Bath, ME

I just got an email from Maine Street Bath listing September's Top 10 Reasons to Visit Bath. Since I totally agree with everything and could not come up with a better list myself, I'm just going to pass along the link to Maine Street Bath's Top 10 Reasons to Visit Bath!

From the ighthouses, to the spectacular fall weather and foliage, to the art galleries, the shopping, the dining and the friendly people - - Bath, Maine really has it all - - come experience the glory of the fall season with us here in Bath.

And if your visit leads to a decision to stay and live in Bath, ask me about the Top 10 Reasons you should contact me at Allen & Selig Realty to help you find the property of your dreams!

Serving Residential Real Estate Buyers & Sellers in Maine's Southern Mid-Coast Region & Inland Towns

At Allen & Selig Realty's Bath Office, we practice The Fine Art of Real Estate! I'm happy to report that Art and Real Estate are both alive and well in Mid-Coast Maine! The Mid-Coast Region of Maine has one of the most vibrant art communities you will find anywhere. In Bath, during the summer, the Five Rivers Arts Alliance sponsors Bath's 3^rd Friday Art Walks from June - September. During these precious summer evenings, local artists open their studios, as do galleries and local businesses displaying their art, and invite everyone to come see the work and meet the artists.

At Allen & Selig Realty's Bath Office, we are members of the Arts Alliance. This summer, we have been so fortunate to have members of the Kennebec Art Clubdisplay their work on our office walls - - each month, two different artists display their creations and we hold the house open for the Art Walk evenings. Inasmuch as our office is located on the periphery of Bath's Downtown area, we put out a call for artists to create interest in the location by having artists sit out and "Paint the Bridge" on Art Walk evenings. What we have is a rather "industrial" view with BIW cranes in the background, a long line of abutments disappearing into the horizon, train tracks, street signage, etc. This has been the best part of Art Walk for me, personally, as I have met some wonderful, creative spirits this summer.

During the month of June, it rained, rained, rained and I was the only one out there drawing - - you know us real estate sales people - - nothing if not persistent; I wasn't going to let a little bit of rain (it was actually a downpour) dampen my plans.

Then in July, Tricia Scottof Falmouthsat and painted with me - Tricia is an adventurous soul who paints in acrylics - she created a fantastic vision of my work-a-day world where bridge abutments are whales' tales - - she invited me to join her in a place where it was OK for me to paint a pink bridge.

So, the August Art Walk rolled around and after a long, crazy, hectic day when nothing in The Fine Art of Real Estate was easy and I was still working as the artists and visitors were arriving, I thought, "How am I going to make it through the evening?" But, once I forgot the work, and enjoyed the people and their creative energies, the exhaustion slipped away and I was revived, in a happy, serene place - - and I was still at the office! My "Paint the Bridge" artists were a wonderful couple from South Portland - they arrived on the scene a bit late but quickly assessed the views, set up and got to work. I will never forget the sight of Rachel Guthrie perched on the trunk of her car, happily painting the Carlton bridge towers with ominous thunderclouds looming, completely unnoticed, behind her. And Chuck Ott, so intent on his panoramic piece under the lights on the veranda - - I knew it was best to leave this intense man alone while he was working - - but what a smile at the end!

I do believe they will both come back to paint in September - - it will be the 18^th - - put "Bath's 3^rd Friday Art Walk" on your calendar right now! The two artists with work on display in our office "gallery" also sat on the veranda and painted - - Sandra Johnson and Kathleen Sutherland, both of Bath. I, too, found a bit of time to sit with my sketch pad and refine my studies of the abutments - - too much fun!

This is why we need art, this is why right-brained people are so important to my left-brained world, this is why I do what I do - - so go to a local gallery or art show, meet an artist who lives or works in your town and buy a piece of their work; hang it prominently in your home and tell everyone who notices the piece about the wonderful person who created it - - you will enjoy the art so much more for having met the person who made it. Leave the manufactured pseudo-art on the shelves at Target and get the real deal, direct from the artist.

And if you already have art and need walls on which to display it, I can help you with that! Give me a call, shoot me an email, check out my website or find me on facebook because I practice The Fine Art of Real Estate.

See you at the next Bath Art Walk!

The Bath ME residential real estate market saw 8 transactions take place in June 2009. In June 2008, 8 transactons also occured. Median priced dipped a bit however, about 12% from 149K to 131K. This mid coastal maine housing market continue to see healthy activity given the overall economic conditions and overall the Bath market had a solid spring.

For more information on this coastal maine real estate community please visit www.mymaineproperty.com or feel free to contact me directly at 207-650-5383 or via email at john@greentreemaine.com

Allen & Selig Realty's Bath office is pleased to have the works of members of the Kennebec Art Club on display in its Office Gallery, now through the end of September. Exhibits of different KAC artists will rotate each month in conjunction with Bath's Third Friday Art Walk (and drive). All paintings on display in our Office Gallery may be purchased by contacting the artists directly.

On display though the end of June are the works of local artists:

• Livy Glaubitz of Creekside Gallery in Bath. Livy has traveled extensively and she sketches and paints along the way - her watercolors are stunning!

• Elizabeth (Betty) Johnson of Phippsburg works in pastels and many of her paintings are scenes from her own backyard, which happily, includes the Kennebec River.

This summer's first Art Walk will be Friday, June 19th from 5:00 - 8:00 pm. Twenty different venues are on the route and maps may be picked up at our office, 15 Vine Street in Bath - right off Route 1 "in the shadow of the bridge." We invite you to join us at Allen & Selig Realty to kick off a summer evening enjoying local art and meeting the artists. Livy and Betty will be on hand in our Office Gallery to visit with our guests and talk about their work. Also, we are inviting local artists to set up their easels in our "front yard" or "on our veranda" and paint or draw the iconic Bath bridge, or other "cityscape" during Art Walk evenings. Space is limited so we ask that you call our office to let us know which Art Walk you plan to come paint - 207/443-2200 "Talk To Terry" at Ext. 104.

Downtown Bath Art Walk locations are "walkable" but you may want to drive to the South and North End studios on the route. Alternatively, Ed Rice of River Run Tours offers a boat ride and shuttle on the Kennebec River for $5 per person. Board the boat at Waterfront Park on Commercial Street and stop at the North End or South End boat launches for a short walk to participating studios.

Each Art Walk Friday at Allen & Selig Realty will offer new art work and there will always be some extra fun! This event has taken on a life of its own in some respects and we get calls almost every day from someone with another new idea!

When you think about it, Art and Real Estate go hand in hand and our local artists do so much to enrich our lives, beautify our homes and our lift-up our communities. Especially, these days, we need the arts to buoy our spirits and re-energize our souls. So, please come on out to Bath's Art Walk, or whatever local art events you have in your own communities, and I guarantee you will be amazed at the wealth of talent that lives among us!

SUPPORT THE ARTS IN ALL FORMS WHEREVER YOU FIND THEM!

The Bath Maine real estate residential home markets had an average to fair May with 4transactions taking place at a median sold price of 132K and a median days on market of 22. This contrasts with 3 homes sold at a median price of 125K after sitting on the market for 178 days in May2009. Inventories have hovered around 115 now for the past 3 months or so.

For more information on this Mid Coastal Maine housing community please visit www.mymaineproperty.com, contact me directly at 207-650-5383 or via email at john@greentreemaine.com