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Message SMART MOVEYour Neighborhood NewsLOCALEVENTSMARKETUPDATEMARC’SMUSINGSJULY 2025BEST HOMERENOVATIONSHOT NEWLISTINGS

SMART MOVEYour Neighborhood NewsJULY 20253M a r c ’ s M u s i n g s45678M e e t Y o u r T e a mM a r k e t U p d a t eW h i c h R e n o v a t i o n s ?H o t N e w L i s t i n g s !S u m m e r F u nS u m m e r O u t d o o r F u nS u m m e r E a t s910

MARC’S MUSINGSYOUR NEIGHBORHOOD NEWSMARG GUP REALESTATE GROUPJULYThis can mean preparation for some people.On the listing side it’s important to declutter, do adeep cleaning, and spruce up some rooms withfresh paint if needed. You’ll also want to makesure the exterior looks appealing. Is your lawnwell kept? Is the junk off the front porch? Are yourgardens weeded and mulched?On the buying side, you need to be ready to takeaction when the right place comes on the market.If you are waiting that “special house”, it’s likelythat other people are too. That meansunderstanding what you are looking for andhaving your financing in place so you can moveforward in a timely fashion.Being part of that process is an honor. It’ssatisfying to guide people through one of the mostimportant financial decisions in their lives. Fearand anxiety sometimes arise and sometimes folksare afraid to “get their face wet”, but soon findthemselves swimming laps.If you are looking to make a move, whetherbuying or selling and want to hire someone who isgoing be a straight shooter, ask some questionsthat may or may not be comfortable, and will workhard for you, please reach out, I would love tohelp you make the RIGHT move! 2025I was recently talking with a friend about what wedid for our first jobs out of college, what we do nowfor work and what we like about both. My first jobout of college was working as an aquatic director inWorcester, MA at the local YMCA. I was hired tomanage the swimming program and after schoolprogram for kids. I wasn’t supposed to teach any ofthe swimming classes, just manage the staff. Aftermy first week on the job, the entire swimming staffquit. That left me teaching 200 plus kids ages 3through 10. I learned to swim in college, joined theteam my junior year (it was division 3 and mycoach told me that if I came to every practice andfinished it, I could stay). I was an averageswimmer, but did not know how to teach swimming.Long story short, I stayed in that position for acouple of years, learned to teach, hired new staffand doubled the size of the program beforeheading to graduate school. I did not like smellinglike chlorine every day but loved the process ofhelping someone who was initially afraid to gettheir face wet to learn to swim underwater, feelconfident in the pool and have fun. Several yearslater (some might many) … I think about what Ilove about my job as a realtor. Looking at houses isfun, I get to see all kinds of places, but that’s asmall piece. Helping people move onto/ into thenext chapter is where the rewards happen. I amcurrently helping a few families sell their parent’shome, all of which have been owned for 25 or moreyears. This can mean preparation for some people.FindYourMaineHome.com

MEET THE TEAMMARG GUP REALESTATE GROUPJULY 2025Marc Gup207.232.6127mgup@kw.comLori Norris207.553.1336Lnorris@kw.comAndrew Larochelle207.319.4107andrewlarochelle@kw.comMarty Norton207.408.6861martynorton@kw.comMichaela Crawford207.405.8650michaelacrawdord@kw.comMarnie Hon207.553.2474marniehon@kw.comAbby Hinkleman617.755.7303abbyhinkleman@kw.comMadison Friend207.414.2192madison.friend@kw.com

MARKET UPDATEMARG GUP REALESTATE GROUPJULYThe real estate market continues tobe all over the board. We areseeing multiple offers on someproperties and price adjustmentson others. People need a place tolive and with limited inventory, insome price brackets, someproperties are still selling for topdollar. It is a reflection of limitedsupply of homes for sale notmeeting buyer demand. Yet at thesame time, we are seeing someplaces staying on the marketlonger with several priceadjustments happening beforegoing under contract. Generallyspeaking, as in other markets,places that are priced fairlyaccording to buyers that are inmove in condition are gettingsnapped up quickly. Your home isworth what someone is willing topay for it. 2025

