Postal Customer Presorted Standard US Postage harpswellanchor.org Serving Great Island, Orr’s Island, Bailey Island and Harpswell Neck PAID Harpswell, ME JULY 2021 | VOL.1, NO. 2 Permit No. 10 Harpswell’s sizzling housing market sparks buying frenzy Multiple offers delight sellers, frustrate buyers BY ED LEVINE “It’s a crazy market,” said long- !is May, the average listing Lucy and Charlie Cook were time local Realtor Roxanne York price of a home in Harpswell was stunned when their full-price of- of Bailey Island. “It’s kind of like $816,741, a steep increase from fer on a nice Harpswell home was the perfect storm right now. $523,029 a year ago and $440,995 rejected in favor of a competing You’ve got people who want to get in May 2019, according to statis- bid that was 25 percent higher out of urban settings, you’ve got tics from the Maine Multiple List- than the asking price. people with cash on hand with no ing Service. So, when their real estate agent place to go with it, you’ve got low On average, there were 15.5 emailed to say he had found them interest rates, and low inventory. showings for each of those homes another ideal home, they took no It’s making the market insane.” -- up from nine last year and chances, even though they were out Every local real estate agent three in 2019 -- and they were on of town at the time. !ey looked at tells the same story. Homes that the market for an average of four photos, viewed a live video tour and do go on the market are listed at days, far shorter than the 132 even sent a good friend to drive by prices far higher than they were days in the pandemic year and 33 the place before making a successful a year or two ago. Nearly every days in 2019. o"er -- 20% over the asking price. listing leads to dozens of show- !e selling price this year has New construction, like this home in Salt Water Reach, is booming. (JERRY KLEPNER PHOTO) So it goes in Harpswell in 2021, ings and many get multiple o"ers, averaged 107.5% of the listing where a post-pandemic buying o#en for cash payments far above price, up from 100% last year and spree has led to huge increases in the asking price and without any 96.8% the year before. frightening,” said Ron Hutchins, on Orr’s Island. He also attribut- real estate value, quick sales and a contingencies, even omitting the Some of these numbers that owner of Harpswell Realty Group, ed much of the pressure to new- lack of available inventory. standard pre-sale inspections. we’re seeing over list price are a Keller-Williams Realty agency See HOUSING on page 12 J.W. Oliver Here’s the scoop named editor Pammy’s is a Harpswell social club of the Anchor BY CONNIE SAGE CONNER Pammy’s Ice Cream Parlor on a Pammy’s isn’t just about ice shady, town-owned lawn between cream. It’s about memories. Mitchell Field and the Harpswell “When we were kids, we’d ride Neck Fire Department. our bikes to Estes for ice cream. !e $rst thing that hits you I got to thinking there’s nothing is that nearly everything about for kids here now - no memories,” Pammy’s is pink. !e shop itself, said Harpswell native Pammy her very recognizable bright pink Douglas. 1999 BMW convertible with its So four years ago she opened See PAMMY’S on page 13 Among Cundy’s Harbor Wharf owners, from left to right: Lendall Alexander, Terry Alexander, Roger Allard, Troy Bichrest and Andy Pennell. (KELLI PARK PHOTO) J.W. Oliver has been named the Anchor’s full-time editor. Even with tempting prices, J.W., which he’s been called since a child, joins us from the weekly !shermen don’t plan to sell Lincoln County News where he has BY KELLI PARK been the editor, supervising a sta" How deep do roots run in a $shing community? Deeper than the of nine. In the past 11 years, he has highest cash o"er in a booming real estate market, according to local worked his way up from reporter to $shermen. deputy editor to editor. “We know we live in a beautiful place, and now they found out. If He’s the immediate past presi- someone o"ered to buy my property, I’d tell them I didn’t hear them,” dent of the Maine Press Associa- said Robert Watson, a lobsterman whose ancestors found Cundy’s tion and was named its Journalist Harbor during a storm at sea in 1850, as they made their way from of the Year for 2017-2018. He’s also Gloucester to Boothbay aboard a supply ship. !e Watson family has won several statewide awards for owned and operated Watson’s Store and the surrounding property stories he’s written. over $ve generations, during which time it also has been a $sh pro- A native of Maine, J.W. is a 2010 Owner Pammy Douglas welcomes a new customer. (JERRY