I'm here - now what? Buying land for full-time camp

[flyingdog]

Yikes! Didn't mean to ruffle any feathers with the greedy comment (but lets face it - almost $200k for a house with no roof on less than 1 acre when the whole neighborhood is up for sale?). I must say that I totally get what everyone is saying about the fact no one "wants" to part with their land, and I didn't mean to come off the way I did. I'm just amazed how high some of the prices are for lots that really don't even seem that great when looked at from a more conventional "house lot" eye. I'm looking for bottom of the barrel type land - the stuff most would not really want for anything other than a hunting camp - so am searching for stuff that would inherently be priced much lower than what I've been seeing generally. Hence my posted plea for guidance here (not meant to be a critique or insult - again, sorry it came off that way)

I have found mostly larger land at that price, like NMLM and forest beekeeper mention, but up until about January I had a list of bookmarks some 60 links deep to land that was $400 to $800 per acre throughout the area (many off that landwatch site) and within my size range, but then all the listings started disappearing. Didn't look like they were sold - more like they just expired off the sites.

The back to the land thing along with DSL/internet in the same paragraph does tend to make me cringe too, but it's a fact of my life. I develop websites for a living (even if I would prefer to develop soil). Gotta keep the income from my current clients for a while at least. With the limited budget I'm working with, satellite is close to being out of the question and solar/wind is a bit too pricey still. Trust me - I'd love to buy a big tract far from all of it

Thanks to everyone that's contributed thus far - I'm off to check a few leads on land today. Will definitely update as things progress.

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by flyingdog

Yikes! Didn't mean to ruffle any feathers with the greedy comment (but lets face it - almost $200k for a house with no roof on less than 1 acre when the whole neighborhood is up for sale?). I must say that I totally get what everyone is saying about the fact no one "wants" to part with their land, and I didn't mean to come off the way I did. I'm just amazed how high some of the prices are for lots that really don't even seem that great when looked at from a more conventional "house lot" eye. I'm looking for bottom of the barrel type land - the stuff most would not really want for anything other than a hunting camp - so am searching for stuff that would inherently be priced much lower than what I've been seeing generally. Hence my posted plea for guidance here (not meant to be a critique or insult - again, sorry it came off that way)

When I began posting here, I was very upset at how a few Maine realtors I had dealt with had never personally stepped foot on the real estate they were marketing. I did not think that such behavior was very 'professional'.

I understand that realtors serve a purpose by marketing property and in theory they should know what property sales for. I was very shocked at how many realtors will market real estate without ever having been on the real estate. I voiced my shock and at the time my posts were perceived as being insulting to Maine realtors. When I first began posting on City-Data, a few realtors here were insulted by my posts. It happens.

I was lectured to about the professionalism of realtors, by some of the realtors who post here.

I have simply modified my idea of 'professionalism' and now I think my posts are not perceived to be as insulting to realtors as they once were.

... The back to the land thing along with DSL/internet in the same paragraph does tend to make me cringe too, but it's a fact of my life. I develop websites for a living (even if I would prefer to develop soil). Gotta keep the income from my current clients for a while at least. With the limited budget I'm working with, satellite is close to being out of the question and solar/wind is a bit too pricey still. Trust me - I'd love to buy a big tract far from all of it

You are not the first person to come up here, with the need for an internet connection.

This is something that must be looked at very closely and questioned repeatedly even when dealing with landline companies. I was very fortunate. When I bought land, the tiny ma/pa phone company servicing this township had gotten a grant to upgrade to DSL. If they had been any larger they would not have gotten the grant, and soon after they upgraded they were bought up by a much larger out-of-state corporation.

Getting DSL is not entirely impossible.

[rss777]

I tell my kids that I remember when texting consisted of carving a message on a rock and chucking it at the recipient. They are not amused. When I say I dream of the day when I no longer need internet or a cell phone, they look at me like I'm from another planet. I think they are secretly horrified that they may have to live that way someday. OMG!!
However, Flyingdog, I understand your dream..and your need to be connected for your work. If you are patient and persistent, you will eventually get what you need, though you may have to pay a bit more for property than you'd like to. How about satellite internet? I don't know much about it..it may be very expensive. I believe a fairly modest solar power system can power a laptop and a satellite receiver. Just tossing out some ideas. Good luck to you.

