Here are some thoughts about moving to Maine (Belfast, Hope: sale, apartment)

[starwalker]

I AM planning on moving up to Maine, hopefully within the next 12 months, and I had to chuckle at the starter for this thread. I have lived (and raised my 5 daughters) in the "boonies" out west, so I know the realities of remote, rural and small town living. And the way folks -- out there at least -- had an kind of "wait and see" attitude about newcomers, knowing that half or so would be gone after a year. I just miss having a little elbow room, terribly much want 4 seasons again (even if two of them are "mud" and "dust") and a little bit of earth that I can afford to buy and settle on.

I will be making a trip up to reconoiter this fall (I currently work in the tourism industry in coastal NC and will be busy until then) with special emphasis on the interior of the state, as I am looking for affordable land/housing and fewer folks. I understand that jobs are harder to come by in such areas, and one of the purposes of my trip will be to meet folks and make connections that might develop in to work for me.... eventually.

But meanwhile, I will hang around here and get to know you folks virtually. This seems like a place I will learn a lot!

[7th generation]

Correct Davidofthenorth,our state gov't needs to attract more jobs and stop spending us into bankruptcy (too bad Peter Chinchette wasn't elected!)

[TheQ]

Thank you, Acadianlion. That is precisely the kind of information one needs to know, other than dry statistics, to make a wise decision about moving to Maine. I hope to encounter more such insightful comments.

[Acadianlion]

Originally Posted by DavidoftheNorth

I don't believe, with all due respect, that that analysis is completely accurate. While small business IS very important, the foundation upon which it exists, the money generator, I believe, is the forest industry. Without that, there would be dramatically less need for small businesses to support the industry and/or their employees. Of course, if the traditional forest industry continues to decline, and if the population on welfare increases, this scenario will change.

Nope. The forest industry remains important in Maine, but with the mounting objections to relatively progressive companies like Plum Creek, the days of sustainable forestry being significant may well be waning.

The primary focus of the State for some twenty years has been to grow the tourist industry, and that industry is populated by small businesses of all types, but particularly in the food and lodging sectors.

We have managed to kill off the fishing industry almost entirely, and with the Maine fish pier in Portland in trouble, the rest of it will die off even faster. Maine fishermen are actually small businesses, but the State is mistakenly killing them off also.

It seems that the legislature doesn't get it at all. Contrary to what a lot of people on this list and elsewhere continue to harp about, more industry with more "jobs" won't solve any of Maine's issues. The Brookings Institution report on Maine (and if you haven't read it you should. It's on line), identifies the first two major items needed to change before any major change, improvement or preservation of Maine can take place. The first item needing change is State government itself (did you know that there are nineteen standing committees in Augusta all vying for a piece of the tax dollar....and they have NO way to speak to each other or to understand how they fit into the bigger picture of what the state is and has? So, transportation, education, fisheries, tourism and so forth all have their little committees that are all working against each other in Augusta, spending, no: throwing your tax dollars around). The second item on the list is an absolutely out of control educational system that we simply cannot afford.

It is that one item...the educational system...that Governor Baldacci has decided to attack in his final term as governor. Consolidation of school districts is an important step and as I am sure you have read, the governor's plan has come under intense fire and is the center of a major political battle as the bloated corps or teachers and administrators line up to protect their turf. In the end, probably nothing will get done, and things will go from bad to worse, as we continually carp about taxes, but in the end, vote for new ones.

It is significant to note that the Governor chose to single out education first. That was because he knows all too well that the legislature is far too large and the bureaucracy far too well entrenched to really be changed at all. Our legislators are NOT responsive to the needs of the people, and I believe the reason is simply that when they go to Augusta they think that they are not spending their own money.

[DavidoftheNorth]

Originally Posted by Acadianlion

Nope. The forest industry remains important in Maine, but with the mounting objections to relatively progressive companies like Plum Creek, the days of sustainable forestry being significant may well be waning.

The primary focus of the State for some twenty years has been to grow the tourist industry, and that industry is populated by small businesses of all types, but particularly in the food and lodging sectors.

"Manufacturing is still the largest sector in the state's economy. Maine is a leading producer of paper and wood products, which are the most valuable of all manufactures in the state."
www.factmonster.com/ce6/us/A0859434.html - (I recognize this reference may be dubious, but you can't find anything from an "official state website source" that isn't non-relevant facts or pc gobbledeegook.)


The tourism "industry" is a sham and not anything that I want to deliver proudly to my children and grandchildren as representative of my and my forbears efforts to create a sustainable way of life here in Maine, and certainly not as "the major "industry" of the state". Sorry 'bout that. Aspiring to be a caterer is just not something that those of us with deep roots in Maine have in our genes. That doesn't mean that we don't welcome visitors or want to destroy scenic vistas, either.

