Maine: Incredible Opportunity - 22 Acres, Detached 2-Car Garage + More

[turbo]

If you can stand the weather, there is a wonderful opportunity next door. A neat modern house with a heated detached 2-car garage-workshop and some outbuildings set on 22 acres of heavily-wooded land. The garden spot is wonderful, and a whole lot more level than mine. The property is listed at nearly $140K, but the owners are stressed to the max and NEED to move so they will accept a lot less. If you are a shrewd negotiator, you could end up with a New Holland tractor-loader rolled into the deal. The old guy's health has declined precipitously, and his wife wants to return to the relative safety of MA, where their sons live.

Interested? Shoot me a PM and I'll take some pix.

My wife and I seriously considered buying them out, until they hooked up with a realtor that planted big numbers in their heads in a saturated housing market. (Ack!) We would have had to buy an intervening piece of property in order to efficiently bring out the timber on the back side of the property (I own the only bridge across the stream dividing our plots) and my wife would have had to take over most of the tasks associated with acting as landlords of the property until we got the house and a reasonably-sized lot sold off. With those complications, we passed.

 

[Chi Meson]

Does your town HS need a Physics Teacher?

 

[turbo]

Does your town HS need a Physics Teacher?

We don't even have a HS or even a Junior HS. Kids have to go to other towns. The property is in Solon, Me 04979, and you may be able to search a bit and find some openings.

You'd be within easy striking distance of Bingham, North Anson, Madison, or Skowhegan. the roads are plowed and clear early every day in the winter, so that the pulp trucks and school buses can run before dawn.

Bordering neighbors (3 of us) have roads and trails running through our properties and we encourage people (including kids) to take full advantage of them. I have always told kids that they have free run of my property, if they will just let me know if there is something they have seen that is "not right". We get along well here.

 

[Math Is Hard]

Could you arrange for a husband to be waiting for me when I arrive?

 

[turbo]

Could you arrange for a husband to be waiting for me when I arrive?

Do you have some specific requirements? I'm no miracle worker. I could arrange eager mates, but perhaps not appropriate ones.

 

[Evo]

Could you arrange for a husband to be waiting for me when I arrive?

shoves MIH aside

Age before beauty!

I caught a Moose! Just ask him! And I had witnesses.

 

[Math Is Hard]

I don't believe Evo's moose story.

Turbo, I just need a husband who can:

"change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly."

That's not too much to ask, I think.

 

[Chi Meson]

I don't believe Evo's moose story.

Turbo, I just need a husband who can:

"change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly."

That's not too much to ask, I think.

Y'know, I can do all those things. Except for butcher the hog, I can't do that. Prety much a loner. I act alone all the time. My sonnets are pretty good, and I can cook several things that some have called "tasty-ish." I can't fight efficiently, per se, blood tends to get everywhere, kinda long clean up after... and I don't know about dying gallantly, I thought I'd give it a try one day, but... and I don't do manure often, but if no one else is going to, I guess... and I cooperate all the time! And I've programmed, yes I have, and... not a whole computer... heh heh, just a, you know, a program. on one. I just built a wall, too, just last summer. A pretty good ol' fashioned New England stone wall, five feet high, yup, still standing (just peeked at it). And I've changed diapers too, three kids we've had already, but my wife says that's eno...s#!t, I'm already married! Sorry.

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

If you're looking for a husband, come to NJ. I'm a husband, a good one. They will cross the deepest ocean for you, cross the widest desert, climb the highest mountain. But will they get up from the easy chair to bring you a cup of coffee?

