Windham, ME

Sometimes we take things for granted. I have been a mortgage loan officer at Northeast Bank since May of 2007 and over that period of time I have come to expect a certain level of service and support from myself and my teammates. There are many occasions when I request marketing tools from my bank. I have flyers created for open houses, power point presentations for group sales meetings and other types of "take aways" with my contact information printed. Without fail, my marketing department is always ready to supply me with the tools I need to be successful. In most cases I give ample lead time for production of these materials. However, this week I was presented with an opportunity to be involved with a great open house in the Standish/Windham area of the lakes region in southern Maine. I needed to create a flyer that featured the property, but we were operating with less than the normal one week lead time. In fact, I needed my request met in 48 hours. Once again, my marketing department came through. You can see a photo of the home below (come visit the home to pick a copy of the flyer). It is truly great to know you have a tremendous supporting cast. I look at this as another example of why Northeast Bank is on the cutting edge of the mortgage market in Maine. It is not only about competitive mortgage rates, access to the right loan products, or the ability to communicate with your clients and partners. It is also important have the right people around you. There is no doubt in my mind we have this at my bank.

I would also like to thank Debi and Bill Dowd of Dowd Properties for allowing me to assist them with this open house. I visited the property last week and, as usual, they did a wonderful job rehabbing this home. The moment you walk into the kitchen it feels like a home. As someone who grew up 5 minutes down the road in Windham I know that the location is just right for a young family. The open house is this Sunday, January 30th, from 12-2. I encourage you to see this home for yourself.

MARKET REPORT

Windham, Maine 04062

Week of December 20th, 2010

(Residential Units Only, Including Condos)

160 Current Listings (-2 from last week) - Avg. Price 250,576, Avg. Days On Mkt. - 156

31 Pending Listings (-3 from last week) - Avg. Price – 202,635

3 Sold Listings (+2 from last week) - Avg. Price – 167,600

The Sold Price to List Price Ratio is 98% - Of these 3 sold, the sellers got 98% of their asking price.

Please Call Or Email For Custom Reports On Your Maine Town Or City.

June 3, 8 p.m. The Either/Orchestra, a New Music for FREE series supported by the sale of Carol Noonan's latest recording "Waltzing for Dreamers" in partnership with the kind sponsorship of Maine Beverage Company, free, but you still must place your order to reserve a seat, dinner available by reservation before the show, Stone Mountain Arts Center, 695 Dugway Road, Brownfield. FMI: 207.935.7292, www.stonemountainartscenter.com.

June 5, 7 a.m.-6:30 p.m. 13th Annual Kezar Falls Lilac Festival, pancake breakfast, bike and doll carriage parade, artisans, crafters, yard sale, plant sale, book sale, walking tour of historic village homes, magic show, pick-up softball game, fishing demo, chicken BBQ, downtown Kezar Falls by the Ossipee River. FMI: 207.625.3082, www.cornish-maine.org.

June 5, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Free Family Fishing Festival, casting workshop, fly tying instruction, stocked pond to catch trout, mini-tackle box for all kids, door prizes and BBQ, Angevine Park, North Road, Bethel. FMI: 207.824.3694, www.upperandro.com.

June 5, 1-3 p.m. Spring Salad Smorgasbord, taste Black Bean, Quinoa, Caribbean Sweet Potato, Asian Slaw, Tasty Tofu, Spicy Salsa, Fantastic Fruit, and more to kick off the summer of local salads from farms and gardens in western Maine, includes homemade breads and iced beverages, sliding scale of $8-$80/person, free/under age 10, The Commons, Fare Share Co-Op, 443 Main Street, Norway. FMIL 207.743.9044, www.faresharecoop.org.

June 5, 5 p.m. Chicken Cook-Out, includes half chicken, roll, drink, homemade potato salad, cole slaw and pies, to benefit Windham Land Trust, $10/person, eat in or take out, Friends Church, Route 202, Windham. FMI: www.thewindhamlandtrust.org.

June 6, 8 a.m. 4th Annual MOAL, Pleasant Mountain Chapter Car Show, DJ, food, raffles, 25 classes plus Best of Show, portion of proceeds to benefit Lake Region High School graduates continuing their education in the automotive field, $5/show car driver and one passenger, $2/spectators, free/ages 12 and under, Shawnee Peak Ski Area, 119 Mountain Road, Bridgton. FMI: 207.647.2321, www.moalpmchapter.com.

June 7, 6:30-8:30 p.m. "Slow Food, Home Cooking and Good Times," Socrates Cafe discussion, divergent views welcome, Waterford Library, 663 Waterford Road, Waterford. FMI: 207.583.2050, www.waterford.lib.me.us.

April 16-18, 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 4 p.m Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, Disney's "Alice in Wonderland Jr.," directed by Mary Bastoni and choreographed by Samantha Komulainen-York, $10/adults, $8/students & seniors, Schoolhouse Arts Center, Route 114, Sebago Lake Village. FMI: 207.642.3743, www.schoolhousearts.org.

