YES, THIS ONE SOLD BUT DON’T GIVE UP! WE HAVE MORE GREAT DEALS HERE
Cheap Land in Massachusetts near Becket State Forest
With pond access and surrounded by Appalachian mountain forests, yet only five minutes to the freeway, this is a perfect spot to build a cabin for those weekend getaways.
- Legal Access to 32-acre Horn Pond
- Creek
- Road Frontage
- Power Available
- 5 minutes to the Freeway, within a Half-Hour of Major Shopping
- Within an Hour of Dozens of Recreational Hotspots
- Very Buildable, No Floodplain
- Comprised of Two Lots: Buy One or Both!
- Priced about 22% Below Market
- No HOA
PROPERTY: This 12.37 wooded acres is actually comprised of two lots (6.44 + 5.93 acres) and it features about 459 feet of direct frontage on Captain Whitney Road, a paved public road, plus a seasonal creek that meanders across the middle portion of the lot. If you just want one of the lots instead of the combo, we can easily make that work for you. There are no structures on site but power is available along the road when you decide to build here. In fact, no floodplain encroachments, no HOA, and gently rolling topography make this a very buildable lot. Neighbors are very few and far between too, so you can enjoy this beautiful slice of the Appalachian highlands in total peace, especially as you walk along your deeded access easement that leads to the 32-acre Horn Pond. When you’re ready for some more natural excitement though, dozens of lakes, parks, ski areas, and hiking trails surround you within an hour’s drive. The closest network of nature trails can be discovered just five minutes away at Becket State Forest, and Monument Mountain — offering some of the state’s most breathtaking scenery — is only 35 minutes west. In the winter, the fun doesn’t hibernate, because you have multiple ski resorts as your fingertips too. The charming mountain city of Pittsfield, a half hour north, offers all the big box shopping you need, like Walmart and Home Depot, while you can hit the major city of Springfield by driving 50 minutes in the other direction (east). So, this property lies firmly inside the “Goldilocks” zone — close enough to the big city and shopping when you need it, but far enough away for the peace and serenity you crave from that iconic, western Massachusetts countryside . . . just in time for the autumn leaves!
PRICE for NORTH parcel (6.44 acres) = $28,700
PRICE for SOUTH parcel (5.93 acres) = $24,500
Call or text Scott directly at 314.639.9777 or email info@acretown.com if you have any questions or would like to make an offer. We’ve posted a lot of info below – including critical instructions for visiting the property – so please keep reading!
Best Deal in the Market – Check Zillow or Realtor and You’ll Agree!
After opening this map, you may see even more information about the area by clicking on Map Legend, then MapRight Layers.
- SIZE: 12.37 acres (6.44 north parcel + 5.93 south parcel)
- ADDRESS (street # estimated, not for navigation): 399 & 379 Captain Whitney Rd, Becket, MA 01223 (north & south parcel)
- GPS COORDINATES: 42.279998, -73.012695
- APN: BECK-004180-000190 (north parcel) + BECK-004180-000180 (south parcel)
- FULL LEGAL DESCRIPTION: download here
- PLAT MAP/SURVEY: here (get boundary/KML file here – opens in Google Earth)
- TITLE: General Warranty deed (clean – no back taxes, no liens)
- MINERAL RIGHTS: transferred with property
- DIMENSIONS (approximate): starting at NE corner, 459′ south x 2270′ west x 105′ north x 2192′ east
- FLOODPLAIN: none
- ELEVATION: 1410 feet
- TERRAIN: gently rolling
- CONDITION: undeveloped, wooded
- ACCESS: direct frontage on Captain Whitney Rd; 234 ft (north parcel) + 225 ft (south parcel) = 459 ft total direct frontage
- POWER: available nearby but not at property line yet
- WATER: well would need to be installed
- WASTEWATER: septic system would need to be installed
- The built-in savings you receive on all Acretown properties frees up extra money to install a variety of conventional and more modern, non-conventional septic systems, like mound systems, pressurized dosing, plastic chamber leach fields, aerobic treatment, etc. (which have become popular solutions to non-satisfactory perc tests).
