Buying and selling Maine coastal real estate has long been about conveying the magic of living by the ocean. Increasingly, it’s also about prepping clients with the latest flood zone maps, projections for sea level rise and insurance availability.
These and other tools can give coastal home buyers critical information for making a risk-reward calculation about living on the edge — literally — in an era of strengthening storms fed by a changing climate.
With that new reality in mind, more than 100 real estate professionals packed a hotel conference room in Freeport on the last day of January for a presentation dubbed, “Living on the Edge.”
Periodic storms and flooding have always been a part of living on the Maine coast. But for some in the real estate business, the impacts of climate change may have seemed abstract and far off.
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That changed, however, with historic flooding during the Dec. 18 wind and rain storm, and the back-to-back, record-breaking January storms that inundated the coast. Along with many buildings, they washed away the notion that a waterfront home is out of harm’s way, just because it has stood for a century or more.
Some takeaways from the presentation:
Coastal property owners should plan now for rising sea levels. Tides could come up on average 1.5 feet by 2050, and 3.9 feet by 2100, depending on future global emissions, according to the Maine Climate Council.
The trend already is compounding the impact of storm surge and storm tides, according to Peter Slovinsky, a marine geologist with the Maine Geological Survey. The Jan. 13 storm provided an illustration. Storm surge during an 11.2-foot monthly high tide in Portland pushed water to a record 14.57 feet.
Maine has five options for responding, Slovinksy said. Property owners on higher ground may be able to do nothing. Avoiding new development in high-hazard areas is a second consideration.
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Maintaining undeveloped vegetative buffers to provide space for future water levels, and elevating or setting back structures beyond minimum requirements, are ways to accommodate and adapt. Sand dune restoration and other nature-based solutions can help protect developed uplands, although they aren’t always effective against the worst storms.
As a last resort, Slovinsky said, buildings can be relocated, but sometimes they must be removed.
He showed slides of Higgins Beach in Scarborough, when the historic Silver Sands hotel stood on the beach between the sea and Bayview Avenue. The hotel suffered severe damage and was torn down after a major winter storm in 1978.
Photos from last month show the hotel’s vacant lot, and a rock seawall now running where dunes had existed.
Buildings too close to the rising sea may not survive. The historic Silver Sands Hotel stood above sand dunes on Higgins Beach in Scarborough until it was damaged beyond repair in a 1978 winter storm and torn down. Today, the vacant lot is flanked by seawalls, which have replaced the dunes in a bid to protect the resort community. Courtesy of Maine Geological Survey.
Hard decisions also are coming to property owners in Portland. The city is studying zoning changes aimed at making buildings and infrastructure more resilient.
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Current floodplain maps use historic data and don’t account for sea level rise. Troy Moon, the city’s sustainability director, displayed a map of Portland’s downtown peninsula with areas that would be underwater in a 100-year flood.
They mostly covered previously filled land around the margins of the harbor wharfs, Bayside and Back Cove.
But plugging in a new computer model using the state’s projected 3.9-foot sea level rise created an alarming map. Large sections of Bayside next to Interstate 295 were flooded, as was much of Commercial Street.
That’s a glimpse of the future.
Home buyers can get a sense of how vulnerable a property may be to storm damage by reviewing federal flood hazard maps. Revised FEMA maps for York and Cumberland counties will be available this summer, showing whether a home with a federally backed or insured mortgage needs mandatory flood insurance. Regular homeowners insurance doesn’t cover flooding.
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The current FEMA floodplain map (on left), based on historical flood levels, shows marginal flooding around Portland Harbor, Bayside and East Deering in a 100-year storm. But a new computer model (on right) using projections for a 3.9-foot sea level rise by 2100 shows those areas inundated by rising waters. Composite of maps provided by the City of Portland.
But don’t count on a home being safe from flooding just because it’s outside a mapped flood zone, James Nadeau told the group. A Portland Realtor and land surveyor, Nadeau noted that 40% of flood claims over the past five years came from homes outside designated Special Hazard Flood Areas.
And don’t put much faith in Maine’s property disclosure paperwork that sellers fill out, Nadeau said. It gives a false sense of security because it doesn’t mention flooding, except to ask if the house is covered by flood insurance. It also provides an optional check-off for “unknown.”
Nadeau suggested home buyers can perform some of their own due diligence by typing the property address into the Climate Check web site, which estimates storm, flood and other weather risks based on 2050 national projections.
‘You can’t turn away from this’
Julia Bassett Schwerin couldn’t have anticipated the timing of these extreme weather events.
A certified Green and Smart Home broker in Cape Elizabeth, Schwerin began months ago preparing Living on the Edge, her fourth annual Sustainability Matters class, for professionals including agents, lenders, insurers and builders. She heads the Sustainability Advisory Group, a committee within the Greater Portland Board of Realtors. Past courses have covered topics including weatherization, electrification and building energy codes.
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Realtor Julia Bassett Schwerin organized a class in January to help Portland area real estate professionals prepare for selling coastal properties as sea levels rise. She couldn’t have anticipated the timing — right after three record-breaking storms. Photo by Tux Turkel.
