-
The 1.5-acre Maine island that is “pristine” and rich in wildlife retails for $339,000.
-
Duck Ledges Island is owned by real estate agent Billy Milliken, who has terms for the new owner.
-
Milliken told Insider that anyone interested in buying the private island should spend a night there alone.
Ducks Ledges, a private island just a 10-minute boat ride from the Maine coast, retails for $339,000.
Fancy a private island on the northeast coast of the US?
Ducks Ledges Island is a 1.5-acre landmass currently on the market in Wohoa Bay, Maine. The price: An achievable $339,000.
Billy Milliken, the island’s owner and real estate agent in charge of the sale with Bold Coast Properties, told Insider that the island has a lot to offer a new administrator. While it may feel remote when you’re on the island, it’s only a 10-minute boat ride from Jonesport, Maine.
“It’s far enough out there that you’re away from all the noises and lights,” said Milliken, who has owned the island since 2007. “There’s a very dark sky there, so the night is beautiful.”
However, to be considered as a potential buyer, Miliken says interested parties must stay overnight on the island.
Being able to afford the price tag is one thing. But Milliken has an additional stipulation: Anyone interested in Ducks Island must be willing to spend a night on the island and win over Milliken.
“I stand by my plan to qualify you as a buyer, you have to stay,” he said. His reasoning is that he wants the new owner to see the value in the island’s natural landscape, but also be willing to deal with its idiosyncrasies.
Two parties have already completed the overnight application and three more are on the schedule in the coming days, he said. If more than one potential buyer is qualified, Milliken said instinct is the deciding factor.
“It will come from the gut,” said Milliken, 52. “If it’s good, it’s good. I’ll feel it, and they’ll feel it.”
The island comes with a quaint 540 square foot cottage with unobstructed views of the surrounding waters.
When Milliken bought the island, the original property had fallen into disrepair. “We tore it down and built a brand new one,” he said of the existing cab.
Given current building laws near water, it’s a rare find, Milliken said. Today it would be more challenging to build the same structure on Duck Ledges.
“If you find a small island like Duck Ledges, you can’t necessarily build a house on it,” he said. Duck Ledges slips by because the island’s structure predates new zoning, allowing an existing non-compliant structure to legally remain.
What also makes Duck Ledges so unique is the lack of trees on the island, which gives you an unobstructed view of the water. “You’re in the front row,” Milliken added.
The cottage can accommodate up to four people.
The cabin is cozy but can accommodate up to four people. There are two beds in the attic and at the moment Milliken says he has air mattresses for additional overnight guests.
Over the years, Milliken has shared the island with his family and close friends, who he says tend to do day trips rather than overnight stays.
The cottage is 20 feet from the water’s edge, but Milliken said it can withstand flooding.
The downside of being so close to the water is the risk of flooding during storms.
Milliken explained that most of the bad weather occurs between October and May. He usually stays away from the island at that time because it’s unfit for “man or beast,” he said.
But despite a long distance from the property, the cabin remains intact. It was built with the rugged environment in mind.
“There have been three different times when storm surges have come up to the cottage, and maybe under the cottage to some degree,” Milliken said. “But it’s raised. It never damaged the structure or the floor.”
Milliken said he has only used the space as a summer getaway. Winter time, he added, is no joke.
For Milliken, the beauty of the island comes during the summer, when “you can experience the ocean a lot and be a part of it,” he said. The water provides a cooling effect in hot weather. During one particularly hot summer, he even remembers coming to the island.
“It was such a relief, physical relief,” he said of the coastal breeze. “I slept outside in the hammock. It was the best night’s sleep I’ve ever had.”
However, the winter conditions on the island consist of ice, snow and storms, which would be a challenge for anyone who wants to live there full-time. Milliken admits it’s not out of the realm of possibility, though.
“I had a friend who stayed there during a winter storm,” said Milliken, who noted that the friend was curious to see what it would be like to live off what the island had to offer, including fish, clams and clams. . “He had a really hard time. After three days he was ready to come home.”
The island also has no running water and heat.
Modern conveniences that the new owner of Ducks Ledges lacks include running water and heating. If anyone is thinking about staying there year round, that’s challenging, Milliken said.
For the bathroom, guests use the annex, located a short distance from the cottage.
Milliken explained that Ducks Island has always been a place for him to visit during the day. His main residence is nearby on the mainland. “It’s tempting to come home and take a shower,” he added.
But a huge advantage of the island is how “pristine” and rich in wildlife it is, Milliken said.
Wildlife on the island includes lobsters, seabirds, eagles and seals, which give birth on the island, Milliken said.
When he finds live seal pups, he calls the marine mammal lifeline to rescue them.
“It’s so pristine there,” Milliken said. “You experience nature – it hasn’t changed.”
To preserve the integrity of the island and its wildlife, Milliken said he will only sell to someone who feels the same way about keeping it a “special place.”
Milliken maintains a long-standing vision for the island. He said the owners before him refused to sell the island to an interested party because they wanted to hunt the island’s wildlife.
After spending a decade on Duck Ledges himself, he understands why the previous owners were so protective.
“In our lives we are busy and there are so many distractions, but being on that island makes you feel really small,” Milliken said. “It is very healthy to be there alone where you can really listen to yourself. You are a guest of nature when you are there.”
“The longer I own the island,” he added, “I understand even more that it is a special place.”
Read the original article Insider