Four homes are for sale right now on Swan’s Island, one of three year-round island communities not far from Mount Desert Island.
While prices in other coastal communities near to MDI — which has long boasted a ritzy reputation thanks in large part to Acadia National Park — have shut anyone but millionaires out of their real estate markets, these islands still boast some relatively affordable housing.
Two of the homes for sale on Swan’s Island, a community of around 350 year-round residents, are available for less than $400,000. That is lower than the median home sale price across all of Maine right now. The other two listings are no more than $800,000.
“The market has been very strong, but I will say, it takes a certain person to live on an Island connected by a ferry,” real estate agent Beth Ingebritson of The Knowles Co. said. “People either choose it or they don’t.”
Because of their remoteness, these islands represent the last bastions of somewhat attainable oceanside real estate in Maine. While prices in these areas are climbing and trends such as the proliferation of short-term rentals have landed here, they have proven fairly impervious to the most volatile impacts of the housing crunch.
The homes that are available would go for millions of dollars on the mainland or on islands farther south. Ingebritson has listed a mid-century modern, modular-built home on a private, 5-acre peninsula on Swan’s Island.
Built in 1993, the “Deck House” is energy efficient, surrounded by water views on both sides and offers access to nearly a quarter mile of pristine shoreline, according to its online listing. Inside, the three-bedroom, two-bathroom home features plenty of wood, cathedral ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows offering sweeping views of the cove.
“I love it because it’s small, it’s designed, and it’s simple,” Ingebritson said. “It’s connected to the outside, the bedrooms upstairs have these beautiful windows. You’re looking at the trees, at the water, at the rocks and the sky.”
The property — which has historically been used seasonally but could be lived in year-round — is listed for $649,000. For those same views at the same price in Old Orchard Beach, you’d be looking at a beachside condo.
Though Swan’s Island is accessible by a state-operated ferry from Bass Harbor that runs multiple times a day, year-round, that inconvenience and a distance from amenities like grocery shopping is enough to put some buyers off. It’s kept oceanfront prices reasonable despite limited housing supply.
“There’s a great little market, but you don’t do all your grocery shopping there. … It’s not Hannaford,” Ingrebritson said.
The short-term rental market has picked up on the island in recent years, the agent said. She has sold many properties here to people that do that kind of business, though the rental rates are lower than they would be on the mainland, despite Swan’s Island being only 30 minutes from MDI via boat.
Most of the people who end up settling here are retirees who live here seasonally, typically from May to October, or families looking for a summer home, Ingebritson said. But all of them have something in common: a certain measure of grit, and a preference for peace and quiet.
“If you were to ask me where the restaurants are and all the attractions, you’re not the right person,” Ingebritson said. “If you are very happy with life slowing down, and are content with your own self and your own house, then it’s great.”