There are at least two camps in the Belgrade Lakes area that appear to be "reasonably" priced. They are not on glamorous Long Pond or Great Pond but they are in the area.

One is on Wesserunsett Lake in Madison, and is listed at $129,000. It has 54 feet of waterfront, and the sales team says it is in walking distance of Lakewood Theater. Here's a lively line from a copy writer: "Stay where Clark Gable and Humphrey Bogart once did!"

Meanwhile, there is a camp on Kimball Pond in Vienna for $139,000. "Six feet from water's edge; shoremaster dock, exposed beams, knotty pine interior, 100 foot of frontage."

A little more expensive: a year-round home on East Pond in Smithfield for $189,000. The fine print actually says it offers 200 feet on Serpentine Stream, and is "boatable" to East Pond. 2 bedrooms and 2-car garage.

Call Lakepoint Real Estate at 207-495-3700.

These gems aside, prices are skyrocketing for many waterfront properties in central Maine. Advertised this month is a four-bedroom cottage on Great Pond in Belgrade with 202 feet of waterfront and one acre of land for $1.4 million.

And there is a four bedroom "compound" on Great Moose Lake in St. Albans for $2 million.

Your Scribe has heard conflicting opinions on whether it has been a good market in recent months.

Here's a note from a real estate salesperson I received earlier this summer: "As a real estate broker in the Sebago Lake region for many years, I've seen a lot of ups and downs. Right now we have the strongest buyers' market for second homes I've seen since the early 90's. Inventory is very strong, prices have softened and sellers may be more motivated. If you've despaired of ever owning a summer camp, you may want to take a look at the current offerings."

But just this Friday, I met a sales manager for a log-cabin business based in Bangor. He said sales are down because people are concerned about borrowing in this unsettled market. Conflicting viewpoints.

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