Wonderfully private vintage 1880 Victorian "cottage" secluded in arguably Bar Harbor's best neighborhood. You can't get closer to the Shore Path without owning waterfront! Built in 1880, this home was for some time under the same ownership as the historic "Breakwater" mansion, which is still quite visible; also, New York's famous bishop Fulton J. Sheen shared ownership of the cottage. It's long history is most evident in the classic gambrel-style construction, complete with original white clapboard siding, black shutters, and living room bay window. Much of the interior preserves the original doors, trims, windows, staircase,and hardwood flooring (visible in the living room, and likely under the carpets and linoleum tiles and 1940's sheetgoods in the remaining rooms).
Besides its tremendous curb appeal, what's most impressive about this home is the thoughtfully designed flow between rooms. From the formal entry, the classically proportioned dining room is immediately to your left; the large living room just to your right through French doors. A large den, probably originally the library, has connecting doors to both the dining room and living room. The den now has both a woodstove and an ensuite bathroom, making it ripe for conversion to a first floor master bedroom.
A winding staircase leads upstairs to a generous landing and two very roomy original bedrooms. The large bathroom has an antique deep soaking tub and faucets, possibly original to the house; there's a modern laundry, too. Interestingly, there's also a second kitchen: the upstairs at one time was the private quarters of elderly owners, whose son occupied the lower level.
The house has long been occupied year round. There's considerable insulation, modern storm windows, and a new gas furnace in the basement, with heat ducted to both floors. The house is on public sewer. Water is supplied by a 386' deep private well shared with one other house across Hideaway Lane. Conceivably, the Victorian could be reconnected to the public water supply, although it would be hard to justify the expense. The house will convey on a roughly one-third acre lot, very large for downtown, and include a detached heated office building and a garden shed. There's plenty of room to install a garage. There's a seasonal peek of Frenchman Bay beyond the Breakwater estate.
Hideaway Lane itself is known to few local residents, much less seasonal visitors, and thus remains something of a best kept secret. A private road, it runs north, then west, from the end of Wayman Lane. As mentioned, the Shore Path access lane is steps away. You'd never know it, but the Hideaway Victorian is only a couple of blocks from all the amenities offered by downtown Bar Harbor.
For several years, the Victorian has served as a weekly vacation rental. The 2011 seasonal gross was $28,500. Converting the den into a fourth bedroom should add $4000+/- to the high season gross. The property has strong shoulder-season occupancy, and was rented for two weeks last Christmas.
If your taste runs run to vintage homes of outstanding character, consider the Hideaway Lane Victorian.
Cute and classic Maine vacation cottage on wondrous Frenchman Bay! Water views forever! Your own beach! Two comfortable bedrooms, updated bath, all the kitchen you need. Most fun is the shoreside living room whispering "Naptime!" on lazy summer afternoons. Water is plenty deep to moor your boat offshore. Just got permit from State for steps down to the shore. Bar Harbor village is a quick sail along the cliffs or a 10 minute drive, the entrance to Acadia National Park and Hulls Cove village just down the hill. Some expansion potential within the 75' shorefront setback; also room for a major addition. You won't find a better shorefront value on MDI...........Start planning your summer vacation now!
Can you spell L-O-C-A-T-I-O-N?!! Any further east of Main Street in downtown Bar Harbor and you'd own shorefront. Charming house on a quarter-acre (BIG!!) lot in Bar Harbor's preeminent neighborhood. House is set far back on its lot, providing both maximum privacy and opportunity for some serious landscaping. (Incidentally, the summer home site of legendary landscape designer Beatrix Farrand--Reef Point--is nearby). All winter I've been admiring the broad ocean view and the Porcupines everytime I turn into the property's paved driveway.
House retains much of its 1930's character, starting with the glass enclosed front porch perfect for summer lounging and admiring your garden. Step inside to appreciate the original oak floors, wood trim, doors, and crown molding. The graceful arch above the lower staircase landing is typical of the period; the original staircase is perfectly preserved and gorgeous. Main floor rooms are surprisingly spacious, with wide openings between rooms. The formal dining room will seat many for family feasts; the living room has plenty of seating for folks recovering from those feasts! The south-facing "country" style kitchen has lots of cabinets and counterspace, along with a large table handy for informal breakfasts and added workspace. The counter is new, as are the diswasher and refrigerator.
Upstairs has three nicely sized bedrooms, with one of them host to the new laundry (beats going up and down to the basement, which is the usual laundry chore in most of Bar Harbor's older homes). All upstairs floors are hardwood. The full bath has been completely renovated, starting with its new ceramic tile floor and new fixtures.
The house may be vintage, but the mechanical systems are modern as can be: updated wiring, brand new oil furnace and hot water maker, new sump pump with 7 hour battery back-up. The poured concrete basement looks and smells dry, no small achievement on the east side of downtown. Water and sewer are both public.
If you've just got to be "East of Main"--and many do--take a long look at this solid contender.
Brokers like to carry on about "perfect" houses they've listed. And when we're working to convince a buyer to lower his expectations, you'll often hear us caution, "There is no such thing as a perfect house." But I'm going to climb way out on the proverbial limb here: This is a PERFECT HOUSE!!
