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A sampling of local properties that have recently closed.
161 Seawood Park, Bristol. Sold for $495,000. after 69 Days on Market.
96 Timber Lane, Newcastle. Sold for $355,000 after 39 Days on Market.
48 Shipley Road, South Bristol (Christmas Cove). Sold for $1,200,000. after 34 Days on Market.
15 Bristol Road, Unit 1A (Condominium), Damariscotta. Sold for $212,000. after 622 Days on Market.
The Main Street reconstruction project in Damariscotta comes to a halt today! After several months of "ripping it up and putting it back together" the construction crews will be pulling out for the summer as it is simply too much to deal with the combination of summer volume and the one way traffic necessitated by the job.
Although we think the crews have been great in their attempts to minimize delays and disruptions to our businesses, the traffic and general activity has picked up as we get further into the summer season. What used to be a 5 to 10 minute delay has recently stretched into a 20 to 25 minute or even longer delay. So major kudos to our Town Fathers (much maligned in this spot I know, but not this time) for negotiating a 2 month halt in the project. The crews will be back after Labor Day to finish up, which is expected to take another 2 months.
For now we'll live with our new curbstones and wider sidewalks with temporary hot top on them and a street that is slightly lower than it will be when finished. All in all in doesn't look too bad and should be pretty nice when finished.
If this fellow pictured below isn't careful he might get left behind as they pull out!
Despite Jim's remarks about "highly successful workaholics" some of us are managing to stay in balance, be highly successful and have some fun here in Maine, the state that proclaims itself "The Way Life Should Be".
For the past 4 years I have captained a Tennis Team based at the Central Lincoln County YMCA called "Net Gains". We are a diverse group of women ranging in age from the 40's to the 70's with widely varying talents and interests. On and off the courts we are competitive and constantly working to improve. Many of my closest relationships through the years can be traced to tennis...the game for a lifetime!
The talent (besides tennis) on the team is amazing. There are several artists with very different styles, Jane Dahmen and Joy Vaughan. Tamar Francis is a graphic artist who currently works at Natural Expressions Jewelry Gallery. Be sure to click on the links to see some of their work.
Jen Mathews owns the well-known fabric store in Edgecomb, On Board Fabrics. Frances Pusch and Sheila Palmer both have successful sewing and slipcover businesses.
Louise Belknap, formerly of the gone but not forgotten and much missed Belknaps Hardware, is the proud mother of Anna Belknap, aka Detective Lindsey Monroe on CSI: NY. It became very clear to all of us last week as we played a game that involved acting that Anna's talent comes directly from her mother!
Lisa Gilbride, tennis pro extraordinaire and beloved coach, runs an amazing program at "the Y" in Damariscotta. She handles an incredible number of players of all ages, abilities and personalities, always with a smile.
Recently we gathered at Jane's beautiful home overlooking the Damariscotta River for a season ending celebration. After a great season on the tennis courts we decided to try something different. Who knew that hitting a ball that isn't moving would be so difficult? Elizabeth Sylvester (aka Tiger) put us all to shame, not only actually hitting the ball but hitting it straight and long!
And yes, I work very hard at my real estate business. But I play hard as well, thanks to these wonderful women who have become great friends!
Editors note: Here's another in our continuing series of guest blogs. Today we hear from Anita Palsgrove of our sister company Newcastle Square Vacation Rentals.
Summer is beginning to unfold in the Damariscotta Region and we're busy at Newcastle Square Vacation Rentals preparing for the arrival of a new season of vacationers. Just in case you're worrying about what to do with your out of state guests or visiting family members we want you to know that it's not too late to find a great vacation spot! We have wonderful vacation cottages with good weeks still available - all you need to do is direct them to us and we'll do the rest!
We have the largest inventory of vacation rental properties in Lincoln County, spread nicely across the Damariscotta and Pemaquid Region with lots of choices in size and price.
Although most of our Lakefront cottages are already under contract, we've recently added several new properties with wonderful amenities and great waterfront locations - and good open dates!
On the Saltwater side we can also offer a good selection of available properties - many with prime season dates still open. (Our Saltwater Owners are notorious for holding out weeks for their families and then returning those weeks to the Availability List at the last minute.)
We also represent several charming intown properties within an easy walk to our most popular restaurants, the shopping district, cybercafes and our wonderful Damariscotta Town Landing. It's truly a "village" experience.
Or maybe you're worrying about what to do with those guests after the obligatory lobster dinner? A week can be a long time!