WHICH RENOVATIONSSHOULD I DO?MARG GUP REALESTATE GROUPJULYHome remodeling trends in 2025 are leaning towards smart home integrations, energy-efficiency and sustainability, andmore functional spaces.Sustainability and energy-efficiency continue to be priorities in 2025 with many homeowners turning to eco-consciousdesigns and materials, such reclaimed wood, bamboo flooring and low-VOC paints; and energy-efficient items such assolar panels, programmable thermostats, and high-efficiency HVAC systems and windows. AI-integration of homes is becoming more widespread. Imagine a home where your AI assistant can not only adjustyour thermostat, but can also learn your daily habits to optimize your energy usage.People are also looking to get more out of the space they have. Since many people are still working from home theyneed adaptable space and furniture, like modular room dividers and fold-down desks or tables, so that they can haveone room that serves as a home gym and a home office.With so many choices, what renovations get you the biggest bang for your buck? It seems that it depends whether that“bang” is money when you resell, or enjoyment of your remodel while you live there (both are important.) According tothe site Real Estate News, in the past two years, agents said demand was highest for kitchen upgrades (48%) and newroofing (43%), while smaller shares of buyers expressed interest in bathroom renovations (35%), new interior paint(32%) and top-to-bottom kitchen renovations (26%).Interestingly, most renovations won't deliver a positive ROI, the report found, though returns tended to be higher forsimpler fixes.The only upgrade that resulted in a 100% cost recovery for homeowners was a new steel front door (for a fiberglassdoor, the return dropped to 80%) while the second-most cost effective project was a closet renovation (who doesn’tlove a great walk-in closet?!) with a recovery of 83%. Replacing vinyl or wood windows had slightly lower cost returnsof 74% and 71%, respectively. This is nation-wide info, so I bet new energy efficient windows might score higheramong buyers in Maine!In contrast, homeowners could only expect to recover 60% from either a complete or minor kitchen renovation, whilebathroom renovations delivered just 50% of the invested cost. Adding a new bathroom was only slightly higher at 56%.While you may not get 100% of your kitchen or bath renovation money back, you will certainly enjoy your new kitchenwhile you live there, and that is worth something.2025References: Roos, M., Renovations that attract buyers-and maximize ROI for sellers. April 2025.https://Real Estate News

Portland3 1.5 3 3.5 2 2 So PortlandScarborough4 4 4 3 FOR SALE/SOLDMARG GUP REALESTATE GROUPJULY 2025Cape Elizabeth3 3.5 $2,295,000$469,900Georgetown$1,800,000Scarborough$479,900LOVE LOOKING AT HOUSES?$949,900 $979,900CLICK HERE To go to our YouTube page andwalk through all of our listings with Marc!

SUMMER FUNMARG GUP REALESTATE GROUPJULY60th Anniversary of the Yarmouth Clam FestivalA milestone that reflects six decades of tradition, volunteerism,and community spirit.What began in 1965 as a local clambake has grown into Maine’slargest free-admission festival, drawing more than 100,000 visitorseach year. So much fun!2025The Maine Lobster Festival Five days of fun and feasting on the fabulous coast of Maine! Thisannual seafood festival takes place during the first weekend ofAugust, from Wednesday through Sunday.Wine SailsGet tickets to step aboard the immaculate 74-foot tall ship Francesfor an incredible experience of enjoying fantastic wines whilesailing in pristine Casco Bay with Sommelier Erica Archer as yourguide. A fun time with friends!Summer Sunsets LIVE is Portland’s premier hangout spot, bringing together the best of thistown’s food trucks, musicians and performers, and a top-notchselection of beers, cocktails, and NA offerings from our favorite localpartners. All summer long we’ll have visits from guests sharing food,entertainment, culture, and other pop-up surprises you won’t want tomiss. CLICK ON EACH PHOTO FOR MORE INFO

SUMMER OUTDOOR FUNMARG GUP REALESTATE GROUPJULYLiving in Maine, we get lots of summer visitors. Let’s show them thewonderful Maine outdoors! Click on the photo and/or name for more info2025BEACHESReid State ParkTwo Lights State ParkCrescent BeachOld Orchard BeachPopham BeachCLICK ON PHOTO AND/OR NAME FOR MORE INFOBOAT RIDESDay & Sunset SailsWindjammer SailsWind SailsCasco Bay lines Cruises & ToursOTHER DESTINATION IDEASPortland HeadlightLL Bean in FreeportKayak to Fort GorgesAcadia National ParkBike/Walk the Eastern TrailSummer concerts at Thompson’s PointOgunquit’s Marginal WaySaco River TubingU-Pick FruitMaine Coastal Botanical Gardens

SUMMER EATSMARG GUP REALESTATE GROUPJULY15+ EASY GRILLING RECIPES FOR SUMMERAhhhh, long summer days are finally here! We wait a longtime for the dog days of summer, so we like to doeverything we can to enjoy them. That means beaches,festivals, and ice cream cones, and having family andfriends over for cookouts, pool parties, and backyardgatherings. 202543 SUMMER SALAD RECIPES FOR A COOL,CRISP, REFRESHING BITE!The tomatoes are ripe, the peaches are juicy, and thesweet corn is sweet. Here’s your next move.CLICK ON EACH PHOTO FOR MORE INFO20 EASY SUMMER COCKTAILSHot days call for summer cocktails! Maybe fruity,maybe frozen, and definitely refreshing, these drinkswill help you cool off and celebrate the season all inone.Perfect for a summer party or BBQ, they include frozendrinks, fruity margaritas, spritzes, and more. 10

DEAR NEIGHBORMARC GUP KELLER WILLIAMS REALTYThanks for reading our newsletter! We love Maine....welive here, we work here, and we play here! We enjoykeeping you informed about what is going on in realestate and in your community. If you have anycommunity events you would like to share, pleasereach out to Lori at Lnorris@kw.com Please remember that we are here to help you reachYOUR real estate goals, whether you are looking tobuy a home, sell your home, improve your home, orjust keep up-to-date on your home’s value forinsurance purposes. We are always happy to come outand discuss what your homes value is. Please reachout to us anytime at 207.232.6127 or mgup@kw.comThank you,Marc & Team