1802 House B&B in Kennebunkport sells to experienced inn owners

The owners of a bed-and-breakfast in Salem, Mass., traded for a similar property in Kennebunkport that dates back to 1802. Matthew and Kelly Baldassarri bought the 1802 House Bed & Breakfast Inn at 15 Locke St. from Shine Holding LLC for $2.175 million. John Doyon of Malone Commercial Brokers represented the seller and Brian Castle of Oceanview Properties represented the buyers. “Matt and Kelly were an absolute pleasure to work with,” said Castle. “From the moment I first spoke with them, it was clear how much they truly love what they do.” Considerable interest The property went under contract within about two weeks after going on the market, said Doyon. There were two simultaneous offers plus another one. “It received considerable interest from both in state and out-of-state buyers,” Doyon said. The wood-frame, two-story Colonial house, with historic features such as heavy beams and brick fireplaces, had extensions added over the years. Converted into a bed-and-breakfast in the 1990s, the 5,700-square-foot turnkey property is set next to the Cape Arundel Golf Course. It was marketed as being in excellent condition. The seller had made significant improvements, said Doyon. That included a new roof, generator, mini splits in the guestrooms, improved attic insulation, new carpeting and several newly tiled bathrooms. The inn has six guest rooms, including one suite with a separate sitting area, along with common areas, laundry facility and commercial-style kitchen. At 2,000 square feet, the owner’s quarters are notably larger than the norm, noted Doyon, and include bedrooms, bathrooms, a living room, dining room, wet bar, two offices, a two-person jacuzzi tub, a private patio and second-floor deck. Landscaped grounds have gardens and a fire pit seating area. The sale included all linens, towels, furnishings, kitchen supplies and operational software and business assets. Kennebunkport events —  including Paint the Town Red in February, Memorial Day weekend, Fourth of July and Christmas Prelude — help drive occupancy, according to the listing. The seller closed the inn certain months of the winter and those months present an opportunity for additional revenue, the listing said. Radio jockey and concierge Matt Baldassarri grew up on Boston’s North Shore area. After moving to Washington, D.C., he began a national radio show, “The Night Prowl,” on XM Satellite Radio. Kelly Baldassarri, originally from Monterey, Calif., was a concierge at Pebble Beach Resorts in California before she moved to the nation's capital, where she worked for a member of Congress from her home state. The two met in 2005 after Kelly requested a song and became a featurette on Matt’s show during her move from Monterey to Washington. “Matt the Cat” and “Cross Country Kelly” married in 2008, returned to Massachusetts and bought and renovated the Stepping Stone Inn, built in 1846 in Salem, also with six guestrooms. In 2010, Matt started a weekly 1940s and ’50s rhythm and blues radio program called “Juke In The Back” that’s on over 70 stations across the U.S. and overseas and which he continues to host. After 13 seasons in the heart of Salem’s Halloween festivities — the Salem Office of Tourism & Cultural Affairs says the city’s Haunted Happenings is the largest Halloween celebration in the world — the couple decided it was time for a quieter lifestyle. They had made many trips to Maine after moving back to Massachusetts in 2014. “We really like it in Maine,” said Matt. Private owner’s quarters Kelly spearheaded the search for an inn in the southern and midcoast regions. Matt credited Castle with understanding what they wanted. “This was the best experience on both sides,” he said of both Castle and Doyon. A big factor in the search included having private owner’s quarters. The Stepping Stone’s quarters were in the attic of the main house and shared the kitchen and living room on the first floor. The quarters at 1802 House are in a separate section off the back of the house, which mean not living in the same realm as the guests. Baldassarri said he also likes Kennebunkport’s small-town ambience compared to Salem. Moving thousands of records Kelly and their son Bobby immediately took over operations at 1802 House when the deal closed, while Matt stays in Salem running the Stepping Stone for the next three months until it sells. “This isn’t ideal, but it’s the way we had to do it in order to make all this work,” he said. As a record collector, he was a bit skeptical about having to move his extensive collection. He has just under 2,000 LPs in primo condition in his main stack, plus a whole lot more LPS, 45s, and 78s. The 78s — vintage disks, made of shellac, that went out in the 1950s — are inherently brittle and will be particularly tricky to move, he said. “I thought I was  going to die in this house because I don’t want to move those records again,” he said, speaking from Salem. “It’s a lot. But it’s how I relax. I love the experience of listening to music.” Updated menu and website The couple will put their own stamp on 1802 House. “Kelly has a great eye for decorating and colors,” said Baldassarri. “We have 12 years of B&B experience, so we’ll use that to help us chart a course of running 1802 House.” Initial plans include expanding the breakfast menu, updating the website and rolling out new marketing. The couple also wants to sponsor community events. “I feel like being part of the community is lot more important there,” he said of Kennebunkport. “I think supporting local events and being present in the community will not only help us with our relationship with the community, it will also bring more business.”