And the consternation over the proposed Plum Creek development exemplifies the public's aversion to "growing the tourism industry", not public dissatisfaction with forestry.

[forest beekeeper]

Originally Posted by Acadianlion

For any of you folks out there who are looking to move to Maine, I have a couple of thoughts to pass along. It seems from reading these posts that a lot of people want to live out of the way of social pressure as it exists in more urban locations. Well and good. But an awful lot of of people want all the advantages of living whereever they live, but just with fewer people, more scenery, the same ease of shopping and use of city facilities. For all who have been thinking that Maine might be ideal, here are some random comments.

1. Maine has exactly the same kind of social problems that exist everywhere, be it juvenile crime, drugs, divorce, drunk driving and so on. We just have fewer people spread over a large area, but the issues of society are here as elsewhere.

2. Maine is a small economy. The back bone of the Maine economy is the small business. Most community will offer little in employment and despite a succession of governors announcing that Maine was going to be a technology leader, that kind of transformation is slow coming. If coming to Maine is going to require a steady job as a production work of some sort, you will find it hard to get work anywhere outside of the southwest corner of the state.

3. Maine is about families, mostly. Most of the towns activities are centered around raising young, and being a community. If you don't like the slow pace and smallness of "small towns" and come here with the attitude that everything in New Jersey, or Maryland or Sacremento or Phoenix was MUCH better because there were more doctors, more stores, more whatever, then you will be unhappy here. Most locals will either ignore you or freeze you out: if you have an attitude about where you live now, it probably won't be better here.

4. Peace and quiet? Look carefully at a road map. You will notice that Route One, which is the major highway that goes from the Candian border to Key West runs through almost EVERY town on the Maine coast. What this means is that these towns developed first due to coastal boating traffic, and when the road went through, the development of the coast was due to highway traffic. In Maine, this highway and a lot of other roads are maintained and controlled by the State Department of Transportation. Expect growth in traffic and road improvements to be a touchstone of living along the highways in Maine. If you want true peace and quiet, try the really small town that are NOT lying long state numbered roads. In those towns there will probably be a small convenience store with a couple of gas pumps, and perhaps a really little post office, a volunteer fire department and a town hall. It is this kind of environment that a lot of people seek, and it still exists in Maine.

Maine is a growing and changing state. yes, we have high speed cable and satellite tv here, and throughout the state there IS cell phone coverage but it is spotty. But be sure that you understand that this isn't Philadelphia with scenery and sparce populations. Come and visit, and if you are serious about moving here, plan on spending some time looking around. Many people who post to this list will be radially unhappy once they actually land here, but for those who do their "homework", this might be the sort of place that you always wanted to be.

Good post

[Shuffler]

Great post worth bumping back into the current forum list.

Wondering what the story is behind all the 'For Sale' signs I'm seeing around here (Camden, Hope, Searsmont, Lincolnville, Union, Appleton, etc.).

Has it always been like this in Maine, or are we seeing the 'bail out' of people who either bought more than they could afford or ended up not being able to deal with the reality of Maine living per Acadianlion's post?

It's encouraging and alarming at the same time from my outsider's perspective.

[forest beekeeper]

I suspect that all areas on the nation have 'for sale' signs up.

Real estate is a big business. Lots of websites, lots of 'professionals' make a living from folks moving around. And our culture has became a culture where everyone moves around.

The lack of bank mortgage money, means that for a while banks simply are not liquid and can not lend any more. So folks are stuck holding their properties, or else they have been foreclosed on. Ouch!

I think that for right now there are higher percentages of renters [as compared to home owners] than there was 5 or 10 years ago.

There was a bubble. We are in the process of that bubble bursting. this is seen everywhere, not just in Maine.

[flycessna]

Originally Posted by Shuffler

Great post worth bumping back into the current forum list.

Wondering what the story is behind all the 'For Sale' signs I'm seeing around here (Camden, Hope, Searsmont, Lincolnville, Union, Appleton, etc.).

Has it always been like this in Maine, or are we seeing the 'bail out' of people who either bought more than they could afford or ended up not being able to deal with the reality of Maine living per Acadianlion's post?

It's encouraging and alarming at the same time from my outsider's perspective.

I don't think your seeing anyone fleeing or bailing out of the market here in Maine. What you are probably seeing is just a backlog of homes for sale through normal attrition. Even though we haven't seen the huge amount of foreclosures or price crashing that the rest of the country has seen...sales are still down.

[Shuffler]

I factored the greater economy into it, but it just seems like an awful lot of places for sale around here compared to back home in CO.

For anybody looking at moving to Maine, I suppose it's in their best interests to have a loan officer run some 'scenarios' on what they'd qualify for, just so people don't make the mistake of 'overcommitment'.

I hate the thought of renting out my house and renting in Maine, but now might be a good time until things shake out and stabilize. Gonna be a rough ride for a while, I think.