Thinking about moving to Maine (Portland, South Portland: house insurance, house, high school)

[Azbound]

Brunswick is home to Bowdoin College and has a small hospital there. Very lovely small town Main Street area. Portland International JetPort is only 25 traffic free minutes away. Brunswick Naval Air Station is currently there although on the base closure list. Again, lovely area, coastal, as well. Wonderful walking paths and recreational offerings, both natural and otherwise. Falmouth is very upscale, but old Maine, also coastal. Portland airport very near by. Great Schools. Gorham a favorite, quaint would be the word I would use but definitely moving forward. The University of Maine is there, as well. Portland airport about 20 minutes away. Fairfield, in the central part of Maine is much more rural. One and a half hours from an airport. Housing is extremely affordable in these little places in Maine. Fairfield has a strong recreational program for students. A friend of mine is currently an assistant Prin****l at the high school.

North Yarmouth, expensive, but very Maine and lovely.

Oakland, close to the city of Waterville, rural, once more, but affordable and very family oriented.

Old Town, near the University of Maine at Orono. Near the Bangor Mall and about 20 minutes or so from the Bangor Airport.

Scarborough, South Portland and Westbrook are about on even par. Scarborough being the more "elite" of those 3. LOTS of summer traffic on route 1. Westbrook is a very strong family community. Wonderful schools, I graduated from there!

Waterville, see Oakland and Fairfield, but add a nice little artsy component that is available with Colby College and a WONDERFUL award winning Boys and Girls club.

Falmouth Foreside refers to a rather exclusive pricey historical big money section of the town! Absolutely lovely area.

You will find Maine to have a relatively low level of crime as relevant to big cities. Where I live in Maine I drive 22 miles to the movies and an hour and a half to the nearest mall! The trade offs are, a large lot, a nice home, neighbors who know each other and would do anything for one another and who, amazingly talk to each other everyday and yet don't gossip! We are so lucky. After 30 years in one home, it is on the market as we head to Arizona! Go figure! Life is an adventure, good luck to you in your journey..

[pixieshmoo]

Thanks for all the input! I'm assuming that from what you've said, no matter where I choose, education and family life will not be a disappointment. So why the move to AZ then??? Thanks again...

[Orringtonian]

Bangor is a wonderful city -- very safe, not sure where the crime rate question came from, but I've lived here ~20 years and know the cops very well -- not much truly happens here EXCEPT domestic violence issues. I always tell folks, don't move here if there's any danger of that! Portland would be a much easier transition from NJ, I would think, but it's absolutely beautiful up here and the people are very nice. Good luck in your relocation!

[Azbound]

The move to Arizona is about a quest for a new adventure and a desire to lighten up our lives. Lots of hard years of work in public service and health issues make the westerly weather look very good to us! Our hearts will remain as deeply imbedded in Maine as good old granite! Sounds like you will enjoy your transition. Orringtonian offers good suggestions!

[pixieshmoo]

Orringtonian,
I've seen you post this fact/opinion about no crime unless it's domestic violence, a couple of times. Out of curiosity, is the domestic crime rate in Maine that high? I'm not worried for me, but I have children who obviously will encouter relationships as they mature. And why is it such "a concern" in Maine (or just Bangor area?)???? How violent? Domestic violence is everywhere, however, it's not something I would or could really point out about NJ....of course, upon further thought, we probably have more murders here, but I'm not sure I would want to live somewhere where it's the "thing" for spouses to abuse one another either. Just curious, thanks

[Robinmainerealestate]

Good Afternoon Folks,
I am new to this forum. It is so nice to hear people talking about our wonderful state!! I have an interesting short tale for you. My children are born and raised in Maine as was I. When My son was growing up he had great aspirations of leaving Maine to find what it is like in other parts. He joined the US Army after highschool. At different times over the 3 yr enlistment he had the opportunity to tour Europe, and served in Iraq for 15 months. He would call often and say "Mom, there is no place in the world like Maine. I just want to raise up a family in Maine, people have no idea how great Maine is." We are blessed with ocean, lakes, streams, mountains, four seasons, both country living and city life, the arts, great fishing, snowmobiling, swimming, skiing, hiking, boating, camping, shopping, fine shows and dining. Anything you can dream of is here in our beautiful state. Housing is abundant, there is still land to be had, our schools are award winning, colleges offer so much for young and old alike. If there is anything I can do to help facilitate your move, please let me know. I am a Real Estate Agent in Maine. I would be happy to help answer any of your questions.
Robin Kespert
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[pixieshmoo]

Can anyone give me any info. or opinions on Standish and/or Buxton? (i.e. community, schools, homes, etc.)....how do these two towns compare to towns such as Gorham, Falmouth, Yarmouth & N. Yarmouth, Brunswick???? Thx.

[Toria]

Originally Posted by pixieshmoo

.In this forum, as well as some other places, I have heard that "Maine in general is an expensive place to live". What I am wondering is, what is this in comparison to? I live in New Jersey and cannot imagine that other than summer homes, Maine is more expensive than NJ. I actually find it nearly impossible to believe. In addition, I thought it was inexpensive compared to even some other New England states.

here's a couple reasons:

The Tax Foundation, a policy research group, estimated the average taxpayer's total state and local tax burden for 2005 in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. That burden reflects what residents pay in state and local income taxes, property taxes, sales taxes, luxury taxes and fuel taxes, among others. Maine is ranked #1 (meaning it is the least tax friendly state), with a tax burden of 13% (New Jersey came in at #14, with a 10.4% tax burden). Of the New England states, New Hampshire is the most tax friendly - ranked #49 at 7.4%.

With regards to property taxes (per capita/year), the five worst states are (in this order) New Jersey ($1,871), Connecticut ($1,733), Maine ($1,439), New York ($1,402), and Rhode Island ($1,368). For comparison, the best state in this category is Arkansas ($191), and the national average is $935.

Yes, Maine can definitely be a very expensive place to live.....

[mwstp]

I have traveled and lived in several states. From Maryland to Oklahoma to California and yet I find myself always returning to Maine. I find that most communities in southern Maine are quickly finding themselves expanding with folks that are not native to the state as this is where the greatest amount of employment opprotunities exsist. The school systems here are, in my opinion, some of the best in New England. I myself prefer the the the towns you listed in your post with Gorham, Yarmouth, Scarborough and Falmouth but would also suggest looking in the Saco, Dayton, Buxton areas as well. Good luck in your research.

[Sleepymom]

Pixieshmoo, I think the bid to-do about domestic violence in Maine is largely because there is less other crime to worry about, so it gets a lot of attention. I would say that in general, domestic violence is about the same as anywhere else.
In terms of living there, I can give you my comparisons. I lived in Bangor 3 years, (grew up north of there) and have been in Virginia now 5 years. The cost of real estate in the Bangor area is lower, though not by a huge margin. Checking popular real estate sites and doing a search for a house similar to your current one will tell you a lot. The big expense you'll be dealing with is heat in the winter... the winters will be your biggest adjustment in a lot of ways. Also, the cost of gasoline is higher, but you won't spend time in bumper to bumper traffic. Other than holidays and coastal towns in the summer, traffic won't be an issue.
The furter north you go, the friendlier the people are. I was shocked at how little curtesy and manners people here have, so I suspect you'll have the opposite reaction going north.
Adjusting to school will be tough on your kids... the class environment will likely be very different, and the academics likely will be a higer standard. There is an EXCELLENT Christian school on the west side of Bangor, and for a small city, it manages to keep a small-town feeling in many ways. Good Luck!