June 25, 9 a.m. Native Plant Walk, led by Colin Holme, LEA Field Services Director, introduction to native plants to help inspire natural landscaping for water quality production and habitat enhancement, easy terrain, $5/non-members, free/members, meet to carpool at Lakes Environmental Association, 230 Maine Street, Bridgton. FMI: 207.647.8580, www.mainelakes.org.June 25-26, 5 p.m. Friday - 8 p.m. Saturday, Standish Summer Spectacular, celebrating the 225th anniversary of Standish, live music and fireworks at Kiwanis Beach on Friday, community marketplace, "Spectacular" parade, musical show, bean supper and "Mr. Magic" on Saturday at various venues throughout the three villages, Route 25, Standish. FMI: 207.642.2875, www.standish.org. June 26, 6:30 p.m. Strawberry Festival, preceded by ... 07/01/2010

Situated in the Sebago Lakes Region, Coffee Pond is located 20 miles northwest of Portland and only a couple of hours from Boston. It's easily accessible from Routes 11 and 121 to shops and activities in Freeport, the White Mountains and North Conway, NH. At 137 acres, Coffee Pond is a quarter mile wide and a mile long. This spring-fed pond has a maximum depth of 70 feet. Bill Mansfield, a Life Long Lake Monitor for the Maine Volunteer Lake Monitors Program these past ten years, conducts all the testing and Coffee Pond's water quality is absolutely EXCELLENT! This is one of the Sebago Lakes Region's most popular lakes because of its water quality. Search for lakefront properties on Coffee Pond Anglers are delighted with Coffee Pond. It's managed for cold and warm water species.  Brook t... 04/16/2010

Point Sebago Resort on Sebago Lake in Casco, Maine will once again be the host for the 6th annual Lake Region Brewer's Festival this Saturday, September 26th from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Do you like the idea of sampling dozens of finely-brewed beers, enjoying plenty of good food, listening to live music, all while gazing out over the blue expanse of Sebago Lake in Casco, Maine? Then you need to show up tomorrow, this Saturday, on the shores of Sebago Lake, plunk down your $25 and start having a good time. Around here we just call this event the Brewfest. It has become so well-known and such a popular draw in such a short period of time because of the popularity of micro-brewed and handcrafted beers. Couple that with a gorgeous outdoor venue and the great volunteer effort by the Greater Bridgt... 10/15/2009

Need a break from shopping for the perfect lakefront property near Pleasant Lake in Casco? Then visit Mayberry Hill Preserve, a gem in the western Maine Lakes and Mountains Region. Jon Evans, Stewardship and Volunteer Coordinator for Loon Echo Land Trust says of the Preserve, "The gentle terrain invites folks of all ages to a thirty minute vacation in the Maine woods." He is absolutely right. Mayberry Hill Preserve presents visitors and residents with a pleasant stroll over a one-mile loop through a mixed forest. "This carefully managed forest offers Red oak, White Oak, Pitch Pine, mixed Hardwoods and Maine's signature tree, the White Pine," says Jon. Quintessential stone walls, a stone cairn, and a couple of stone benches await hikers, skiers and snowshoers on this 160-acre parcel whic... 08/14/2009

Sometimes big things come in small packages in the Sebago Lakes Region of Maine. Such is the case with Baker's Dozen at 2 Lord Road in Casco, across from Pleasant Lake. Two years ago, after retiring from a career in food service, Eunice Long opened Baker's Dozen with the help of her husband Mel, who serves as her gofer and right-hand man. A recent customer comment sums up the new business: "This is the best thing that ever happened to Casco." Eunice offers a selection of breads and rolls, cakes and sweet breads, 9-inch pies, cookies, filled donuts, Danish, candy and whoopie pies. And, in keeping with the name of the shop, if you purchase a dozen cookies, you get one extra-a baker's dozen. She sells lots of cookies and says that nine out of ten youngsters choose chocolate chip for their ... 08/06/2009

Enjoy your next round of golf at Point Sebago Resort on Sebago Lake, southern Maine's largest lake, located 2.5 hours from Boston. The 775-acre setting on this picturesque waterfront offers a 500-acre nationally acclaimed 18-hole golf course. The course was rated the #1 Golf Course in southern Maine by Golf Digest. Stay and Play packages are available. PGA professionals offer golf clinics and schools for juniors and adults. Tournaments, scrambles, Men's League, Ladies League, Couples League and Pins and Skins are part of this exceptional golf experience. So . . . bring your RV or stay in one of the guest accommodations either lake side, beside the golf course or in the woods. You'll find dining options from fine dining to pub fare and snack bar favorites. Nightly entertainment, family f... 07/24/2009

