Thinking about moving to Maine (Portland, Bangor: custom home, buy, school)

[mainenative]

Originally Posted by pixieshmoo

A friend of mine moved to Maine a few years ago from New Jersey. She loves it and has been encouraging us to move there. We started out joking about it, however, my husband and I have become very serious about moving. We have children and in a couple of years our oldest will be entering high school. Being a lifelong "Jerseyan" myself and noticing the changes, I DO NOT want my kids growing up around here. I've done plenty of research about Maine but have yet to get an actual person's opinion, other than my friend. I think Bangor might be too far, we were thinking Greater Portland area (falmouth, windham) but I wouldn't completely disregard the Bangor area or somewhere in between. Any suggestions/opinions???? Thanks.

The 2 choices you mentioned, Falmouth and Windham are great choices. Falmouth is an upscale community with excellent schools and a very involved community. The village feel and fine homes make this a bedroom community that offers 3 private golf courses and convenient shopping. Falmouth is next to Portland, Maines largest city with several job opportunites, an easy drive to work. Cumberland and Yarmouth are also similar to Falmouth just a littler further away from Portland.

Windham is about 20 to 30 minutes from Portland but has a lot to offer in the way of jobs and shopping on its own as well as versatility in home prices. I am not sure about the school system but I haven't heard any negative points.

If your looking for communities that are more affordable with a simple but caring feel Westbrook or Gorham may be a good choice. Westbrook is an old Mill town next to Portland that is up and coming and offers affordable housing with a growing persuit to improve. Gorham is a nice town with a friendly country feel and also is home to part of the University of Southern Maine's campus. Gorham has various home prices giving you more flexible choices.

[mainenative]

The 2 choices you mentioned, Falmouth and Windham are great choices. Falmouth is an upscale community with excellent schools and a very involved community. The village feel and fine homes make this a bedroom community that offers 3 private golf courses and convenient shopping. Falmouth is next to Portland, Maines largest city with several job opportunites, an easy drive to work. Cumberland and Yarmouth are also similar to Falmouth just a littler further away from Portland.

Windham is about 20 to 30 minutes from Portland but has a lot to offer in the way of jobs and shopping on its own as well as versatility in home prices. I am not sure about the school system but I haven't heard any negative points.

If your looking for communities that are more affordable with a simple but caring feel Westbrook or Gorham may be a good choice. Westbrook is an old Mill town next to Portland that is up and coming and offers affordable housing with a growing persuit to improve. Gorham is a nice town with a friendly country feel and also is home to part of the University of Southern Maine's campus. Gorham has various home prices giving you more flexible choices.

[Sandpiper]

We love it here in Rockland and being able to live close to the water, plus this has been called "the hippest little city in Maine". There are a lot of young families moving here now which is great. Our daughter and son in law and my husband and I have purchased a beautiful old two family two streets over from where we live in the historic district (near downtown). Ours is a beautiful Victorian farmhouse with a large covered porch and 4 bedrooms for $298,000. Our daughter's is a three bedroom smaller victorian with a fenced in yard, covered front porch and 2-story carriage house for $169,000. Pictures are available at http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/masoni...JwnPFBpdItlGjX and http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/djcarp...5W0XFB1l2_Mhca

[Eastport Maine Booster]

Check out Eastport, Maine, the last coastal city before hitting the Canadian border. I am one of many volunteers working for an Eastport based non-profit and just this evening we were holding a round table discussion with residents about why they chose Eastport over other parts of Maine. I thought some of you would be interested in hearing their answers:

Affordable, historic architecture
Coastal
Quiet - you can see the stars, the milky way, the northern lights
Women feel safe walking the state park at any time, the city streets
No one feels anonymous here, we're all important parts of the community
No strip malls, no crazy materialism cluttering up life
Thriving arts community
Tons of volunteer and community opportunities, cross-generational
History!
Canadian culture a hop away, and what a pleasant surprise it was to learn about.

And here are some of the things they wished they'd known in advance, but would not necessarily have stopped them from moving here:

the possibility of an LNG facility being built in Passamaquoddy Bay
the high taxation in the state of Maine
the downtown businesses close up during the winter
high cost of utilities
lack of fresh produce (encouraged to start their own garden!)
our local taxes don't get us much extra service because the city has to maintain an infrustructure for twice the population we currently hold, 1,600.

Eastport is a special place - it will appeal to you at once, or not at all. It has its quirks, it's expenses, and peculiarities. But for those of us who reacted with palpitating heart -love at first sight, it's worth taking a look at. Loads of resources and people to talk to to get the skinny on taxes, education, etc... Do a browser search on Eastport, Maine and see what you find!

