I See Dead People on the Water

The other day I was in Portland for an appointment and had some time to kill, a lot of time as it turned out. Normally I would grab a book somewhere and find some place to sit in the shade and read it. But it was hot, I didn't have a book and I wasn't all that interested in shopping or eating or whatever else one does in Portland. So I went to the cemetery. Yes, I know that is an odd thing to do but I had a purpose. Ever since I read about the fight of the HMS Boxer and the USS Enterprise I have wanted to find where their captains were buried but never seemed to have the time or been with people who would indulge my historical geekiness (is that a word?) by walking through old cemeteries reading headstones.

For those who aren't familiar with every naval engagement between the United States and Britain between 1775 and 1814 the Boxer and Enterprise fought their duel in September of 1813 in the waters between Popham and Monhegan. The Boxer had been patrolling along the Maine coast capturing merchant ships and sending them to Halifax, Nova Scotia to be sold for the prize money. The Enterprise, a veteran of the battles with the Pasha of Tripoli, was cruising the same waters looking for the Boxer (and possibly to remind some of the locals that they weren't supposed to be shipping goods to Canada or other British ports). There are differing accounts of how they came to find each other, one historian says that the Boxer was pretending to chase an American merchant ship into the Kennebec as cover for their smuggling activities when it was spotted by the Enterprise who was using Damariscove Island as a hiding place. Other accounts hold that the two ships were looking for each other and finally met when Maine fishermen informed the Enterprise that they had just seen Boxer near Phippsburg, at the mouth of the Kennebec. It was reportedly a clear day and spectators found vantage points along the shore from Pemaquid Point all the way to Portland. The Portland Observatory with its high tech French telescope was able to witness much of the action and reported it play by play to the crowd on the ground.

It was a brutal fight that lasted for almost an hour. The 29 year old British Captain Blyth was killed in the first exchange of fire. Eventually the Enterprise dismasted the Boxer, captured her and brought her to Portland as a prize. Enterprise's own captain, 28 year old William Burrowes, died of his wounds on the way into port but not before refusing to accept the sword of Boxer's dead captain because he had fought so bravely. The crews of the Boxer and Enterprise buried their respective captains side by side in the East End Cemetery in Portland, almost at the foot of the Portland Observatory and later held a reception in their memory.

I don't know what if anything there is anything to learn from this episode but I can't help but wonder when I am at Pemaquid Point or out past the mouth of the Damariscotta River near Damariscove Island what it must have looked like to see these two sailings ships fire and maneuver with murderous intent so near shore while the citizens of Bristol watched from shore. Equally as fascinating to me is how two enemies who had been hell bent on the other's destruction could put that aside to pay respects to their two young captains and to bury them next to each other.

Desperate Home Sellers Resort to "Parting out" Their House

   I recently read a story in the Boston Globe about a couple in East Baldwin Maine who have decided to "part out" their house and donate the Jonathan Porter murals to a local museum. It seems the owners of the house were unable to sell the house after two years on the market without so much as a verbal offer. So they have resorted to doing what many Mainers who are stuck with a car do when they can't find a buyer. Selling it for parts. Well not really. They are actually donating the murals to a local museum after removing the walls where the murals were painted (and making themselves eligible for a serious tax deduction) and sending them to the Rufus Porter Museum in Bridgton.

But this got me thinking about how much I could get for my house if I were to sell it in pieces rather than all at once. The lot alone should be worth about $100,000 because of its location and pre-existing well and the sewer connection. Then we have the some wicked modern propane wall mounted forced hot water system should go for about $8000 (unless someone finds out that it needs to be "rebooted" after every power outage), then a few thousand for the copper pipes, a couple hundred for the copper wiring and then another couple hundred for porcelain. Which brings us to the real money makers. The wide pine floors and the beams. Since the house was built in 1830 it is post and beam construction and if you have ever priced out a a 12x12 beam for an architectural effect in a new house that is over 20' long you'll know that I am sitting on a gold mine.

Then we have the foundation materials. What do you think your landscaper would charge you for a piece of cut granite that is 6'x4' and 10" in height? Multiply that by 5 then add in a couple hundred smaller pieces that would be perfect for steps or retaining walls and all of a sudden you are talking some real money.

So if you happen to see me this weekend with a large crowbar and a sledgehammer feel free to stop by and make me an offer on some fireplace mantles. I'll make you a great deal. Just don't tell my mortgage company.

Damariscotta Region Prepares for Pirate Invasion or Tsunami

Citizens of the Pemaquid Peninsula and specifically the Damariscotta/Newcastle Greater Metro area are hastily preparing their defenses for an apparent Pirate Raid or Rendezvous scheduled for their town this Saturday, June 11th sometime between 10 and 4. Although recent encounters in 2009 and 2010 resulted in no deaths, a couple of dropped ice cream cones, a few pathetic slaps and very little property damage, trying to predict what a bunch of bloodthirsty buccaneers are capable of after consuming several gallons of homemade grog is impossible.

Preparations have been under way for some time at the Newcastle Harbor House where cranes were being used today to fortify sections of the wall to withstand whatever size canon ball the pirates have in their possession. Last year the defense of the area was left to a small band of very brave but entirely ineffective militia who could not keep the voracious horde from ransacking the town. Probably because they were too busy eating BBQ provided by the good folks at the Newcastle Public House (who remind you that Wednesday night is Mug Club Night).

