Posts Tagged Cape Elizabeth

HousingPredictor.com Forecasts Increased Sales, Lower Home Prices in 2012 for Portland, Lewiston, Bangor, Maine

Dec 24

Posted by Jeff Mateja in Greater Portland Real Estate | No Comments

According to HousingPredictor.com, Maine is “turning out to be one of the safest bets” in the real estate market looking ahead. Consistent with historically reported figures, HousingPredictor.com is forecasting that sales volume will continue to increase, which we have seen in the year over year figures reported by the Maine Association of Realtors, yet home prices will dip slightly in 2012, as they project the following decreases in the major cities/regions – Portland -2.6%, Lewiston -2.8%, and Bangor -3.4%.

Per statistics released by the Maine Association of Realtors and Maine Real Estate Information System, Inc., the State of Maine saw a 9.6% increase in home sales volume in November 2011 compared to November 2010 with little change (+0.59%) in the median sales price of homes sold. The statistics marked a five month positive streak of sales volume increases in Maine home sales. In comparison, the National Association of Realtors reported national figures of 12.9% increase in home sales nationwide coupled with a median sales price decline of 4.0% for the same year over year comparison for November.

Cumberland County (Portland, South Portland, Falmouth, Scarborough) saw a 5.76% increase in home sales for the rolling quarter year over year (September – November 2011 versus September – November 2010) coupled with a 1.77% decline in the median sales price down slightly to $222,000. Similarly, York County (Saco, Kennebunk, York, Kittery) experienced a 10.67% increase in home sales volume for the same period with a slight increase of 0.92% in the median sales price to $220,000.

For more information on available homes for sale or to start your very own search, please visit FindMaineHomesNow.com

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Tags: Cape Elizabeth, Cumberland, Falmouth, FindMaineHomesNow.com, Freeport, Gorham, Homes for Sale Maine, Jeff Mateja, Lewiston Maine Real Estate, Maine Real Estate, Old Orchard Beach, Portland, Saco, South Portland, Universal Properties, Universal Properties Keller Williams Realty, Westbrook, Windham

2011 Beach to Beacon 10k Road Race – Registration details announced

Feb 5

Posted by Jeff Mateja in Events, Fun, Green / Environmental, Oceanfront, Sports | 3 Comments

Courtesy of blog.tradetang.com

Beach to Beacon runners will soon have the chance to register for the 14th TD Bank Beach to Beacon 10k Road Race, which will take place Saturday, August 6, at 8am. Race organizers recently announced the following race registration details ….

2011 Race Fees – 10k Road Race: $40, 10k Wheelchair/handcycle: $40, Kids Fun Run: $5

Cape Elizabeth Residents Only Registration opens Monday, March 14, 2011 at 7am EST

Online registration opens for Cape Elizabeth Residents only.
First come, first serve. Limit of 600. (These spots will go QUICKLY)
Cape Elizabeth Resident Verification
- The credit card billing address must be a Cape Elizabeth address. Addresses will be verified by race organizers to ensure Cape Elizabeth residency.
- Any non-resident attempting to register as a Cape Elizabeth resident will be rejected.
- Please note: Anyone who successfully registers as a Cape Elizabeth resident who is not a Cape Elizabeth resident will be removed from the race entry database without refund.

General Public Opens Tuesday, March 15, 2011 at 7am EST

Online registration open to general public.
First come, first serve. Limit of 4,000. (Again, these spots will go QUICK!)
Once the limit is reach, Lottery registrations will begin immediately
- The remaining 1,750 spots will be distributed by Lottery.
- Provisions for couples and families will be made in the Lottery process.
  - Lottery entrants are limited to one online entry, but can include up to four registrants (bibs) in that entry. Entrants will be charged a per-person lottery fee of $5. (1 bib=$5 lottery fee or 4 bibs=$20 lottery fee)
- Registration for the Lottery will be held from March 15th to March 22nd.

Lottery Closes Tuesday, March 22, 2011 at 11:59 pm EST.

The Lottery Drawing will be on Wednesday, March 23rd.
Lottery results will be sent to the registrant via email within 24 hours of drawing.
Winners will be placed on the website.
IMPORTANT: Winners’ credit cards will be charged IMMEDIATELY!

