This property has been sold.

Location: Town of Greenbush, Penobscot County, Maine (Google Maps   Yahoo Maps)

Size: 79 acres, per county tax map

Price: $59,900 ($758 per acre) SOLD

Tax Map Identifier: Map 8, Lot 20E

Latitude/Longitude: The north corner of the road frontage of the property is approx. 45°5'53.298" North, 68°37'22.889" West (decimal: 45.098138, -68.623025). This lot has not been individually surveyed but the boundaries are well established and marked from a prior survey of the parent tract (see here). The location/topographic map and an aerial photo map are shown below. Click on either one for a larger version.

Description: Well-stocked woodlot on a paved road, enough room for a residence, a camp, and an excellent wood supply. Enough acreage for privacy, yet accessible to Route 2 and the Bangor/Orono area. The property boasts a wide variety of wildlife, including deer, moose, coyote, snowshoe hare, muskrat, beaver, otter, woodcock, grouse, woodpeckers, rodents, and various songbirds. There is frontage on Stevens Brook and also a beaver pond of about 1 acre.

Forest Characteristics: The forest is healthy and consists of a mix of hardwood (16 acres), mixedwood (15 acres), and softwood (31 acres) stands, along with 16 acres of wetlands and a 1-acre suggested building site. The trees are in various stages of development ranging from 10 to 90 years old in various areas of the property. Statistics showing board feet by species and other details are found in the Forest Management Plan.

Building Site: The best building site, as suggested by our forester, is the area nearest the road. It is shown in the forest map (see page 3 of Forest Management Plan) as a 1-acre plot of "unclassified forest" for tax purposes. We believe this suitable for most single-family homes, but if you have specific plans to build, you should consider doing further soil testing and review of town building codes. Other building sites might be good as well, but might take some effort to reach since there is no internal road system in place for the interior of the property.

Utilities: Power lines pass along the edge of the property on Cardville Road. There is no public water or sewer service. One would drill a well and install a septic system to build a residence.

Access: The property has legal and physical access along Cardville Road (paved).

Property Taxes: $594 in 2009. The property is NOT taxed under Maine's Tree Growth program, so it can be divided or developed without tax penalty. However, if you choose to file the Forest Management Plan with the town (your option, anytime prior to April 2010) to join the Tree Growth program then next year's taxes will go down substantially, by about 80% (exact amount to be determined by town assessor). Putting the property in the Tree Growth program limits intensitve development for a 10-year period (unless the landowner chooses to withdraw and pay a penalty) but for residential or recreational landowners it is usually a very good deal. You can read more at the state's website about the tax law in Maine.

Title Transfer: We provide a Warranty Deed and guaranteed insurable title. Title insurance policy is available at Buyer's expense.

Highlights: The property is located in a quiet, scenic, yet very accessible area of Maine, in the Town of Greenbush. The property has 499 feet of frontage along Cardville Road, opens up to a width of about 1200 feet near the back, and is about 1 mile deep. It is located less than 1 mile from U.S. Route 2 and the Penobscot River. Bangor International Airport is less than one hour away.

Highest and Best Use: It would make a nice private estate for someone who likes privacy and the Maine outdoors. The property might also make a nice vacation campsite, with frontage on Stevens Brook and the opportunities of the Penobscot River very close by. The property also has immediate use as a well-stocked productive woodlot. Long-term, the property has good development potential due to its proximity to Bangor and the University of Maine at Orono. Boston, Massachusetts is about 4½ hours away.

Financing: Seller financing is available, with flexible terms.

Zoning: Subject to Maine Subdivision Law (split one new lot every 5 years, or seek town approval). Check with town offices for authoritative and up-to-date information to make sure it is suitable for your goals.

Wetlands: There are about 16 acres of wetlands, and the rest is all forested. See the map on page 3 of the Forest Management Plan for details.

Flood Zone: The FEMA flood map shows the back half of the property to be in Zone AE (100-year flood). The front half of the property near the road is dry and buildable.

Comparison Shopping: Browse the MLS at Realtor.com, or other land offerings at LandsOfMaine.com. National portals like eBay are also worth checking out. You'll find that this lot is quite competitively priced for 79-acre lots. Almost all properties in this price range are either (a) in remote areas, far from town services, (b) lacking access to electricity, (c) not on a paved road, or (d) very steep slopes. This one has none of those problems and is really a gem.

Photos: The photos below were taken from the property in June 2008. Click on any photo to see a larger version.

Cardville Road (property is on the left)	Thick Maine woods
Cardville Road (property is on the right)	Another forest view

The following photos were taken from the property in May 2009.

Stevens Brook

Beaver Pond

Additional photos are available in the Photo Report.

How Large Is 79 Acres? The technical answer is 3,441,240 square feet. But it's hard to imagine it until you've seen it. Here are some points of reference that may or may not mean anything to you:

• A standard football field, including end zones: 1.32 acres
• Alcatraz Island, San Francisco Bay: 22 acres
• Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom, Florida: 107 acres
• Churchill Downs in Louisville, KY: 147 acres