- TAXES: $340.00 in 2020 (north parcel) + $332.00 (south parcel) = $672.00 total
- ZONING: none
- DEED RESTRICTIONS (summarized below; detailed in legal description above):
- single-family dwellings on permanent foundation only
- 1000 sf minimum size
- no mobile homes
- no livestock (pets & horses OK)
- no trash dumps
- POND ACCESS EASEMENT: 10 ft wide from back property line to pond for foot traffic (see legal description above)
- HOA: none
- CELL COVERAGE: 5G thru AT&T and T-Mobile, 4G thru Verizon (according to Signal Checker here)
- NEAREST CITIES: Chester < Lee (W), Westfield (E) < Springfield
- NEAREST AIRPORTS: Bradley International (1 hour), Albany International (1 hr 12 mins), Westfield-Barnes Regional (38 mins)
- CITY GOVERNMENT:
- Assessor (413) 623-8934 ext 116
- Treasurer (413) 623-8934 ext 112
- Clerk (413) 623-8934 ext 111
- Planning (413) 623-8934 ext 120
- Berkshire Middle District Registry of Deeds (413) 443-7438
You can go view the property at your convenience – owner does not need to accompany. Please call/text us to let us know you’re heading out, so we can ensure we have our phone on us in case you need help or have any questions. We’d appreciate a couple hours notice if possible. In case you lose cell phone service, it may be helpful to print off as many helpful documents as you can before you head out there.
DRIVING DIRECTIONS: Click HERE to open the destination in Google Maps, and simply enter your starting point to get step-by-step directions.
- From this link, you can press “Directions” (on the left), enter your starting point, and Google Maps will provide you with step-by-step directions.
- You can also click “Send to Phone” if you’re viewing this on your computer
- And “Save” to download the directions so they’ll still work if you lose cell service.
If for some reason you’re having trouble with that link, you can navigate to GPS Coordinates 42.279998, -73.012695.
WALKING THE PROPERTY LINES w/YOUR PHONE: We highly recommend downloading Google Earth to your phone if you don’t already have it. Then . . .
- Download the property boundary file (called a KML or KMZ file) here: north parcel, south parcel, or combo. You may be prompted to click “download” one more time, so do that . . . OR you may be prompted to immediately open the file with Google Earth and, in that case, do that and ignore the remaining steps. Otherwise . . .
- Open Google Earth
- Go to the main menu (the three horizonatal lines at the top left of the screen), then Projects > Open > Import KML file > select the KML file you just downloaded (it should show up on that screen).
Now you should be able to see the property lines on the map, and the green dot represents where you’re currently standing. This is a very important tool to learn BEFORE you head out there. Please call us if you have any questions about it.
When you’re ready for some natural excitement though, dozens of lakes, parks, ski areas, and hiking trails surround you within an hour’s drive. The closest network of nature trails can be discovered just five minutes away at Becket State Forest, and Monument Mountain — offering some of the state’s most breathtaking scenery — is only 35 minutes west. In the winter, the fun doesn’t hibernate, because you have multiple ski resorts as your fingertips too. The charming mountain city of Pittsfield, a half hour north, offers all the big box shopping you need, like Walmart and Home Depot, while you can hit the major city of Springfield by driving 50 minutes in the other direction (east).
