We combed through real estate listings to find Maine homes that would actually be affordable to the average person.
The median Maine household made just over $75,000 a year in 2022, according to the Federal Reserve. Under standard financial conditions, a household making that much can afford a house of roughly $275,000, Zillow’s affordability calculator says.
Homes at that level and below are getting harder to find, but we looked at roughly 200 this week, finding favorites in Pembroke, Old Town, Damariscotta, Sidney and Biddeford.
A Down East homestead
$264,900. 12 Masonic Lane, Pembroke
Built in 1863, this cedar-shingled home is remote, about 30 minutes in either direction from Calais and Machias. It is 1,750 square feet with three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a wood stove.
It is the 7-acre lot that caught our attention. It is home to bed gardens, aromatic fields of thyme and some apple trees. Salt water is just a few miles away, and the 28-acre Hershey Point nature preserve is up the road.
The home has been on the market since the summer, but several people have expressed interest, and it would be a good spot for homesteading, said listing agent Georgie Kendall, a broker with Realty of Maine.
“Pembroke seems pretty hot, and there aren’t that many [homes] on the market,” Kendall said.
This charming Old Town colonial
$265,000: 231 Brunswick St., Old Town
This three-story home is both charming and affordable to the average household. The 2,000-square-foot residence has been owned by one family since it was built in 1900, listing agent Elly Chapman of NextHome Experience said, but it was recently renovated.
The colorful home has five bedrooms and one bathroom. There’s a fenced backyard for pets to play freely. It would make a great home for a family or as an investment for someone wanting to rent to nearby college students, Chapman said.
A property of this size at this price point is rare in the Bangor metro area, Chapman said. Market activity is low right now, but she’s already received one offer sight unseen. The agent expects the property, first listed 12 days ago, to be on the market for six to eight weeks at this time of year.
A Damariscotta farmhouse
$269,000: 23 Biscay Road, Damariscotta
This farmhouse was built in 1853, meaning it has a rich history as well as some charming quirks, listing agent Max Ross of Pouliot Real Estate said. It boasts a well-maintained acre and an attached barn. The house is a little under 2,000 square feet and has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, an updated kitchen and hardwood floors that are uneven in some places.
Something this affordable in the desirable midcoast region is rare. Average home values in Damariscotta are $470,000 and up 9 percent over last year, according to Zillow.
Though the property has been listed for about 40 days, Ross said that the home is attractive to anyone who wants to enter the “booming” housing market at an affordable price.
This recently refinished Sidney home
$255,000: 2634 Middle Road, Sidney
This 1,850-square-foot home at 2634 Middle Road was partially built in the 1800s and is one of the oldest houses in Sidney, listing agent Kara Bickford said.
The property has four bedrooms and three bathrooms, sits on an acre and is about 10 minutes from Augusta or Waterville, Bickford said. Standout features include a long farmer’s porch and a spacious backyard with apple and walnut trees, and raspberry and blackberry bushes, according to its listing.
Bickford said the property is among the few affordable homes for sale in the Augusta area, where home prices are expected to rise at some of the nation’s fastest rates over the next year.
Though the home has already been listed for 60 days, Bickford expects it won’t be on the market much longer.
A starter home in downtown Biddeford
$263,5003: 9 Wentworth St., Biddeford
The value of this 1,360-square-foot home is mostly in its location. With three bedrooms and 1 1/2 bathrooms, it is within walking distance of restaurants, shopping and transit in a former milltown that has seen something of a renaissance in recent years.
The home was built in 1860 and has some rotted wood and a need for paint. But listing agent CJ Dubois-Cote with Keller Williams Realty said she has still seen a ton of interest. With some work, the property would make a great starter home, she said.
“I think this is a unique property,” she said. “There’s not much in this price point at all. We’re not seeing any affordability, especially downtown.”