Naples, ME

Recently I posted an article about the ongoing controversy swirling around several new proposals for the repair or replacement of the Causeway Bridge in Naples on Rte. 302. A news article today in our local Bridgton News tells me that the whole project is being put on hold pending further study.

There are currently three active proposals attracting consideration and the Maine Department of Transportation felt that it would be better to get more public input before choosing an option and proceeding with a schedule. The long and short of it is that nothing will be happening with the bridge in 2008.

I have posted the full article from the Bridgton News in our Lake News on our website and you can see it here.

You might be surprised to learn that most lakefront property here in Maine is purchased by folks "from away". From away usually refers to folks from Massachusetts, Connecticut or some other state here in the Northeast. The attitude these folks have about associations has always been peculiar to me.

A lakefront buyer will spend a whole lotta time finding just the right lakefront property and then will refuse to tender an offer until they have a chance to read the association bylaws and understand what the annual fees cover. It amuses me when a buyer is ready to buy a half million dollar second home but hesitates because he wants to understand what the annual dues of $150 per year cover. My only thought is that perhaps buyers from away have had to deal with terribly restrictive neighborhood associations back home and are justifiably concerned. Now, I'm all for due diligence. I'm not advocating carelessness, but remember, we're in rural Maine. Things are different up here.

Three Types of Neighborhood Associations

Road Associations - 90% of associations are for one purpose- Road maintenace. Many camp roads are private and not plowed or maintained by the town. Association dues are for snowplowing in Winter and grading in the Spring. That's it!

Homeowner Associations - Some neighborhoods have a lot more to maintain than just roads. For Example, the Knights Hill neighborhood in Bridgton on Moose Pond has an association beach area, clubhouse, canoe rack, marina, tennis courts, playgrounds and even a pool. Annual fees are over $700 per year.

Lake Associations - Often times a lakefront homeowner will be invited to join a lake association. Mostly voluntary, these organizations can have clout. For instance the Lake Associations for the Range Ponds in Poland successfully banned jetski use on the ponds. They wanted a quiet lake and now have one. Most lake associations are formed to maintain or improve water quality or fight an invasive species like milfoil.

Some Advice... I always advise our lakefront buyers to make an offer contingent upon the receipt and satisfactory review of association by laws within 10 days of the effective date of an agreement. If found unsatisfactory, agreement can be declared null and void and earnest money returned.

Conclusion... In all my years in real estate I've never had one deal unravel because of association by laws. So, here in Maine, if you want to paint your house purple, GO FOR IT!!

Contributed by my colleague Tom Ferent, MrLakefront.

Stretching from the Maine Turnpike in the east to the New Hampshire border in the west and from the Standish/Cornish area in the south to the Sunday River/Bethel area in the north, the Greater Sebago Lakes Region offers a complete package to vacationers and relocators alike - a multitude of lakes and ponds, a variety of amenities and attractions, and easy accessibility from the Boston area and points south.

For over one hundred years the Greater Sebago Lakes Region has been the premier destination for those who want to enjoy clean recreational water, lake and mountain vistas, and four season fun in Maine.

The lakes and ponds in this region come in all shapes and sizes. More than fifty have a surface area over 100 acres. From the quaintness of Coffee Pond at 106 acres to the mighty Sebago at over 30,000 acres, this region has a body of water to fit every criteria.

The main attraction is Sebago Lake, with its great size and depth, and its two sisters, Brandy Pond and Long Lake. These interconnected bodies of water form our own version of an inland waterway stretching 35 miles from Harrison at the north end of Long Lake to Standish at the southern end of Sebago Lake. In between are the 11 miles of Long Lake, the Naples Causeway with its swing bridge, Brandy Pond and the Songo River, the old wooden locks on the Songo and, finally, entry into the northern portion of Sebago Lake. This stretch of water provides some of the best recreational boating that Maine has to offer.

Other notable lakes in the area include Thompson Lake in Otisfield, Poland and Oxford, Kezar Lake in Lovell, Highland Lake and Moose Pond in Bridgton, Pleasant Lake in Casco and Otisfield, and Panther Pond in Raymond.

Aside from the water related activities, the Greater Sebago Lake Region offers a wide variety of other things to do depending on the season including golf, skiing, snowmobiling, hiking, hunting, horseback riding, antiquing, summer theater, historic house tours, museums, and shopping. There are many interesting places to stay in the area with an especially good selection of B&Bs. Area cuisine runs the gamut from the very modest to dining at its very best. The city of Portland, Maine's largest city, is an hour or less away providing an assortment of cultural and entertainment activities as well as historic buildings to tour and some of the best restaurants in the country. Portland also serves as the gateway to the Casco Bay Islands and the Maine seacoast. The White Mountains of New Hampshire are just to the west with North Conway, a mecca for outlet shoppers, acting as the entry point to all that this nearby region has to offer.

Lakefront Locator will get you to available listings in the Sebago Lakes Area. LakeSmart, is a research tool that will give you important information about area lakes. Remember, you can change the house but you can't change the location. So, do your homework! If you have a question or need a friend in the business let us know. We love Maine's lakes and ponds and want to share them with you.

Visit us at www.mrlakefront.net

A recent hearing conducted by the Maine Department of Transportation on the viability of a new, fixed bridge proposal struck fear in the hearts of several business people in the Naples area.

The old swing bridge that spans the waterway that joins Long Lake to Brandy Pond needs replacing. An original estimate of $11 million to replace it had been seen as "doable", but now that cost estimate has ballooned to $18 million - an amount the state doesn't have. A proposal for a fixed bridge, at a cost of $8 million, would fit the DOT budget, but has many critics and detractors in the Lakes Region area.

Local marina owners, the owner of the Songo River Queen, and other area business people all voiced their concerns at the recent hearing citing history, local economics, and image as reasons for not favoring the fixed bridge route.

A fixed bridge would limit the amount of boat traffic that could navigate the full extent of the 45 mile waterway that connects Harrison, in the north, with Standish, in the south. Boaters have travelled that distance - by way of Long Lake, Brandy Pond, the Songo River, through the Songo Lock, then into Sebago Lake - since 1830.

You can read the full text of the article here, then stay tuned for new reports as this story develops.