Inexpensive land in maine (for sale, mortgages, house)

[phitethepwr]

I am new to this. I was looking around online for inexpensive land for sale in Maine and stumbled upon a thread in here from '08- folks were talking about cheap land, "second class land;" acres for sale by native mainers rather than commercial realtors. Essentially this sounds, at least at the front, like something I would be interested in learning more about, i.e. how to make contacts and research these seemingly hard to find plots of heaven... Any information would be great! Thanks.

[Maineah]

Originally Posted by phitethepwr

I am new to this. I was looking around online for inexpensive land for sale in Maine and stumbled upon a thread in here from '08- folks were talking about cheap land, "second class land;" acres for sale by native mainers rather than commercial realtors. Essentially this sounds, at least at the front, like something I would be interested in learning more about, i.e. how to make contacts and research these seemingly hard to find plots of heaven... Any information would be great! Thanks.

You have to be careful with "cheap" land in Maine. Right now prices are the lowest they have been in years. I personally believe they will be even lower in the near future. Maine has not seen the bottom of the housing and land value bubble that has burst and caused thousands to be paying upside down mortgages. Cheap land is often "worth what you pay for it". You could end up in a swamp, flood plane, or with 400 feet of sand or ledge under you if you're not careful. Water can be a problem here too. There are sulphur pockets in many areas that make the groundwater unpalatable. It's expensive to take that junk out of your water.
High and dry land with good water, good percolation for a septic system, good drainage, a stand of healthy hardwood and mixed semi softwoods (just not all pines and spruce) for use as firewood, tillable garden soil, and access to at least a good secondary road for power and other utilities is what most people are looking for. Lots like that are usually priced accordingly. Always location is the key. You can get a lot like described above in Northern Maine for less than $1000 an acre. In Southern Maine and especially coastal Maine a decent sized lot will cost you many thousands of dollars an acre.
My friend sold his mom's lot on Cousins'Island a few years ago. She paid $40.00 an acre for it back in the early 50's when there was no bridge to the island and building on the shore was considered foolhearty because the weather beat your house up so much.. Since then attitudes have changed, the high rollers have built McMansions all along the Southern Maine shore, and it's "chic" to have an island as your address. They sold her little four acre lot for $185,000! Nice profit!

[Submariner]

I mostly need to be in Maine, to find low priced land here.

I found that exploring small towns, having a meal in tiny diners and talking to locals helped a great deal. Folks know who has land for sale.

Also as you drive around exploring you will often see hand-written signs with phone numbers to call. That was how I eventually made contact with a forester who buys tracts of land from timber companies.

[Northern Maine Land Man]

There are lots of people in Maine living their dreams and they would approve of your handle too, phitethepwr.

[phitethepwr]

Thank you, folks, for the feedback/advice. Like i said, I am new to this but I really want to educate myself in as many ways as possible before making any firm decision. I will keep these things in mind as I explore and investigate...

[Maineah]

Originally Posted by phitethepwr

Thank you, folks, for the feedback/advice. Like i said, I am new to this but I really want to educate myself in as many ways as possible before making any firm decision. I will keep these things in mind as I explore and investigate...

Good luck...Maine has a"lot" to offer....stupid pun intended!