Transfers:

The race will allow transfers from May 1 through June 30, 2011 at 11:59 pm EST.
Learn more about how the transfer policy works at www.Beach2Beacon.org/TransferPolicy

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Tags: 14th Beach to Beacon, Beach to Beacon 10k, Beach to Beacon 2011, Beach to Beacon Kids Fun Run, Beach to Beacon Registration, Beach to Beacon Road Race, Beach to Beacon sign up, Cape Elizabeth, Fort Williams, Joan Benoit Samuelson, Portland Headlight, TD Bank Beach to Beacon

Ram Island Ledge Light Auction Update

Sep 8

Posted by Jeff Mateja in Events, Fun, Green / Environmental, Oceanfront, Scenic | No Comments

According to a Portland Press Herald article, and a look at the current Live Auction site administered by the U.S. General Services Administration, the Ram Island Ledge Lighthouse auction is heating up as 19 bids have been received. An apparent bidding war is going on between “AGIRARD” and “abcdefg” on the site, with the bid now reaching $110,000 for the 1905 lighthouse.

You may recall we posted Social Network Community Project to Preserve Historic Ram Island Ledge Lighthouse about a week ago. We’re rooting for them to win the bid and would encourage you to visit their site RamIslandLightHouse.com, and donate to become a shareholder / part owner of the lighthouse should they be successful in their efforts.

Best of luck everyone!

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Tags: Cape Elizabeth, Lighthouse Auction, Maine Lighthouse auction, Ram Island Ledge Light, Ram Island Ledge Lighthouse, Social Media Auction, Social Media Project

Want to Buy a….. Lighthouse?! Ram Island Ledge Light Auction

Jul 24

Posted by Jeff Mateja in Events, Greater Portland Real Estate, Green / Environmental, History, Oceanfront, Scenic | No Comments

Courtesy of United States Coast Guard and GSA.gov

Wish to own a piece of history and have a spare $10,000 sitting around? Well, according to the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), and an active online lighthouse auction, Ram Island Ledge Light in Casco Bay off Cape Elizabeth is available for sale to the general public.

One bidder has already made the auction’s minimum bid of $10,000, which began on June 30, 2010, with an advance deposit of $10,000 required, and a bid increment of $5,000, according to the Property Information for Bids document. The document details the terms and conditions of the bidding, and the eventual sale of the property, which are quite interesting regarding the responsibilities of the eventual buyer and the reservations of the new owner to the United States Government, The Department of Homeland Security and United States Coast Guard.

A unique experience and opportunity for sure…

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Tags: Cape Elizabeth, General Services Administration, GSA, Lighthouse, Ram Island Ledge Light, US Coast Guard

Strawberry Picking at Maxwell Farms, Cape Elizabeth and StrawberryFest 2010

Jun 21

Posted by Jeff Mateja in Food, Fun, Green / Environmental | No Comments

Perfect Strawberry courtesy of www.dvo.com

With temperatures in the mid-80′s today in Portland, we decided to get outside and enjoy an excellent opportunity to go strawberry picking.

Maxwell’s Strawberry Farm, at 527 Ocean House Road, Cape Elizabeth, is the place to go, where they have been “farming for 6 generations and growing strawberries since 1974″ according to the Maxwell’s Farm Website. Open Monday through Saturday from 7:00am to 8:00pm, you can definitely get a jump start on the strawberry picking well before the mercury rises. As one little guy picking strawberries reminded us today, “You can’t eat the strawberries until you’re done picking.”

With acres of strawberries and plenty of parking, you will be in and out and enjoying nice ripe strawberries in no time. Picking strawberries is a fun thing to do with kids as well, with the plants far from the road, and a nice open field to keep an eye on them!

You can buy strawberry trays or quart containers to hold your finds which are suggested, as the farm discourages bringing “odd containers” of your own, though recycling of containers is encouraged. Strawberries are $2.29 per pound this year, while adding 50 cents for each tray (we found a tray to comfortably hold 8+ lbs.) to the total cost, and quarts 10 cents a container. Cash or check are acceptable forms of payment.