[debf1970]

Hello. I am new to this forum. There is some useful info here. My husband and I are planning a move out to Maine in Aug. from Lake Tahoe. We are originally from Jersey and have been out of there for about ten years now. We miss the back east mentality, and Maine seems like a great place to start back with. We don't have children, and don't plan on it, just a dog and two cats. I noticed a lot of info on schools and such, which doesn't concern us at all. I am in the restaurant business and my husband, a construction superintendant. We are actually planning on starting our own business, whether it be an online bus., a gourmet grocer, a b&b, just something of ojur own. We do want to be by the water, but not particularly by masses of tourists, as we are now in Tahoe. If anyone has any info that could help, we would really appreciate it. Thanks for your time!

[Eastport Maine Booster]

In 1995 I moved from New Mexico to Maine. During my childhood I had summered on an island of the coast of Portland. I had fond memories of Maine, but was shocked to find how much southern Maine had changed when I began my search for a new home. I didn't begin to feel that I had found the Maine that I wanted until I got past Ellsworth on Rte 1. Just my reaction, but you may want to give DownEast Maine a serious look.

I've lived in Gouldsboro (Schoodic Peninsula), Bangor, and Eastport. I've loved all three, but for coastal affordability combined with arts, culture, and gorgeous natural scenery, I don't think that Eastport can be topped. Highly biased, of course... There are opportunities here for more lodging, a restaurant/grocer that specializes in quality and healthy food (we transplants get mighty sick of fried seafood and fries, even if tourists can't get enough of it - ugh.) There is also an opportunity for a general merchandise store that carries staples such as clothing, boots and shoes, housewares etc... According to a recent market analysis done on Eastport, 97% of our money in the general merchandise category is spent outside of Eastport. This is aproximately $1,375,000.00 in lost sales to neighboring communities that provide these services. A major opportunity for the right business person.

We are still very seasonal, with increasing number of dilapidated but gorgeous old homes being bought by retirees, and second home owners. They, along with the year-round transplants, would be your market for the restaurant. Check out the www.eastportforpride.org website with links to community information including Washington County business help, realtors etc... You'll find businesses, and I wouldn't be shy about calling and asking to talk to the owners about what you're thinking about. You'll find that most Eastport business owners are very approachable and willing to help. Eastport is still a business risk in comparison to other coastal areas beginning south of Ellsworth. But if you do not need to earn 100% of your living through this enterprise, you'll be fine in Eastport. If you have an idea for a website business, even better. If after all that, you decide Eastport's not for you, check out the Schoodic Peninsula. It's gotten very pricey in the last 3 years, but they have wonderful arts programs that have acted as a magnet to new residents and the visitor market.

Maine is an expensive state to live in, but well worth the trade off if quality of life is very high on your list. Down East and inland northern Maine still retain much of this lifestyle. For some of us, south of Ellsworth is getting pretty over-crowded with new developments, strips, and mega-stores.

Good luck with your Maine search!

[debf1970]

Thank you so much for getting back to me. That was a nice surprise. I triedto send you a message, but it said you are not taking them, so I hope you get this. We have actually never been to Maine, but one of our relatives visits yearly and might be interested in backing us. We were thinking that we'd have to find an "already standing" business, as start up costs would be a bit costly. Anyway, Brunswick, Rockland, and Camden areas looked interesting, as well as Auburn. Any inside info on these areas? You are definetly someone I want to stay in touch with. Again, thanks for your time.

[debf1970]

Hi. I just realized that your last post was responding to me. Thank you. I was trying to find Eastport, but couldn't locate it. As far as being expensive goes, I don't think the housing can compare to Tahoe. You can't touch a shack for less than $500,000. It is rediculous. That is why we are leaving. There will never be a chance for us to do what we want. My husband is a construction superintendent for a custom home builder, and thus is very good at woodworking, so we were thinking possibly about making some type of home furnishing and selling them online. That and the possibility of a gourmet grocery is at the top of our list. Once again, thank you for your time.

[briscoej]

There's a possibility I may be attending University of Maine for grad work (haven't heard yet) and I was wondering about the cost of living in the area. I have a wife and two young children (I know, I'm supposed to have kids [i]after[i] the degree). Supposedly the on campus housing is nice, but difficult to get into so I'm trying to plan ahead. What would the average cost of a decent sized 3 bedroom apartment or small house in Orono or surrounding areas be? I wouldn't mind a 30 min drive, but anything more during the winter might prove to be a problem. Any other tips on moving to the area would be appreciated as well. Oh, and how are elementary schools (for the kids)? Thanx in advance

[forest beekeeper]

I rented an apartment across the river from Orono, in Bradley, last winter. It cost me $600/month. There are a lot of apartments in the area, but they fill up quickly one week before the school year starts. You must be here two-weeks before the start of the school year, and then you will find a big glut of apartments advertised.