Find Me a Town (Bangor, Rockland: for sale, real estate, lease)

[mainbound]

Ok - been to maine a few times currently live upstate NY.
really want to move to the state, hoping you guys can help point us in the right direction.

We are looking for an "affordable" small artsy fartsy type of community dont need much property wise -1 or 2 acres would due more is always ok but less isnt always bad.

We have three kids two preteen boys and a three y/o girl. - would like to have other kids for them to play with.

we really love the Acadia/Bar harbor area - but I havent won lotto dont think we'll be movin there anytime soon.

Work wise - I work in the IT field full time and photography part time - - planning on reversing this and opening a portrait studio - (I know I know dont laugh) I am pretty good and have had a few shows.

My wife is a Wally world manager but plans on leaving this behind as well - something along the line of daycare or education - but will probably stick wih them for the first year we are up there.(heck someone has to work)

For us us the KEY is low stress, simple living and family - affordability -

Lastly maybe not as important - I am pretty much a loner, dont have many friends and kind of like it that way - dont mind hanging out with good nieghbors but prefer hiding in my yard or fishing solo whenever possible.

My wife - completely the opposite - enjoys people, friends and family.


Help/please and thanks!

[Taxed in Maine]

After reading your post, the first town I thought of was --- Blue Hill.

[bringselpup]

Maybe look at Belfast. Which is Artsy-Fartsy and Granola Crunchy. Locate yourself say within 30 min radius and you will hit all you pointed out.

[mollysmiles]

Perry or Robbinston ..... good school for the kids, choice of high school, good properties there for sale in a wide range of prices, 12 miles (less or more depending on where you are in Perry) from Wal-Mart in Calais. There are people here who work with photography and while most don't do it as a sole means of income, it's a good little side business. Right now the Wal-Mart here is looking for a manager for the toy department. If you like the Bar Harbor area, but wouldn't mind it being less touristy and less crowded, Washington County may be just what you're looking for

[Northern Maine Land Man]

The Lincoln, Maine area has what you are looking for.

www.lincolnmaine.us

[mollysmiles]

look into Milbridge too!

[bvet4dog]

is there any locations you'd want to stay close by? If so, that'll help us to share what town we think best. Personally i like gardiner/hallowell/vassalboro area. Lots of good area to live in. Its not far from augusta where the jobs/business are at. If you really wanna live closer to the ocean or what not, check out union. A good town, my uncle lives there and i used to live ther for a year. Theres a fair thats held quite offten called blue berry festival, it's pretty nice. In union there are few stores that makes best pizza ever one of them is "mic mac" i think. Also, it's not far away from rockland which is at the coast.

It really depends where you really want to be close to or be in. I know what you would like to move into but, where would you like to be close to? that really affects your jobs, kids, schooling and what not.

hope it helped. see you around? lata

[lawmom]

When you say "affordable", what do you mean, as that term is so relative. I thought of Belfast, too, but it's more expensive then say, Bangor, in terms of housing. But it is "artsy farts", to be sure. The school district is not great, though.

[Mainer61]

Definitely the Belfast area. You might want to check out Damariscotta and Rockland, too.

[mainbound]

Holy cow!

Some great responses. I'll try to narrow things down a bit more -
My thoughts business wise was to locate on one of the main routes
such as 1 or 3 etc. (focus on motorbikes, kyakers, climbers) bread and butter type of stuff during the tourist season. also would lease and barter my studio with other local photographers and artists.

Location - I was raised in the NYC area and got the heck out as soon as I could 17 y/o - I'm 40 now. Nothing wrong with urbon life if thats what your into but Im not and dont want to raise my kids in that envirement.

I currently live in the catskills near Woodstock/Phoenicia artsy farsy plus hippy to the extreme- I love it here but it has become to expensive - city folk bought everything up after 9/11 and drove up the real estate. you cant afford to live and work here anymore unless you do what they do- live in the city and visit on weekends-

Affordable to me is finding a house in the 100k area +/- .. fixer upper desired. lowe taxes

politics - I am Voting for Obama. not a total hippy though,proudly wore a uniform for 13 years...

anything else you want to know just ask I look forward to seeing where this leads us !!