 

[Evo]

Y'know, I can do all those things. Except for butcher the hog, I can't do that. Prety much a loner. I act alone all the time. My sonnets are pretty good, and I can cook several things that some have called "tasty-ish." I can't fight efficiently, per se, blood tends to get everywhere, kinda long clean up after... and I don't know about dying gallantly, I thought I'd give it a try one day, but... and I don't do manure often, but if no one else is going to, I guess... and I cooperate all the time! And I've programmed, yes I have, and... not a whole computer... heh heh, just a, you know, a program. on one. I just built a wall, too, just last summer. A pretty good ol' fashioned New England stone wall, five feet high, yup, still standing (just peeked at it). And I've changed diapers too, three kids we've had already, but my wife says that's eno...s#!t, I'm already married! Sorry.

That's our lot in life MIH. The good men are either taken or dead.

 

[medgar]

That's our lot in life MIH. The good men are either taken or dead.

I must be dead, because I ain't taken.

 

[zcd]

That's our lot in life MIH. The good men are either taken or dead.

There might've been some left alive if they didn't have to die gallantly

 

[Borg]

If I moved to Maine, I would be single real fast.
Good luck on your search turbo. Hope you find some good neighbors!

 

[turbo]

If I moved to Maine, I would be single real fast.
Good luck on your search turbo. Hope you find some good neighbors!

Thanks.

I'd like to find someone who will garden organically, if possible. The neighbor on the far side of the property already does, and we're not too keen on folks that rely on Sevin, Roundup, etc, when there are natural solutions available. We all have wells out here, and it's infuriating to have people carelessly spraying chemicals around so that the run-off can contaminate our groundwater and the stream down back.

For anybody that loves birds and wildlife, this area is great. We're not over-run with deer like suburban areas that restrict hunting, which is great for the viability of the gardens. Luckily, the fisher population is making a bit of a rebound, so they can help keep the rabbits and groundhogs under control when their favorite food (porcupine) is running low. I have broad-winged hawks nesting on my property, and they make a pretty good dent in the mourning dove population before their chicks are fledged and need LOTS of food to grow.

 

[turbo]

Turbo, I just need a husband who can:

"change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly."

I'm glad my wife left off the last requirement on the list.

I have never set a bone, but I'll make up for it by letting you know that a friend and I spent all our free time one summer building himself and his new bride a house. Out of field-stone and mortar. Not a skill that's much in demand these days, but we were young, strong, and bull-headed, and that was enough.

 

[waht]

I'd like to go camping in Acadia National Park one day.

 

[Vanadium 50]

I just need a husband who can:

"change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly."

I think you would have better luck if you didn't start with the diapers and end with the dying. I'm just sayin'.

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

I think you would have better luck if you didn't start with the diapers and end with the dying. I'm just sayin'.

It comes with the territory. Half of all marriages in America end in divorce. And the other half end in death.

 

[brewnog]

$140k for all that?

I'm living in the wrong country.

 

[KalamMekhar]

140K is beautifully low! If I had a reason to move to Maine, I would do that in a heartbeat. Heck we just bought our house for 130K inside a city.

 

[Math Is Hard]

I think you would have better luck if you didn't start with the diapers and end with the dying. I'm just sayin'.

OK, maybe. Robert Heinlein came up with the list. I'm just following his lead.

 

[turbo]

$140k for all that?

I'm living in the wrong country.

If you could walk the property, and see what resources were available for that price, you'd be shocked at how low the total price is.

 

[mynameinc]

If you could walk the property, and see what resources were available for that price, you'd be shocked at how low the total price is.

What type of resources are you talking? Fertile soil, timber, platinum, crude oil, perpetual motion?

 

[turbo]

What type of resources are you talking? Fertile soil, timber, platinum, crude oil, perpetual motion?

Mature timber. Pine, hemlock, etc that is ready for the sawmill. This stuff grows back, but the trees are peaking on this piece of property IMO.

 

[mynameinc]

Mature timber. Pine, hemlock, etc that is ready for the sawmill. This stuff grows back, but the trees are peaking on this piece of property IMO.

Oh. I was really hoping for perpetual motion. :)

I suppose it's too far from any major cities to buy some surrounding land and develop the area as a suburb, isn't it?

