Mainebiz

V I E W P O I N T S W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 3 A P R I L 7 , 2 0 2 5 We're attorneys. But we're people first. Meet Asha. A licensed professional engineer turned attorney with 20 years of construction industry experience, Asha is an authority in the industry, focusing on litigation and contract negotiations for complex building and energy clients. bernsteinshur.com Asha Echeverria Shareholder For a daily digest of Maine's top business news, sign up for the Mainebiz Daily Report at mainebiz.biz/enews From the Editor S eems like nearly everyone in Maine has a crazy story from the housing market. Between bidding wars and soaring prices, the residential market has had a wild ride going back to 2020, when waves of pan- demic refugees started pouring into Maine. For our cover story, Deputy Editor Renee Cordes adds to the conversation by looking at the house "flipper" market. Mouse nests, hoarders and past residents who have exited a house feet first — these hazards are just part of the job. When an anecdote starts, "It was a real fixer-upper, but we didn't know how bad it was when we opened the walls," you know it's bad. I'll let you read for yourself. Renee's story, "Buy low, sell higher," starts on Page 14. Maine's construction firms have had a chang- ing of the guard, with several new CEOs heading operations. Staff Writer Tina Fischer takes a look at new leaders and how they're approaching their jobs. Her story starts on Page 20. Golf has found new followers — some of whom are leaving behind golf courses and, for that matter, the out- doors. Indoor golf centers are taking Maine by storm, as Senior Writer Laurie Schreiber reports. Miniature golf and golf simulators are cropping up around the state, attracting a different crowd. "e explosion of golf and changing demographics have made it more comfortable," says the owner of a Waterville business that offers golf simulators. "We have women, high school kids, college students, young families, I'd say the demographic is really vast." See "Businesses tee up for golf," which starts on Page 24. Peter Van Allen pvanallen@mainebiz.biz Featured @ Mainebiz.biz Mainebiz offers the latest business news in the Daily Report and the Real Estate Insider newsletters. Here is the top content from March 17–31. 1. Made in Maine: A Skowhegan shop fires up wood-fired pizza ovens 2. Biddeford shopping center repositioned as entertainment center 3. Meet the 2025 Business Leaders of the Year 4. Founder of Cape Elizabeth blanket business remembered for her grit and optimism 5. New bookstores will 'bookend' Saco and Biddeford 6. In Rockland, Peasley Park will add 49 affordable senior housing apartments 7. Scarborough packaging facility with 67 employees to shut down by June 8. Bath Iron Works wants to add parking garage and improve pedestrian safety 9. In Waterville, a new housing complex pledges to be 'more than just a place to live' 10. Furniture retailer Chilton, with two other area locations, sells Scarborough site P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY 1 Flipping houses requires homework, good financial sense and, occasionally, a strong stomach. Those walls may not talk, but they might squeak

• Cover