Supreme Court chief justice buys island home in Maine

[MaineDem]

I'm not sure this qualifies for LBN so I'm posting it here. The interesting fact to me is the assessed value of the home.

ST. GEORGE, Maine — John Roberts, the chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, has bought a seasonal home on an island off the midcoast of Maine.

Roberts and his wife bought a house and land on Hupper Island off of Port Clyde from Steve Thomas, the former host of the "This Old House" television show, according to the Knox County Registry of Deeds.

...

The home and the 2.1-acre lot it sits on are assessed by the town at $172,800. The island has 20 to 30 seasonal homes on it.

http://news.mainetoday.com/apwire/D8IDVQFO1-173.shtml

Don't you just love a bargain?

[grasswire]

1. that is interesting

I know that many parts of Maine are relatively depressed, with low property values. But it would be interesting to know what other properties on the same island are worth. Shouldn't be too hard for anyone experienced in researching public records to find that data.

[maine_raptor]

9. Just saw an ad in the local paper

14.1 acre island (lake, not ocean), undeveloped (no water, power, sewer, etc) for approx $180,000.

Yes we have low property values up here, but what is happening is that out-of stater's are buying houses for second (or third) homes at very inflated prices. This raises the prices of surrounding property, which causes tax bills to rise, and that causes folks living on fixed incomes to have to sell and move away from land that may have been in the family for years.

[MaineDem]

13. I'd love to see this house

I cannot imagine waterview property in Knox County, with a house, for that price.

Maybe it's a simple little camp. But still ... I wonder about this. I know property values are pretty low in some parts of the state - Somerset, Washington, Franklin Counties perhaps - but on the water???

Maybe I'm just reading too much into this. I know I could never find a bargain property when I was looking.

[maine_raptor]

14. DownEast values are lower.

But if you want real bargins try Northern Penobscot and Aroostook counties. With the death of the paper industry, there are some real good deals up here.

Still, the DE coast properties are quite a bit lower, esp'ly the further up the coast from Bar Harbor.

After all without an East-West highway, its tough sleading to get there from here.

[evlbstrd]

2. Does that mean Steve never fixed it up? nt

[madinmaryland]

4. Does Steve know how to use a hammer?

I don't recall him ever doing anything on that show, except following Norm around.

:shrug:

[evlbstrd]

11. Pretty much the role of every host.

That, and giving the homeowner bad news.

[maine_raptor]

12. Vila (sp?) did do some work

but that was back in the days when they would do "average" houses and before he made a deal with Sears.

[evlbstrd]

15. Maybe some.

But he did his share of following around. And he gave the homeowners bad news. On one episode, a woman started crying when he told her that she needed a massive chunk of work done that hadn't been planned for. Then Bob turned to the camera to end the episode.

[AndyTiedye]

3. Members of the Regime Tend to Get Especially Good Bargains on Real Estate

Ask former Congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham about the great deals he got
selling his old house and buying his current one.

[madinmaryland]

5. Just ask Dennis Hastert about his land deal..

[Mabus]

6. and Jim Ryun's sweet deal

Monday, April 03, 2006
Ryun's house
It's worth rounding up some of the threads of the Jim Ryun house deal.

At issue is a house that a non-profit bought at the end of 1999 for $429,000. The group was founded by Ed Buckham, indicted felon Tom Delay's former chief of staff. Buckham's various businesses, including the non-profit, and his lobbying firm, funneled huge amounts of money from confessed criminal Jack Abramoff to Tom Delay. For what it's worth, he also was Delay's pastor, and gave Mr. Delay's wife a no-show job. And his firm lobbied on behalf of one of the men who bribed Duke Cunningham. If and when he gets squeezed by federal prosecutors, it could hurt not just Delay, but Congressmen Ryun and Doolittle, and probably others.
source: http://jgrr.blogspot.com/2006/04/ryuns-house.html

[rinsd]

7. Maybe not that big a bargain.

I found this listing for a house for rent on the island.

http://www.truehall.com/7islandlife.htm

1500 a week for a summer home on the water isn't a whole lot.

[sutz12]

8. How far above sea level is that island?

:evilgrin:

[northlake1]

10. Nice view

Steve did fix the place.

The house has a great view, if you saw "Forest Gump" - Marshall Point Lighthouse is visible form this and many other island homes.


That said, boy, THERE GOES THE NEIGHBORHOOD!!

[RUMPLEMINTZ]

16. The typical assesment is

one third the purchase price. That would make the price of the house roughly $520,000.

[wiley]

17. Look at the ADVERT at the top of the page!

[MaineDem]

18. I have ads blocked

What is it?

[Zynx]

20. A Maine real estate ad.

[wiley]

24. A panorama of Maine scenes with houses for sale. Lots of coast scenes.

[cali]

19. Maine's turn

Rehnquist summered down the road from me for years, here in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom, the most economically depressed area in the state. I saw him regularly at the local country store. What is it with these uber conservatives and vacationing in blue states? Wouldn't Lake of the Ozarks be more apropos?

[underpants]

21. Fire Island?

;-)

[leesa]

22. Sweet. Just another little perkie-poo for helping to throw the 2000

election for Bush?

[kiahzero]

23. So?

Why is this at all important?

As an aside, Roberts wasn't on the Court in 2000, so if you start going off on how this is related to Bush vs. Gore, then you're just making yourself look like an idiot.

[MaineDem]

26. I don't think I said anything about Bush v. Gore

So I don't feel like an idiot.

It may not be important. I just thought the assessed value was low. It was just an interesting small story in a local paper.

[kiahzero]

28. The Bush v. Gore stuff wasn't directed at you

I saw a mention or two of it in the thread.

[Maine-ah]

25. it's unfortunately my neck of the woods.

on edit,

town assesment, and actual value of the home/property are two different numbers. He most likely paid a butt-load more than that for the place, though I haven't heard any rumors as of yet. But I know many people out there, I'm sure I'll find out soon.

and as for the poster above me wtf with the snarky tude? Sheesh....

on another edit...

we apparently have the same lawyer too. LOL.

[MaineDem]

27. I'm very interested in the selling price.

Please post it if you find it.

Thanks.