Gems come in many shapes and sizes as you'll discover while searching for a lakefront property in the lakes region of western Maine. Burnt Meadow Pond, the Saco River and Brownfield Bog are gems in Brownfield, Maine.

Though located only a few miles south of Fryeburg on Route 160, Brownfield feels like it's a million miles away. Mountains, forest and the Saco River are the dominate features in this town that has been rebuilt since the forest fires of 1947.

Burnt Meadow Pond is a perfect place for swimming and fishing. It supports both cold and warm water fish.If it's a gentle canoe trip you seek, the Saco River has many put in/take out locations. Canoe rentals are available at Woodland Acres Campground in Brownfield (207) 935-2529, Saco River Canoe & Kayak in Fryeburg (888-772-6573 or (207) 935-2369 and Saco Bound in Center Conway, New Hampshire (603) 447-2177.

The Brownfield Bog Wildlife Management Area provides over 5,700 acres of wetland habitat. Use a canoe or kayak to explore the bog; a limited trail system exists. Bring a picnic and enjoy the nesting waterfowl, deer, beaver, muskrats or turtles. If you are lucky, you might even spot a moose.

In the winter, explore the bog by snowshoes or cross-country skis.

A road racing friend of mine writes:

The "4 on the 4th" Road Race in Bridgton is a traditional way for our family to celebrate Independence Day.

First thing in the morning we come together to run or cheer on the runners at the annual race. I don't normally like to run in crowds, but it's fun to see so many people involved - from runners to volunteers, who work the registration tables, sing the Star Spangled Banner, provide water stops, keep traffic at a standstill, collect chips at the finish line and offer massages.

And 90% of the proceeds benefit the Bridgton Public Library, while the other ten percent benefit other local charitable projects.

After the race, we all gather to put the finishing touches on our float, which often wins a prize. The crowds that line the streets of our small town for this parade are amazing - and eager for the candy we toss.

Of course, the parade, sponsored by the Bridgton Lions Club, is quintessential Maine. It features floats created by families, organizations and businesses, Kora Shriners of South Central Maine, Bridgton Community Band, horses, color guards, vintage cars, twirling ballerinas, jugglers, clowns, Scout troops, and fire trucks from throughout the Lakes Region.

The day ends with a family barbeque at our camp on Moose Pond - hot dogs and burgers, potato salad, and strawberry shortcake are always on the menu, but we'll get creative too. We'll swim, play a friendly game of wiffle ball, and sit around the campfire toasting marshmallows for s'mores. Finally, we'll retire to the screened-in porch overlooking the water and watch fireworks go off up and down the lake.

It doesn't get much more All-American than that. Fireworks, band concerts, parades, cookouts, road races, Independence Day - it's all happening in the Sebago Lakes Region of Maine. Come and enjoy Independence Day at a vacation home on any of the lakes or ponds in western Maine where our motto is "the way life should be."

The race, certified by the USATF, begins at Food City at 8 a.m., with registration at Bridgton Memorial School from 6 a.m. to 7:45 a.m. Information about the race is available at www.fouronthefourth.com. You can register on line at www.comfortsignups.com.

If you're interested in seeing what lakefront properties are for sale on Moose Pond, click below:

Search for properties on Moose Pond in Bridgton and Denmark

The for the month ending June 30th, 2009, the Portland ME real estate market posted once again solid home sale figures. A total of 64 homes sold in Portland compared with 89 a year prior. A 27% volume drop. For the last 5 months, volume drops year over year have been anywhere from 4% to this months high of 27% but two other months saw 25% and 26% drops, thus the market seems fairly stable all things considered. On a month over month basis, Portland Maine Home sales were up 20%. Median prices for June 2009 clocked in at 205K, compared with 215K a year prior.

Thanks for reading about this Southern Maine real estate community.

    

Just be yourself when making local community and real estate videos.

Talk one on one and be the tour guide whether about the property you have listed and are marketing to real estate buyers or to folks considering relocation, retirement or recreational investment in your area. You are in sales right? And you know your properties inside and out, shot the videos, took the images, tracked down the town information, studied the deed from the local registry right? AND you like where you live, are in the best place on earth correct? So tell them in your own words not announcer guy reading a script or copy you write. Show them the area knowing you are providing a service.

It's no different than you asking a person for directions when you are in a strange unfamiliar area. You are glad for help, looking for information. Be that FAQ provider, or Direction's Guy for others looking in on your home town.

Be yourself and let them get to know you, become familiar with your passion for your area, your professionalism for your job as real estate locator.

     A Maine real estate broker answers questions about the property, about bank financing, about disclosures and the correct way to avoid lawsuits in a sale and be ethical. But with the global reach of the internet and knowing 85% of real estate buyers go on line to hunt down property, help them in the hunt by doing local community videos that capture the hometown, the local turf. It's not a couple pictures and an interchangeable write up written by the office help anymore. You are the Realtor, the local go to guy or gal for real estate, chamber of commerce information and you are the first person they meet, on line. You are the first person to take then thru ten "open houses", on line before they even get here with video. Our office has a FAQ, frequently asked about Maine video series started and here is one video installment or episode. Simple, helpful, three minutes long so way way less difficult to endure than a root canal and everyone comes away with information, video and audio from the town of Houlton Maine / Southern Aroostook County that I serve.

Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers - Maine, Less People, Friendlier People, Wildlife And Scenery 2nd To None.

Picture this.

You are out in a kayak, skimming the water around a pristine, uninhabited lake in Maine. What hits you is no camps dangling on the edge of the water, no lawn right down to the shores edge. natural bushes, trees. But no sign of man, weed and feed, or pressure treated docks.

 Man messes up a lake, and lawns are the number one thing that lakes, if they could talk would gurgle angry excitement about. Many Maine lakes have local boards of folks to be pro-active not reactive to pressures that can kill or spoil a lake. The Drews Lakes Property Owner's Association (DLPOA) is a member of the Congress of Lakes  Organization(Cola) an holds yearly meetings. In the past few years a $60,000 grant from the soil and water conservation district  has helped with erosion of the roadways and undersized or missing culverts.  Another grant has helped with adding vegetation and local soil stablization to protect the lake from silt, phosphorous and other non-source point pollution.

Watersheds, wood cutting operations miles away and water racing to the lake, contaminants being brought in thru streams all mess up the water quality for fish, swimmers, loons, everyone that enjoys a clean, milfoil free Maine lake.

This year's meeting is at the New Limerick town office, July 7th, at 6:30. We are lucky to have Bill Hersey, a well known local Maine soil tester/site evalulator on board to talk about the do's and don'ts and septic regulations in a Maine  shoreland zone.

Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers - Protecting Maine's Resources, Being Good Steward to Our 6000 Lakes!