KLEPNER PHOTO) cessing plant, a salt $sh business, an ice cream parlor, a lobster pound, See EDITOR on page 13 See FISHERMEN on page 13 [ 2 ] July 2021 · HARPSWELL ANCHOR Letters to the Editor Anchor’s resurrection o#en people are traveling at ex- speed limit on Route 123 was al- among the various slots and win- been blessed by time at our family is a sign of the season cessive speeds. !e Cumberland ready reduced a number of years dows conveniently located along cottage on Hurricane Ridge for at As a retired United Church of County Sheri"’s O&ce is going ago to 30 mph in some areas and the building to the le# of the least part of each of my 65 sum- Christ pastor, I am one who be- to be monitoring the stretch from we are hoping it will be reduced large refuse and recycling bins, mers! lieves in the power of resurrection. Gurnet Trading in Brunswick to from 35 mph to 30 mph in parts there is one for donating your Harpswell is indeed “a feeling” Seen in the seasonal renewal of my the Harpswell Islands Communi- of Route 24 that have very little return-for-deposit items. In 2020 (as so aptly noted by Kelly Merrill lawn and %owers, or the re-migra- ty School and beyond. shoulder. !ere are runners, pe- the town collected $20,677. It is in your June issue) and a feeling tion of the heron to Basin Cove, or For those driving commercial destrians, bicyclists and people another step in the process of re- that brings much happiness, joy, the rejuvenation of a treasured re- vehicles, a speeding ticket could $shing from the Gurnet Bridge. duce-reuse-recycle that requires caring and connectedness to all. lationship, the phoenix-like power jeopardize your livelihood. !ere We have been living in Harpswell all of us to plan ahead, but worth- We look forward to helping sup- of resurrection proves repeatedly are children and families living since 1995 and we’ve raised two while for the good it does for our port this important and generous that life is stronger than death. along Route 24 and many of us children here. We love our town. environment and our community. e"ort moving forward. My hope, prayer and e"orts align own properties on both sides of No one should feel that their life is Kathy Hirst Christine Donovan with your e"orts to literally weigh the road, or they have to cross at risk! Harpswell South Harpswell Anchor and set a renewed course! Route 24 or walk near the road to Alane M. Downes !is is so very important to the get their mail. My husband Bill William B. Fall Harpswell brings whole community. Well done! was nearly killed by a driver with Harpswell joy and happiness Douglas Nielsen New York license plates. He was What a delight to visit Uncle Basin Point working in front of our house and Donate beverage Pete’s Community Market and to he wasn’t in the road. He’d set up cans and bottles discover the new Harpswell An- Speeders are putting a few orange cones for safety. !e Every time I go to the Recy- chor! Many thanks to Doug War- Harpswell lives at risk driver drove right over the orange cling Center, it amazes me to see ren, Janice !ompson, the Hol- I want to ask a favor of those of cones! that people have been throwing brook Community Foundation you driving on Route 24 - the part Bill called the sheri"’s o&ce money away. I mean, of course, and so many others for making that goes from Gurnet Trading immediately and the sheri" found each of the soda, juice, beer, water, this important community re- Co. in Brunswick to Bailey Island. a good spot to park for a few hours etc. cans and bottles returnable for source possible. Please be mindful of the speed to monitor the tra&c. the 5-cent deposit that are tossed I grew up in Brunswick (and limits and follow them. !e speed Our neighbor has also experi- into the recycling or trash piles. fondly recall the Warrens, a “fel- limit is 35 mph in some places and enced close calls many times. !e I hope everyone knows that, low Bowdoin family”) and have PHOTO COURTESY OF MAINEANENCYCLOPIA.COM Your Coastal Professionals Available! Available! Available! Available! SOLD Orr’s Island West Bath Harpswell Orr’s Island Boothbay Under Under Contract Contract SOLD SOLD SOLD Harpswell Harpswell Saint George Harpswell RON HUTCHINS West Bath SOLD SOLD SOLD SOLD SOLD Harpswell Harpswell Harpswell Orr’s Island Bath Ron Hutchins Erin Smith Amanda Choate Tim Prindall Mark Lomas Lee Freitag Heather Hobson Owner/Broker Administrator/Agent Agent Associate Broker Associate Broker Agent Associate Broker (207) 729-2134 (207) 833-3492 (207) 844-0880 (207) 751-8372 (718) 408-0791 (401) 862-0421 (207) 751-5015 1845 Harpswell Islands Rd.