This private island with a rustic camp is selling for just $150K

By Kathleen O’Brien, Bangor Daily News Staff

MILO — An off-the-grid A-frame cabin in Milo that sits on its own quarter-acre private island in the Sebec River is on the market for under $150,000.

The two-bedroom, one-bathroom seasonal camp comes mostly furnished, including everything from a dock to kitchenware to linens. The cabin includes 435 square feet of living space, and has one bedroom on the first floor and a loft space big enough to comfortably sleep up to six people.  

The property is one of several private islands for sale across Maine, but is by far the cheapest option that has a turnkey camp on site.  

The home hit the market in August 2025 with an asking price of $169,000, but that has since been cut to just under $150,000. That puts it slightly above the median home price in Milo, which has dropped to roughly $119,000 since hitting a record high of more than $130,000 in summer 2024. 

Longtime Milo resident George Swazey built the cabin in 1965 and the property was originally known as Horne Island. The site has never been listed publicly until now, according to Dolly Perkins, a broker with Realty of Maine and the listing agent for the property. 

The sellers, Butch and Vicki, are the fourth stewards of the property and have used it as their vacation retreat for 45 years. They got married on the island on the Fourth of July, Perkins said. 

When he was young, Butch paddled a canoe up the river to fish and duck hunt and would stop at the camp “for biscuits and conversation,” Perkins said. 

“Years later, the elderly owners offered him the camp and it became his,” Perkins said. 

While the more than 60-year-old camp has rustic charm — and a nearby outhouse — it has been outfitted with several modern comforts, including a gas fireplace and internet access. The cabin also has a full bathroom with a shower, water heater and composting toilet. 

The “intentionally simple” cabin is powered primarily by propane and a generator, but has rooftop solar panels to run some lights and appliances, such as fans and an ice maker. 

The compact A-frame is tucked on one of the three lower islands of the Sebec River and the wooded strip of land is accessible only by boat, making it exceptionally private, Perkins said. The town rents boat slips each year located near a public park and boat launch three miles away.  

“Every summer the river hosts a canoe race from Sebec Village to the Milo landing, and locals gather annually for a barbecue and brief business meeting that doubles as neighborhood reunion,” Perkins said. 

The river and surrounding area is popular for bass, trout and salmon fishing as well as duck and goose hunting, Perkins said. 

The property’s simple charm makes it ideal for, “someone who really wants to unplug from society for just a moment, but who still wants to be near all the conveniences Milo can offer,” Perkins said.