For more information on picking strawberries, directions to Maxwell’s Farm, and even strawberry recipes for when you bring home the precious fruit, visit Maxwell’s Farm Website

This year, mid-June to late-July appears to be the prime strawberry picking season here in Maine, so you do have about 3 weeks or so left to make it out there. If you’re not able to make it, or picking strawberries is not your thing, you can visit Cape Elizabeth for their 2nd Annual StrawberryFest 2010, taking place Saturday, June 26, from 9am – 8:30pm, at Maxwell’s Strawberry Farm (just off Two Lights Road).

Now for some strawberry pie for moi!

Rating: 4.0/5 (1 vote cast)

Tags: Cape Elizabeth, Maxwell's Strawberry Farm, Strawberry Picking, Things To Do With Kids In Portland, To Do With Kids in Portland, Two Lights

2010 Beach to Beacon Registration Format Changes

Jan 20

Posted by Jeff Mateja in Entertainment, Events, Fun, Sports | No Comments

This week, organizers of the 2010 Beach to Beacon announced changes to registration for the 10k road race in August due to the result of issues encountered during last year’s registration process. According to race officials, there will be a three phase system to make the process a bit more fair for those registering.

Be sure to mark your calendars now!

Beginning Friday, March 12, at 8am, residents of Cape Elizabeth, where the race takes place will have a full 24 hours to register for 600 available entries.

On Saturday, March 13, at 8am, registration will open to the general public for a shot at 4,000 spots in the race field on a first-come, first-served basis.

About a week later, a lottery will be held for the approximately 1,500 bib numbers that will remain.

Best of luck at securing a spot in the highly coveted 10k race, which over the course of the past 11 years has become the premier 10k road race event.

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Tags: Beach to Beacon, Beach to Beacon Registration, bib numbers, Cape Elizabeth, Race Registration, Road Race

Fort Williams Parking Fees?

Dec 12

Posted by Jeff Mateja in Fun, Oceanfront, Scenic | No Comments

Times have changed since 2006 when Cape Elizabeth residents voted down the idea of charging visitors to park at Fort Williams Park. At this moment, the general public is allowed to enter the park for free with a small admission charge of $2 for adults and $1 for children under 18 for those visitors who wish to visit the Portland Headlight Museum.

On Monday, December 14, the Cape Elizabeth Town Council will review a proposal to charge for parking starting in 2011, as a way to help cover the costs to upkeep the beautiful 80+ acre park.

The proposal available at www.capeelizabeth.com notes proposed parking prices as follows; Under 1 hour – $1; 2-3 hours – $2; 3-4 hours – $3; 4-5 hours – $4; and over 5 hours – $5. Parking passes for the year would also be made available; $10 for residents, and $20 for non-residents. All visitors to the park would be charged to park, including tour bus, trolleys, and shuttle buses that bring numerous tourists to the park to visit Portland Head Light each summer and fall.

While residents made a statement in 2006 with a landslide vote against instituting the fees, the times have certainly changed, while the costs to maintain the park have increased. Only time will tell, but we may see parking fees in the near future at Fort Williams Park.

What do you think about the proposal?

Rating: 2.3/5 (3 votes cast)

Tags: Cape Elizabeth, Fort Williams Park, Parking issue, Pay for parking, Portland Head Light, Portland Headlight

Beach to Beacon – Going Green!

Jul 29

Posted by iloveportlandmaine in Events, Fun, Green / Environmental, Sports | 1 Comment

Are You Ready?

With only a couple days until the 12th Annual Beach to Beacon 10k Road Race in Cape Elizabeth, we’re already starting to see many runners on Route 77 and Shore Road preparing for the big day. The tradition continues, Saturday, August 1st as over 6,000 runners converge on the 10k picturesque course joining some very elite and world-class company.

Maine Runners Could Break Records

Spectators could be in store for quite a treat from our local Mainers, who look to eclipse the Beach to Beacon course records. After a strong showing and a course record (23:27) at the Yarmouth Clam Festival 5 Miler, Ben True of North Yarmouth, appears to be the top Maine contender again this year, and could challenge the course record of Eric Giddings of South Portland (30:34) set in 2005.

