the sights, smells, and wonderful tastes you’ll enjoy at one of these traditional agricultural-based fairs. Here is the link to take a look at how your schedule may allow for a great time at one of these annual area events:

http://www.mainefairs.org/fairs.html

In our world here at Maine Real Estate Choice, the key word is the same here as with the entire region, and that word is inventory. We cannot stress enough the value of simply investigating and taking a look at what your home, land, Real Estate, waterfront, water view, water access, or mountain view Real Estate may be worth in today’s marketplace. Close your eyes and ask yourself this question: Is my primary residence and seasonal living exactly as I would have it for myself, family and friends, if it were designed from scratch? Is the location now ideal? If you have lakefront property at this time and it has been in your family for years, we completely understand and respect both the history and the sentiment that comes with the agonizing decision to investigate what the value really is worth in today’s marketplace. And our team has tremendous experience in helping stage and present property as the little things really do count, for maximum value.  We want your experience to be easy and stress-free. If the spot where you choose to hang your hat today, may no longer be the ideal spot that you would prefer for your family to enjoy for years to come: Our team here at Maine Real Estate Choice has individuals with many valuable years of experience right here in this region, helping people just like you buy and sell property with great satisfaction. Our team knows the lakes, rivers, streams, summer camps, back roads, and most importantly the history of this area with an experience factor, that is unmatched in the area. Whatever your situation may be, we hope that you will call us today if there is anything that you are thinking about investigating with either a current property, or like many who call us, you are seeking that ideal spot to call your full-time or summer home here in this delightful area. We are dedicated to your satisfaction and enjoy the challenge of listening to your vision – the one that you have with your eyes closed – and working closely with you to have that vision become reality.

That is our goal.

Dialing (207) 693-5200 is a phone call that you will be glad that you made today. Thank you.

With the Labor Day weekend approaching us in just ten days – arriving quickly this year falling on Monday September 4th – we have a lot of great weather and time left here in the great Maine Lakes Region to enjoy summer, even before the Indian Summer that happens sometime in the next six to eight weeks.
The exact dictionary definition of “Indian Summer” is written as:
“..a period of unusually dry, warm weather occurring in late autumn”.
Here in the Maine Lakes Region, that can happen anytime between Labor Day and Halloween, always varying in duration, and occasionally we enjoy moments of Indian Summer between Halloween and Thanksgiving – which oddly occasionally can usher-in the first snowfall to the region. One thing about the weather here in Maine: If you don’t like it.. Wait A Minute!
We have a couple of Fairs starting this weekend and during this week coming to talk about, both within an hour’s drive and well worth the trip:

The Windsor Fair – just a few minutes west of Augusta – is a large agricultural fair that runs for 8 days each year, starting this weekend through Labor Day. An easy day-trip from our area, the website is very informative, including comedian Bob Marley on Friday evening 7:00pm in the grandstand, followed by Fireworks. Here’s the Website link:

http://www.windsorfair.com/

A bit further down east is the Blue Hill Fair, smaller in size however certainly worth the visit when it comes to seasonal delights:

http://www.bluehillfair.com/.

This is the best time of year, before the heating season begins, to contact your local Oil Dealer of choice to have your heating system cleaned and tuned-up for winter. The cost savings you will enjoy over time for regular maintenance – including much better “gas mileage” – in this case “oil mileage” matters, especially with the average price of oil at this time being about $1.799 which is about ten cents a gallon more than in recent years at this time.

Who either took a student to college this week or weekend, or know someone who did? In this timeframe when college starts-up each year – usually the week or two prior to Labor Day Weekend – just remember the start of regular Elementary School can not be far behind. Look for the safety reminder soon as to the rules for School Buses on the road, and also for the new rules pertaining to having a phone either in your hand while driving, or not having your device truly “hands-free” in your vehicle here in Maine due to new rules that are now in place.

Local Area Gem Alert:

Who knows where Donnabeth Lippman Park is located? The fact is that many more people drive by this local gem of a location, than actually know where – and what – it is all about! As you either enter Windham from the west on Route 302, or, as you drive West from Windham on Route 302 towards us here in Naples, most everyone knows where the Sherwin Williams Paint store is located in Windham. Another landmark location is Applebees Restaurant. Right next to Sherwin WIlliams Paint Store – just to the east – is a road with a large stone pillar that indicates the very short road to Donnabeth Lippman Park. There is a great playground for the young kids, and the best thing about this park are the trails for waking your leased pet and hiking around a pond that too many people do not know is there! How many of you reading this blog right now, have visited this great resource for a before or after work walk?