April 16-18, 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, "Enchanted April," Romantic Comedy directed by Linda Sturdivant, presented by the Oxford Hills Music and Performing Arts Association, prices vary, Norway Grange, 15 Whitman Street, Norway. FMI: www.ohmpaa.org.

April 17, 10:15 a.m. French Classical Concert featuring Ya-Fei Chuang, pianist and Jan Muller-Szeraws, cellist, performing music of composers Claude Debussy and Francis Poulenc, and a sonata by Frederic Chopin, free, open to the public, Androscoggin Theatre, Lepage Arts Center in Sargent Gymnasium, Hebron Academy, 339 Paris Road (Route 119), Hebron. FMI: 207.966.2100, www.hebronacademy.org.

April 17, 4 p.m. Record Store Day featuring Zach Jones (ex-As Fast As), Bull Moose, 771 Roosevelt Trail North (Route 302), Windham. FMI: 207.893.1303, www.recordstoreday.com.

April 17, 8 p.m. Patty Larkin Party Celebrating 25 Years of Recording Music, with special guests Nerissa and Katryna Nields, $23/concert only, dinner reservations available at 6 p.m., Stone Mountain Arts Center, 695 Dugway Road, Brownfield. FMI: 207.935.7292, www.stonemountainartscenter.com.

April 18, 11 a.m. 11th Annual Competition and Talent Search, Songwriters, Vocalists, Instrumentalists, Bands, Solo Artists and more, $5-6/person, The Silver Spur, 272 Lewiston Road, Mechanic Falls. FMI: 207.490.1232, www.ptscountrymusicassoc.org.

April 18, 6 p.m. Bob Marley, Wicked Funny Comedian, $15/person, benefit for Windham Neighbors Helping Neighbors and Camp Sunshine, Windham Performing Arts Center, Windham High School, 46 Gray Road, Windham. FMI: 207.892.1810 x 202, www.bmarley.com.

April 21, 10 a.m. Vernal Pool Exploration with LEA educator Bridie McGreavy, explore and share the amphibians' journey to vernal pools, $5/person, free for members, meet at Lakes Environmental Association, 230 Main Street, Bridgton. FMI: 207.647.8580, www.mainelakes.org.

Just a few miles from Portland, Maine, Highland Lake in Windham and Falmouth, is highly valued by lakefront property owners for its pristine waters and sense of wilderness, yet close proximity to entertainment, dining and other activities.

Highland Lake provides a perfect sanctuary for cottage dwellers and wildlife, including loons, eagles, ducks, blue heron, turtles and lots of fish. The public boat launch on Lowell Farm Road in Falmouth is for hand-carried canoes and kayaks only. Motor boat traffic is low.

Fed by springs and streams, including MacIntosh Brook at the northern end, Highland Lake encompasses 623 acres. The maximum depth is 67 feet, with an average depth of 22 feet.

Keith Williams, Ph.D. and Chair of the Water Quality Committee for the Highland Lake Association, says, "Highland Lake's water quality is about typical of lakes in southern Maine." The water quality is slightly above average. It's tested bi-weekly during summer months and on a monthly basis throughout the winter. For more information, check the Highland Lake Association web site at www.highlandlakemaine.org. Fred Gallant is the current president.

If you're an angler, you'll find incredible fishing at Highland Lake. Plan to catch bass and trout right off your dock. According to the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, adult hatchery salmon are stocked in the lake. In 2006 a fish passage was completed.

"The project involved renovating the fishway and restoring the degraded stream channel at Highland Lake Dam in order to improve upstream and downstream passage for diadromous (sea-run) fish-especially alewives, which had historically free access to Highland Lake," said Sandra Lary, Project Coordinator.

This project provided alewives with access to Highland Lake for spawning and nursery habitat. From fish to seabirds, seals, whales, otter, mink, fox, raccoon and turtles, nearly everything eats alewives. Therefore, the project aided the web of life and has the potential to bring our rivers, lakes, estuaries and oceans back to life.

A Highland Lake Conservation Project was completed in 2007 in conjunction with the Cumberland County Soil and Water Conservation District. This 319 Grant from the Maine DEP was meant to significantly reduce erosion and export of sediment and phosphorus into the lake.

"Best management practices" were installed at 63 sites. In addition, to meet the goals of the grant, several workshops including "Cruise the Buffers," "Rain Gardens," and "Front Runner," were offered. Through education, technical assistance and on-the-ground fixes, significant changes were made.

During ice fishing season, you should know that Fat Bass Tours offers ice fishing trips on Highland Lake. For more information, check their Web site at www.fatbass.com and maybe you'll be retreating to their warm shanty soon.
Speaking of ice shanties, just the other day Buddah wrote on the ice shanty blog, "Head over to Highland Lake in Falmouth/Windham and fish the lower end, you should have pretty steady action on warm-water fish and maybe even connect with a brown trout or salmon."

So . . . if you are looking for lakefront property close to Portland, yet with the feeling like it's a million miles away, I encourage you to check out the classic Maine setting offered along the shores of Highland Lake in Windham and Falmouth.

Check out all the current lakefront property listings for sale on Highland Lake by clicking on the box below:

Search for properties on Highland Lake in Falmouth and Windham