Thinking about moving to Maine

[maineguy8888]

Originally Posted by bigounets

I have a feeling it will be a great change for us. From super multicultural Hawaii to Washington state where we were welcome the minute we landed there.
My kids go to a French Immersion School here in WA. It's a really good school and leaving it is my only regret. I really thought we were going to stay here until my son was done with grade 5.
I found the French School of Maine in Freeport but I'm reluctant to drive that much, especially because I don't know the road conditions, how much traffic I'll find going through Portland, what it's going to be like in the winter driving in the snow etc...
Thank you very much for your help. I hope things get better for you.

Your traffic burden largely depends on which way you are driving. If you go OUT of Portland in the morning, you're all set. If you are going IN to Portland in the morning, UGH! (I have had the privelege of doing both, due to jobs I have had).

[maineguy8888]

Originally Posted by Southrngal

BobTex wrote:

"To register our 1995 Ford Probe for a year was $500. State sales tax, state income tax, and from what my friends told me a high property tax....tax, tax, tax.....there's a reason they're #1 most unfriendly tax state."


I am curious about the fee for registering your car? I have looked a the fee rate on www.fhwa.dot.gov and can't figure out why you would have been charged so much. I am very interested in Maine as a future place to move to, my husband and I are both in the process of furthering our careers, (health care for me, law enforcement for him) and would like to get as much info as possible to make a better decision with.

So, anyone with any info concerning, cost of living, taxes, areas outside of towns ( Portland, Bangor, Augusta, Waterville, Brunswick, Lewiston)that are better to rent in, etc. would be greatly appreciated. BTW, I am a constant reader of this forum, but haven't posted anything concerning our interest in moving until now. Thanks in advance for any info.

Any place even CLOSE to Portland will be very expensive to buy or rent. Any thing close the other areas will be somewhat expensive, but not as bad. Brunswick is about to become much more affordable (the military base is closing.............losing 5,000 jobs and 10,000 people in a flash).

[diablogun]

Originally Posted by Southrngal

BobTex wrote:

"To register our 1995 Ford Probe for a year was $500. State sales tax, state income tax, and from what my friends told me a high property tax....tax, tax, tax.....there's a reason they're #1 most unfriendly tax state."


I am curious about the fee for registering your car? I have looked a the fee rate on www.fhwa.dot.gov and can't figure out why you would have been charged so much. I am very interested in Maine as a future place to move to, my husband and I are both in the process of furthering our careers, (health care for me, law enforcement for him) and would like to get as much info as possible to make a better decision with.

So, anyone with any info concerning, cost of living, taxes, areas outside of towns ( Portland, Bangor, Augusta, Waterville, Brunswick, Lewiston)that are better to rent in, etc. would be greatly appreciated. BTW, I am a constant reader of this forum, but haven't posted anything concerning our interest in moving until now. Thanks in advance for any info.

I registered my 2006 mazda and 2008 GMC truck 2 months ago. The cost: 721 dollars, plus 80 dollars to get Maine drivers licenses. 800 dollars is insane.

[diablogun]

Originally Posted by maineguy8888

I don't think this quote about xenophobia is helpful in any way at all. (I'll give you a pass on the "provincialism" charge......seems a bit more benigh of a thing to say).
I just can't imagine some one saying that about a place without taking several deep, deep gulps, much less the Maine I know (and have lived all over Maine).
Every place has some xenophobia. Fact.
I have lived in other states and been all over the world.
This slur about Maine's xenophobia......it simply has to stop! It is SO unfair, and as a social worker, I have to tell you that this IS a social justice issue. People just can't go around slandering a whole group of other people.

I would actually say just the opposite. My experience is that there are a great many nice folks here in the Portland area, but there is unfortunately a wide variety of intolerant, socialistic left-wingers who love to steal other folks' money in the form of taxes, spend it on a variety of left-wing causes in pursuit of "justice" (such as the 5 or so housing projects in the city of Portland that are scum-infested havens for criminals), then blame others as being xenophobic or racist when their plans fail, as they always do.

[forest beekeeper]

Originally Posted by diablogun

I registered my 2006 mazda and 2008 GMC truck 2 months ago. The cost: 721 dollars, plus 80 dollars to get Maine drivers licenses. 800 dollars is insane.

Had you registered a 1996 and a 1998 vehicle [10 years older] they would have been much cheaper.

[chaosX5]

Originally Posted by diablogun

I registered my 2006 mazda and 2008 GMC truck 2 months ago. The cost: 721 dollars, plus 80 dollars to get Maine drivers licenses. 800 dollars is insane.

It's not much different in NC............... They just don't call it excise tax, it's property tax. "They" always find someway to get your money!

[rumorhasit]

Originally Posted by maineguy8888

I don't think this quote about xenophobia is helpful in any way at all. (I'll give you a pass on the "provincialism" charge......seems a bit more benigh of a thing to say).
I just can't imagine some one saying that about a place without taking several deep, deep gulps, much less the Maine I know (and have lived all over Maine).
Every place has some xenophobia. Fact.
I have lived in other states and been all over the world.
This slur about Maine's xenophobia......it simply has to stop! It is SO unfair, and as a social worker, I have to tell you that this IS a social justice issue. People just can't go around slandering a whole group of other people.

I agree with you, Maine Guy. I am a "retired" social worker and these kind of broad statements really bother me. I appreciate you standing up
for this concept. There are xenophobic people everywhere, there are people who are only prejudiced against certain groups that they fear are threatening, etc., etc. To put Maine in a special category and generalize about a whole group of people is, in a sense, xenophobic in itself.