Thank you for calling us here at Maine Real Estate Choice for all of your Real Estate needs here in the great Maine Lakes Region. We are all very blessed to be able to say that we live here – and if you do not have property here in the area: Why not?!? It is a great place to either hang your hat full-time, or at least during your favorite parts of the year.

(207) 693-5200

With the full summer behind us, and some signs of Indian summer before us, this is a good time for some safety reminders from all of us here at Maine Real Estate Choice.

Our team here in Naples Maine wants you, your family, and our communities to be as safe, and as day-to-day successful as possible! It really doesn’t take much to do something kind on a random basis as you go about your day.  Think of a random act of kindness you can do both at home for the ones you love most, and out-and-about in our community, for this coming week. Recently I was treated with the person in front of me picking up the tab for my coffee and bagel driving through a local drive-thru, and it simply and quietly made my whole day!  In returning the favor the next day, the simple joy can be infectious in the best possible way. You can offer the coupons you may choose not to use, to the person behind you at the grocery store, and ask them to pass them on if that is not their thing.  Simple things each day, like holding a door open a bit longer than you might for someone at a store – and being mindful of when the person in front of you in line is holding a $20 bill and you hear the total is $20.12 and quickly grabbing the 12 cents out of your pocket and saying “Hey, here you go, instead of breaking another bill!” goes a long way to making everyone having a simple moment that can make a difference in someone’s day.

Along with random acts of kindness, come this Tuesday we will all need to be very mindful during our morning commutes to work – and later in the afternoon – of not only kindness, but important driver safety. The full School Bus schedules are now underway.  Here is our review and reminder of all of our responsibilities.
Maybe you are a young driver and this is your first season driving – congratulations! – and in that case you – along with everyone – needs to be very aware of the severe penalties for passing a stopped school bus. Where this takes place the most, is on a four-lane road like the entire Route 302 through Windham / North Windham from River Rd to Whites Bridge Rd. If a school bus is stopped with it’s Red Lights Flashing, all four lanes of traffic must stop – in both directions – and if you think a moment of distractioin can not make your life incredibly difficult, please remember that Maine Prosecutors and the Maine Courts take this infraction very seriously. And, if you possibly could have endangered a child and you have angered a parent into seeing you prosecuted – be aware that the absolute minimum fine is $250, with the following link being the reality based upon Maine Law 29-A §2308.

> $250-$1000 fine
> 30 day license suspension (administrative)
> Maximum of 6 months jail

Another good heads-up this week, is to look closely at your home heating needs. How much fuel do you have? This link can be helpful:

www.MaineOil.com

http://www.maineoil.com/

in finding your type of heating fuel, and up-to-the-day investments needed to fill your tank. We have seen gasoline and home heating oil prices rise over 25% in the past week due to last week’s Hurricane Harvey, and with Hurricane Irma heading towards the US Mainland this next week as it passes through the Carribean to points-unknown, it is important to understand when you will need to fill-up, and to plan accordingly.

Finally, on a fun note, coming up at Point Sebago is the annual Folk / Bluegrass Fest! Here are details for Saturday September 16th:

Maine Folk & Bluegrass

Be safe, and get out there and enjoy our great Maine Lakes Region!

As we sit today, right in the very middle of September, here are some area events to remember that are coming right up here in the Great Maine Sebago Lakes Region:

This Sunday the 17th starts the Farmington Fair, and there is a unique fair that also takes place each year in Unity Maine – The Common Ground Fair – which is also happening from the 22nd through the 24th this next weekend. This next weekend also begins – here in Cumberland County – the Cumberland Fair, starting on September 24th running through the following weekend. We urge you to get out and enjoy the excellent weather we are being blessed with here in the Maine Sebago Lakes Region these days, as in years past we have had many a frost warning at night by this time, with none immediately on the horizon, yet this year. Here is the link for those interested in either of these upcoming fairs, and you will also find information on what many call the ‘Fair Of All Fairs’ in this region every year – The Fryberg Fair – which wraps up Fair season here in Maine, this year starting in early October. Here is the link for your convenience and planning:

http://www.mainefairs.org/fairs.html

Another event here in the region that is “Always the last Saturday in September” being one of their reminders, it will be very helpful if you like beer, or you want to learn more about brewing beer, or you enjoy great food, you will want to consider making plans and heading to Point Sebago in Casco, Maine. Here is the link with all of the details for this year’s 14th annual Maine Lakes Brewfest that happens this year on Saturday, September 30th:

