Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
A few details, because I suspect the answers are going to be pretty much I expect.
I'm 48, 2x divorced, got 10 and 8 year olds living down in Cheshire, CT, so I would be considerably closer to them. Job in Augusta is secure and I'd make a little over 100K. I currently rent here, but I'm closing out my mother's estate in Iowa and should have at least 100K to put down on a house later this year.
I know winter is going to suck (but, OTOH, you have real winter so you can do real winter sports), utilities are high, taxes are high (state doesn't look so bad but I'm willing to bet property taxes are something else), looks like you get more house for your buck than in Northern California (although prices are somewhat comparable to Sacramento).
I'm originally from Iowa, have a MA, and I've lived all over the Midwest, the East Coast (Virginia), Mississippi and California over the past 20+ years of my career (transportation/community planning).
My primary concerns are:
> Dating. I suspect the pool ain't large.
> Heating my house in winter is going to cost more than the mortgage.
> I'm a fusion guitarist. I doubt that there's much of a music scene outside Portland and the college towns, and Portland looks like a good hour's drive from Augusta proper.
> Schools. Should my children come to live with me in a few years, am I going to find a decent school district.
I'm from Des Moines, and I know what I'm getting into if I were to move to a rural state. The winters aren't as long in Iowa as they appear to be in Maine, but it seems like your temps aren't quite as brutal near the coast. I do like the idea of less crime and more personal safety than here...
I appreciate the answers and I'm trying to not bring any preconceived notions into this. Thanks!
Welcome to the forum, I just wrote a blog on the 2009 final numbers, so they're fresh in my mind:
Median Sale Price for an existing Single Family Home Statewide was $164,000
Median Sale Price for an existing Single Family Home in Kennebec County was $129,000.
I'm not sure how that compares to the Sacramento market, but from what I hear about California, that should be good news to you.
I know that Mainers(long term born and raised) are unhappy with increased taxes, and the "high cost" of everything. The problem is that wages are generally lower. But if you move to Maine and come in with either a comparable job to what you had where youleft or a pension and SS that is equal, Maine's taxes are pretty much the same as many places, and in some aspects lower.
It is considered that property for example on MDI, is outrageous. However, compared to south central PA, its actually quite a bargain. I have friends who have all purchased 300K houses, and they are just middle class here. Even beginning teachers here buy $230K houses. My daughter lives in Oakland, CA. You can't even buy a dirt floor shack there for $300K.
Its pretty relative. Move to a place with lots of amenities and prices will be higher because it has all those things. Move to a place without much, and it will be cheaper because a large number of people don't want to live there.
It is considered that property for example on MDI, is outrageous. However, compared to south central PA, its actually quite a bargain. I have friends who have all purchased 300K houses, and they are just middle class here. Even beginning teachers here buy $230K houses. My daughter lives in Oakland, CA. You can't even buy a dirt floor shack there for $300K.
I live in Oakland CA and there are plenty of homes available under 300k... this morning I found 449 homes for sale at or below 300k.
Homes that sold for 500k just a couple of years ago are going for half that now... I sold several homes and know this to be fact.
I'm happy to report there are no dirt floor shacks left anywhere in the city
Are lots of those homes 900 sf bungalows in East or West Oakland? I have friends who live in Montclair, Trestle Glen, and none of those homes are under $400K. My first husband was raised in East Oakland (93rd Ave between A Street and East 14th). I was born in Concord and was raised in San Leandro.
Some areas are really bad, such as Pippin and Pearmain (I think off of 98th Ave). I don't think you're going to get the equivalent home for $300K in Oakland and $300K in Maine. Oakland's property taxes are higher than average (we can't even speak about Berkeley's) because they have lots of assessments.
Don't get me wrong. I love Oakland. Love, love it. I used to work downtown, right on the edge of Chinatown. Ethnic food in Contra Costa County is expensive and mediocre. Oakland, Berkeley, Emeryville -- now those cities have good restaurants.
I wanted to let you know that my son's boat, the USS Los Angeles, was d'commed. They're readying it for dry dock in Bremerton. Most of the men serving on the boat are temporarily home-ported at Bremerton. They're kind of in limbo, waiting to be reassigned. My son doesn't know how much choice they'll have in their new assignments.
I thought he'd dislike the change from Pearl Harbor to Bremerton (because of the weather), but he's been out painting the town with his Liberty buddies.