Start with its location in arguably Lamoine's most consistently attractive subdivision, just 10 minutes from Ellsworth amenities, less than 25 minutes from MDI employers, 10 minutes to either of Lamoine's public beaches. What makes Orchard Lane special is that every house was designed and built by the developers, Tony and Elizabeth Belch. It's sadly rare that developers, much less builders, have either design sense or good taste. Fortunately, Tony and Elizabeth have both, in abundance. Each house they built on Orchard Lane is sited to maximum advantage, each is compellingly attractive. And while each house is distinctive, there's a consistent style and tone that binds them.
Take a moment to enjoy the lot at 14 Orchard. The groomed lawn surrounds the house, making this single acre feel really, really big. Punctuating the expanse of green are various shade trees, mostly birches and maples, just enough retained to make the yard interesting, not so many that you wind up spending autumn weekends raking leaves, instead of making your way to the Jordan River via the deeded ROW. The lot gently slopes from east to west, so the sunset-loving house seems almost to float above its surroundings. More practically, a stone-clad drainage way captures the hill's snowmelt and rain to move them away from the house.
Turn into 14 Orchard on a sloppy wet winter's day. Appreciate the wide paved driveway, appreciate the extra paved parking for guests and your own wheeled toys. Drive right into the oversized, attached 2-car garage (or single car and boat!). Wet out there--dry in here. Wet--dry. Cold--Warm. Who wouldn't want his garage attached? Who wouldn't relish all the extra garage storage?
Let's move into the home itself and get really excited. You step from the garage directly into the open plan living room and kitchen. This is not just kind of open, sort of open, open if you stretch the definition. No holding back here: this space is OPEN!! Big kitchen, big living room, with nothing separating them but a breakfast bar extension of the kitchen counter. And reinforcing your experience of OPEN! is the large slider on the east wall of the living room which flows to the deck, which flows to the embracing yard, which flows uphill to the neighbor's (attractive) fence. Other design decisions subtlely energize the open, the flow. The entire ground level is floored in glistening birch that beckons you from space to space. And here's a neat trick: Standing in the post-garage entry, your eye is instantly, unavoidably drawn to a single window set in the north wall at the end of a short hallway, like a lone tree on hill in a Wyeth painting. Flow doesn't happen by accident, nor does OPEN! Someone has to care and get it right. The Belch's got it right.
About that kitchen.....God knows you can't watch an HGTV episode without buyer and broker gushing over a home's granite countertops and/or stainless appliances, or bemoaning the lack thereof. You'd think life wasn't worth living without one's entitled share of shiny rock and shiny (for two seconds) metal! Rant as one may about consumer manipulation and deprived property virgins, and I do, there's no denying that granite and stainless remain the gold standard, and buyers are not to be denied or persuaded otherwise. Well, there will be no apologies or demurrals at 14 Orchard. We've got your granite, seeming acres of black granite for counters, island top, and breakfast bar, contrasting exquisitely with the bright birch floor. We've got your stainless, too, in the form of all-Amana appliances: side-by-side Amana refrigerator; Amana electric glass-top range and oven freestanding in the island; Amana dishwasher nicely framed by black granite above and natural birch cabinets to either side; there's even an Amana stainless microwave secreted behind a cabinet door. You wanna piece a granite? You wanna piece a stainless? Bring it on!
Future Farmers of America, look no further! Here's the perfect combination of classic and contemporary: circa 1825 cape married to an open, sunny country kitchen addition. The home sits on the crown of a gentle rise up from Oak Point road, looking sourtherly over its own wildflower clad field to Mt. Desert Island. There are the remains of the original apple orchard, along with mature maples for summer shade. The bulk of the nearly 30 acres is behind the house, and consists mostly of woods with numerous trails for deer, birds, and other wildlife, along with the possibility of winter skiing and snowshoeing. All this just 5 minutes from MDI and all the recreational and other amenities of Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor.
The vintage cape retains much of its original character, e.g. wood trim, stairway, wood floors, enclosed farmer's porch overlooking the field. The Great Room is at the center of the home, and includes built-in cabinetry, wide pine and oak floors, ceiling beams and, at its heart, a Waterford woodstove on a brick hearth. Across the hall from the Great Room, there's a comfortably sized den or family room and, in the rear corner, the most traditional of period bedrooms, with horizontal pine wainscoting, pine flooring, and handsome wallpaper. The supersized main floor full bath has been completely renovated, with new fixtures and tile floor.
Upstairs there's a huge bedroom on the whole of the west side that used to be a true artist's studio. What I take to be the master bedroom occupies the front, southside of the house above the Great Room, featuring skylights, a deep closet, and wide pine floors. There's another sizeable room, used as a bedroom, but not officially such: the septic system is rated for just 3 bedrooms. The upstairs bath is also updated, with its deep jacuzzi tub and tile floors.
The modern addition was stylishly conceived and executed in two parts. You enter a large heated mudroom--a New England specialty--with tiles floors. There's the laundry and storage closets. A glass door opens into the new kitchen, featuring a butcher block topped island, lots of counterspace and lots of cabinets; maple floors; old beams. There are views to north and south, the former from the double cramic sink to the rear yard and woods beyond, the latter from the dining area with tall bay windows over the fields. Surely the owner had in mind breakfasts watching the seasons unfold.
