Western Mountains-anybody out that way? (Bar Harbor, Hope: for sale, oceanfront, lease)

[deere110]

In trying to figure out where to go next to get a feel for where we want to concentrate our property search I find myself always staring at Google Maps-specifically at the area along the Canadian border roughly between Rangeley and Baxter State Park. Any folks here who live out that way or have a camp there? I think on our next trip to Maine we're going to stay somewhere on Moosehead Lake-probably the Birches (at the suggestion of another member here-thanks!), but we'll do some exploring southwest of the lake heading toward Rangeley.

[NS4Life]

a decent chunk of that is the north maine woods, i.e. land owned by timber companies. as far as i know (and i am not an expert by any means) it is just lumber camps and a few hunting camps/ cabins. i'm pretty sure most people who have a camp lease it from the land owner.

this link may be helpful North Maine Woods Inc. (http://www.northmainewoods.org/whatisnmw.html - broken link)

[deere110]

Originally Posted by NS4Life

a decent chunk of that is the north maine woods, i.e. land owned by timber companies. as far as i know (and i am not an expert by any means) it is just lumber camps and a few hunting camps/ cabins. i'm pretty sure most people who have a camp lease it from the land owner.

this link may be helpful North Maine Woods Inc. (http://www.northmainewoods.org/whatisnmw.html - broken link)

I figured that but hoped that there might be occasions where the timber companies divide up tracts and sell them, etc... I'm not interested in a lease because the camp is something that we might want to retire to one day, and something we definitely want to hand down to our children. I guess the only way to really find out what's available is to talk with an experienced land broker in the area. Surely there must be property that comes up for sale around the various towns that dot the area?

[Submariner]

Traveling through the area you should see occasional 'For Sale' signs. Calling the number would likely bring you to one of many foresters who own various tracts of land. That was how I found my land.

Most of his properties were further North, but not all of them were.

[fxtrader]

Originally Posted by deere110

I figured that but hoped that there might be occasions where the timber companies divide up tracts and sell them, etc... I'm not interested in a lease because the camp is something that we might want to retire to one day, and something we definitely want to hand down to our children. I guess the only way to really find out what's available is to talk with an experienced land broker in the area. Surely there must be property that comes up for sale around the various towns that dot the area?

My best friend has a 40 acre lot with a camp on it going toward Jackman. Not sure if they still do it but there was a bunch of 40 acre lots for sale by a timber company in the area when he bought his. Awesome camp for hunting, fishing, snowmobiling. No power or modern conviences.

[deere110]

Originally Posted by fxtrader

My best friend has a 40 acre lot with a camp on it going toward Jackman. Not sure if they still do it but there was a bunch of 40 acre lots for sale by a timber company in the area when he bought his. Awesome camp for hunting, fishing, snowmobiling. No power or modern conviences.

That sounds like what we're looking for-I like FBK's idea of just driving around and calling numbers on "For Sale" signs. Nice way to see the country too. Proximity to power is not a concern-we'll set it up for generator use initially-maybe solar in the future.

[NS4Life]

Originally Posted by deere110

I figured that but hoped that there might be occasions where the timber companies divide up tracts and sell them, etc... I'm not interested in a lease because the camp is something that we might want to retire to one day, and something we definitely want to hand down to our children. I guess the only way to really find out what's available is to talk with an experienced land broker in the area. Surely there must be property that comes up for sale around the various towns that dot the area?

i just read your other post about moving/buying land and being from NJ (half my fam lives in nj now). i used to hear (and sometimes still do) the same stuff from my family. my family sounds pretty similar to you. they settled in brooklyn in the early 1900s and i was the first generation to grow up in the 'burbs. we don't have any land, and i am the only outdoorsman of them all.

at first they said i was nuts, "why would you live up there, there is nothing there." but at this point, they have accepted that i will end up there, though my mother freaks out at the thought of it. i'm actually interviewing for a job making significantly more with the intention of killing off debt and saving some cash to move up there. i believe it will be at least 10 more years.

i personally was looking around the baxter state park area, b/c i am completely obsessed with katahdin (climbed it 4 times so far). i also have an unhealthy obsession with living as far from civilization as possible. also, the land is extremely reasonable. that being said, there is little, to no way to make a living up there. unfortunately, due to all the mill closings, remote location and declining population, the area is economically depressed. still might be an option for retirement or vacation place though. long, long drive from NJ.

where have you been in maine? i was always fixated on the BSP area, but last summer, at the urging of my wife, we spent a week in the mid-coast area (south thomaston). i think i had the best week of my life there, which surprised me, i thought it would be too crowded and touristy. we had a peaceful oceanfront little cottage. so relaxing.

where have you been in maine? i'd recommend you try to see as much as you can. i had a few weeks off between jobs, and i checked out as much as i can. checked out portland, bangor, went all the way up to fort kent. last winter we stayed in north conway, nh and checked out bethel and bridgton. (btw, i have nothing but good things to say about NH as well). this summer we drove all the way out to calais, with a stop in bar harbor. (my obsession with maine started when we went on a family vacation to acadia when i was a kid).

what makes maine so great, besides the natural beauty, is the people. everyone is so nice, there is no crime, people seem to be very well educated, even in the tiniest towns. i love how all of the state state parks (at least i have been to) run on the honor system. i.e. you put money in a slot to pay your use fee. (side note, i went to a beach in owl's head this summer, and the jerk from NY im front of me didn't pay!! what an embarrassment). there are always roadside stands running on the honor system as well. to the places i have been, i am pretty sure you could leave a gold bar out on your lawn and it would be there when you got back. i have been around enough of the country to know how rare this is.

anyway, back to your original question. the NMW would not really work. check out this listing i found near bangor 608 acres in Somerset County, Maine - Property - LandAndFarm.com - Land for Sale

i sit around looking at land listings all the time. sad.