He tried to explain to me what kind of boat he'll be on next, but I don't think I caught it all. He might be on a Boomer or something similar that goes into international waters and ports. He thinks his next home port might be Georgia.
He was also awarded the Navy Expeditionary Medal for a mission that he can't disclose to me. He's saving up his Leave, so he can visit us or a month.
I wanted to let you know that my son's boat, the USS Los Angeles, was d'commed. They're readying it for dry dock in Bremerton. Most of the men serving on the boat are temporarily home-ported at Bremerton. They're kind of in limbo, waiting to be reassigned. My son doesn't know how much choice they'll have in their new assignments.
I thought he'd dislike the change from Pearl Harbor to Bremerton (because of the weather), but he's been out painting the town with his Liberty buddies.
He tried to explain to me what kind of boat he'll be on next, but I don't think I caught it all. He might be on a Boomer or something similar that goes into international waters and ports. He thinks his next home port might be Georgia.
He was also awarded the Navy Expeditionary Medal for a mission that he can't disclose to me. He's saving up his Leave, so he can visit us or a month.
I decommed the Pulaski in Bremerton, it can take up to 18 months. The crew gets smaller each month as guys bail-out, most are given the choice of how long they want to stay, I stayed to the very end of the Pulaski.
A lot of our crewmen really enjoyed weekend trips to Vancover
Pearl, Bangor, Kings Bay are all possibilities for him.
A few details, because I suspect the answers are going to be pretty much I expect.
I'm 48, 2x divorced, got 10 and 8 year olds living down in Cheshire, CT, so I would be considerably closer to them. Job in Augusta is secure and I'd make a little over 100K. I currently rent here, but I'm closing out my mother's estate in Iowa and should have at least 100K to put down on a house later this year.
I know winter is going to suck (but, OTOH, you have real winter so you can do real winter sports), utilities are high, taxes are high (state doesn't look so bad but I'm willing to bet property taxes are something else), looks like you get more house for your buck than in Northern California (although prices are somewhat comparable to Sacramento).
I'm originally from Iowa, have a MA, and I've lived all over the Midwest, the East Coast (Virginia), Mississippi and California over the past 20+ years of my career (transportation/community planning).
My primary concerns are:
> Dating. I suspect the pool ain't large.
> Heating my house in winter is going to cost more than the mortgage.
> I'm a fusion guitarist. I doubt that there's much of a music scene outside Portland and the college towns, and Portland looks like a good hour's drive from Augusta proper.
> Schools. Should my children come to live with me in a few years, am I going to find a decent school district.
I'm from Des Moines, and I know what I'm getting into if I were to move to a rural state. The winters aren't as long in Iowa as they appear to be in Maine, but it seems like your temps aren't quite as brutal near the coast. I do like the idea of less crime and more personal safety than here...
I appreciate the answers and I'm trying to not bring any preconceived notions into this. Thanks!
Sounds like your ready to bite the bullet
Coming here with that kind of an open mind will make it that much easier.
I think you hit the nail on the head for the most part but bottom line is if your making 100k plus then you should be living pretty comfortably.
Don't get sold on buying a home.. You can rent some nice houses around here. I just don't know how much an investment it would be for you and selling a home can be more difficult unless you plan on staying here for the next 12 years.
Portland has a great music scene. And the hour's drive from augusta is an easy one.. besides you dont have to live in augusta.
Good news.. I don't believe there are any "bad" schools in Maine per se... if your children are bright and school oriented then they can learn anywhere here.. depending on their extrcariicular interest that may be a determining factor.. Cape Elizabeth, yarmouth, and Bangor are the best rated schools in Maine.
Are lots of those homes 900 sf bungalows in East or West Oakland? I have friends who live in Montclair, Trestle Glen, and none of those homes are under $400K. My first husband was raised in East Oakland (93rd Ave between A Street and East 14th). I was born in Concord and was raised in San Leandro.
Some areas are really bad, such as Pippin and Pearmain (I think off of 98th Ave). I don't think you're going to get the equivalent home for $300K in Oakland and $300K in Maine. Oakland's property taxes are higher than average (we can't even speak about Berkeley's) because they have lots of assessments.
Don't get me wrong. I love Oakland. Love, love it. I used to work downtown, right on the edge of Chinatown. Ethnic food in Contra Costa County is expensive and mediocre. Oakland, Berkeley, Emeryville -- now those cities have good restaurants.