Include updated electric, a newer furnace, half the original stone foundation replaced with concrete just this past summer, refreshed exterior paint, all that acreage, much of it tillable, a quiet location just off MDI, and a pricetag that's more than reasonable, and you've got more than enough reasons to make this farmstead your new homestead.
Admired by millions of visitors on their ways to and from Bar Harbor, this handsome yellow New England farmhouse with matching barn is something of a local landmark. Built in 1868, many of its original features have been preserved: period staircase, double-sidelighted entry door, birch and wide-pine floors, post and beam built barn. On the other hand, all the mechanical systems are modern, as is the large country kitchen and just renovated attached apartment. An enterprising new owner may wish to take advantage of the property's curb appeal and visibility by starting an in-home business: Bar Harbor zoning just changed to allow bigger "home occupations". The property is also zoned for a small bed and breakfast establishment. ALL NEW ENERGY EFFICIENT WINDOWS AND NEW ROOF!!
From among thousands of worthy renovations worldwide, what prompted Country Living magazine to photograph this home and few others? Perhaps it all started with the simple but elegant lines of the Gambrel-style roofline, lifted to the blue Maine sky by slender brick chimneys, while anchored on the west by a traditional New England enclosed porch. All suggest that interior rooms will be both commodious and classically proportioned. Then there is the wealth of windows, promising that every room will be naturally and generously lit, and confirming that the first owner spared little expense when it came to building a proper home that would proudly shelter generations. In fact, as caretaker to the Pyles, Delbert Grover knew exactly was he was doing when it came to building his own home: the 1929 concrete foundation is flawless; the framing zealous; the interior features like oak flooring, oak panel doors, and oak staircase as well crafted as care and skill permitted.
The home's setting contributes to its allure. It certainly makes the most of its half acre, with well-kept lawn on three sides, abundantly flowering shrubs and towering mature native trees forming a protective verdant moat around what must have been Delbert's own castle. His may not have been as conspicous an architectural statement as that of his employers and their peers, but it was its own expression of achievement and good taste.
The interior journey begins with that enclosed porch, which interestingly and deliberately is set at right angles to the roadway: We do not need to look upon you, nor to have you look upon us. With its blinds drawn, the porch affords a cool and shadowy a transition from the bright, hot sunlight of the yard. One is drawn in, made to pause. Nowadays a generous portion of the porch is graced by an antique bed and vintage linens, re-creating the traditional "sleeping porch" fondly recalled by generations of summer cottage children, my wife included, and by adults seeking respite from those same children.
Then there's the entry door: solid, weighty, multi window paned above, nickel hardware precisely fitted and unremittingly functional. No grudging, sticking bolt here! No reluctant hinge.
Perhaps the first true surprise is the grace of the spacious foyer, graceful both in its volume and in its twin arches on each side open, respectively, north to the living room and south to the formal dining room. Typically in a foyer, one expects to be confronted by a staircase or a large room; here one instead finds oneself resting in what, after the porch, functions as a second gentle transition into the private, inner sanctuary of the home. The foyer is a particularly functional Craftsman-style indulgence, providing both the opportunity for mutual greeting and assessing, as well as glimmers of architectural delights to come. This foyer accomplishes all this and more.
The north arch carefully frames the original woodburning fireplace with its understated mantle, and so it should be as the fireplace is the focal point of one of the more delicately proportioned rooms to be found. If harmony was the goal, the designer certainly knew his or her business. The ceiling high, but not too high. The fireplace central, but not dominating. The oak floors dark, but windows and walls light. The seating intimate, but not confining. Not a Grand Hall or Great Room, because neither are what this house is about. Rather a smaller, more serious place for the cultivation of conversation and considered conviviality.
In the opposite direction, the affairs of the dining room could take their own, possibly more raucous courses. Its easy to imagine an intimate dinner party for four or six, with lights down low within the walls' womb, or conversely a boisterous gathering exploding from here throughout the entire main floor like champagne set free. Fun either way!
Ah, the kitchen. Or more accurately, THE KITCHEN! I suspect a bit of no-holds-barred, take-no-prisoners, Damn the Torpedoes Full Speed Ahead enthusiasm prevailed. Apparently nothing from the original was worth saving, so this is an installation as opposed to a renovation. Fortunately, the result is anything but over the top, but rather a rare menage of form, function, and exceptional good taste. And miracle of miracles, actually cook-friendly! The various elements suggest the end result: All Jenn-Air stainless appliances, including the elusive, because so expensive, Jenn-Air gas chef's range, itself with walls and ceiling of embossed stainless. Thick charcoal soapstone countertops found beneath the abundant cabinetry, and also form the cook's workstation cum breakfast bar; the wide and deep sink is soapstone, too, set off nicely by the solid nickel faucet. I'm a fan of tough, low-maintenance linoleum: the pattern here of very large gray, red, and black is so 1929 and fetching indeed.