 

[turbo]

Oh. I was really hoping for perpetual motion. :)

I suppose it's too far from any major cities to buy some surrounding land and develop the area as a suburb, isn't it?

We really don't want sub-developments here. Buy the property, take advantage of the resources, get your profit, and settle in.

 

[mynameinc]

We really don't want sub-developments here. Buy the property, take advantage of the resources, get your profit, and settle in.

So, the resources are worth more than the land?

 

[dlgoff]

Pictures turbo, pictures.

 

[DanP]

"change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly."

That's not too much to ask, I think.

Specialization is for insects

 

[brewnog]

If you could walk the property, and see what resources were available for that price, you'd be shocked at how low the total price is.

I bloody paid £130k for a little house with a little garage and a little garden in the suburbs! Hmph I need to emigrate.

 

[Math Is Hard]

Specialization is for insects

Yes, indeedy!

 

[Monique]

If you could walk the property, and see what resources were available for that price, you'd be shocked at how low the total price is.

I was looking for a new place, but the prices are €430k ($530k) for a 3-room apt in the city. I'm not going to pay that, so I'll stay put where I am. Your description sounds a lot better, but I don't think moving to the country side in Main is an option for me I hope your neighbor finds a buyer soon!

 

[turbo]

Here is the realtors' preview of the property. If you offer them a fast closing, there could be a compact New Holland diesel tractor with loader folded into the deal. They really want to move ASAP.

http://whittemoresrealestate.com/inventory-popup.asp?item=24149&pic=87052

 

[turbo]

So, the resources are worth more than the land?

The timber makes the property worth far more than most acreage, because many of the trees are very large. Large stuff can go to sawmills, smaller stuff can go to pulp mills, and branches, etc can be chipped and blown into chip trailers to be sold for boiler fuel at said pulp mills.

Many properties around here are wooded, but have been extensively logged off a couple of decades ago, so there are few mature trees to sell off for lumber. For most folks, it's not economical to harvest their trees only to ship them off to pulp mills. Those so-inclined can hire the services of a licensed forester, and selectively cut off the woodland to encourage the growth of the more valuable timber. That qualifies you for a "tree-growth" tax exemption from the state. If you have a large piece of property, that can be a valuable exemption.

 

[lisab]

I bloody paid £130k for a little house with a little garage and a little garden in the suburbs! Hmph I need to emigrate.

C'mon over! We've got lots of space here.

 

[turbo]

BTW, you might notice a lot of decent wood-work in the interior shots. The owner was a finish-carpenter/cabinet-maker for a very large MA hospital before he retired. If I wanted to buy the place, I'd add a standing-seam galvalum or enameled steel roof, to fend off the Maine winters for a life-time. The owner has done a lot of very costly landscaping over the years, including the railroad-tie retaining wall, crushed stone, related site drainage, etc, though he'll have to just walk away from that expense. No way to recoup that.

The addition (seen in shot #2) is a sun-room added just 2 years ago. A nice touch for spring/fall when you want to enjoy the sunlight, but the outside temps are a bit low. A good place to start seedlings for the vegetable garden, too. Edit: the idiot realtors didn't include a shot of the very nice garden spot. That should be a selling point (more than images of a couple of random trees). I tilled that with my PTO tiller and tractor, and if any decent buyer shows up, I'll till it every spring for them for free. It's only about 10-15 minutes of work when you have the right equipment.

 

[dlgoff]

Here is the realtors' preview of the property. If you offer them a fast closing, there could be a compact New Holland diesel tractor with loader folded into the deal. They really want to move ASAP.

http://whittemoresrealestate.com/inventory-popup.asp?item=24149&pic=87052

Thanks for the picture link. Any idea how much the annual property taxes might be?

 

[turbo]

Probably around $1000-1200. This town levies higher taxes on built-up lots with well, septic, buildings, etc, and generally flat-rates the undeveloped acreage.

