Moving to Maine from the Pacific Northwest (Portland, Brunswick: to buy, live)
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I found Maine to be a bit more expensive than Florida. It sort of evens out, but in Maine big $ items seem to come due more often. I mean $660 excise tax on a new car blew me away. My 10 year old clunker was reasonable. Electricity is really expensive in Maine, at least on Bangor Hydro. Car insurance was cheaper, but there was less coverage offered. Property taxes are.....well very high in my opinion. I really don't know how a lot of Mainers manage to pay such high taxes given the salary scale. The problem in Maine is that there are just not enough people to spread the cost of infrastructure among them. I mean our city in Florida had the same population as the whole state of Maine. I don't miss the traffic, the attitude of the people, or anything from Florida (except miss seeing our son). Winter is, well a Maine winter. Heating in Maine evens out with cooling in Florida. We had 10 months of summer, in actuality, we ran A/C every month of the year. Maine taxes depend on where you are located. A medium size town has more people to pay for services, small towns struggle to make it. I am proud of one thing, our plow guys. The city plows the roads, and not one day this winter could I not make it to work. Declining enrollment in our schools make the largest part of our taxes. We just don't have enough school children to have a school in every town. Consolidation is happening, and it will get worse or better, depending on how you look at it. We do get beautiful sunny days in winter. The sunrises over the snow are spectacular. I am in downeast Maine, and in the dead of winter, it is dark by 4pm. I had to get used to that, but I found out if I spent an hour in the sun, it wasn't so bad. To me the short days of December are the worst part of winter. We now have 12 hours of sun, and will get probably close to 17 hours in June and July. I love it, and don't regret moving here one iota. I only wish I had done it a few years earlier.
Hello!
I'm moving to Maine from Seattle, WA. I've lived in Washington and Oregon for the last 20 years. I have read some posts here talking about how expensive Maine is but I can't believe it could in any way compare to Seattle. I am moving to be with my fiance who is much more attached to Maine than I seem to be to Washington. While I find it will be a little gut-wrenching to leave the Northwest...he's a native Mainah...I think that says it all.
Anyway, I was just looking for any advice, anyone's experiences moving from west to east, any native Mainah's suggestions and just any anecdotes on what I'm in for!
I just moved from Seattle to Maine. I would be happy to answer any questions you have. Everything is cheaper here, depending on whether you prefer city living or rural.
> I lived in Seattle from '87 to '90. Moved to Maine in '92. The first thing you'll notice is how small the trees are. Eventually, they'll appear normal.
> You'll find Maine generally less expensive than Seattle. Homes may be more expensive if they're on the water.
> There is a noticable difference in the work ethic. The Northeast is much less "laid back" than Seattle. When you say, "never put off 'til tomorrow what you can put off 'till the day after," Mainers won't laugh (or get it).
> The people are very nice and neighborly, but they take a bit longer to loosen up. Give them time. They'll do anything for you once they get to know you.
> Winter is about the same length in Maine, but less gray, rainy and depressing. Snow and ice actually add a little variety.
> The "Old Port" section of Portland has a similar feel to Seattle. When you get homesick it might provide some relief.
Hope this helps.
Yep, agreed!
Esp the work ethic thing! But I would have to say the winters are much harsher, more snow, and less or NO rain in the winter. Clearer skies in the winter too, there is actually sunshine quite a bit when it is snowing
I found Maine to be a bit more expensive than Florida. It sort of evens out, but in Maine big $ items seem to come due more often. I mean $660 excise tax on a new car blew me away. My 10 year old clunker was reasonable. Electricity is really expensive in Maine, at least on Bangor Hydro. Car insurance was cheaper, but there was less coverage offered. Property taxes are.....well very high in my opinion. I really don't know how a lot of Mainers manage to pay such high taxes given the salary scale. The problem in Maine is that there are just not enough people to spread the cost of infrastructure among them. I mean our city in Florida had the same population as the whole state of Maine. I don't miss the traffic, the attitude of the people, or anything from Florida (except miss seeing our son). Winter is, well a Maine winter. Heating in Maine evens out with cooling in Florida. We had 10 months of summer, in actuality, we ran A/C every month of the year. Maine taxes depend on where you are located. A medium size town has more people to pay for services, small towns struggle to make it. I am proud of one thing, our plow guys. The city plows the roads, and not one day this winter could I not make it to work. Declining enrollment in our schools make the largest part of our taxes. We just don't have enough school children to have a school in every town. Consolidation is happening, and it will get worse or better, depending on how you look at it. We do get beautiful sunny days in winter. The sunrises over the snow are spectacular. I am in downeast Maine, and in the dead of winter, it is dark by 4pm. I had to get used to that, but I found out if I spent an hour in the sun, it wasn't so bad. To me the short days of December are the worst part of winter. We now have 12 hours of sun, and will get probably close to 17 hours in June and July. I love it, and don't regret moving here one iota. I only wish I had done it a few years earlier.
I find Maine property taxes to be VERY LOW! SO I guess Florida prop taxes are below normal? We were also in South East Maine (one of the most expensive areas in all of Maine) in and only paid about 1,200 a year on almost an acre 5 minutes to the beach. Of course if you live on the beach they will be higher or if you have a very large house...they are higher....not sure what FL is, but ME very low. NH is quite a bit higher (some areas around 3,000-6,000 for less than 1/2 acre) but they do not have state income tax or sales tax (on food etc) at all. Maine has sales tax and income tax.
