Looking for good information sources on moving and living in Maine

[WedOnSamhain]

For us we will have to down size as well but with the four other children grown up and out on their own things will have to be better financially. I guess it just makes it harder when we see the negative things.... to narrow it down where we want to go.......

[WedOnSamhain]

I am not going to let anyone tell us we can't make the move. I know we will. Its just pin pointing the perfect place for us. I know we need to visit sometime in the near future (hopefully next summer vacation).

[Sonnenwende]

Originally Posted by WedOnSamhain

I guess it just makes it harder when we see the negative things.... to narrow it down where we want to go.......

Well, no place is perfect. Honestly, every forum here for every state has someone complaining about it. There are no jobs. The COL is too high. The commute is too long. The people are unfriendly. The taxes are too high. The weather sucks. There are giant bugs and snakes. Too much crime. It isn't green here. I mean, some people thought Indianapolis was a crappy place and I honestly didn't consider it half that bad. What can you say?

You have to know what you want in your place, but beyond that, have no illusions of grandeur about it. A good percentage of people move to places without a realistic view of what it is like to live there, only a romanticised one. Then they get riled up when the area didn't live up to their expectations, post here bitter diatribes. Try to take that also into consideration, but don't make the same mistake they did at the same time. I am sure some of these people had to have heard some negative things about the area they were moving to, but chose not to listen, so gung ho on the idea they were. If a long, long time local gives you advice, you should listen more closely.

Only you know what is right for you and your family. Only you know your own personal living and job situation and know if you can make it work in Maine or not. I am sure everyone is willing to support the move as long as you are realistic about it.

[verymaine]

Hi,

Maine is a great state and a great place to live despite all of the many real draw backs. Portland is not unlike places in Mass or CT - lots of coffee shops, museums, *decent* jobs, restaurants, etc. And then if you go out in a 20 mile radius, you have Portland's suburbs which are just that. It is cheaper than southern new england, but the jobs are fewer and taxes higher. Greater lewiston is more blue collar, Bangor is removed from the rest of the state, but quite nice and influenced heavily from Canada. Folks have said to me that Bangor is much more internationally influenced than any of the other towns/cities here. Many will say that Portland and south is becoming a continuation of Massachusetts sprawl. They may be right, but the people are still friendlier :-)

For real estate, particularily if you're looking for a post-card like home, consider checking out www.verymaine.com. Not a lot of listings but they change frequently.

Good luck and welcome to Maine.

[Nekuda]

None of the books or articles will inform you of the mosquitos, frost heave, lack of public restrooms, or heating costs in winter; other than that Maine is a beautiful tree covered state with alot of water. We rented a vacation rental for 6 months which we would strongly advise before moving there. 6 months will give you a realistic time to decide whether you truly want to live there. We enjoyed the lobster, the scenery, and outdoor activities. We bought 128.8 acres of quiet, beautiful land near Caribou and planned on building our retirement home there, the land is now on the market for sale should anyone be interested.

[Coaster]

Get the book "Moving to Maine," by Victoria Doudera. It's available through Amazon or from Down East Books.

Every part of Maine has its pros and cons. It all depends on what you want. Generally speaking you can count on low average wages (my wife and I took a one-third cut in pay to move back here), high taxes, great people, a wonderful lifestyle, etc.

[jmfors]

I moved to Maine from Minnesota a little over two years ago and didn't find it too difficult to accomplish. The only thing that might be difficult is getting into the job market (it took me three months before I was hired), but I'm sure that is almost any where. Before I moved I also bought "Moving to Maine:The Essential Guide to Get You There" and found it very helpful. Here are some links as well, that might help you out:
www.visitportland.com
www.portlandmaine.com
www.visitmaine.com
www.ci.portland.me.us
www.mainetoday.com
www.state.me.us
http://portlandme.about.com/cs/reloc...ingtoMaine.htm

Hope this helps! Cheers!