Mansion Global recently highlighted five “coastal alternatives” for those seeking the small-town seaside lifestyle without the crowds of a larger New England tourist destination and included Kennebunkport in the list. Legacy Properties Sotheby’s International agent Elaine Prendergast, based out of our Kennebunk office, was interviewed by the digital publication about the real estate market in the region. “How close you are to the water makes all the difference,” she said.
Learn more about Kennebunkport’s appeal in the excerpt below from Mansion Global:
With a year-round population of about 3,600, this city on Maine’s southern coast “is very different from Cape Cod,” according to Elaine Prendergast, a realtor at Legacy Properties Sotheby’s International Realty in Kennebunkport. “It’s magical, very small-town and quintessentially Maine.”
Historically “a sleepy little town” that drew artists and writers, Kennebunkport found itself in the spotlight in the 1980s. When President George H.W. Bush became vice president in 1981, “people started noticing us,” Ms. Prendergast said. The Bush family’s Walker’s Point Estate compound is in Kennebunkport.
“We’re more bustling now, with great restaurants, breweries and a distillery, but it’s still peaceful, relaxing and quiet,” Ms. Prendergast said. “Our beautiful sandy beaches, including Goose Rocks Beach and Mother’s Beach, are also a draw.”
Inventory remains “very low,” Ms. Prendergast said, “but buyers continue to come,” drawn by the town’s lifestyle, proximity to Portland and Boston, and “top-rated schools.”
The median listing home price was $1.3 million in March 2023, up 47.4% year-over-year, according to Realtor.com; active listings range from $359,000 for a condo to $7.295 million for an 8,876-square-foot oceanfront cottage. “How close you are to the water makes all the difference,” Ms. Prendergast said.
