Housing
This section of the BDN aims to help readers understand Maine’s housing crisis, the volatile real estate market and the public policy behind them. Read more Housing coverage here.
With windows covering every inch of multiple walls, this Mount Desert Island house that’s on the market for $1.1 million appears to be made of glass.
Built in 1993, the home off Parker Farm Road in Mount Desert offers two bedrooms, three bathrooms and nearly 2,200 square feet of living space.
The main living space on the ground floor is entirely open with towering 14- to 20-foot-tall ceilings. Two opposing walls, among other areas, are made entirely of windows, which lets light pour in and gives panoramic views of the surrounding woods.
“It’s very nice when it snows,” said Stefano Monterosso, who owns the home and is selling it himself. “There are some spotlights outside, which makes a magical atmosphere at night.”
The unique house was designed by Boston-based architect Robert Forbes for an owner who wanted to be surrounded by nature, according to “Ten Houses” by Peter Forbes and Associates. The property has been featured in two architectural publications, which describe the home’s prism-like appearance.
Monterosso bought the house in 2020 for $750,000 after seeing it while visiting Acadia National Park on his first trip to Maine. He had no other ties to the state but “fell in love” with the house and submitted an offer then.
Since then he has remodeled the home’s kitchen and two full bathrooms and installed ceiling fans, as the property does not have air conditioning. It does have radiant heat, making it suitable for year-round living.
Monterosso is selling it now to buy another vacation home in Tuscany, he said.
A long, steel staircase leads up to the second floor, which is designed like a mezzanine to overlook the main living space. It holds a bedroom and full bathroom, and a spiral staircase from there leads up to an additional loft space with another bedroom and full bathroom.
A freestanding elevator that mimics the size and shape of a telephone booth can travel from the main living area up to the second and third floors.
In addition to a walk-in pantry off the kitchen, the main floor has a half-bathroom, a porch, an office space, a gas fireplace and an attached garage.
Monterosso lives primarily in Boston and spends about a third of his time at the property. When he’s not there, he offers the home as a short-term rental.
The home hit the market on May 3 for $1.1 million. Monterosso landed on that asking price because it was $20,000 more than Zillow’s estimated market value for the home, he said.
“I’m selling it at the value comparable to what I bought it for,” he said. “I don’t want to put things at a high price then wait.”
Average home prices in Mount Desert have dipped some since reaching an all-time high of more than $900,000 in late 2024, Zillow data shows. As of last month, an average home in the coastal community costs about $857,000.
The home sits on roughly 6.5 acres tucked into the woods and abuts roughly 20-acres of conservation land, Monterosso said, making the space exceptionally quiet and private.
The property also has an easement to Somes Sound, which snakes up the middle of Mount Desert Island between Southwest Harbor and Acadia National Park. Monterosso said he often brings his kayak down to Somes Sound and paddles south to explore the Cranberry Isles.
Monterosso has received a few calls from prospective buyers who are interested in the home, some of whom are from other states, he said.
“I hope the next buyer enjoys it and always takes care of it,” Monterosso said.