14th Annual Maine Lakes Brew Fest

This is the time of year for many to prepare to remove their boats and watercraft for seasonal storage, and though packing up camp and getting things ready for the fall and winter seasons is a reality for many – with back to school now a couple of weeks gone by – our recent Indian Summer has many hanging on to this summer’s season as long as the delightful weather might continue. If this happens to be time when you are considering testing the waters when it comes to selling property, or maybe you are considering changing summer lakefront, waterfront, or mountain-view locations here in the Maine Sebago Lakes Region, now really is prime time to do so while many are looking either for a change, or for just that right spot for them with the total available inventory still being a challenge for the Real Estate Industry in general. Whether you are selling or looking for just that ideal spot for you, not only do we really listen as an Agency and as individual agents, but we have valuable tenure, unparalleled experience, and valuable resources that we have put together working here in the region for years, that will significantly benefit you whether you are looking for powerful representation as a buyer, or as a seller. There are many new things that need to be considered in today’s Real Estate market that point to the real need and huge value that you will enjoy, with having the right Real Estate representation at your side. Do your own research on those in the industry who own the For Sale By Owner franchises that are out there. Did they perform their own personal Real Estate Transactions themselves? I expect you can tell by the question, as to what you will find for interesting answers to the question – and the reasons are many, and they are more important now, than ever before. Facts Matter. Statistics Matter. Knowing the ins and outs and the complexities of today’s Real Estate transactions, matters. And we will share our expertise with you so that you will really understand the importance of selecting the best representation for you.  Thank you for calling us here at Maine Real Estate Choice.  Our goal is to make sure that you will be very glad, that you did.

207-693-5300

When you hear about Indian Summer in our traditionally colder northern climates, here in the great Maine Sebago Lakes Region I expect the fall of 2017 is going to be remembered very fondly for a true July and August-like summer heatwave well into the eighties and pushing the ninety degree range that we are experiencing – truly remarkable weather for the beginning of the turning of the leaves here. Further north in the Maine Woods and ski country the foliage is already approaching 50%, and we are all wondering how long this Fall heatwave can last.
Looking at the next ten days into the first full week of October, there is no day that is predicted to be below the high sixties with mostly low to mid seventy degree days, and the real surprise is no hint of cooler nights, with the nighttime lows here in our area predicted to be at amazingly high levels from the mid 50’s to mid-high 60’s. Midweek this next week is showing thunderstorms with highs in the mid 80’s and an overnight LOW of 68 degrees. That is true Indian Summer for the end of September into the beginning of October, in these parts.
When it comes to Real Estate, this is extending the ability to get a lot of outside work, especially groundwork accomplished that might otherwise be challenged, and it certainly allows us as agents to comfortably show you waterfront, lakefront, water view and mountain view properties that you might be interested in seeing without gloves and hats that many a year would be needed at least early and in the evenings traditionally. We encourage everyone reading this blog that has been curious what their Primary or Summer Home may be worth in today’s amazing market evaluations, to call us to test the waters as to the real value that your property holds in today’s real estate market. Even with the vast experience our team brings to you, we too could not be more surprised at times and excited about helping people maximize their investments to allow for the possibility of you and your family moving towards a property or a situation that is more ideal for you.
Sebago Lakes Region experience matters, and when it comes to understanding the right questions to ask per lake, per area, per town, you want and frankly in today’s Real Estate Transactions you need a professional at your side to assist with maximizing your value and negotiating offers whether you are purchasing or selling, both positions have unique needs in today’s marketplace.  You will be glad you picked up the phone and called us to learn more!

Make it a great week!

This Weekend will mark the real beginning of the Fall Season here in the great Sebago Lakes Region of Maine, with many homeowners looking at the upcoming week’s weather and finally being able to be comfortable removing the Air Conditioner from the window of their primary residence, and looking towards whatever may be needed for cleaning things up and getting a secondary Lakefront, Waterfront, or Water Access property ready for the upcoming winter season.  We are very fortunate this year to still be experiencing lovely day time temperatures in the 60’s and 70’s, however our overnight lows are now reaching down in the lower 40’s and upper 30’s with some frost on the Pumpkin in the more northern and western Mountain regions of the state, which means something very important here in our area:  Leaf Season is now in full force for the next few weeks.  There is already significant color in our more northern and mountainous regions of the State, and here is a great site to keep you informed as to Peak Foliage updates:

http://www.maine.gov/dacf/mfs/projects/fall_foliage/index.shtml

This is a Maine.Gov website that is updated very regularly, and there is a lot of helpful information. The When and Where To Visit tab gives you Places to Go and Plan Your Trip advice and though you will find other options for tracking foliage and the changing of the leaves here in the region, I have found no better site than this one.