Schwerin said she had long contemplated a workshop on the future of flooding in the Casco Bay region and its effects on waterfront property. She said she didn’t want to scare people, “but now felt like the time.”
Still, Schwerin couldn’t have guessed that the course would take place as Mainers continued to clean up from epic storm damage, a day after Gov. Janet Mills made storm preparation a highlight of her State of the State address and just as President Biden was approving federal disaster relief for 10 Maine counties.
As moderator, Schwerin also used the forum to draw a connection between threats to Maine’s tourism and coastal housing markets, and the burning of fossil fuels that is at the root of climate change.
“I was taking (the storms) as a positive wakeup call for people,” she said. “You can’t turn away from this. Everything we’re doing is bringing this on.”
Class participants heard from five experts on topics that included sea level projections, government flood insurance, revised flood maps, impacts on property values, and adapting for a future of rising water and stronger storms. (View the slide presentations.)
Inland owners also at risk
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Coastal storms have done the most recent damage. But as December’s pelting rains demonstrated inland, rising rivers and streams can wreak havoc most anywhere in Maine. These events brought renewed attention to the value of insurance coverage, said Cale Pickford, an agent at Allen Insurance and Financial.
Homeowners can take steps to lower risk, he said. Make sure gutters are clear to handle heavy rain. Install water and freeze alarms to warn of catastrophic flooding potential.
Consider a whole-house generator to keep systems operating if the power goes out. But as financial losses mount, expect flood insurance rates to rise and underwriting guidelines in the private flood insurance market to tighten, Pickford said.
“Knowing the insurability of a property when buying a new home can be just as important as location,” he noted.
Even property owners who have flood insurance may find it doesn’t cover the contents of a building, or that the bar for proving water damage is higher than owners expect.
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Does all this mean that property values are likely to fall in flood zones or areas with a history of flooding? Maybe, but maybe not, said Robert Lynch, senior vice president and chief appraiser at United Valuation Group in Scarborough.
As an exercise, Lynch studied 14 sales over the past three years at Camp Ellis in Saco, an oceanfront neighborhood long prone to flooding. He noted eight sales outside the current FEMA mapped flood zone with a median sale price of $712,000. Six homes inside the flood zone sold for a median price of $593,750. That’s a nearly 17% difference.
But this group data analysis has flaws, Lynch explained. It’s a small sample. And it doesn’t account for the age, condition or size of the homes.
A risk-reward calculation
Still, there’s evidence that the impact of climate change on home values is becoming part of the conversation.
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One example is a recent blog from Rockland-based Cates Real Estate.
“January came in like a dragon,” it began, citing the unprecedented storm damage, an image of homes on a flooded street and a link to the state government’s assistance page. One of the brokers, Kerry Lee Hall of Scarborough, included a YouTube video of waves breaking over homes at Higgins Beach.
In a late-January article about home prices, a Cape Elizabeth realtor said she’ll be interested in seeing how coastal flooding will affect property values in her town and other coastal communities.
“The Cape has always been a desirable area,” Mary Libby told the Bangor Daily News, “but I think we’re going to have to watch what’s going on with the climate. I get calls from clients who are on the water saying, ‘What should we do?’ ”
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The new reality may compel some buyers to revise their risk-reward calculations, according to Leanne Barschdorf Nichols, who started the Sustainability Advisory Group.
“It depends on how consumers perceive the risk,” she said. “People are going to have to make those decisions on an individual basis.”
A principal founder of the Keller Williams Realty franchise in Maine, Nichols said the recent storms make it imperative that realtors and clients talk frankly about the impacts of climate change. At the same time, she said she expects the market to adjust with mitigation strategies, such as raising structures or building farther back from the water.
“People cherish the waterfront in Maine,” she said. “They will find ways to adapt.”
The body of a missing Sedgwick woman was found a short distance from her residence Saturday morning, officials said.
Glenith Gray, 77, was reported missing from her home at 15 Parker Lane at about 3 a.m., according to the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office.
The Maine Warden Service was called in at 6 a.m. to assist with the search, deploying five wardens and three K-9 units.
Cellphone tower data helped lead searchers to Gray’s body at about 9:45 a.m., a short distance from the residence, said Mark Latti, spokesperson for the Maine Warden Service.
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Her death was not considered suspicious and appeared to be weather-related, though the state medical examiner’s office was notified, which is standard in unattended deaths.
Gray had worked as a real estate agent and developer, as well as serving in the Maine State Legislature in the 1990s.
Rabbi Levi Wilansky is the director of Chabad of Maine.
Last week, an 88-year-old Army veteran named Ed Bambas went viral.
An Australian TikToker saw the elderly man standing behind a cash register, when Ed shared that he works eight hours a day, five days a week.
It’s not because Ed loves working retail, but because 13 years ago, he lost his pension and life insurance when General Motors went bankrupt. Around the same time, his wife fell gravely ill and he sold their home to pay her medical bills. Seven years ago, Ed’s wife passed away and he is still working full-time at a grocery store — just to survive.
