In town vs. country acres...living (Bangor, Bath: for sale, how much, house)

[gigglesjs]

So this is one of the things we keep going back and forth on...sometimes we say 5+ acres so we can have lots of space for growing trees, have a garden etc.
My only reservation is do you get to know your neighbors?
How far from town would you want to be in the winter?

We are looking along the coast between Bath and Sullivan

Thanks for any imput

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by gigglesjs

So this is one of the things we keep going back and forth on ... sometimes we say 5+ acres so we can have lots of space for growing trees, have a garden etc.
My only reservation is do you get to know your neighbors?
How far from town would you want to be in the winter?

We are looking along the coast between Bath and Sullivan

Thanks for any imput

The 'Great Architect of the Universe' seems to have put a practical limit to how much land we have available to us. In terms of elbow space, investment for the future, and ability to do 'things'; I say to get as much land as you can.

If you had a lot greater than 10 acres, it could be in 'Treegrowth' [or any of the other land conservatorship programs] which greatly reduces your property taxes each year.

I pointed out 'Treegrowth' because you mentioned trees, and I have land in 'Treegrowth'.

Even if your neighbors are a mile apart, you still get to know them. We have neighbors who come by here to hunt on our land, others who ride their horses here, and another who rides his ATV here. I do not think that you can completely avoid neighbors.

We are 7 miles from the freeway, which seems fine for us. Then 12 more miles into a big city. We have not had any problems getting anywhere in the winter.

[Maine Writer]

Originally Posted by gigglesjs

So this is one of the things we keep going back and forth on...sometimes we say 5+ acres so we can have lots of space for growing trees, have a garden etc.
My only reservation is do you get to know your neighbors?
How far from town would you want to be in the winter?

We are looking along the coast between Bath and Sullivan

Thanks for any imput

I have 45 acres and know my neighbors. They aren't in sight but they're in hearing distance. You can live 10' from a neighbor and never exchange more than a hello so I wouldn't base getting to know the neighbors on distance. I'm ten miles from town. The roads are clean within 24 hours in the winter, usually less.

It took us a little time to adjust from being five minutes to 30 miles from Shop 'n Save. You learn to make lists and do without anything your forgot unless it's something urgent like toilet paper. That's a moment when it's good to have neighbors only a quarter of a mile up the road! I used to pick the mail up at the Bangor post office no later than 7:45 each morning on my way to the office. Imagine my surprise and how stupid I felt tugging on the PO door at almost 8 am to find that not only is the mail not sorted by then, the PO isn't even open. Talk about a "she's not from here, is she?" moment!

[Maine Writer]

Originally Posted by forest beekeeper

If you had a lot greater than 10 acres, it could be in 'Treegrowth' [or any of the other land conservatorship programs] which greatly reduces your property taxes each year.

It's important to keep in mind that a specific amount of money needs to be raised each year. If you're not paying the full amount someone else is paying it for you.

[Northern Maine Land Man]

Oh, the burden is passed on to the next landowner. Sooner or later the government will get its pound of flesh. Be very careful and do your homework before buying land in tree growth. The government can take up to 30% of the land value if you forget to renew your tree growth plan. On a $200,000 property that's an unanticipated $60,000 tax bill. Your heirs might just faint when they get that bill. None of my timber land is in the tree growth program.

[gigglesjs]

Originally Posted by Maine Writer

I have 45 acres and know my neighbors. They aren't in sight but they're in hearing distance. You can live 10' from a neighbor and never exchange more than a hello so I wouldn't base getting to know the neighbors on distance. I'm ten miles from town. The roads are clean within 24 hours in the winter, usually less.

It took us a little time to adjust from being five minutes to 30 miles from Shop 'n Save. You learn to make lists and do without anything your forgot unless it's something urgent like toilet paper. That's a moment when it's good to have neighbors only a quarter of a mile up the road! I used to pick the mail up at the Bangor post office no later than 7:45 each morning on my way to the office. Imagine my surprise and how stupid I felt tugging on the PO door at almost 8 am to find that not only is the mail not sorted by then, the PO isn't even open. Talk about a "she's not from here, is she?" moment!

We ran out of TP this morning in the city , opened up a box of tissues .

Thanks everyone, we will probably end up on 5-10 acres, somewhere near a town we can call home...can't wait

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by Maine Writer

It's important to keep in mind that a specific amount of money needs to be raised each year. If you're not paying the full amount someone else is paying it for you.

That is not how the Maine.gov website explains it.

Each organized township is self-supporting. No other town's taxes go into your town's budget. If your town needs a municipal service, then your town pays for it.

When it comes to UTs, LURC bunches them all together. All UTs are a group are budgeted on one budget. All of the UTs together have few children, so our school budget is lower [per land owner] then in urban areas.

No body is subsidizing my taxes [unless Maine.gov is lying].

[Maine Writer]

Originally Posted by forest beekeeper

That is not how the Maine.gov website explains it.

Each organized township is self-supporting. No other town's taxes go into your town's budget. If your town needs a municipal service, then your town pays for it.

When it comes to UTs, LURC bunches them all together. All UTs are a group are budgeted on one budget. All of the UTs together have few children, so our school budget is lower [per land owner] then in urban areas.

No body is subsidizing my taxes [unless Maine.gov is lying].

Towns don't print money. Taxpayers pay taxes. Taxes pay for services. Who pays the balance of the taxes needed when land is in tree growth? The rest of the taxpayers in that town.

[Maineah]

The lot we pay taxes on is about three acres. My inlaws own 100+ more acres surrounding us. They pay the taxes on that. It helps us out alot. They let us do whatever we want to with the land around us so it works out well for us. As far as neighbors go I steer clear of the neighbors whenever possible. The only neighbors we have now are nice enough but we tend to keep to ourselves and have little in common with them. We exchange pleasantries when we meet on the road but there is no socializing beyond that. The house closest to ours across the street 200 yards diagonally is for sale and has been empty for over a year. They were pretty good neighbors. They moved because the wife did not like the isolation of so few neighbors and thought it was too rural on our street. She's a city girl.

[island mermaid]

Originally Posted by Maine Writer

Towns don't print money. Taxpayers pay taxes. Taxes pay for services. Who pays the balance of the taxes needed when land is in tree growth? The rest of the taxpayers in that town.

THANK YOU once again for your very clear explanation of how this program works, and doesn't work.