Where should we summer in Maine?

Our principal project this spring is to find a good place to spend summers in Maine. We spent a few weeks in the fall, looking in the so-called "Mountains and Lakes" region in western Maine, near the New Hampshire border. We've returned this spring to the so-called "Mid-Coast" region, between Portland and Bangor, to look some more.

Our specifications are pretty simple: 1. a camp or house that can be a comfortable base for us in the summer; 2. within a few miles of the coast; 3. where we can park our motorhome; 4. and where the kids and grandkids can come to enjoy the place and our company; 5. that fits within our budget.

Our search is currently centered around Rockport, Maine, as that's where we found a campground to use as a base. Nearby places that we've searched in include Camden, Rockland, Northport, Waldoboro, Jefferson and Lincolnville. We've looked at places in town in Rockland, and country spots in Waldoboro. This region of Maine has little or no zoning regulations, so unless you're in a community with covenants, you're likely to have a row of mobilehomes parked in the lot next door. While we have a motorhome and want to have it on our property, we don't want to summer in an area that has zero curb appeal.

Maine is a large state (all the other New England states can fit within it), but is the least populous state east of the Mississippi River, only about 1 million statewide. Tourism is a big industry, especially on the coast, so property there is expensive. Fishing and Lobstering are key and colorful. There's islands, with their own communities. Woolen mills gave way to chicken farming, and the latest boom industry has been MBNA building large call cervice centers in the region. We're near the edge of easy access from the Boston area, so away from the coast housing is somewhat inexpensive.

The two places that I've pictured here are currently on the top of our list. The top one is a 50's ranch in Rockland. It's on the edge of the city, has about 1/2 an acre, already has an RV parked next to the garage, so there's space for one. It is ready to move into, but we'd make some interior changes if we buy it. The main bathroom needs a serious makeover, and we'de open up one wall to make a large living space. On the upside, the land is very nice, and there is a wonderful screen porch and deck. It's a 3/4 mile walk to downtown, and only a bit farther to the ocean.

The second one is on 4 acres in Waldeboro, on a quiet road away from most everything. The house is an old farmhouse that we think the former owner planned to flip, but ran out of money and it is now in foreclosure. On the upside, the structure and foundation are in good shape, the layout is pretty good. The downside is that the interior is unfinished... bare sheetrock walls, minimal plumbing, wiring in place, plywood floors. The layout it easily changed, but it's not liveable as it is. At a minimum, the kitchen needs counters and appliances, the floors need to be covered. We have the perfect opportunity to move this place along to be a wonderful home, since we can park our present home on the land and go to work on it. But it will take a lot of work, and money, and we're not sure we want to invest that much to make it work. And while it's only 20 minutes to the shore, it's in the middle of nowhere. Also, the land is quite wet right now. We thought that the heavy rains that drenched us when we got here might have been the cause, but normally dry land is drying out now, and this lot is not. We also want a garage to store toys in the winter, and there's none here.

We still have more places to see, and a pearl might appear in what's left. We've had some great realtors to take us around to see these places, something of a chore for them, I expect, because our price range is about 1/2 of the median house price for this area.