If one can tear oneself away from THE KITCHEN--a difficult choice, to be sure--then there's an entire upstairs to be considered. I'm going to keep it simple for you. There's a perfect wide stairway with a cunning rope and brass handrail ending at a perfect landing with period oak panel doors at full attention. There are three perfect bedrooms, each of a more than acceptable, even slightly generous size; each with its closet; each with multiple windows and hardwood floors. Pick one. Then tomorrow pick another; you won't be disappointed. And you won't be cold in winter: whereas the lower level is served by radiant in-floor heat, the upstairs has a covey of those architectural wall-mounted radiators so superior to baseboard units. Finally, there's the--and I do not exaggerate--perfect bathroom, with it rejuvenated deep clawfoot tub with nickel handheld shower, ceramic pedestal sink, restored antique towel warmer and--Surprise!--a huge walk-in, run around, jump up and down in, shower room with earthstone floor and exotic tiled walls. Holy Rubber Ducky, where did this come from? Somebody had a really good idea and worked hard to make it happen.
In conclusion, there's a full unfinished attic and more in the basement: all new electrical, all new plumbing, new oil-fired hot water furnace, new gas Hearthstone unit for backup heat, new laundry. For that matter, the basement floor itself is new, as is much of the basement framing. New is good! Especially when a vintage home can retain its vintage character while purring like one just off the showroom floor. Think of it as This New House!
So consider yourself at home. But also consider walking around the corner to dine at The Burning Tree. Or walking down Grover Avenue to the public access path to upper Otter Cove. Or slipping onto the nearby trails and carriage paths of Acadia National Park. Or taking a short bike or car ride to all that Bar Harbor village has to offer. Main home, vacation home, retirement home, home for all seasons, you'd do well to consider this home first.
Trust Mike's wife: "If someone wants a truly classic New England home, this is it!" Vintage charm preserved inside and out, but with modern mechanical systems. Set high on a knoll on what was once the main highway to Bar Harbor, when this was built it must have looked across farm fields all the way to Salisbury Cove and Eastern Bay. Now it sets on its own private, nicely landscaped 1+ acres. Excellent curb appeal--merely walking up the tree shaded driveway can take you back in time. But surprise! The back yard boasts a series of multi-level decks with all kinds of invitations to dine al fresco and party with friends.
There's lots to appreciate indoors, too, starting with a wide formal entry foyer with original sidelights flanking the traditional door. In fact, it's the large size of many of the rooms that is distinctive. The dining room takes a very large table for family events. Likewise, the living room is much bigger than is typical for houses of this age. The ceilings are higher than you would normal expect, even on the second floor with its four bedrooms. And there's all the finer points of classic New England decoration: painted wood floors, original woodwork and panel doors, wavy window glass.
Fortunately for modern cooks, the kitchen has been thoroughly updated. There are lots of cabinets, stainless appliances--including a very attractive gas range set into the island--and plenty of counterspace for prepping the many side dishes for the BBQ happening just outside on your decks.
All this in a very central location close to Salisbury Cove and Hadley Point beach. You could walk to the Mt. Desert Island Biological Laboratory, drive to downtown Bar Harbor and the Jackson Laboratory in less than 15 minutes. Fish in nearby Hamilton Pond; bike or stroll by hundreds of acres of protected farmland just up Norway Drive.
New Price!Solid sunny home in popular subdivision. Front lawn, garden space near rear deck, mature woods insure privacy. Great central location with easy commute to JAX, Southwest Harbor boatbuilders, Trenton and Ellsworth employers. Cute family room, kitchen with special baker's workspace, well proportioned formal dining room and living room with propane stove, first floor bedroom and full bath. Upstairs two very large bedrooms share 3/4 bath; extra storage, too. All tied together by dark hardwood floors that look brand new. Full, bone-dry basement with inside and outside access. Plus attached high-posted 2-car garage with auto openers. Turnkey condition!
Stunning, elevated, very private acre lot close to downtown Bar Harbor. Walk to Compass Harbor! Ocean and mountain views. Bordered by Acadia Park on south and west. Prestigious neighborhood. Deeded easement to tie into public sewer. Village building lots are scarce at any time, with nothing of this quality for the price on the market for years.
Here's your classic "deckhouse," located within easy walking distance of Kebo Valley Public Golf Club and the Eagle Lake Road entrance to Acadia National Park. Located in a small and very private subdivision less than a mile from downtown Bar Harbor, from October thru May, you have a bold waterview of Frenchman Bay and its many islands. Everything about this property speaks to character and quality, starting with the recently applied #1 clear cedar shingle siding, the new roof, and the stone-clad facade of the lower level. There's a wide deck the full length of the viewside, and an intimate breakfast deck looking over the mature rhododendrons. You'll enjoy the low maintenance Oriental-style garden, with its dwarf plantings, stone walkways, and whimsical sculptures. Dedicated to storage now, the large cottage-style shed would make a wonderful playhouse or artist's studio.