July 23-25, Casco Days, sponsored by the Casco Fire Association; a full weekend of activities and events held at Casco Days Park in Casco Village. FMI: www.cascodays.org  July 23, 2 & 4 p.m., Tomato Plant Girl, "a play about friendship and holding one's own," $8, reservations recommended, Children's Museum and Theatre of Maine, 142 Free Street, Portland; FMI: 207.828.1234 or www.childrensmuseumofme.org July 23, 8 p.m., Mommas' Night Out, America's Funniest Mom, $20, Deertrees Theatre and Cultural Arts Center, 162 Deertrees Road, Harrison; FMI: 207.583.6747 or www.deertreestheatre.org July 24-25, 8 a.m.-3 p.m., Gigantic Church Yard Sale, First Congregational Church, UCC, 33 South High Street, Bridgton: FMI: 207.647.3936 or www.firstucc1794.com July 24, 8 p.m., The Early Evening Show with... 07/24/2009

A hundred years ago the ability to afford a summer vacation in Maine was coming within reach of a growing middle class. The wealthy still enjoyed the amenities of grand hotel living at places like the Poland Spring Inn or the Mount Washington Hotel in Bretton Woods, NH, where whole families took up residence in posh hotel suites for a month or two in the summer. The less affluent, however, could afford to take a room at a lakeside lodge, or rent a cabin affiliated with a lodge, where they could enjoy some of the amenities of their wealthier brethren in a decidedly more rustic setting. During the first half of the 20th century many of the lakes in the Lakes Regions of Maine saw the construction of these lodges, often with accompanying housekeeping cottages or cabins. Vacationers "from aw... 04/01/2009

HGTV program "House Hunters" will air an episode on January 1 at 8 p.m. that features local real estate buyer's broker Diane Monaco of the Mr. Lakefront Keller Williams team in Casco. A producer for "House Hunters" had contacted Mr. Lakefront real estate earlier in the year after visiting their website and blog. They wanted to feature a Maine lakefront vacation home in one of their program segments. Mr. Lakefront buyer's broker, Diane Monaco, had been working with several possible candidates and was able to find a couple who were willing to participate in the project. "House Hunters" takes their viewers behind the scenes as individuals, couples and families learn what to look for and decide whether or not a home is meant for them. Focusing on the emotional experience of finding and purc... 12/19/2008

The Maine Department of Environmental Protection estimates that between 40% and 70% of rain and snow melt that falls on a Maine residential property runs off and finds its way to streams, rivers, and lakes. Because of their proximity to the water, lakefront property owners play an especially important role in controling runoff. Make sure that water runs off your driveway and walkways into vegetated areas. If you have gutters and a downspout, direct the water into vegetated areas or into a rain barrel. Soil erosion is the primary pollutant that is carried into waterways via runoff. Soil contains phosphorus which encourages aquatic plant growth and algae blooms. The soil itself can be harmful to fish habitats, affect boating and swimming areas, and generally degrade the quality and clarit... 11/14/2008

If you're looking for a really great way to hang out at a beautiful Maine lakefront venue while sampling the tasty offerings of over 25 area microbrewers, mark September 27th on your calendar. It's the 5th annual 2008 Brew Festival at Point Sebago in Casco sponsored by the Greater Bridgton Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce. This is a family event that has grown up over the last five years to where they are expecting as many as 3000 to attend. In addition to all the microbrews you get to sample, there is also plenty of food and music. The Brew Festival is known for its "safety first" approach to hosting this event, as well as for the beauty of the beach it is located on and the variety of activities you can take part in. For a list of the participating brewers click here. There will be te... 09/12/2008

After reading the papers and listening to the different news stations I wonder what is going to happen this coming winter. Some of the local towns are wondering how they will be able to help their residents get through the winter with the costs of fuel being high. Many people are disabled, on a fixed income, elderly, single parents with children under the age of two, or newly unemployed. Who, what will help them if they find they can't afford to heat their residence? There are some towns putting on concerts to help raise money for the fuel assistance programs. There just won't be enough money through the state to accommodate all the requests which might very well come in this Winter, especially if it is going to be anything like last Winter. People are going to question what they are go... 09/02/2008

If any of you are fans of HGTV's House Hunters program, we have a treat for you. The folks from House Hunters recently made a call on Mr. Lakefront and are producing a segment for airing next Spring that features Mr. Lakefront's buyer's broker Diane Monaco and buyers she represented in a recent lakefront home purchase. For those of you not familiar with the program, House Hunters takes viewers behind the scenes as individuals, couples and families learn what to look for and decide whether or not a home is meant for them. Focusing on the emotional experience of finding and purchasing a new home, each episode shows the process as buyers search for a home. The production crew were here for three days doing the shooting and will edit down many hours of shooting to a half hour program. The s... 08/07/2008

