5 homes in midcoast Maine you can actually afford

A recent study found that most midcoast Maine towns lack affordable housing, so we took it upon ourselves to come up with five homes on the market there that fit the bill.

Maine’s median household last year had an income of $68,000, which can finance a home up to about $250,000, according to Zillow’s affordability calculator. Incomes are slightly higher in the midcoast region, so we limited the homes here to $300,000 in value.

Here are our picks for the pricey region.

A renovated barn in Waldoboro

96 Washington Road, Waldoboro, $299,000

This 2,300-square-foot home in Waldoboro was originally listed at $479,000, according to listing agent Jake Oliver, a Damariscotta-based realtor with StartPoint Realty.

By decreasing the acres that came with the house from 14 to four, Oliver said he was able to get the price down to $299,000 around two weeks ago, and since then there’s been a ton of interest in the property and one offer has been made on it. Once an old barn believed to have been built in the 1850s, the property owner used his skills as a construction worker to renovate the space into a move-in ready three-bedroom, two-bathroom house.

It has a new furnace, septic system and insulation, but some unique elements of the old barn, like its open-concept floor plan, cathedral ceilings and wooden beams, are preserved, Oliver said. The home is minutes from downtown Waldoboro and Moody’s Diner.

This small Saint George home

694 Spruce Head Road, Saint George, $269,000

This three-bedroom, one-bathroom Saint George home is roughly 1,000 square feet in size and sits on less than an acre. The house is small, and built in 1954, but has a lot of character and is located minutes from the beautiful coast, Rockland and Owls Head, as well as many outdoor recreation opportunities.

Historic home in Bath

8 Maple St., Bath, $239,000

Though it was built in 1850, this two-bedroom, two-bathroom home in Bath was recently renovated and has a new heating system, hardwood floors, an added bathroom and updated windows, according to its online listing.

The 1,100-square-foot home has a working fireplace, some flowery detailing on its walls, a large back porch and a detached garage. Living here has you minutes away from downtown Bath, its stores, schools and its waterfront.

A sprawling Appleton homestead

66 Campground Road, Appleton, $249,000

This four-bedroom, one-bathroom home in Appleton is just under 1,500 square feet in size but sits on six acres. The property boasts beautiful views and access to the winding Medomak River, fit for fishing and swimming, according to its online listing.

The home’s setting is tranquil and it is located 30 minutes away from both Camden and Rockland.

This rare Belfast home

101 Swan Lake Ave., Belfast, $239,000

This single-family home is minutes away from Belfast Bay as well as lakes and nature preserves. The 1,200-square-foot house has three bedrooms, one bathroom and amenities include a large deck out back and a propane fireplace.

The property, which includes 1.6 acres and a garage, is being sold turn-key. It’s a rarity, sitting more than $123,000 below Belfast’s average home value, which has grown by nearly 10 percent over the past year.