 

[Evo]

Here is the realtors' preview of the property. If you offer them a fast closing, there could be a compact New Holland diesel tractor with loader folded into the deal. They really want to move ASAP.

http://whittemoresrealestate.com/inventory-popup.asp?item=24149&pic=87052

Awww, that's a cute little cottage.

 

[Borek]

Really nice place. But as it is it is a little bit too far and I am afraid it can be difficult to transport to Poland, so even if we think about buying something, we are not interested.

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

C'mon over! We've got lots of space here.

Sure, just contact the Wyoming Space Agency. They've got tons of space.

 

[Kerrie]

What a cute place! Maine would be perfect for me if the summers were a bit warmer.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

What a cute place! Maine would be perfect for me if the summers were a bit warmer.

Huh? Summers? You do still live in Oregon, right?

 

[Ivan Seeking]

In Oregon we have two seasons: Rain, and Road Construction.

 

[turbo]

What a cute place! Maine would be perfect for me if the summers were a bit warmer.

How does almost a week of 95+ temps with oppressive humidities sound? Summer is here!

 

[xunxine]

There are no poisonous snakes in Maine. Is this true?
I read it http://www.hightechscience.org/funfacts.htm" .

 

[Danger]

As an Albertan, Turbo, I scoff at your winters. It was snowing here until 3 weeks ago, interspersed with dryness and rain. My furnace was running overtime yesterday, and today it was over °30 outside. I consider myself a thermal wimp because my solid comfort zone centres around °40, but I have no trouble strolling out for a smoke in jeans and a T-shirt when it's -°20.
If you can figure out some way to circumvent the fact that I'm not allowed into the US, I'll snap the place up.

 

[turbo]

There are no poisonous snakes in Maine. Is this true?
I read it http://www.hightechscience.org/funfacts.htm" .

In the very southwestern tip of the state, there may be some Eastern diamondbacks, but nothing else.

 

[Danger]

there may be some Eastern diamondbacks

Hmmm... lunch on a stick.

(As a side-note... I did find, through bitter experience, that the stick is most easily inserted at the toothy end.)

 

[turbo]

I have been helping my neighbor saw boards and framing lumber on his sawmill when the humidity and my respiratory problems permit. Today he and his 20-something daughter (a strong lady that likes to build stuff!) showed up with some tools to help along a project that has been stalled throughout the heat wave - the building of a stone-bordered raised flower bed for my wife. I had quite a few stones already stockpiled, and he had a large pile of soil and ledge heaped up on his property after the removal of a couple-hundred year-old maple. I moved the larger foundation stones with my tractor and he tweaked them into place in a foundation trench that we dug with my loader, and by hand in tight places. Once the larger stones were mostly used from my pile, I was on a constant shuttle with my tractor back to his place to get more big 'uns with the loader, and then more and more trips to get bucket-loads of flat stones for the 2nd and 3rd tiers, plus smaller stones for chinking and shimming. After 6 hours of hard work with necessary breaks for hydration, shade, and food, here's what we have. I'll get some loam and manure hauled in by a friend in the business, fill in the garden and stand back while my wife plans and executes her planting, mulching, etc.

They brought the two little grand-daughters to visit, too, and Max the wonder-dog (Duke's best friend) and we had a great time. This is a WONDERFUL place to live if you are thoughtful and willing to pitch in for one another. As the weather cools (soon, hopefully), I'll help him tear off the side deck in preparation to framing and closing in the new addition on his house.

I have built an entire house-shell out of field-stone and mortar with a friend years back. He had lots of old field-stone walls on the property, access to mortar cement cheap, and no money to hire carpenters to build the place. He and I had both built with stone before (SMALL projects) and his father was a disabled master mason who could advise us, so we jumped in and built his house evenings and weekends in one summer. Still, I have never mastered the art of building dry-laid stone walls that could withstand soil pressure, water pressure, blowout from freezing, so I was happy to have my neighbor's expertise. He has raised-bed stone gardens and taller retaining walls on his property that have been rock-solid for 20+ years.