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.
For one day only this month, people can buy waterfront property in Down East Maine starting at $199,000.
On Saturday, Oct. 25, buyers can purchase any of 14 properties in Jonesport up to four acres large. All but one of those neighboring plots are undeveloped, ready-to-build land. The last 9.5-acre waterfront property off Indian River Road already holds a three-bedroom, two-bathroom farmhouse that’s furnished and move-in-ready.
Virginia-based waterfront development company American Land Holdings is selling the properties, which will form a new community in Jonesport called Seaberry Landing. It will be an organized community similar to a subdivision and have a Property Owners Association responsible for maintaining the road between the homes, said Chris Krc, a land consultant for American Land Holdings.
Waterfront properties on Indian River Bay start at $199,000 while plots with an ocean view are priced at $99,000 and up. Buyers put a 10% down payment to take their property off the market, according to Krc.
The company also functions under a “buy now, build later” policy in which property owners can work with the builder of their choice, according to the company’s website for Seaberry Landing.
“You can build a tiny home or a big house on the water with outbuildings,” Krc said.
While the offer is the first of its kind for the small coastal town and presents an opportunity for anyone to own a sizable chunk of waterfront property, Michele Johnson, Jonesport’s town manager, hadn’t heard of the offer as of Wednesday.
Johnson also had reservations about the sale upon first hearing about it from a Bangor Daily News reporter, as she said developers need prior approval before creating a subdivision in the town.
“I haven’t seen anything on this roll through this office,” Johnson said. “I’d think something this significant would’ve been noted.”
The properties are sold on a first-come, first-sold basis. Interested buyers can book a priority appointment for a refundable $250 deposit to tour, select and purchase land earlier in the day. General appointments are offered later in the day and don’t require a deposit to book.
The company has already received plenty of interest in the offer, especially from people in the Boston area, Krc said.
American Land Holdings has created similar communities in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Alabama. Seaberry Landing will be the company’s first foray in Maine.
Positioned in Washington County between Machias and Milbridge, Jonesport has a population of roughly 1,250, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The coastal community is known as a hub for commercial fishing, especially lobster and other shellfish.
The oceanfront parcels are priced at roughly the cost of an average home in Jonesport, which Zillow placed at $209,300 as of Wednesday. The town’s median home price has come down slightly since reaching an all-time-high of more than $226,000 in July 2024.
Maine Listings shows 21 properties for sale in Jonesport as of Wednesday. Those available homes range in price from $109,000 for a three-bedroom, two-bathroom manufactured home to a three-bedroom, three-bathroom beachfront cottage for $1.2 million.
