“I started investing in real estate in my early 20s,” he says. “I’m a serial renovator.”
A house in Kennebunkport fell into his hands when its owner wanted to swap for a Massachusetts condo Harrington was renovating. The developer and his family started using the house and promptly fell in love with the coastal town, where he took on additional projects.
In 2005, he bought a run-down property called Cottages at Cabot Cove, not far from an assortment of marinas on Kennebunk River. In keeping with the creative flair that drives his endeavors, Harrington hired interior designers to individually decorate each cottage. The opening, a design showcase and fundraiser, drew 5,000 people in 10 days.