[deere110]

Originally Posted by NS4Life

i just read your other post about moving/buying land and being from NJ (half my fam lives in nj now). i used to hear (and sometimes still do) the same stuff from my family. my family sounds pretty similar to you. they settled in brooklyn in the early 1900s and i was the first generation to grow up in the 'burbs. we don't have any land, and i am the only outdoorsman of them all.

at first they said i was nuts, "why would you live up there, there is nothing there." but at this point, they have accepted that i will end up there, though my mother freaks out at the thought of it. i'm actually interviewing for a job making significantly more with the intention of killing off debt and saving some cash to move up there. i believe it will be at least 10 more years.

i personally was looking around the baxter state park area, b/c i am completely obsessed with katahdin (climbed it 4 times so far). i also have an unhealthy obsession with living as far from civilization as possible. also, the land is extremely reasonable. that being said, there is little, to no way to make a living up there. unfortunately, due to all the mill closings, remote location and declining population, the area is economically depressed. still might be an option for retirement or vacation place though. long, long drive from NJ.

We live in the "mountainous" (our highest mountains are about 1800') area of NJ and we like it, but we'd like to find some land that's really in the mountains one day. We also considered making the move but ultimately decided against it-it could possibly work if we could both find jobs at maybe one of the universities, etc...but it would be a gamble if we weren't able to secure employment before moving. We plan to spend chunks of time in the summer, fall, and winter up there and maybe retiring there one day. The drive from our area of NJ is about 10 hours, so we'd have to be up there for at least 4-5 days to make it worth the trip.

Originally Posted by NS4Life

where have you been in maine? i was always fixated on the BSP area, but last summer, at the urging of my wife, we spent a week in the mid-coast area (south thomaston). i think i had the best week of my life there, which surprised me, i thought it would be too crowded and touristy. we had a peaceful oceanfront little cottage. so relaxing.

where have you been in maine? i'd recommend you try to see as much as you can. i had a few weeks off between jobs, and i checked out as much as i can. checked out portland, bangor, went all the way up to fort kent. last winter we stayed in north conway, nh and checked out bethel and bridgton. (btw, i have nothing but good things to say about NH as well). this summer we drove all the way out to calais, with a stop in bar harbor. (my obsession with maine started when we went on a family vacation to acadia when i was a kid).

So far only MDI, but what I learned there is that we enjoyed being up in the mountains much more than being in Bar Harbor We stayed in some nice cabins, but they were right near the road with a restaurant next door-not exactly our cup of tea, but they were cheap and allowed us to spend more time exploring Acadia. Our next trip will be up to Moosehead to a place called the Birches. Cell phones don't work there and the property is a mile off of the nearest paved road-that's more our speed.

Originally Posted by NS4Life

anyway, back to your original question. the NMW would not really work. check out this listing i found near bangor 608 acres in Somerset County, Maine - Property - LandAndFarm.com - Land for Sale

i sit around looking at land listings all the time. sad.

I am going to follow FBK's advice and just do some exploring out that way and call the phone numbers for any for sale signs I might see. Hopefully I can get hooked up with a land owner/land broker in the area who knows of some former timber company land for sale, or just some old camps that someone is looking to sell off. We're in no hurry so we have plenty of time to find the perfect piece for us.

[NS4Life]

Originally Posted by deere110

We live in the "mountainous" (our highest mountains are about 1800') area of NJ and we like it, but we'd like to find some land that's really in the mountains one day. We also considered making the move but ultimately decided against it-it could possibly work if we could both find jobs at maybe one of the universities, etc...but it would be a gamble if we weren't able to secure employment before moving. We plan to spend chunks of time in the summer, fall, and winter up there and maybe retiring there one day. The drive from our area of NJ is about 10 hours, so we'd have to be up there for at least 4-5 days to make it worth the trip.



So far only MDI, but what I learned there is that we enjoyed being up in the mountains much more than being in Bar Harbor We stayed in some nice cabins, but they were right near the road with a restaurant next door-not exactly our cup of tea, but they were cheap and allowed us to spend more time exploring Acadia. Our next trip will be up to Moosehead to a place called the Birches. Cell phones don't work there and the property is a mile off of the nearest paved road-that's more our speed.



I am going to follow FBK's advice and just do some exploring out that way and call the phone numbers for any for sale signs I might see. Hopefully I can get hooked up with a land owner/land broker in the area who knows of some former timber company land for sale, or just some old camps that someone is looking to sell off. We're in no hurry so we have plenty of time to find the perfect piece for us.

ah yes, the mtns of jerz. i camped at stokes forest this summer, not bad.

moosehead area is awesome, i stayed in greenville, it was great.

good luck with finding something.

[Newdaawn]

In my humble opinion the most beautiful mountains and lake are over at Rangeley and Oquosic (sp?) As far as living in the mountains and working at a University or College in Maine - It would be very difficult if not impossible.