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.
After more than 100 years in the family, the historic Farmington home of Gov. Janet Mills and her siblings has been listed for sale.
The Georgian Revival-style home on High Street was built in 1890 and has been in the Mills family for over 109 years, according to the property’s online listing.
It’s the house in which Mills — Maine’s 75th and first female governor — and her siblings grew up, listing agent John Blouin with LAER Realty Partners said. Public records show that the property now belongs to Paul Mills, the governor’s brother, an attorney living in Farmington.
The 5-bedroom, 4-bathroom home includes nearly 2,500 square feet of living space as well as a wrap-around porch, a grand staircase and a four-bay carport. Inside, photos from the online listing show rooms with colorful walls filled with rustic wooden furniture and some antique-looking pieces like an old stove. Also on the 1-acre lot is a two-story barn, according to the listing, which includes a 3D tour of the property.
The Mills family has updated the home many times through the years, including new shingles, a new furnace and upgraded electrical and sewer systems, according to the listing.
The property is listed for $265,000, which sits just below the average home value in Farmington right now, according to Zillow. The median price for the town is $310,000, up 33 percent from last year, according to Redfin.
A new buyer might continue to use the historic Mills property as a single-family home, but the listing suggests one might add more buildings to make it a family compound, or redevelop it as a multi-unit building.
That latter proposal is an attractive one in today’s tight real estate market. Many homebuyers, especially those trying to break into homeownership, increasingly see dividing a single-family home into multiple rental units as a way to offset their hefty mortgage payments or climbing utility costs.
