Looking to move to Maine from the UK (Portland, Lincoln: rentals, houses)

[matt and maria]

Hello all.

We are thinking of moving to Maine from England, UK. We need lots of information about housing - rentals or buying, schools, jobs, cost of living etc.

We are both medical professionals. We have researched areas such as Portland, but don't really know where to start.

Looking for a good place to raise our children, good schools, safe neighbourhoods, etc.

Employment - which are the best hospitals and where? Many Job opportunities?

As we are English, are there good/not so good places where we would be welcomed into the community?

England has become very over crowded and ridiculously expensive. 3 bed 2 bath house £300,000 = $450,000 in an avg area. Gas $8,00 a gallon. $4,50 basic loaf of bread. $4 for 2litres of milk.

The UK government also seems hell bent on letting in all EU members regardless, including convicted criminals etc.

We are prepared to work extremely hard. Assimilate, obey the law, pay tax's etc.

Thankyou for taking the time to read our message. Best wishes to you all. Matt and Maria.

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[Northern Maine Land Man]

You will be welcome. English people have been coming to Maine for nearly four centuries. We even still talk a little like you do.

"We are thinking of moving to Maine from England, UK. We need lots of information about housing - rentals or buying, schools, jobs, cost of living etc."

Maine has the highest rate of home ownership in the US. The flip side of that is we have the lowest rate of rentals. Schools are very good for the most part. Our cost of living is below average for the US, but our fuel costs are high because we are like Scotland for climate.

"We are both medical professionals. We have researched areas such as Portland, but don't really know where to start."

We have a few larger hospitals that do open heart surgery etc, and many good community hospitals the do everything except crack chests.

"Looking for a good place to raise our children, good schools, safe neighbourhoods, etc."

I recommend medium to mall towns for the best sense of community. You can still be close to good hospitals. Maine has only about 1.3 million people, yet we are bigger than the other New England states put together.

Welcome to Lincoln, Maine!

"Employment - which are the best hospitals and where? Many Job opportunities?"

This depends on your specialties. There are good opportunities. There ads every weekend in the papers.

"As we are English, are there good/not so good places where we would be welcomed into the community?"

You will be welcome anywhere. Maine has lots of room.

England has become very over crowded and ridiculously expensive. 3 bed 2 bath house £300,000 = $450,000 in an avg area. Gas $8,00 a gallon. $4,50 basic loaf of bread. $4 for 2litres of milk.

"Best wishes to you all. Matt and Maria."

And best wishes to you. Come to Maine. Check out the various regions of our state. You'll like what you see. Somebody asked in another post if Maine was really like this. Read my reply.

[Clarissa2010]

It's usually advised to secure a job before coming. Elsewhere in this forum someone listed a website that had information about all of the hospitals in Maine. That information would be a good place to start.

[Submariner]

I wish you the best of luck in your move. Welcome to the forum

[Northern Maine Land Man]

The first folks from England to land on these shores did not have jobs waiting.

[Maineah]

Come by all means....you will really like Maine. I have many friends from Ireland who moved here . While they still go "home" now and then they love it here and would not go back to Ireland. As medical professionals you should have no trouble getting employment. Maine IS a poor state and kind of slow paced. That is fine for most of us. It may be too slow for some. We apologize for having a terrible President currently....we're working on that.

[maineguy8888]

I suggest climate and population density might be two main factors for you. Southern Maine is less snowy and cold than northern Maine (there is a distance of 650 kilometers or so from end to end). That said, the coast is generally a bit foggier and has a certain "cold to the bone" kind of cold at times.....due to the ocean.
The areas around Portland are the densest population wise, and the most expensive. Any houses right on the coast (any part of it) will be at least twice as expensive as if it were inland.
Hope that helps!
Just curious...why did you start looking at Maine?
I rarely miss "The Street", so I am sure I know what Brits like you are like. Just kidding! lol

[AustinB]

Originally Posted by matt and maria

Hello all.

We are thinking of moving to Maine from England, UK. We need lots of information about housing - rentals or buying, schools, jobs, cost of living etc.

We are both medical professionals. We have researched areas such as Portland, but don't really know where to start.

Looking for a good place to raise our children, good schools, safe neighbourhoods, etc.

Employment - which are the best hospitals and where? Many Job opportunities?

As we are English, are there good/not so good places where we would be welcomed into the community?

England has become very over crowded and ridiculously expensive. 3 bed 2 bath house £300,000 = $450,000 in an avg area. Gas $8,00 a gallon. $4,50 basic loaf of bread. $4 for 2litres of milk.

The UK government also seems hell bent on letting in all EU members regardless, including convicted criminals etc.

We are prepared to work extremely hard. Assimilate, obey the law, pay tax's etc.

Thankyou for taking the time to read our message. Best wishes to you all. Matt and Maria.

[+] Rate this post positively

You shouldn't have any problems getting a green card, welcome.

[matt and maria]

Would like to give thanks to all the folks who have replied. Feel very welcome already.

[matt and maria]

What are the roads like in Maine in winter? Do they get cleared reg? Many thanks.