Up and down the peninsula the state workers have been erecting signs to help the local coastal population flee in the correct direction rather than being brutally assaulted by inebriated out-of-staters who arrive by boat. Although the State of Maine says that it is just Tsunami Prepardness, paid for with a grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, it must be noted that a Tsunami has not struck the coast of Maine, or more specifically the Pemaquid Peninsula, in recorded history. The same can not be said about pirate attacks. In 1632 the dread pirate Dixie Bull attacked the Pemaquid Settlement with three ships making off with 55 British pounds, a couple of wicked nice outboards (they wuz jest layin' theyah)t, several lobster pots (probably just caught up on the keel), 10 cases of Allen's Coffee Brandy and a carton of Newports. At the time settlers thought it was a delegation from Augusta but it did in fact turn out to be a pirate raid.

So hide your valuables, put on an eye patch (poke a hole in it so you can have some depth perception, don't want you to trip on my account), grab the kids, a fake sword and watch the pirates loot and plunder the town. It is, after all, just good clean fun.

Real Estate Urban Legends: Mercedes in the Barn

In our office we have Tuesday Caravan. Caravan is that day that we set aside for everyone in the office to see each other's new listings before they are put into the Multiple Listing Service. There are lots of reasons for this but my favorite reason is looking for treasure. Now I don't mean real treasure like doubloons or pieces of eight but more realistic treasure like the mythical "Mercedes in the Barn". The "Mercedes in the Barn" is kind of a mix of legend and real estate porn stories ("I never thought it would happen to me but.....") where the unnamed real estate agent is doing a market analysis for the sweet little old lady and as they are walking around the barn notice that there is a locked door. "What is behind the locked door in barn?" the brokers asks.

"Oh, that is just my dead husband's old car. I kept meaning to sell it but I never got around to it." So the broker gets inside the barn and there finds a 1954 Mercedes 300sl with gull wing sitting on blocks and covered in dust. You can imagine the rest.


But of course this never happens. But sometimes something close happens. Today on Caravan I saw a 1930s Cadillac LaSalle in a garage (up on blocks after a long ago restoration attempt that stopped) and a 1970s Honda 550 Four just waiting to be restored. I didn't manage to get a picture of the LaSalle but I did manage a picture of the Honda. I wonder if I could work the bike into a commission split somehow? I have no idea what I would do with it but I want it.

The Green Wisdom of our Forefathers (and foremothers)

Less than 100 years ago our great grandparents had a pretty good solution for getting by without being held hostage to the oil companies. They called it "Living in Town". It didn't require a huge sacrifice and in many cases they were  the envy of their friends who lived out of town on farms and for whom every trip to the store, the church, the bank or going out to eat would have been an event at best or an ordeal at its worst. People lived within a short distance of almost everything they needed to do on a daily basis. Work, library, church, doctor's office all within a short distance of home. And if you needed to go out of town on business you had the 1911 airport equivalent just across the bridge at the railway station. No metal detectors, no strip search, no lines. You waited on the platform for the train to stop and stepped into the rail coach you wanted to ride on. From Newcastle you could get to Portland, from Portland to Boston and from Boston to anywhere in the lower 48 that you wanted to go. O.k. it did take a bit of time (in 1876 it took the Transcontinental Express 83 hours from New York to San Francisco) but they didn't charge for an extra bag or two.

Now I am not advocating eliminating the internal combustion engine but maybe living close enough to those things that you need to do (or want to do) on a daily basis is a better way to thumb your nose at the Petro Speculators who keep bidding the price of a barrel of oil up every time they think the economy is starting to rebound. And what better way to do that than to live in a cozy little home that is just blocks from everything you could ever want to do in town like heading over to the Maine Coast Bookstore for the New York Times, coffee and free Wifi, go shopping for new sneakers at Reny's, or pick up a book at Skidompha, or sit at the counter at Waltz Pharmacy  for a frappe and a hot dog with your friends? Later in the evening after you walk the dog around the neighborhood and say hello to your neighbors (Hello Mr. Bartley) you might want to take a stroll across the river with your sweetie, watch the reversing falls as the sun goes down and stop in at the Newcastle Publick House  for a burger and a beverage on the porch. And just think how much time you would save driving kids from practice to rehearsal to home! So stop talking about how much you hate paying $4 at the pump, ditch the 8 mpg Urban Assault Vehicle and buy a place in town. Like this home on River Road that was built by a (wind powered) sea captain for his wife and has waterfront.

Or maybe something smaller in Damariscotta on the other side of the river that is cozy and charming?  

 

 

So listen to your ancestors, be Green and move back to town!

 Tom Field 

What the Rapture will mean for Real Estate Values

With the Rapture fast approaching many of my clients have been asking me what it will mean for the value of their property. My response for most of them has been that they shouldn't care because there are many mansions in our father's house  (John 14:12) and that they really shouldn't be concerned with such earthly trivia. On the other hand it got me thinking "How will I price my listings to reflect the changes in demand"? Well I'm not very concerned because since it is easier for a camel to get through the eye of a needle than a rich man to get into heaven most of my listings will still be appropriately priced. I will probably cancel the open houses I have scheduled for Saturday and Sunday since there will be empty cars careening all over the road and I just had the scratches buffed out of the Passat. So unless you are in the market for a well kept ranch next to the Church of the Nazarene I don't think there will be many deals to be had out there after Saturday. The one possibility that does exist for people looking for a deal is to convince those in a house that you really do covet that of course they are one of God's chosen and if they are leaving on Saturday for their date with destiny why wouldn't they want to sign their name to this Quit Claim Deed I just happen to have in my pocket? Just saying......

P.S. If you are pretty sure you are heading off to your ultimate reward could you leave me the keys to the BMW in the garage?

Tom Field