Turning to the equally impressive interior, the new solarium and dining room, with its inlaid stone floor, brings both beauty and function. A newly installed woodstove heats the entire main floor, and saved 100 gallons of propane its first winter. High grade bamboo flooring, laid just this past winter, sets a very positive, warm tone throughout the entire main floor. The galley kitchen is upgraded with granite counters and stainless appliances. There's an understated woodburning fireplace anchoring the living room, with its own seasonal ocean view. Completing the main floor spaces are a guest bedroom, with updated bath across the hall, and the master bedroom, with updated ensuite bath, and a bank of windows providing morning sun and that valuable view.
The finished lower level can be treated, as now, as an extension of the main floor living space or, since it has its own formal entrance, its own private living space. There's a large and very comfortable family room, with its Hearthstone propane unit heating the whole floor, and a large bedroom. Additional spaces are a deep storage room and a large laundry room with much additional storage; this space could easily be converted to a bathroom serving the lower level. In fact, current zoning permits conversion of the lower level into its own self-contained apartment, perfect for a needful family member, caretaker, or rental income.
6 Arata Drive is not just another "location, location, location" property. It's also a rare blend of style and function that will serve well as a year-round or vacation home.
This stick-built, custom home in a fabulous neighborhood is a serious cut above the competition. Real oak flooring, solid pine doors speak to quality. Spacious kitchen with lots of cabinets and large island that provides breakfast seating for 4 or more. Bedrooms are especially roomy, with lots of closets. There's even a knee-wall storage area running the full length of the upstairs east wall! High-posted basement lends itself to finishing. Boasts one of the prettier yards in the subdivision, with well kept lawns shaded on the borders by mature trees. Watch the kids or grandkids play safely in the backyard from the large, wraparound deck. Centrally located on the northern quarter of Mt. Desert Island, this home is just 5 minutes from the MDI Biological Laboratory, less than 15 minutes from downtown Bar Harbor and the Jackson Laboratory, and less than 30 minutes to central Ellsworth.
Aching for peace and privacy on MDI, but not a hermit? This pretty country setting is close to all MDI and Bar Harbor have to offer, but is not isolated. Just the right amount of Nature: a bit of woods for privacy, a small pond for scenery and critters, vegetable and flower beds for food and pleasure. For outside living, there's a paver patio and a large covered porch. For comfortable inside living, start with the open plan living room, dining area, and large kitchen. There's a single cathedral ceiling linking these spaces; in fact, every room on the single main floor has elevated ceilings! There's a clear division between public and private spaces, with this home's three bedrooms and two baths down the hallway. Two of the bedrooms, currently his and hers offices, share a full bath across the hall. The large master is ensuite in the corner diagonally opposite the open living room. For even more privacy, you can retreat to the nicely finished basement family room: this is where the large screen TV and exercise equipment have gone to live.
The house comes with first rate systems: oil-fired hot water baseboard heating throughout, with high-end Buderus radiators in the family room; separate BoilerMate for on demand hot water; upgraded electric ready to take a generator; good well and septic.
There's a very special bonus! Over the large, insulated 2-car garage, there's a completely finished heated space with full headroom. It's a blues musician's dream studio now, which might be just what you need. Alternatively, it's a bunkhouse for guest overflow, home office, giant hobby space, limited only by your imagination and need.
"Serenity" is a contemporary Northeast Log home just 1/4 mile from picturesque Bass Harbor. Everybody's idea of the perfect Maine retreat, tucked into a quiet neighborhood of quality homes. With its wood siding and open spaces, Serenity mimics the Maine woods all around. Maine craftsmanship shows in lots of details and quality materials. Intelligent use of all available space will remind you of storage-conscious watercraft. Like the very best getaways, this one is extremely low maintenance: tiled and wood floors clean easily, counters and fixtures easy to swab down, there's no lawn to mow and now siding to scrape and paint. Maine summer's are all about the outdoors and so is this house. You'll spend sunny times on the lengthy wraparound decks, rainy (and even buggy!) days in the roomy screened porch.
Can't get free for the whole summer? Take advantage of Serenity's great vacation rental history.
Private, well-built home on nearly 5 acres in centrally located Town Hill neighborhood of rural Bar Harbor. Nice touches include big deck, open plan, nicely proportioned rooms, hardwood and tile flooring, finished family room in full basement. Southerly orientation makes for sun-filled, cheery interior. Has efficient oil-fired hot air furnace, but likely could heat whole house with quality woodstove in basement. Lots of wildlife for viewing.
So many options for this heart of downtown Bar Harbor duplex. Live in the roomy downstairs 3 BR unit and rent the upstairs studio apartment for income. Or keep the studio for personal use as a pied-a-terre while renting the bigger unit, which would make a terrific weekly summer rental--likely at $1400 to $1600 per week--and already has an off-season history as a student rental.
Lots to like here, including the quiet location on an intown side street. Big backyard for play or gardening, with decks off both the kitchen and the master bedroom. Paved driveway for off-street parking. Vintage covered front porch for spring thru autumn conviviality. Nice perennials bloom between the porch and sidewalk. Elementary and middle schools are just steps away, as are all the amenities of Bar Harbor village.
House is solid, structurally and mechanically. Brand new propane on-demand furnace supplies heat and hot water; there's radiant heat beneath the MBR floor. Very workable eat-in kitchen, nicely remodeled bath. Some original hardwood flooring, trim, built in cabinetry. Lots of sunlight into kitchen and via livingroom skylights.