In the women’s race, we are sure to have a battle between training partners Sheri Piers of Falmouth, and Kristin Barry of Scarborough, holder of the course record (34:37) set just last year. According to the race director, the course record in the women’s race could fall with Piers coming off a record breaking performance at the Yarmouth Clam Festival 5 Miler.

Elite Racers

In the Men’s race, defending champion Ed Muge is back to defend his 2008 title, and will have some serious competition, including James Kwambi, who holds claim to the third fastest marathon finish in history, Gilbert Okari, a three-time Beach to Beacon champion, and many other elite athletes who are running well.

In the Women’s race, many in contention with the favorite being Lineth Chepkurui, winner of five races already this year. Expected to be right on her heels are Berhane Adere, holder of the sixth fastest 1ok time ever, and Mariya Konovalova, who ran to a fifth place finish at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Going Green

This year the race organizers are focusing efforts to be “green and carbon neutral as possible”. With the help of a Green Sponsor – Fairchild Semiconductor, and a Green Consultant – Athletes For A Fit Planet (AFitPlanet.com), the Beach to Beacon organizers have a number of areas where they will begin to focus on in this years race which include;

Recycling and composting all along the course (primarily start and finish, and water stations), as well as recycling your bib number and timing chip.
Team Atayne Trash Runners will pick up all trash left on the course
Eco-friendly portable toilets
Nike Re-use A Shoe Program – bring your unwanted shoes to drop off points for future use in making playgrounds and courts. For more information please visit; NikeReuseAShoe.com
Ride Sharing – Pick Up A Pal Program – For more info on sharing/finding a ride; PickUpAPal.com

Best of luck to all participants!

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Tags: Athletes For A Fit Planet, Beach to Beacon, Ben True, Berhane Adere, Cape Elizabeth, Ed Muge, Fairchild Semiconductor, Green, James Kwambi, Kristin Barry, Lineth Chepkurui, Mariya Konovalova, Nike, Nike Reuse a Shoe Program, PickUpAPal.com, Team Atayne

Beautiful Lighthouse Video – Portland Headlight

Jul 15

Posted by iloveportlandmaine in Entertainment, Green / Environmental, Oceanfront, Scenic | 2 Comments

Thanks to over 3,000 miles of rocky coastline here in Maine, we have the pleasure of enjoying many lighthouses that beautifully decorate our shores.

One of my friends and avid followers of ILovePortlandMaine.com took some time to create a wonderful video to share of Portland Headlight – the most photographed location in Maine and one of the most photographed lighthouses in the world.

Portland Headlight Video by Mark Hensley of www.MH2Photo.com

Thanks to Mark Hensley, a local photographer and friend for providing the video for all to enjoy. Please take a few moments and enjoy this wonderful piece.

Now you can enjoy Portland Headlight and the ocean from your living room or office, if you cannot make the trip to Cape Elizabeth.

Editor’s note: I am slightly obsessed with lighthouses, so you will see more information and pictures in the near future. As you can imagine beyond the beauty of these landmarks lies a great deal of history. Look forward to sharing more with you soon!

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Tags: Cape Elizabeth, Mark Hensley, Photography, Portland Headlight video, You Tube

Beach to Beacon 10K, Cape Elizabeth, Maine

May 5

Posted by iloveportlandmaine in Oceanfront, Scenic | No Comments

The beautiful idea of 1984 USA Olympic Gold Medalist Joan Benoit Samuelson (First ever Women’s Marathon), the 10K annual road race from Crescent Beach to Portland Head Light in Cape Elizabeth features some of the most elite runners in the world mingled with many local running enthusiasts.

Since the first race in August 1998, the number of participants and spectators have grown (5,000+) to make this an annual summer tradition along Route 77 with the wonderful back drop of Fort Williams Park and Portland Headlight at the finish. We have also been witness to Joan Benoit Samuelson competing in the race certain years running alongside her running partners and friends. On March 15, 2009, the registration of 6,000 entrants was filled through an online registration in under 7 hours. An amazing feat!!! See you August 1st at the finish line. http://www.beach2beacon.org

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Tags: Beach to Beacon, Cape Elizabeth, Crescent Beach, Fort Williams Park, Joan Benoit Samuelson, Olympics, Portland Headlight