What to do? What to do? The Area Information section of our website is filled with links to all sorts of activities. There's always shopping, but what about local antiques auctions? What about a village or church fair? Art shows? Ice Cream Socials? Strawberry Festivals? The Lobster Festival? Or, our own Oyster Festival? How about world class musical performances? Or, local stage productions? We have great Agricultural Fairs (including the Maine State Blueberry Festival and the Windsor Apple Festival). We even have the largest organic farming "Celebration of Rural Life" in New England during the Common Ground Fair in September. Would they enjoy an afternoon on a lobster boat? Or a scenic helicopter ride? Or a day trip to Monhegan Island? What about Puffin watching? We can match you up with Kayak trips, point you to Canoe Rentals on the Pemaquid River (featured in the April Edition of Downeast Magazine), museums, golf, charter sailboats or give you trail maps to some of the most amazing conservancy property you'll find anywhere. And there's still more to do!
Of course you could always hang out at the Pemaquid Lighthouse, or the Beach or the hammock on your rental property.
Maybe your friends should think about two weeks? You should call us!
And if your travels to Maine will only allow a short stop in our area, please drop in to our office at the top of Main Street, and take a look at our possible rentals for your next visit. (If you come to Maine once, you'll come back again and again.)
Maybe we can help with a transitional "testing the waters" furnished winter rental? Or maybe you'll fall in love with this Region and want a longer term rental while you start looking at local real estate?
We truly believe that Great Vacations Begin Here!
I'm late with the May Market Report. Had I known just how many of you look for this report every month I would have been more diligent about getting it up on the blog at the beginning of the month. Thank you for your emails and please accept my apologies. We're more than halfway through the month of June and I'm just getting to it now which I thought was going to be a market report in itself.
Driving into the office I was writing this in my head and planned to say that it has been so busy in our market that I simply didn't have time to write blog posts. I was going to run the numbers and print those statistics here to show you exactly how the market had turned for the better.
Well, I guess that's why we need to look at the numbers. For the month of May in 2006 there were 60 closed sides of residential properties in Lincoln County with a total value of just over $15 million. This year, 2007, there were only 40 closed sides of residential units with a value of just under $12 million.
So why do we perceive that market has changed? Recently we've seen several "multiple offer" situations, that is when more than one party at a time is offering on the same property. Often this will cause a property to sell for more than the original asking price. Recently we have seen no offers coming through with contingencies that prevent the sale form moving forward until after the Buyers home has sold. These are all signs of a good market. But, the biggest reason we perceive a better market is because we have been busy. Very busy. At this point in 2006 Newcastle Square Realty had closed 43 sides for $11,300,000 in sales. This year Newcastle Square has closed 61 sides for a total of $18,200,000 and leads all agencies in Lincoln County in sales. There is not another agency on the Pemaquid peninsula that has closed even $5 million worth of sales!
What this means is that the 15 professional brokers affiliated with Newcastle Square work 70 hour weeks and have totally unbalanced personal lives. Most of us walk around with cell phones glued to our ears, trying to send a fax while we check email and look for the keys for our next showing. Very unhealthy. But ask yourself this; when you wish to sell or buy what may be one of your biggest assets, who do you want working for you? A highly successful workaholic? Or do you want to see your real estate broker sitting for hours in the local coffee shop or advertising their part time job in the paper?
This remains a challenging environment for selling property. Don't you want to work with the very best? Call today, we're in the office.
Surprise! This is not an article about the construction project in downtown Damariscotta and Newcastle. It's about the reconstruction of women (and men, but more about that later) at SHAPERS, LLC and exercise facility on the lower level of the Damariscotta River Grill building.
SHAPERS was formed by an association of women after a national franchise closed abruptly last fall. A group of women who had enjoyed the exercise program and camaraderie, gathered together and for several months planned and organized an independent exercise facility. They met in the local library spearheaded by Jeanne Davis, Lil Garcia, Anna Shaw Barbara Fraser, Joyce Penniman, Jane Najim and Sharon Morrill.
Husbands also lent their support. Alan Davis did a fabulous job with PR, Lil's husband, Joe installed the computer system, lighting, etc., George Shaw helped Anna with some of the painting of the interior walls and Roy Penniman picked up and delivered the exercise equipment.
They took the positive aspects of the franchise and improved the concept with additional programs. Being independent there is flexibility in what they can offer and they welcome suggestions from the members.
It's a wonderful concept as you can go at any time to fit your schedule and can get a full workout in about 40 minutes - you need to remember to stretch. It's also fun because you never know who will be there when you are. Sometimes I'm so busy talking and having fun that I forget how many times I've been around the circuit.
The space is more reminiscent of a Stockholm wine cellar than a gym, cozy and intimate with it's brick and stone walls yet well lit and air conditioned.
Hours are 6 AM - 6:30 PM Monday through Friday and 8 AM to Noon on Saturday. And now, yes you heard it here first, men are allowed along with women from 5-7 PM on weekdays. For more information call 563-3030 or email shapers@tidewater.net
Check it out. Get in Shape. Have fun!
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