I got a call last Saturday from a gal inquiring about a property. She said, "Tom, you probably don't remember me, but you showed us some lakefront properties a few years ago." I immediately remembered her and her husband as nice folks from Massachusetts. She said, "We've been looking for 5 years and can't seem to find a place we like. There's always something missing or something we don't like with the ones we look at." I then asked her, "What are you looking for in a lakefront property?" and "What's your price range or budget?" She then described for me what she wanted in a lakefront property. A nice flat lot with a sand beach and sunset views. She wanted a nice private lot too, with neighbors not too close. She described the type of house, number of bedrooms and baths. No camps either... 07/17/2008

Lakefront buyers usually come in pairs, like a husband and wife. Usually one is impulsive, passionate and emotional; the other reserved, rational and reasonable. One is looking for something he or she likes, while the other tries not to show much enthusiasm or partiality about any particular property. I can usually tell when the more rational of the two is interested in a property when I am asked, "do you know why they're selling?" The rational one likes the particular place, finds the property well priced. But wait! Something must be wrong with it. Thus the question, "why are they selling?" Here's what I can share with you. I visit with over 150 lakefront homeowners each year. Most have contacted me in order to get a free, no-obligation, comparative market analysis. In other words, the... 07/08/2008

When buying a Maine waterfront property always make your offer contingent on having a satisfactory discussion with the local Code Enforcement Officer. No matter how knowledgeable your buyer's agent may be, he or she has no jurisdiction over the application of state and local rules and ordinances. The Code Enforcement Officer (CEO) does. Make an appointment to meet the CEO at the property. Walk the property with him or her and be prepared to ask questions. Here are some suggestions. A good place to start is to confirm the things you already think you know. Never assume! For example, how close to the water can I build? What are the sideline setbacks? How far do I need to be from the road? Is that distance measured from the middle of the road or the side of the road? What are the location ... 06/17/2008

In the aftermath of a long, snowy winter where the evening news was filled with stories about mortgage meltdowns, rising oil prices, recession, inflation, a long presidential campaign, and a longer war, it's no wonder we all feel a little worn out. But I've been reading some sunnier news.You may be surprised to know that this is a great time to be a buyer of lakefront real estate. Why? Predominantly because since late 2005 the market has turned - from a seller's market to a buyer's market. By that I simply mean there are more people selling than there are people buying. That puts the buyer in the driver's seat. Here's a short list of why buyers have things going their way right now.1 - Selection. There's a lot of property for sale right now and more coming onto the market every day. Sel... 05/02/2008

When it comes to Jetskis, or "personal watercraft " as the manufacturers like to call them, ninety percent of lakefront homeowner opinions I've heard fall into two extreme positions.Extreme Position #1: OUTLAW THEM COMPLETELY - Many believe that unlike powerboats, which are designed to take one from point A to point B, jetskis are not designed for that peaceful and benign purpose. Folks seeking thrills, excitement and a rather noisy kind of fun are drawn to jetskis like moths to a flame. To some, jetskis are to boats as "funny car" hot rods are to automobiles. A virulent strain.Most jetski owners are not oblivious to the fact that many people hate jetskis. Strangely, this does not deter them from buying jetskis. In gentler times, irritating the neighbors would be considered bad form, or... 04/15/2008

Well, it's that time of year again.Maine Maple Sunday, on March 23rd, is becoming our favorite sign of Spring. You can visit any number of sugaring sites all over the state, see how they boil the sap down, and sample some of the best that Mother Nature and Maine have to offer.Here at Mr. Lakefront we think coming to sample the maple sugar is the sweetest reason to come to Maine. We also suggest that while you're here, you sample some of the "sweetest" waterfront property in the universe.Pick almost any region in Maine and find this nice pairing - sugaring sites and lakefront real estate.  Use this Maine Maple Sunday link to search the state for sugaring sites that will be open either Saturday the 22nd or Sunday the 23rd. Then go to our Lakefront Locator and search for some "sweet" water... 03/14/2008

13 Ways You Can Help the Lake I was checking out the latest newsletter from our friends at the Worromontogus Lake Association in the Augusta area and came across this great list of things Maine waterfront property owners can do to help their lake. I've seen this before, but neglected to save it, so am now happy to pass it along to our readers.1. Always check boat, trailer and equipment for plant fragments before launch and after take-out.2. Respect Shoreland Zone Regulations. Before making any change on your land, check with your town to see what's permitted and what's not in the shoreland: 250' of the lake and 75' of streams.3. Control storm water run-off from buildings, paths, driveways and road. Check your property on a rainy day and fix run-off sites by planting vegetation or constr... 03/07/2008