As we welcome October this weekend, you can still visit the end of the Cumberland Fair, and this weekend marks the beginning of most popular Sebago Lakes Region annual event, the Fryeburg Fair starting Sunday October 1st and running through Sunday October 8th. Here is the link to check this year’s schedule of events:

http://www.fryeburgfair.org

Make it a great week as we all say hello to October!

Here in the great Sebago Lakes Region of Maine it is now time to really enjoy the leaves turning their various interesting colors, and there are a lot of things that you can get out and do here in the region to add to your leaf-peeping drives. Here’s an example.  Located just east of Gray, Maine at the Pineland complex in New Gloucester, Maine, Pineland Farms has a world-class Corn Maze. They call theirs a “Corn Maize” – and from personal recent experience some might call it a Corn Trap! It is great family fun, and there are maps available to assist you in your search for the Maze Exit.  Plan on a couple of hours for the Maze and delightful other things to see and do. There is the Dairy Barn, the Poultry Barn and Family Fun area – where there are goats, more chickens than you may have seen in a long time, and a great play area and critter petting opportunities.  It’s a great place to enjoy the beautiful scenery and admirable work that the Libra Foundation has done with Pineland Farms. The successful integration of campus businesses and the working Farm is a success story in progress. If you have not been to the Pineland facility in recent years, you will find the working Farm impressive.

Pineland began as the Maine School for the Feeble Minded in 1908 which was then envisioned as a coed residential facility for the mentally disabled and for those with epilepsy, to have a place to reside and the ability to help work the farm giving the facility both structured and productive activities for the residents, also making the facility more self-sufficient. The State of Maine changed the name to be “Pownal State School” in 1925, which in 1957 became the Pineland Hospital and Training Center, with the name shortened in the early 1970’s to simply the Pineland Center. There is much history in our region to learn about, enjoy, and visit within very short drive times. All of us here at Maine Real Estate Choice encourage you to get out and enjoy them if you are blessed to live here, and, to come and visit if you are “from away”. Who knows.. you might want to stay! Or, enjoy a 2nd home, in an area we are very blessed to call home. Make it a great week!

This weekend brings us exactly to the middle of October, with Halloween falling on a Tuesday this year. With our sunset already happening before 6:00 PM, if things seem to be changing rapidly in that department, they really are. We lose, on average, 3 minutes of daylight every single day these days. So next weekend, when our next Sebago Lakes Region Maine Real Estate Choice blog comes around, there will be 21-24 less minutes of daylight than there are today. Which adds up to between now and December 21st, we’ll enjoy one hour less of daylight, every 3 weeks. And the reverse is also thankfully true. Once we get into January and February, we will once again gain the daylight back until the entire process slows down and flips again on June 21st.  And while we are discussing interesting facts:  From a line drawn through our great state of Maine starting in Perry to the east through Dexter to Rangeley in the west, is the 45th parallel. This is the halfway point between the North Pole and the equator. Drive due north, or due south from that line, and 3107 miles later you will reach your desired destination.  When entering the state crossing the Portsmouth bridge driving northward, it is 170 miles and about a 3 hour drive to reach the 45th in Dexter.. and what many don’t realize is that during that drive to your left and right you’ve passed almost 70% of the State of Maine’s population.. however you have covered only about 1/3rd of our state’s land mass, with almost 65% of the State of Maine’s land area being located north of the 45th Parallel. Hope you’ve enjoyed these facts, and maybe given you some ideas for fun day trips especially now with the leaves turning their various colors and hues, is now very close to peak status!

Make it a great week!

I Each year about this time everyone here at Maine Real Estate Choice, located here in the heart of the Maine Sebago Lakes Region in Naples, Maine, wants to provide you some very friendly reminders, especially with so many people, locals and tourists alike, now enjoying the peak foliage season here in the area. We are only about a week away from the end of October, and with late October and early November each year we have some changes that take place each year that seem to creep up on us all, too quickly each year. And many of these reminders involve day to day safety issues that are worth writing down on a post-it-note and sticking on your dashboard! A week from Tuesday, for all of you and your family members who drive, we all need to pay extra special attention to the roads and streets and especially our own all-too-familiar neighborhoods when we rush home or rush out for something, as the streets will be filled with many young children out for Trick or Treats for Halloween who often tend to act unexpectedly, and it is getting darker earlier and earlier daily as we approach a week from Tuesday. Please take extra special caution driving your vehicle on Tuesday the 31st and again, sadly, most accidents that happen in neighborhoods, happen with drivers who live in their own neighborhood, and not from drivers from another area visiting that neighborhood. Also, a mere 4+ days after Halloween, on Saturday night early Sunday morning November 5th, we will be changing our clocks back. Remember, in the Fall, we “Fall Back One Hour” and in the Spring we “Spring ahead, we Spring Forward One Hour”. This means that at 2:00am on early Sunday morning, late Saturday night, it becomes 1:00am again on November 5th. Not this next weekend.  The weekend after Halloween.  Safety matters.  Do not text and drive.  Have your phone in a Hands-free situation as a driver, at all times.  Thank you.

