You can buy this private island off of Maine for less than your average house

Want your own private piece of "Vacationland?" You can now own a private island off the coast of Maine for less than the average house in the USA. 

The private island, located near Addison, is listed for $339,000. For reference, the average home price in the United States was $374,900 in 2021. 

If that price point seems ridiculously low, it’s probably explained by the fact that you can only visit the island during vacation months. As reported by Architectural Digest, this unusual find is only accessible June through September.

Not deterred? The 1.5-acre Duck Ledges Island is located in Wohoa Bay, near several sea mussel conservation areas and a wild blueberry farm. Around 15 other islands sit in this bay.

The island boasts a single structure, a 540 square foot cottage that looks like something Andrew Wyeth would’ve painted. There is alas no bathroom, but a rustic privy with a boat design cutout instead of a moon will serve any of those needs. It’s only steps away from the cottage (actually, everything is steps away).

Driving from Addison to Acadia National Park is just around an hour; boating from your island could make for a scenic voyage.

The owner Billy Milliken, a real estate agent, obtained the property in 2007 when horrified by a potential buyer who intended to shoot the ducks for which the island is named. This real estate tour involved, naturally, a boat, and Milliken balked at the amount of weaponry this person brought along. To appease the then-owner, he bought it himself and erected the quaint one-bedroom cottage. The bedroom is a loft you access via ladder. There is no railing so sleepwalkers need not apply.

Duck Ledges Island has both ducks and ledges. On those ledges, seals like to bask. There is a nicely sandy beach for swimming, a plot of seagrass and good anchorage and landing points for any tide, the listing explains. Boat mooring is included adjacent to the island and it’s a quick jaunt to a public marina. There’s no tree on the island so you may wonder how you source the coconut to build your telephone when you become marooned, but perhaps you are a better problem solver than Gilligan.

The island’s back on the market since Milliken has purchased a bigger, 11 acres one and wants to spread the island love. But you have to pass his test: spending a night on the island to demonstrate you comprehend the remote nature of the property. The property's been on the market now for more than 300 days, probably a side effect of the narrow window of time to get to it. So: mark your calendar for June and get ready to prove yourself worthy!