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Within days, strangers who watched the video had set up a GoFundMe and raised more than $1.5 million to help this veteran retire with dignity.
Ed’s story shows the power that one person had to spark a major wave of kindness around the world. Through just one short video, a social media influencer unleashed immense generosity from people who just wanted to help a stranger.
This same dynamic is reflected in the menorah, the central symbol of the festival of Chanukah, coming up this year from December 14-22. For each night of the eight-day holiday, we light the menorah, gather with family and friends, and retell the story of the Macabbees.
On the first night, we light the menorah with just one candle. Each subsequent night of the holiday, we add another candle, until all eight lights are kindled on the last night. The second century sage Hillel learned a lesson from this order: that it’s not enough to just spread light. Rather, we must always be increasing in the light we share.
This can be done practically through acts of kindness in the community. To address darkness in its many manifestations — mental illness, poverty, homelessness or the myriad other issues that people in Maine are facing — we cannot just do one good deed and call it a day. Instead, we must begin with one small act of kindness, and then build off that to do more to help the community.
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That’s why this year, Chabad of Maine launched Kitchen of Kindness. It’s a non-denominational initiative, bringing together volunteers from across our community to prepare nutritious, high-quality Kosher meals for people facing food insecurity throughout Southern Maine. During this season, when so many gather with family, food support is critical for those struggling.
The Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory, once called America a malchut shel chesed — a nation of kindness. Despite the numerous challenges we face, that spirit lives on — especially in Maine. It lives in the stranger who helps you dig out your car after a storm. It lives in the recognition that we’re responsible for one another, especially during our dark winters when isolation can turn dangerous.
This Sunday, December 14, the first night of Chanukah, I invite people of all backgrounds to join us in front of Portland City Hall for a grand menorah lighting. Starting at 4:30 p.m., we’ll have live music, a Giant Gelt Drop, and delicious Chanukah treats. We will also be building a “Can-ora”—a menorah constructed entirely from donated canned goods, all of which will be distributed to people in need. Throughout the rest of Chanukah, Chabad of Maine will light menorahs across Southern Maine, including at the State Capitol.
My hope for this Chanukah is to inspire everyone to spread the light. Whether it’s donating to the “Can-Ora”, volunteering, raising money for a cause you believe in, or simply checking in on a neighbor who might be struggling, we all have a responsibility to increase in goodness and kindness. The story of Ed Bambas, and of the menorah, teaches us that even though the world faces challenges, our capacity to make a difference begins with one act of light.
The Grand Menorah Lighting takes place Sunday, December 14, at 4:30 p.m. in front of City Hall, followed by a community celebration at Portland High School’s Chestnut Street entrance. To learn more about the Kitchen of Kindness or to volunteer, visit ChabadOfMaine.com or email [email protected].
PORTLAND, Maine — Loons are on the mend in Maine, filling more of the state’s lakes and ponds with their haunting calls, although conservations say the birds aren’t out of the woods yet.
Maine is home to a few thousand of the distinctive black-and-white waterbirds — the East Coast’s largest loon population — and conservationists said efforts to protect them from threats helped grow the population. An annual count of common loons found more adults and chicks this year than last, Maine Audubon said this week.
The group said it estimated a population for the southern half of Maine of 3,174 adult loons and 568 chicks. Audubon bases its count on the southern portion of Maine because there are enough bird counters to get a reliable number. The count is more than twice the number when they started counting in 1983, and the count of adult adult loons has increased 13% from 10 years ago.
“We’re cautiously optimistic after seeing two years of growing chick numbers,” said Maine Audubon wildlife ecologist Tracy Hart. “But it will take several more years before we know if that is a real upward trend, or just two really good years.”
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Maine lawmakers have attempted to grow the population of the loons with bans on lead fishing tackle that the birds sometimes accidentally swallow. Laws that limit boat speeds have also helped because they prevent boat wakes from washing out nests, conservation groups say.
It’s still too early to know if Maine’s loons are on a sustainable path to recovery, and the success of the state’s breeding loons is critical to the population at large, Hart said. Maine has thousands more loons than the other New England states, with the other five states combining for about 1,000 adults. The state is home to one of the largest populations of loons in the U.S., which has about 27,000 breeding adults in total.
Minnesota has the most loons in the lower 48 states, with a fairly stable population of about 12,000 adults, but they are in decline in some parts of their range.
While loons are not listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, they are considered threatened by some states, including New Hampshire and Michigan. The U.S. Forest Service also considers the common loon a sensitive species.
The birds migrate to the ocean in late fall and need a long runway to take off, meaning winter can be a treacherous time for the birds because they get trapped by ice in the lakes and ponds where they breed, said Barb Haney, executive director of Avian Haven, a wildlife rehabilitation center in Freedom, Maine.
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“We’re getting a lot of calls about loons that are iced in,” Haney said, adding that the center was tending to one such patient this week.