It's been a while since we've had a decent duplex to offer. Make this one yours!
Here's a NEWS FLASH!! Owner just installed new 21 concrete chamber septic leachfield. Also new Buderus furnace for downstairs 1BR apartment, which was also re-roofed and is getting a bathroom upgrade and fresh paint throughout. So there's even more value, less for you to do. Just sit back and collect the rents.
Here's what happens when you start with an 1850's cape, add an apartment for great grandmother, then convert the upstairs to another apartment for Mom and Dad: a tidy 3-Family on the remaining 2.8 acres of the historic "Stork" homestead. Long and consistent rental history. Occupy one of the apartments for year-round or seasonal use (there's a mountain view from the upstairs 2-BR). Or just rent it all out as investment property.
Another interesting twist! Bar Harbor zoning permits one of the apartments to be decommissioned, i.e. the cook stove taking out, and for it to be replaced by a single-family detached dwelling. There's a great housesite--elevated, sunny south-facing, overlooking the large pasture--where the old greenhouse sits now. You could build your retirement home in one of the quietest and most centrally located (Nature Conservancy's Bragdon Preserve nearby; just a few minutes to Bar Harbor village or off-island)neighborhoods on Mt. Desert Island. And let the rents pay off the mortgage!
What else? There's a huge old barn that triples as garage, workshop, and storage building.
Did we mention that the Seller strongly prefers to owner-finance your purchase.
Brand new construction to be completed Spring, 2010. Plenty of sunshine! Big corner lot in a turn-of-the-20th century tree-lined neighborhood on the outskirts of downtown Ellsworth. Close enough to business district to walk to stores like Rooster Brother, Pyramid Jewelers, The Grand Auditorium. Short drive to all other shopping, medical facilities, etc., and less than 30 minutes from Bar Harbor and Acadia. Yet just far enough from Routes 1/3 to avoid traffic noise and congestion.
House exterior designed for low maintenance and to blend into existing neighborhood. Interior has lots of contemporary touches, including open floorplan, huge entry mudroom and laundry, library/sitting room on second floor landing. Full headroom for all second story rooms. Full basement and attic storage, too. All systems are new, including oil-fired hot water baseboard heat. Public water and sewer.
House sited on east side of lot, so plenty of room for a garage, gardens, etc.
Big price reduction from $249,000 to $219,000. Very rare Bar Harbor village downtown lot in quality neighborhood. Paved subdivision road, underground utilities. Fabled Shorepath nearby. Almost unheard of to be so close to Main Street amenities without the noise and bustle.
Largest undeveloped lot available in coveted DeGregoire Park neighborhood. 10 minutes from downtown Bar Harbor, but in a peaceful world all its own. Except for savvy locals--like yours truly who in winter walks the mile long traffic-free loop for exercise and fresh air with his wife--only DP residents know it exists. One of the last planned enclaves developed on the coast of Maine, circa 1926, DeGregoire Park was envisioned as a summer community of modest cottages on camp-sized lots 50' X 125'. Several of the original cottages remain, while others have been converted to or replaced by more traditional homes. At the bend of the loop, there is a breathtaking view across Frenchman Bay northerly to Hancock Point for all to enjoy. And all lot owners have a deed access to the shore: while the path down the face of the bluff is a bit challenging, the reward of the pebble beach justifies the effort.
This lot offers three choices for develpment. The lot's already been cleared at the top and the driveway installed for a 4 bedroom single family residence on a private septic system. Alternatively, if one chooses to connect instead to the Town sewer system, then the lot can be split into two legal lots. Build on one, sell the second to offset costs, or hold until the kids are ready to build their own place. Thirdly, and again if on the Town sewer, zoning permits as many as 6 apartments to be built on the property. There is always a demand for 2BR year round rentals in Bar Harbor. At roughly $32K per unit ground/sewer cost, and $800 - $850 monthly rent per unit, this is one of the best paying investments one can make in Bar Harbor.
Here's one of two detached homes in a 2-unit condominium. Terrific curb appeal and--dare I say the "ch word?"--charm. Former owner converted garage to a user-friendly home for her visiting parents and really nailed it. Lots of windows to capture sun all day long. Unstained natural pine floors on both ground level and in upstairs bedrooms. Open floor plan and extra wide staircase make getting around easy. Slate entry to withstand outdoor grit. Generous dining room space easily accomodates family gatherings or an intimate meal for two. Lots of counter space and white-painted cabinets in cheery kitchen. Full sized, side-by-side, washer and dryer in large, ground floor laundry and utility room; there's a toilet, too, so you and grandkids don't have to run up and down stairs. All new wiring, plumbing, and gas-fired, hot water baseboard heat. Upstairs, the large master bedroom occupies the entire northern half of the house. There's a large "loft" bedroom on the south side, designed to serve as a guest room, office, hobby space, you name it. Both are served by a roomy full bath, surprisingly light-filled by double skylights. Outside, there's a large rear yard with a privacy fence. The property comes with 2 designated parking spaces.