Lots of good restaurants in Oakland too... both downtown, Piedmont Ave, Montclair and near Berkeley
My first home was on Havenscourt... it recently sold REO for 70k... my second home was near 92nd and B (might have been a neighbor to your husband)... homes there are similar in price... my next home was near 98th and Edes at Brookfield Village... 5 bedroom 2 bath 1600 square feet... homes there top out around 180k
Homes in Laurel and Dimond, 3 bedroom Craftsman Bungalow 1250 square feet available around 200k
Montclair and Trestle Glen only account for a small corner of the city and prices rise along with the elevation... homes in Montclair with sweeping views start at 500k all the way to 5 million.
My Oakland property tax is 1.44% so the tax on a 100k home is $1,440
Sorry for coming down on you... it's just that Oakland has many homes available... lots of public transportation, minutes from San Francisco and home to many companies... one thing we don't have is homes with dirt floors.
A few details, because I suspect the answers are going to be pretty much I expect.
I'm 48, 2x divorced, got 10 and 8 year olds living down in Cheshire, CT, so I would be considerably closer to them. Job in Augusta is secure and I'd make a little over 100K. I currently rent here, but I'm closing out my mother's estate in Iowa and should have at least 100K to put down on a house later this year.
I know winter is going to suck (but, OTOH, you have real winter so you can do real winter sports), utilities are high, taxes are high (state doesn't look so bad but I'm willing to bet property taxes are something else), looks like you get more house for your buck than in Northern California (although prices are somewhat comparable to Sacramento).
I'm originally from Iowa, have a MA, and I've lived all over the Midwest, the East Coast (Virginia), Mississippi and California over the past 20+ years of my career (transportation/community planning).
My primary concerns are:
> Dating. I suspect the pool ain't large.
> Heating my house in winter is going to cost more than the mortgage.
> I'm a fusion guitarist. I doubt that there's much of a music scene outside Portland and the college towns, and Portland looks like a good hour's drive from Augusta proper.
> Schools. Should my children come to live with me in a few years, am I going to find a decent school district.
I'm from Des Moines, and I know what I'm getting into if I were to move to a rural state. The winters aren't as long in Iowa as they appear to be in Maine, but it seems like your temps aren't quite as brutal near the coast. I do like the idea of less crime and more personal safety than here...
I appreciate the answers and I'm trying to not bring any preconceived notions into this. Thanks!
I have a business in Sac for 23 years. My son is now running it with my office manager of 15 years. I have lived in ME now since Nov. '08. I've gone from the center of CA to the center of ME. My family has lived in the same house here since 1889. An 1850's built old farmhouse with 5 bedrooms and a downstairs bath which sits about 20 feet off route 7. But I have an apartment downtown over a business owned by a distant cousin.
The number of indoor activities a wash. The number of outside activities a wash. Dating....wash first. Sorry, back to list. Distance to the ocean and mountains is balanced. Public schools better here. Heating is a wash with air conditioning costs. Fusion guitarist is nice. Learn some bluegrass.
Other than that, what are you waiting for? Maine is the big naval orange in with your basket of tomatoes. You can peel any life you want in Maine or play catchup.
Lots of good restaurants in Oakland too... both downtown, Piedmont Ave, Montclair and near Berkeley
My first home was on Havenscourt... it recently sold REO for 70k... my second home was near 92nd and B (might have been a neighbor to your husband)... homes there are similar in price... my next home was near 98th and Edes at Brookfield Village... 5 bedroom 2 bath 1600 square feet... homes there top out around 180k
Homes in Laurel and Dimond, 3 bedroom Craftsman Bungalow 1250 square feet available around 200k
Montclair and Trestle Glen only account for a small corner of the city and prices rise along with the elevation... homes in Montclair with sweeping views start at 500k all the way to 5 million.
My Oakland property tax is 1.44% so the tax on a 100k home is $1,440
Sorry for coming down on you... it's just that Oakland has many homes available... lots of public transportation, minutes from San Francisco and home to many companies... one thing we don't have is homes with dirt floors.
No problem! And, I see you have been around Oakland. When I was looking for a home, I did look around Sequoia, but it was out of my price range.
Small world
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Sorry, back to list. Distance to the ocean and mountains is balanced. Public schools better here. Heating is a wash with air conditioning costs. Fusion guitarist is nice. Learn some bluegrass.
