For instance, I live just about 3 miles south of Lake Winnipesaukee, in a mountainous area with a lot of vacation homes (ie., few people for much of the year). There is a 280-acre parcel behind us with great views for ~$220K - anything less than $1000/acre is a really good deal around here. Electric is a mile away, so it would be great for the person who's into solar, and you would have keep the road clear of snow yourself or use a snowmobile. It is a beautiful, remote area, yet only about 40 minutes to Concord or Rochester, and about an hour to Portsmouth or Manchester. A large section has been logged/cleared. We are all afraid that a developer will be there soon, as it has been for sale for > 2 years.

In choosing between the 3 states, taxes are definitely an issue you'll want to consider. I did a comprehensive spreadsheet with actual numbers when trying to decide between living in ME or NH (we work in NH), and even with the high property taxes in NH, taxes were much lower overall here. It helps that large tracts can be put into current use (except the area around the house), which is very cheap. The lack of sales & income tax won't last forever though - the state finances are in turmoil and most people say will have to implement sales or income taxes within the next 10 years.

If I were looking for the most remote and least expensive area, and were absolutely unconcerned about winter weather or having to find a job, I'd be in downeast Maine (east of Acadia), northern Maine (north of Bangor), or northern VT.