Out Like a Lion

Lovell, and much of western Maine, was hit by a fierce snowstorm overnight. Just when the daffodils were blooming, almost a foot of snow covered the ground. Lulled by eighty degree weather just last week, Road Commissioner Larry Fox had ordered his town crew to take the plows off of the trucks for summer maintenance. The roads are a mess and may remain so for a few days. When reached by phone, Mr. Fox said that “…Mother Nature will move the snow as well as fast as we could. In these tough economic times, it is critical that we save money for the taxpayers. Is it really that inconvenient?”

One prominent West Lovell resident welcomes the snow as it will provide the perfect fertilizer for his large vegetable garden and doesn’t think that it is that unusual. He likes to tell the story that his championship Fryeburg Academy baseball game was delayed for several days due to snowstorms adding that Al Gore is the goofy one.

Happy April’s Fool Day!

Moose Pond and Kezar Lake Ice-Out Dates

It is official! Assisted by several days of temperatures in the 80′s, Moose Pond’s mascot, IC, announced that March 23rd was the official date for ice-out (Bridgton News, March 29, 2012). According to the Lovell Town Office, ice-out on Kezar Lake occurred on March 26th.

Here are two informative sites regarding Ice-Out dates in Maine and New England. Lake Ice-Out Data for New England (Kezar Lake is # 10) and the State of Maine’s Department of Conservation.

Time to get the boat ready!

Kezar Realty Video Tours

Kezar Realty has started to use the services of Neo Phoenix Studios for video tours of properties that we have listed. Neo Phoenix Studios is run by Andrew Bard of southern Maine. Andrew is a native ‘Mainer’ and has been working on independent films for a number of years and is experienced in the directing, editing, producing and filming of movies. In addition to creating films, Andrew also produces videos for the real estate community. With a keen eye that showcases the best elements of a home, Andrew has both the equipment and skill to produce a solid two-minute video. You may reach Andrew at neophoenixstudios@gmail.com or 415-742-6480.

Here are links to two video tours of homes at the Severance Lodge Club that currently are on the market:

77 Sunset Ridge Road and 98 Severance Lodge Road

As always, please visit Kezar Realty for additional information on these homes or for any property in the state of Maine.

2012 Boston Red Sox Schedule

Is there anything better than driving around and seeing, with each passing day, the growing amount of earth under the disappearing patches of snow? Spring training is in full gear, daily team updates are in the papers and you can once again listen to the games on the radio or over the internet.

This year the Red Sox open their season April 5th in Detroit and start their home season against Tampa Bay on the 13th of April. This is the 100th anniversary of Fenway Park and there are plenty of commemorative events planned (and I’m sure plenty of souvenirs to buy!). FYI–this is also the 100th anniversary of the Titanic sinking, the Girl Scouts, the Cherry Blossom trees in Washington, DC, of Naval Aviation, LL Bean and my personal favorite, the Oreo Cookie.

If you would like your own Boston Red Sox schedule, send me an e-mail: stan@fairpoint.net.

P.S. The Baltimore Orioles last had a winning season in 1998. It has been a long drought and this year the team, with a nod to the past, brings the cartoon bird back to the uniforms. Management has been making moves in the right direction (farm system, international development, etc.) and success in 2012 will be measured by a .500 team. One more thing–if your favorite baseball team is not the Red Sox and you would like to listen to your team, MLB’s GameDay Audio is the best buy. For $19.99, you can listen to every game, any team, for the entire season.

Buying a Home in 2012

It appears that the long-suffering housing market may finally be stirring with fresh activity. For the foreseeable future, buyers will be able to benefit from low mortgage rates, large inventory and prices that appear to have stabilized (removing the fear that values would be lower six months from now). In the coming months, sellers with appropriately priced homes should see increased traffic and offers.

Much of my activity late last year and into this year has been with year-round, first-time buyers. I have been waiting for this type of buyer for several years and see it as a very positive indicator for several reasons. The biggest factor, I believe, is that buyers are more comfortable with their job security. Mortgage companies and banks also seem to be a little more interested in making residential loans. Perhaps they are now realizing that underwriting standards became too strict (see DSNEWS.com story).

Still lagging, and it is understandable, is the second-home market. There have been buyers looking for bargains but nothing on a steady basis and I think it will be another six-to-twelve months before there is a noticeable increase in activity.

Another local indicator is that our bookings for 2012 Vacation Rentals are up from last year. That suggests to me that if people are going to spend a considerable amount for a family vacation, then they feel comfortable about the future.

To keep in touch with local and national housing activity, please visit my monthly newsletter. For more information about the Lovell Village home pictured above, please visit our virtual tour. And remember to click on KezarRealty to view all of our listings as well as all properties available in Maine!

Lovell Town Meeting

This Saturday, March 3rd, interested citizens of Lovell will gather at the Meeting House for the purpose of acting on 97 Articles. Most of the Articles are rather mundane, things like raising $250 for the Salvation Army or raising $10,521 for the Stoneham Rescue Service. The truth is that much of Lovell’s budget is dictated by the State, County and School District and the monies voted on are a small percentage of the budget.

But every year there seems to be two or three “hot” issues. Probably the biggest this year will be the election of the Road Commissioner. The current commissioner is Larry Fox who has held the position for 15 years and is being challenged by a town resident, Jason Wentworth, who has been conducting an organized campaign. I always try to avoid being political here but yesterday’s snow storm was a good example of why keeping the incumbent would be a good choice. Even though it snowed all day, the roads were kept clear and traveling around town was manageable. Not all of our abutting towns can say that!

This year’s meeting will be the first since the building was placed on a new foundation, the first step in the complete renovation of the structure (See Lovell Town Hall and Part Two).

Every year the Board of Selectmen dedicate the Town Report to a worthy individual(s). The 2011 Town Report is dedicated to Gerry Nelson who through the years has worked tirelessly to eradicate variable leaf milfoil from Cushman Pond. Through his efforts, many agencies believe that Cushman Pond is likely to be the first water body in Maine to successfully eliminate an invasive aquatic species!

Moose Pond Ice Out

Something tells me that as we get closer to turning the page from February to March, that this year’s ice-out (an accepted definition is when one can travel the entire body of water unimpeded) might be earlier than usual.

The Bridgton Community Center’s annual fundraiser on Moose Pond has a new mascot this year. IC is a colorful snowman that is highly visible as you cross the causeway and will determine when ice out comes to the Pond. Entrants can try to win one-half of the net proceeds by predicting the correct date. Tickets are available at a number of locations around Bridgton including Beth’s Kitchen Cafe.

For complete contest rules and previous ice out dates, please contact the Bridgton Community Center at 207-647-3116.

Here’s an interesting link to a live webcam on the Naples Causeway.