The Blog
Southern Maine, in stories.
Festivals, neighborhoods, new construction, and the small details that make Southern Maine feel like home. Updated regularly by Bill Barbin.
Featured · Festivals & Events
Camp Ellis Harborfest in Saco: The Complete 2026 Insider's Guide
A working harbor, a granite jetty into the Atlantic, a parade of fishing boats, and a town that knows how to throw a summer party. Here's the complete guide to Camp Ellis Harborfest in Saco.
Festivals & Events
Opening Days at Old Orchard Beach: A 2026 Insider's Guide to the Season Kickoff
Memorial Day weekend on the Maine coast is a kind of miracle: yesterday it was quiet, today there are 50,000 people on a seven-mile beach. Here's how to do Old Orchard Beach's opening weekend right.
Real Estate
The Downs in Scarborough: New Housing Options, Walkable Living & What's Next in 2026
Once the Scarborough Downs racetrack, now one of the largest mixed-use redevelopments in New England. Here's an honest, real-estate-first look at The Downs in 2026: what's built, what's coming, and who's buying.
Town Guides
Summer in Scarborough, Maine: The Complete 2026 Local's Guide
Seven miles of coastline, the largest salt marsh in Maine, three legendary beaches, and a food scene most small towns would envy. Here's how a local plans the perfect Scarborough summer.
Town Guides
Sanford, Maine: A Southern Maine Historic Gem Worth a Second Look
A 19th-century textile boomtown reinventing itself as one of Southern Maine's best value stories. Here's the history, the present, and why Sanford keeps showing up on our buyers' shortlists.
Festivals & Events
Kennebunk Boat Season: The Complete 2026 Guide to Summer on the Water
From the first dinghy in the water at Gooch's Beach to the last lobster trap hauled before Halloween — your full insider's guide to boat season in Kennebunk and Kennebunkport.