All this home shares with the property's original home, an attractive shingled Mansard-style farmhouse--is the common paved driveway entrance. All utilities--electric, propane, water, sewer, internet and cable-- are separate. Each unit tends to its own insurance, taxes, structural maintenance, and yard care; only the modest expense of snowplowing is shared. You own the land under and immediately around your house. In fact, the only reason this is a condominium at all is to satisfy a quirk of Bar Harbor's Land Use Ordinance.
We challenge you to find a single-family detached home of this quality for this price anywhere on MDI! Condo or otherwise, it can't be done. So whether you're looking for an Island getaway, planning for future retirement, or seeking a low-maintenance primary residence, take a close look at this.... charmer. There, I've said it again!
REDUCED! Roomy and well-appointed, well-located, furnished 1-BR apartment over a large, insulated, and heated garage/workshop. Great oportunity for the small business owner, do-it-yourselfer, hiker, golfer, or snowbird! Located in a quiet residential neighborhood, steps from Kebo Valley Clubhouse. Beautiful tree-lined lot with large grassy backyard. Garage could be converted into additional living space--2 bedrooms with full bath--with interior access to upstairs. Walk, bike, drive into Acadia National Park!
Much loved semi-seasonal cottage on quiet Seal Point Road in Marlboro-by-the-Sea, with beautiful field and farm pond across the road. View of Schoodic Mountain, too. Needs a new roof--green metal roof would look great!--and paint, but the bones and systems are very solid. Beautiful grounds, with mature trees, shrubs, and perennial beds, including wild iris! Open plan interior dominated by impressive brick fireplace and hearth; there's a flue dedicated to a possible kitchen woodstove. Southern pine flooring in excellent condition. Plenty of cabinets in roomy kitchen. Generous size bedrooms in each of two additions. House has been lived in through winters, but insulated skirting and a propane furnace indoors would be useful upgrades. Includes a solid detached garage and roomy garden shed. Great price for serviceable home in this location.
New Price! Large nearly 2 acres lot on main highway between the head of Mt. Desert Island and all points south, east, and west, e.g. Somesville, Northeast Harbor, Southwest Harbor, Bass Harbor, Bernard, etc. The part of the lot abutting the highway frontage, about 1.5 acres, is open and flat, with a small manmade pond; the rear .5 acre is wooded. The parcel is in the Town Hill Residential Corridor zoning district, in which a number of commercial uses are permitted, including agriculture; gardens, greenhouses, and nurseries; and roadside stands. Semi-commercial uses are also permitted, including home occupations. This is a perfect opportunity, rare on MDI, to locate your business in the high-visibility, high-traffic part of the lot, and your home in the protected wooded rear portion. You could be open for the summer season!
Pretty lot in established low-keyed neighborhood in rural Bar Harbor. Much protected land nearby. Minimal traffic means safe for pets and kids. Central, very convenient location, with quick drive to JAX, MDIBL, Acadia Park, off-island.
Own your own nature preserve. Most of the lot is wildlife habitat, but there's a nice, dry building site in front. Old woods road would make a great driveway. Deeded use of shared pond. Lots of trails to explore. Three bedroom septic system designed. Protective covenants. High quality, low price.
Lots of value for this very affordable price, starting with groomed 2+ acres with enough lawn for croquet, badminton, volleyball, and family football; very cute natural frog pond, too, complete with peepers and cattails! You get a roomy, sunset-facing deck for tanning and BBQ. There's a roomy shed for all your gardening tools and supplies.
The interior is just as lovingly tended. The open plan spaces are comfortably proportioned, with the roomy dining space flanked by the large living room and its slider opening to the deck. The open core of this one-floor living home is surrounded by more private and single function spaces. There's a very well-appointed kitchen with a brand new dishwasher and lifetime guaranteed floor. The bathroom has everything you need, all in good condition, with the laundry room beyond. The spacious master bedroom is off the living room. There's a second bedroom, as well as a third space that's been used as both bedroom and office. The original porch has been incorporated into the main house. Currently used as a musician's studio and teaching space, it's available for any number of uses, e.g. professional office, family room, AV space, hobby room, etc.
This property comes with a very special bonus: An attached 1 bedroom self-contained apartment! Use this as a rental to offset your mortgage; as private space for visiting guests; as private quarters for that maturing (or returning!) son or daughter. It's so cute and comfortable you might want to consider occupying the apartment yourself!
Thoughtfully designed and carefully executed passive solar saltbox in premier Bar Harbor location. Even tho it's been there since 1880, chances are you've never been on Hideaway Lane and couldn't find it on a bet. Here's a clue: Go all the way east on Wayman Lane, past MDI Hospital, until it dead ends at the public Shore Path access. Look to your left: that's Hideaway Lane! Of course, you can also walk straight ahead until you hit the Short Path and Frenchman Bay, something you could do every day if you owned the Hideaway Contemporary.
Had enough of salty waterside breezes? Walk yourself back to Hideaway Lane. The big mansion on your left is the Breakwater estate. The Hideaway Lane lot was once part of Breakwater, and you can see the mansion and bay beyond from the living room of the Contemporary. Walking northerly on Hideaway Lane, you'll soon pass a split rail fence on your left--you're now on the Hideaway property, with the lane bending westerly. All the acreage from the center of the gravel lane northerly, i.e. to your right, comes with the Contemporary, nearly a half acre, which is a huge lot by downtown Bar Harbor standards. Note all the mature maples--it's like being in your own park. Who would believe that the bustle of downtown Bar Harbor is merely a couple of blocks away?