[beltrams]

I can understand the want for the Internet, but imo, don't bother with satellite, looking for a DSL wire, etc.

I have no TV service here, no cable, no land line phone, and no newspaper subscription. I'm living a fairly basic life in a small house that I'm restoring, on 55 acres.

My link to the world is my smart phone, often tethered to my computer. It saves me lots of trips to town.

To me, the simple life is one communications appliance and one bill, replacing all that other stuff.

There are lots of places in Maine that don't get the best cell phone service, but all through the places I go in central and southern Aroostook, I get 3 bars minimum on my Verizon 3G service and often full bars. My neighborhood is on a ridge and that helps even more, but even when traveling, cell service is always good. I suppose if I took my kayak into the woods in the western part of The County, I'd lose service then, but then too, that's probably a good thing

3G on my Razr Maxx gives me about 1Mbit/sec which is plenty good and sufficient right now. That Verizon says they'll have 4LTE service all over their present national 3G service footprint by the end of 2013 is even better, especially since 3G data links get suspended when a voice call comes in - not so, I have heard, with 4G/LTE.

Another alternative would be wireless, "WiMax" Internet such as Pioneer Broadband has around my area. In places where there is no land line Internet (DSL or cable), this WiMax might do the trick (but I still think cellular Internet is going to rule in the end.)

[Kristin85]

Hi everyone, I am hoping some of you can give me advice about buying small parcels of land in Maine. I visit Maine frequently and after 3 years of applying for a good job still haven't given up. I have set some money aside and would like to know what steps I would take to acquire a parcel of land between 3-10 acres. Considering how often I'm paying for motels spending long weekends in the state, it makes sense to think about buying land.

I would be looking for flat, mostly forested land in rural/small towns around the more populated coastal areas. I would consider any nice, small towns or unincorporated areas within 45 minutes driving distance of Portland, Freeport, or Acadia National Park. Towns within 30 minutes of Sebago Lake may also be nice. I have seen signs on trees saying "450 acres for sale, contact xxx-xxx-xxxx" but have never felt that it would be appropriate to call about buying 1% of their available property. Are there any reputable, specific companies that city-data posters have worked with to buy small lots in southern or midcoast Maine? If not, are there any tips to finding which buyers with "land for sale" signs would be open to small parcel sales?

Also, I would be starting out using the land as campground but would hopefully build a small cottage or cabin with running water and electricity in 10+ years. Would I need to look for land that is already listed as "residential" or "mixed use" or should I be looking at all land then worry about working with the town or municipality about land use in the future? Thank you!

[Nor'Eastah]

Having grappled with this problem for a few years now -- I don't think I've offended any realtors here -- I have decided that the best solution to start out with would be to rent for a year or two, in an area that holds interest for us. I can get to know some of my neighbors that way, and they can get to know us. If you become "accepted" in a community, helping out when help is needed, volunteering for non-paying work, becoming active in a local church, whatever it may be, you do get to know people. And those people know other people with land they want to get rid of.

Another option we'll be looking seriously into, is identifying other potential purchasers of land. Read some of my blogs on this subject. If a nice 80-acre parcel comes up that is too pricey for us, and we find one-two other buyers who want smaller acreages of land, perhaps we can subdivide the larger parcel so that we each get as much land as we can afford. This would NOT be a "communal" arrangement, but each buyer owning their acreage outright, and doing as they please with it, independent of the other(s).

Finally, we are not crazy about being on the grid. We understand that some younger folks wish to be "connected" all the time, especially if it is work related. I think the idea of using a smart phone or other mobile device for internet connection is definitely the way to go. If you need more than this, look into who has wi-fi in the area, and possibly arrange to share the bill for use of it off-premises, as they make wi-fi antennas specifically for that. There's always a way, even off-grid.

Finally, accept the fact that finding your special land parcel may require some time, hence our idea of renting for at least a year. Anything that comes up, will be an easy trek to go check it out. If we stay out-of-state while looking, we can spend a fortune on B&Bs and motels, only to be disappointed. Find the area you like, and find a way to stay there for some time, even if it's just paying someone to allow you to park an older, used camper on their land.