Alaska Perspective (Bangor, Lincoln, Millinocket: transplants, real estate, home)

[Maine Writer]

I'll put in my vote for Springfield. It's only 30 miles from me. It's rural and beautiful. I like Millinocket too. It's much larger than the Springfield area but everything, or most things, is at hand.

Maine has a reputation for not being friendly. I'm sure you'll find a few who live up to the reputation. They aren't nice to the native Mainers either. Standard advice: don't move to Maine and try to turn it into Alaska or tell us how much better Alaska is than Maine. We'll invite you exercise your right to leave. I can't imagine that's what you're planning! Some people do though and that ticks us off. Be friendly, don't get yourself so far in debt that the jobs available locally won't support you, relax and enjoy! From what you've written here I think you'll be just fine!

Lincoln and Millinocket are mill towns. The Lincoln mill is privately owned and probably the most stable mill around. When mills close towns scramble, former employees are retrained (community college, university, OJT) and receive unemployment during that time. Life does go on. We've watched the process several times. My husband works for a mill. When we moved here (we're natives) there were three mills in the complex. There's one now.

[patriotchick]

I live in Lincoln, my family has lived in this area for generations. I like people from away...unless they come here to make here like where they left from....you coming from Alaska wont have that issue i dont think, as I feel Maine and Alaska are very similar....I know several people from away....my husband included, who one would never know wasnt born and raised here. We garden and can what we grow, we hunt, fish, and like the outdoors in general...all seasons. There is a nice little local hospital here that you would probably love...check it out while you are here. Houlton also has a nice hospital. When you come to lincoln...if you would like to get a local perspective direct message me, I wouldnt mind showing you around here and surrounding towns.You sound like "our" kind of people, I bet you will love it here. How much land are you looking for?? are you looking to build or buy an already built house??

[fxtrader]

I know the Oakfield area well and it is a great area. Most of my family is in the area and I have a camp there, one town over. I was there last week and saw a Ford pickup with Alaska plates driving through town. I also know a girl from there that goes to Alaska and works on the fishing boats a few months every year. There is an Amish community in an adjacent town. There are hills everywhere and you can see Mount Chase and Kathadin Mnt. from a lot of locations around town. They usually get a good amount of snow and it is a great area for snowmobiling. I don't know how well outsiders would fit in here, as I can't really think of any that I know of that have moved in, but I do think someone from Alaska would be well received. It is a very rural area and the population from what I can see has decreased over the years. There used to be a large amount of people working in the logging industry but that has mostly vanished along with a lot of the local mills.

[MeganAK]

Thanks for all the replies, you all have been extremely helpful and positive. I have to say, it is mildly overwhelming to orchestrate a move from Alaska to Maine, but we are looking forward to seeing the area and beginning the planning process. Thanks again for all of your posts. This seems like a really good group of people.

Thanks!

[MeganAK]

Originally Posted by patriotchick

\ How much land are you looking for?? are you looking to build or buy an already built house??

We are looking to buy land and build our own house. We would like to build it for the most part with just the two of us. We will contract out the concrete work for the foundation, but from the ground up we will probably do as much as we can with our own hands! My husband is great at just about everything from the rough to the finish, electrical, etc. I'll probably be asking lots of questions once the time comes, but that's what we are hoping to do! A couple questions right off the bat- anyone know an average cost for drilling a well in Central Maine? Average depths? How deep is the frost line? We were planning on 48" in Talkeetna, but have no idea about the areas of Maine we are looking at. Do most people have basements, or just crawl spaces?

[fxtrader]

average cost for drilling a well in Central Maine?

$3500 is about average, but will depend on how far they have to drill.

Average depths?

250'

How deep is the frost line?

Frost line can be from 4' or more. It all depends on the area, but local builders and building codes are a good guideline.

Do most people have basements, or just crawl spaces?

Most homes have basements. I have seen a few newer homes on a slab with a frost wall, but am not sure about the longevity of these.

[wanashunkaha]

Hi Folks,
Hope you don't mind if I "lurk" on this post. MeganAK, we're currently living in CT and aching to move north and live a lifestyle similar to the one you describe. Weve been waffling between ME and VT. The more we learn about VT (I'm not "dissing" anyone or any state) and issues with building, regulations, land prices, taxes, etc., the more we're leaning toward ME. The reason I'm jumping in on this post is we're interested in the very towns/areas you listed and will be anxious to hear your thoughts after your visit. Good luck, welcome to the forum (and the lower 48!)

[forest beekeeper]

Originally Posted by MeganAK

We are looking to buy land and build our own house. We would like to build it for the most part with just the two of us. We will contract out the concrete work for the foundation, but from the ground up we will probably do as much as we can with our own hands! My husband is great at just about everything from the rough to the finish, electrical, etc. I'll probably be asking lots of questions once the time comes, but that's what we are hoping to do! A couple questions right off the bat- anyone know an average cost for drilling a well in Central Maine? Average depths? How deep is the frost line? We were planning on 48" in Talkeetna, but have no idea about the areas of Maine we are looking at. Do most people have basements, or just crawl spaces?

I bought land.

I contracted out the driveway, power pole and well, the foundation and a 254 foot trench from the pole to the house. Then I have done the rest.

I wanted a basement, but as the contractor was digging the trench, he hit ledge. So it became a 4' crawl space.

[starwalker]

Megan,

When we were looking for property, we looked at a lot of places (admittedly OLD places...) with basements and to a one, they were all gross. Not saying that all the new ones are, but in many places in "south-central northern Maine" (within an hour NW-N-NE of Bangor) the water table is quite high and basements are prone to being damp. Yeah, they have sump pumps... but... it may not be an issue you were thinking of having to deal with. And yes, there are lots of places where ROCK is something you have to deal with.

Note... every town (not to mention the "unorganized townships) may have different codes and levels of bureaucracy.. and all of Maine is either a townshop or "unorganized township"... there are no places that are just county here, which is different than any other place I have lived. It took me a while to get used to the idea that here I was, driving through the country -- fields, farms, woods... more fields, more woods -- and I would see a town limit sign, and it would be MILES and MILES before I came to anything that might possibly have been "town" (some were no more than a convenience store/gas station, a tiny post office and maybe a church or two and a few houses within sight). the town of Corinth -- where we live -- has a land area of 40 sq miles and other than a couple of miles on the "main drag" you would never guess you were in town. We have a 4 acre lot...

[peachie_in_maine]

Wanted to welcome you and hope that we all are able to help assist in all the questions you may wonder about our State.

Most of us agree it's a great state and that we all feel we love it here in our own special way.

I agree with Maine Writer. The area's she mentioned all have great possiblities and a nice place to settle.

Best of Luck and feel free to ask all you like.