I lived in Seattle for 13 years, Miami for 5 but Miami has been weird as far as getting to know what is the norm.
It's easier for me to compare Seattle to somewhere in Maine so this thread has actually been far more educational than any other research I've done.
Dark by 4pm? Does this state just keep giving me everything I want or what? (I love dark...love it.)
The thing about Seattle rain is that it isn't always "rain". Sometimes it's an annoying mist...it's not really raining...it's misting...and it never seems to end.
I look forward to snow and milder summers than here in Miami.
And while Maine may not be as laid back as Seattle, I know it will definitely be more laid back than Miami. I love the story about the shoes at the wedding...see, that's the kind of thing I would brag about..how much I DIDN'T spend. Not a lot of people here in Miami nor Seattle understood why I was proud of that.
I did do a city to city comparison with Seattle to Bangor and it's way, way, way cheaper to live in Maine than Seattle. Some things are the same, (the tax on the newer cars...yep, when I lived in Seattle it was the same. We got a break one year when we all voted to get rid of those but we were overruled the next year), but most things seem to be far more inexpensive. To me, the property tax in Maine is ridiculously low. Which is fine by me.
Will be interesting to read more from a former PacNW perspective on the differences.
Although....smaller trees? And I thought there were mountains in Maine? Guess I better check elevation levels so I am not in for a shock. Course, after living in Florida where the biggest "mountain" (what we would call small hills), is at the city dump, maybe it won't be so bad. Sure do miss mountains though...good, solid, soaring mountains.
... The thing about Seattle rain is that it isn't always "rain". Sometimes it's an annoying mist...it's not really raining...it's misting...and it never seems to end.
Everyone who has lived in Washington will always remember the rain / mist / overcast.
During the winter it does get dark sooner.
For most of the winter it seems that we get one storm each week. The other 5 or 6 days generally are sunny. If you go outside much during the daylight it can be very bright, with the glare from the snow.
Nights might be longer but with the days being so incredibly bright, I balk when people complain about how dark it is in Maine in the winter.
IMHO the constant rain / mist/ overcast of Puget Sound is much darker than what Maine sees.
Quote:
... I look forward to snow and milder summers than here in Miami.
And while Maine may not be as laid back as Seattle, I know it will definitely be more laid back than Miami. I love the story about the shoes at the wedding ... see, that's the kind of thing I would brag about .. how much I DIDN'T spend. Not a lot of people here in Miami nor Seattle understood why I was proud of that.
Yes a lot more focus on practical rather than on fashion
Quote:
... I did do a city to city comparison with Seattle to Bangor and it's way, way, way cheaper to live in Maine than Seattle. Some things are the same, (the tax on the newer cars...yep, when I lived in Seattle it was the same. We got a break one year when we all voted to get rid of those but we were overruled the next year), but most things seem to be far more inexpensive. To me, the property tax in Maine is ridiculously low. Which is fine by me.
Agreed
Quote:
... Will be interesting to read more from a former PacNW perspective on the differences.
Although....smaller trees? And I thought there were mountains in Maine? Guess I better check elevation levels so I am not in for a shock. Course, after living in Florida where the biggest "mountain" (what we would call small hills), is at the city dump, maybe it won't be so bad. Sure do miss mountains though ... good, solid, soaring mountains.
The thing about Seattle rain is that it isn't always "rain". Sometimes it's an annoying mist...it's not really raining...it's misting...and it never seems to end.
Yep. Living in Seattle is like living inside a sneeze for 8 months of the year. And for all the rain and overcast, I only heard thunder five or six times the entire 10 years I was living there.
Yep. Living in Seattle is like living inside a sneeze for 8 months of the year. And for all the rain and overcast, I only heard thunder five or six times the entire 10 years I was living there.
That is the most perfect description I've ever heard about the weather in Seattle. "living inside a sneeze" You nailed it.
Yah, I think it thundered and lightninged a total of three times my entire time there. Clouds just can't seem to make it over the Cascades.
One of the first things I noticed on just the differences in expenses in Maine vs. Washington is that the EXACT same dozen eggs I buy in Seattle cost $4.59 a dozen...in Portland, Maine they were $1.79...I was floored..completely shocked...UNTIL...I saw the EXACT same coffee, that is made in no less than Seattle,and, gee..called Seattle's Best...is about 4-5 dollars cheaper in MAINE!!! I told my brother to start shipping it to me...I'd get it cheaper.
Keep this kind of thing coming, this is what I want to know.
When I left Seattle, in 2003, I would walk in to a store with a $20 bill. I would get a 20 oz Diet Coke, a deli sandwich and a pack of smokes and the money would be gone.
In Miami right now, I can walk in to a store with a $20 bill. I can get a 20 oz. Diet Coke, a cuban sandwich, (equivalent to the deli sandwich), and a pack of smokes and have $10 left over.
(And by the way, I was actually a Barista at SBC in the U-District, many moons ago. They made you LEARN coffee...from the bean on up. And do taste tests so you would know the difference when a customer asked for a recommendation. I don't drink coffee. All that taste testing taught me is that I was right, all coffee is bitter, darker is more bitter, and I couldn't work for a good couple of hours because I was all jittery from the 50,000 little sips of coffee I had to taste.)
But anyway, yes, little things like this, grocery items, day to day stuff....I'd love to know the differences because it helps me get a good idea of what to expect. So far I think it's going to be much easier in Maine, financial wise.
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