If privacy and getting away from it all are important to you, and the market downturn on the mainland hasn't made a dent in your assets, you might consider an island property. Islands are selling about 20% cheaper per acre than other waterfront property in the same locale, according to real estate experts. But be careful: owning an island often comes with some big headaches, especially in development, construction, and renovation. Just getting to your retreat can be a challenge. Here's an update on an August 2006 story that appeared in Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine. The slide show begins with the navigation bar to your right:
By Amy Pollak
McGregor Bay Island
Price: $466,446
Location: Georgian Bay (Lake Huron), 200 miles north of Toronto
Acreage: 9 acres
Dwelling: None
Remote, yes. But this island is one of the largest in an archipelago of othwerwise inhabited islands and there is a local public marina six miles away. Building permit is available.
Sponsored Content
Grisslehamn
Price: $782,808
Location: Baltic Sea, 70 miles north of Stockholm, Sweden
Acreage: 3.7 acres
Dwelling: Main house and guest house
Here it is, Ingmar Bergman fans. A private island just like Faro, where the legendary film maker spent his final years in seclusion. The residences have electicity and running water. But you'd better like cold, rainy weather.
Sponsored Content
Seneca River Island
Price: $1,700,000
Location: Auburn, N.Y., 30 miles southwest of Syracuse.
Acreage: 3.2 acres
Dwelling: None
This property is undeveloped and wild, home to a variety of local flora and fauna. As you can see, a river runs around it, with plenty of places to construct a boat mooring. Seneca River feeds into Cross Lake and eventually into Onondaga Lake, where the city of Syracuse is located. The property is four and a half hours from Manhattan.
Sponsored Content
6 Mile Island
Price: $1,250,000
Location: Lake Winnipesaukee, N.H., 100 miles north of Boston
Acreage:
Dwelling: Three-bedroom cottage
This property offers top-drawer cottage life, in the middle of one of New England's most beautiful mountain lakes. Think Golden Pond, only bigger.
Sponsored Content
Lower Birch Islands
Price: $1,795,000
Location: Pleasant Bay, Me., along the Atlantic Coast 200 miles northeast of Portland
Acreage: 30 acres
Dwelling: Three-bedroom house
The price tag covers two islands-- one 24 acres, the other 6 acres. The residence on the larger island has electricity.
Sponsored Content
Ram Island
Price: $3,500,000
Location: Puget Sound, Wash., 175 miles west of Seattle
Acreage: 8.8 acres
Dwelling: None
This rugged property with cliffs and evergreens is the length of 5 football fields. Zoned for a single family residence.
Sponsored Content
Longmeadow Farm
Price: $2,950,000
Location: Penobscot Bay, along the Atlantic Coast 100 miles northeast of Portland
Acreage: 22.21 acres
Dwelling: Two-story, three-bedroom home
This property is within a loon's call of Islesboro, Camden, and Belfast, some of the prettiest small towns along the Maine coast. The farm has a half mile of shore front, a deep-water dock, and a barn. The price tag shows, however, how much property values have soared in this area.
Sponsored Content
Parrot Point
Price: $2,850,000
Location: Abacos Islands, 175 miles east of Palm Beach. Fla.
Acreage: 4.96 acres
Dwelling: Main house and cottage
Just a short boat ride from a local Bahamian marina, this island comes with two houses, two electric transformers, a generator, 5 water cisterns, a 1/2 mile of beach shoreline, and underwater cable telephone service.
Sponsored Content
Mutri Island
Price: $3,500,000
Location: Pacific Coast, Patagonia, 650 miles south of Santiago, Chile
Acreage: 59 acres
Dwelling: Main house
How's this for getting away from it all? The island residence has a windmill that generates electrical power and a freshwater pump. The island also has an apple orchard, sheep, chicken and pheasants.
Sponsored Content
Tahaa Motu Villa
Price: $2,165,812
Location: Tahaa, French Polynesia, Pacific Ocean
Acreage: 4 acres
Dwelling: Main house
Surrounded by coral reefs, this island has a 3,000-square-foot villa with three bedrooms that can accomodate 10 people. It's about a five-minute boat ride to the next island in the Tahaa archipelago. Tropical island tourist desinations Bora Bora and Raiatea are nearby, too.
Sponsored Content
Matatoko Peninsula
Price: $2,670,650
Location: Pacific Coast of New Zealand, 150 miles east of Wellington
Acreage: 50 acres
Dwelling: Main house and nearby beach cottage
This is actually a parcel of land that juts out from Matatoko island. The property comes with a 4,300 square foot, five-bedroom residence plus a beach cottage close to a wharf with a boat launching ramp. Electric power and fresh water access included. But as you can see with most islands, luxury plus privacy don't come cheap.
Sponsored Content
-
Four Surprising Signs You’ll Never Retire (and How to Fix Them)Gearing up to retire? If any of these four signs ring true, you may want to make some changes before you do.
-
Stocks Rise After Trump-Powell Fed Tour: Stock Market TodayNvidia hit a new all-time high intraday, but another renowned semiconductor name and some less iconic stocks were bigger movers Friday.
-
12 Great Places to Retire in the MidwestPlaces to live Here are our retirement picks in the 12 midwestern states.
-
10 Cheapest Small Towns to Live InThe cheapest small towns might not be for everyone, but their charms can make them the best places to live for plenty of folks.
-
Best Cold Weather Places to RetirePlaces to live Some like it hot; others, not so much. Here are the 12 best places to retire if you can't stand the heat.
-
The 24 Cheapest Places To Retire in the USWhen you're trying to balance a fixed income with an enjoyable retirement, cost of living is a crucial factor to consider.
-
The Six Best Places to Retire in New Englandplaces to live Thinking about a move to New England for retirement? Here are the best places to land for quality of life, affordability and other criteria.
-
Best Cold Weather Places to Retire
places to live Some like it hot; others not so much. Here are the 12 best places to retire if you can't stand the heat.
-
15 Ways to Prepare Your Home for Winterhome There are many ways to prepare your home for winter, which will help keep you safe and warm and save on housing and utility costs.
-
Hurricane Insurance Claims: 10 Things You Need to KnowBecoming a Homeowner Hurricane damage? Know what your insurance will and won't cover to make the most of your policy if you need to file a claim.