As we enjoy this last weekend in October the weather is about to deal us a difficult blow as we start the week.  Overnight Sunday into Monday there is a storm that is on the brink of being classified a hurricane racing up the coast, so make sure to “batten down the hatches” where you are responsible, and prepare for possible power outages and localized flooding from the volume of rain predicted.

As we close out the month of September early this next week, this will also close out this year’s National Realtors Safety Awareness Month for this year. Topics of focus that you may or may not have in your occupation, is to “always have an out” and to always be thinking ahead as to emergency planning and preparedness for personal safety. Simple things like if your vehicle happens to break down, what do you have on hand for safety gear in the car should that happen? The nature of being a Real Estate Agent is that we are often meeting with people we do not know or that we are meeting in person for the first time, possibly in rural, vacant, remote locations, and recent National statistics demonstrate at least four out of ten Real Estate Agents had been in a situation where they’d experienced something odd or difficult which made them uncomfortable or fear either for their personal safety or for the privacy of their personal information. Sadly, in any professional business environment difficult situations can arise.  We each take very seriously the safety of everyone in our profession along with those here in our great Maine Sebago Lakes Region community we diligently serve. Safety matters for us all, and if you see what may or may not be suspicious or unsafe behavior, common sense is the best rule, as is doing our best to treat each other as if we are all valued neighbors as we go about our day to day.

I was made aware of a story this week where an acquaintance and her brother saw a dog that appeared confused or lost when they were leaving an event in a nearby town, and they took the time to safely approach the animal, remove it from the side of the very busy highway where they were, and they started knocking on doors and businesses in the area in both directions until they found someone who both knew the animal and pointed them in the right direction, returning the pet about a ¼ mile to the great appreciation of the animals owners. Safety matters. Make it a safe and great week!

As we somehow approach mid-November here already in the Maine Sebago Lakes Region, all of us here at Maine Real Estate Choice want your Holidays and seasonal changes to be as smooth delightful as possible. Many things should take place this time of year to help make the coming months go as smoothly as possible. Taking care of your heating system(s) is an important proactive step before real 24/7 heating becomes a reality for our homes and businesses in the coming days, weeks, and next few months. A proactive cleaning and air filter cleaning and change will not only save you typically a lot more in heating costs than the cost of the preventative maintenance fee, it is a great way to avoid a very expensive weekend service call to make a repair that very well might have been avoided by a system clean up and tune up. With the cost of home heating oil, and all fuels including gasoline currently on the rise, it makes sense to save as much as possible on your heating needs this upcoming season that we are now finding ourselves entering.
If you go back to our main website page on your laptop you will see how much we here at Maine Real Estate Choice focus on the great Sebago Lakes Region of our great state of Maine. We have Lake Region info, you will learn a lot about us in the ABOUT US section, and we provide a lot of valuable information about the towns and lakes that we service, along with important facts and features including important Maine Shore land Zoning information for Shore land owners, along with clear information as to the recreational rules and regulations for water and shore craft for fishing, hunting, and all season information such as ATV and Snowmobiling rules which vary by region, lake, and town. Something that we are very proud of, is our statistics page, which when you look at the facts, will show you why it is important for you to have the experience and knowledge that our team possesses when you look to either purchase or sell waterfront, lakefront, water access, water view, and any land or location here in our region of interest to you. We know our area, and we are proud of our strengths. We want you and your family to have the best experience possible, and the decisions that you make now can have importance to your family for years and possibly generations to come. It has never been more important to have great Real Estate experience and diligence working for you on your behalf, because there is more to understand and work through in a real estate transaction today than ever before in the history of our business. We take that responsibility very seriously, and we would love for you to come and meet us, and find just what you are looking for. It is our job and our pleasure to meet and exceed your needs. We hope that you will call us today, because the time of year for an excellent real estate experience has never been less important also, than it is today. Just as much important real estate business is being done during months that are traditionally not thought of as strong Real Estate timeframes, as the Spring and Summer months that are more expected to be peak season. Every day right now is just as likely to bring great real estate success for sellers and buyers alike, as is what many may feel is traditionally not a peak time to do business. Let us show you that whatever your goals and dreams may be, we want to fully understand them, and help you to accomplish your goals. Thank you for your consideration, and we look forward to the opportunity to serve you.