PORTLAND, Maine — Back in 2018, we published a list of five private Maine islands for sale for less than $500,000.
Times have changed since then and real estate prices have gone up considerably.
When we looked this week, we couldn’t find five whole island properties for less than that figure. Instead, here’s an updated list with the ceiling pushed to $1 million.
Wohoa Bay Island, $339,000
Also known by the less exotic local name of Duck Ledges Island, this tiny slice of Maine heaven is in Addison, just off the coast, near Jonesport.
The island encompases 1.5 acres, has no trees and a 540-square-foot cottage built in 2009, according to its real estate listing.
“The ledges surrounding the island are loaded with seals for constant entertainment,” it states. “The cottage is well constructed and just a few feet from sand beaches on both sides.”
The building contains two rooms, one up and one down. There’s no heat, electricity or running water. Included pictures show a wooden outhouse.
Greer Island, $395,000
Located just off Vinalhaven’s eastern edge in Penobscot Bay, this island offers wide open ocean views on one side and a protected harbor on the other, according to its real estate listing. At low tide, a sandbar connects it to the larger island.
Greer Island bristles with a small patch of evergreens growing in the center and is five acres in size. Current zoning will allow for a 600-square-foot dwelling. There’s already a tiny shack on one end that could also be rehabilitated.
Carver’s Harbor, with its ferry to the mainland, is just around the corner.
Butterfield Island, $615,000
This 8-acre, evergreen-wooded island is situated in Washington County’s Nicatous Lake. It boasts a family-style compound with two main buildings and three sleep cabins. One of the larger buildings dates back to about 1926 and sports a fieldstone fireplace and running water, according to its real estate listing.
The second main building was built in 2004 and comes with a 10-by-12-foot screened porch.
There are also structures housing tools, a generator and other supplies. Two outhouses round out the facilities.
Butterfield Island is a five-mile boat ride from an included boathouse on the north end of the lake. It’s a good thing, too, since Nicatous Lake has no public boat dock.
Morrow Island, $200,000
This undeveloped island takes up little over 3.5-acres of Lake St. George in Liberty and costs less than the area’s median home price of $325,000, according to realtor.com.
One of the advantages Morrow Island has over coastal islands, according to its real estate listing: “Maine’s cooler climate offers a benefit that you won’t find in warmer locales — the lake freezes over in winter, facilitating the moving of building supplies.”
The listing also says cell phone reception is good, the hospital in Belfast is just 20 minutes away and Lake St. George has 14 species of fish.
Tsuga Island, $999,000
This one just squeaks in under $1 million and is just barely an island.
Sitting in Newport’s Sebasticook Lake, a causeway connects this 17-acre property with the mainland, according to its real estate listing. It includes 2600 feet of water frontage and a 2100-square-foot, log sided, three-bedroom home.
It comes with a backup generator, radiant floor heat and 10-foot ceilings, too.
The island has sandy beaches, rocky shores and a trail along the western shore. The eastern side borders a march full of birds and cattails.
The island gets its name — Tsuga — from the Japanese word for hemlock trees, which cover the island.