About the MLS System

The Multiple Listing System property search provided on our website includes all Maine real estate for sale—both homes and raw land as currently listed by MLS participating agencies for coastal towns from Harpswell to Gouldsboro. There are a few agencies that have chosen not to participate in this system. We will upon request provide you with a list of their individual websites. If you have the inclination, there is value in time spent perusing the MLS inventory to develop a general sense of the current market. You may certainly entrust all research to us if you wish; our access to the data offers more detailed search parameters than those provided for the public use.

MLS Terms

GLAAG is Gross Living Area Above Grade in square feet (not counting basement level even if it is finished space).

Water frontage can be either owned or shared and will be so indicated along with the amount. In some cases, a parcel comes with a ROW (Right of Way) to access the waterfront.

Deep Water—In Maine waterfront real estate, the MLS term “deep water” is in theory reserved for areas which do not show any mud at low tide, but seller portrayals are not always precise. 90% of Maine coastal real estate with frontage is “tidal”, meaning that some amount of mud is visible during the low tide cycle. Some coves empty out completely, while other locations still afford one a good visual expanse of water beyond the mud shelf. The photos presented by sellers are always taken at high tide. As buyer agents, we prefer to make visits to property at low tide to capture the whole story. Seller photos naturally present the positive features of a property. We like to take our own photos when making site visits to capture the full picture on neighborhood and setting.

MAPS

The Delorme Maine Atlas (which includes many of the road names) is an excellent aid to figuring out just where a Maine coastal real estate parcel is and what the natural setting is apt to be like. It is readily available for about $18 at large bookstores or online and is indispensable when you are here exploring.

The use of a combination of other maps is helpful to analyze property locus. For maps including all named public roads, we recommend free online mapping sites. Although it lacks street names, www.maptech.com does allow you to switch from topographic to nautical to aerial photo perspectives of the same spot. The nautical map is handy to accurately establish the water depth for property frontage.

Note that prevailing winds in the summer are from the south and will tend to significantly lessen audible noise from a road lying north of a parcel. This wind pattern also keeps south facing areas less buggy than leeward parcels.

A word on direct contact between a buyer and the seller‘s broker : current standards of practice in the real estate profession honor the role of a buyer agent. It is expected, though, that you will mention your affiliation with a Maine buyer broker if you should happen to speak with a seller’s broker (the listing broker) to solicit basic information. Whenever practical, the gathering of detailed information is the province of the buyer broker.