Saltwater horse farm tops Down East home listings at $2.75M

Despite the sharp increase in house prices throughout Maine in recent years, remote Washington County at Maine’s far eastern edge is not known for its million-dollar homes.

It currently has fewer than a dozen for sale at more than $1 million, according to Zillow. The most expensive house in the county right now is listed for nearly three times that amount.

The oceanfront property in Pembroke features a horse farm and a 4,400 square-foot home on roughly 140 acres overlooking Cobscook Bay on Leighton Point Road.

For $2.75 million, a buyer can own the home, a four-stall horse stable, attached paddocks, and a large two-story garage with electrical service. The property also includes “meticulous” landscaping, two ponds, and a separate three-bay garage, according to the listing. A second three-bay garage is attached to the house.

The property is owned by Bangor businessman Bill Varney, a longtime harness racehorse owner , and his wife Brenda Varney, according to the town’s property tax records.

Darryl Harvey, the listing agent for the property, said that the property stands out among other residential properties in Washington County because it is both on the ocean and has extensive improvements on the grounds for raising horses.

“It is an equestrian estate, so it is different,” Harvey said. “They’ve raised a lot of horses there.”

The home was built in 1990 and has three bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms. It has a large open floor plan that includes the kitchen, dining and living rooms, all with water views. The property has nearly 5,000 feet of ocean frontage.

Harvey said the road is off the beaten path and away from busy Route 1, coming to and end  at a beach at the tip of Leighton Point. Other farms and fields are scattered along the road, which has extended open views of the tidal Pennamaquan River.

“You blink an eye and you drive right past that road” if you’re driving on Route 1 between Lubec and Eastport, he said.