NEARBY – Horn Pond (short walk), Becket State Forest (5 mins), Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort (48 mins), Mount Greylock (1 hour, highest point in state), Butternut Ski Area (38 mins), Bash Bish Falls State Park (1 hour), Monument Mountain Reservation (35 mins), Herman Melville’s Arrowhead (30 mins), Natural Bridge State Park (1 hour), Wahconah Falls State Park (35 mins), Catamount Aerial Adventure Park (55 mins), Chester-Blandford State Forest (11 mins), Chester State Wildlife Area (45 mins), Middlefield State Forest (17 mins), Peru State Forest (25 mins), Washington Mountain Lake (25 mins), October Mountain Forest (27 mins), Otis State Forest (30 mins), Otis Town Beach/Big Pond (25 mins), Otis Reservoir, Tolland State Forest (30 mins)
CHESTER (8 minutes, nearest grocery store)
- RETAIL – Chester Village Store
- RESTAURANTS – Carm’s Restaurant & Coffee Shop
- RECREATIONAL – Hampden Steet Park, Chester Becket Railroad Trailhead, Chester Railway Station & Museum, Chester Theatre Company, Chester Town Park
BECKET (8 minutes, nearest emergency medical)
LEE (25 minutes, nearest town/shopping)
- RETAIL – Outlet Mall (Eddie Bauer, Cole Haan, Famout Footwear, Nautica, Lee, Gap, Levi’s, Hifiger, Loft), Big Y World Class Market, many others
- RESTAURANTS – Starbucks, McDonald’s, Dunkin Donuts, Athena’s Pizza, Salmon Run Fish House, Vivaldi’s, Starving Artist Creperie, many others
- MEDICAL SERVICES? Yes, family practice, dentist
- RECREATIONAL – Housatonic River, Greenock Country Club, Laurel Lake
PITTSFIELD (30 mins, nearest city/Walmart)
- RETAIL – Walmart, Target, TJ Maxx/HomeGoods, Home Depot, Michaels, Staples, Barnes & Noble, Petco, Dollar Tree, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Big Lots, Family Dollar, Big Y World Class Market, UPS Store, many others
- RESTAURANTS – Starbucks, Taco Bell, Wendy’s, Chili’s, Applebee’s, Five Guys, McDonald’s, Panera Bread, Friendly’s, Domino’s, Ben & Jerry’s, Hot Dog Ranch, many local hotspots
- MEDICAL SERVICES? Yes, Berkshire Medical Center, family doctors, specialists, dentists
- RECREATIONAL – Phoenix Theaters, Bousquet Mountain Ski Area, Lake Onota, Pontoosuc Lake, Pittsfield State Forest, Ashuwillticook Rail Trail, Wahconah Park, Berkshire Hills Country Club
SPRINGFIELD (50 mins, nearest major city)
Call or text Scott directly at 314.639.9777 or email at info@acretown.com if you’d like to discuss an offer.
FOR SALE BY OWNER: We are investors, and are selling this lot For-Sale-By-Owner. You do not need to submit your offer through a real estate agent, and in our experience we close transactions more quickly and easily by having our dedicated transaction coordinator work directly with the Title Company and Buyers. We will also both save money on commission/fees by cutting out agents as the middle men. However, if you feel strongly about working with a Realtor, then you’re welcome to have them contact us on your behalf.
OWNER FINANCING: We do not offer owner-financing but you could get a loan through a bank or another lender and we’d be happy to coordinate with them.
OUTSIDE FINANCING: Your best deal for financing will come from a local bank or credit union. In this case, we recommend David Pentak at NBT Bank in Pittsfield, reachable by phone at (518) 428-9972 or by email at DPentak@nbtbank.com. They issue land loans for 30% down and typically request a credit score of at least 680. David is very responsive and eager to help.
WHY ARE YOU SELLING IT SO CHEAP? We are often asked why we price our properties at below market value, and the answer is really simple: because we can, and that’s our core business model. We are investors who purchase properties at a large volume and deeply liquidated rates, and by passing this discount on to our buyers, we can sell land quickly . . . and more of it! In fact, our average property only lasts 2-3 weeks on the market (vs. industry average of about 6 months).
DISCLAIMER: We attempt to provide detailed, accurate and up-to-date information in our listings, in order to help our buyers to the best of our ability. However, it ultimately remains the buyer’s responsibility to perform their own due diligence and double check any details that are of significant importance to you including acreage, utilities, build-ability, and approved/allowable use-age for the property. We are happy to help however we can.