The first thng you'll notice about the Hideaway Contemporary is all the windows and skylights. Built in 1987 when passive solar design was taking off, this south-facing home takes full advantage of Maine's many sunny winter days, storing up the sun's energy in the ceramic floor tiles that will later radiate heat into the living area. The owner uses just a bit over a cord of wood to heat the house through the winter. Amazing! And a huge benefit in these times of escalating heating oil and propane costs.
The interior of the house is modestly stylish. There's a lot of real oak floors, and wood trimmed windows. The owner says the solid kitchen cabinets were modelled after the interior of Hinckley Yachts. Spaces are comfortable: not too big, not too small, just right. There's a serious woodstove in the living room, which itself is open to the glassed-in dining room, the heart of the passive solar system. There's an efficient and well-applianced kitchen. In the rear half of the lower floor, you'll find two large bedrooms at either end, with a full bath and laundry/utility closet in between. Exit the rear to a large and very private deck quite suited to gatherings large and small.
The second floor has a treat for you. There's a large "movie room" with ceiling mounted projector, sound system, and a full wall of closets and shelving for your DVD collection. This floor includes a third bedroom with its own bathroom. Not inclined to share the movie room with family and friends? Turn the entire upstairs into your master suite and office. There's a pocket door at the bottom of the stairs to insure your privacy.
The Hideaway Contemporary--Quiet comfort in the hidden heart of Bar Harbor!
A true bargain in Bar Harbor! Walk to Conners-Emerson K-8 and Parson's Lobsters, close to Kebo public golf course and entrance to Park Loop Road. Roomy mid-century family home, a little quirky but solid. Large kitchen with brick hearth and woodstove hookup perfect for antique range. First floor bedroom and half bath for guests. Full walk-out basement. Pretty plantings and big backyard bordered by year-round stream. Newer deck for sunsets. Oversized garage and workshop suitable for home business. Off-street parking for two cars. Space for boat in side yard, too!
Seller reduced to this unbeatable (and scarcely negotiable) price in order to move on. Be the one to get the deal!
New shingle style contemporary perched 100+ feet above Frenchman Bay in premier Sols Cliff. Eagle eye views of Porcupine Islands to far Schoodic Peninsula. Sunrise-lit, elegantly finished, comfortably proportioned spaces. Great room with fireplace. Full length shoreside deck. Superb ocean view from main floor master suite. Full finished walk-out basement with own water views. Superb craftsmanship throughout.
NEW GREAT PRICE!! House of Many Sunsets is truly the House of Many Delights! Custom crafted by a talented stonemason, the Main House features a granite clad exterior and soaring granite chimney inside, both from hand hewn stone from the property grounds. The interior chimney is the focal point of the open plan living space, which features a cathedral ceiling, massive wood beams and rafters, large windows that invite the outside in, and a three-sided gallery hovering above the living and dining rooms. There's a well designed kitchen with plenty of cabinetry and a butcher block island. Upstairs features three well proportioned bedrooms, two of which have sliders opening onto a south-facing large deck and mountain views, and a very special space for sunset-gazing, reading, meditating or, if you must, home officing.
Across the gravel circular drive is a large garage with a spacious 1-bedroom apartment above. For the last seven years or so, this has been the summer residence of the owners while they rented the main house weekly. One could certainly do worse than the views from the apartment, with its very private enclosed deck--feels like your own special treehouse. Don't want to rent? Then think of this as visiting guest and family space, or your very special home office!
And when a little activity is in order, there's better than 3 acres of your own blueberry festooned land to amble, along with nearby access to the trails and Carriage Paths of Acadia National Park.
So if you're thinking about owning your own piece of the Mt. Desert Island rock, with a home that's way out of the ordinary with its own rocky accents, consider our House of Many Sunsets.
New Price! Every car to and from downtown Bar Harbor passes this building! Highly visible, distinctive structure set alongside busy State Highway 3 in pretty, bustling Hulls Cove. Property has zoning variance for most retail and general service uses. Downstairs consists of large, very high-ceiling open space, formerly an auto repair shop, boat storage, and retail space. There's also a comfortable private office, and two additional spaces well-suited to inventory storage, food prep, light manufacturing, etc. Public water and sewer. Large number of Town-approved parking spaces.
Wondering where you'll live while you get your business off the ground? Look no further! Most unusually, a very large, 3BR apartment occupies the entire second floor. The bedrooms are decently sized, the kitchen just remodelled, and the rear screened porch, overlooking Breakneck Brook and the property's wooded knoll, winterized. Best of all, there's a sturdy deck on the ocean side, with water peeks in the summer and full-fledged view of Hulls Cove and its pebble beach once the leaves fall.
Properties that do commercial/residential double duty are rare indeed. Even rarer is any property with Route 3 frontage and exposure. Make your business plan now for the 2011 season!
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