Gorham v. Scarborough v. Brunswick (Portland, South Portland: rent, low crime, loan)

[pell07]

I am looking for some personal input on the pros and cons to moving my family to Gorham vs. Scarborough vs. Brunswick. I want to work in the Old Port and my husband would like to work for a larger hospital and we'd like to have not much more than a 30 minute commute to and from the Old Port. We have a 1 year old and 3.5 year old so schools and activities and town wide events are important to us. I want a town center and/or be able to live within walking distance to one or to a beach as we do now in CT. We want a great neighborhood where people know each other and will be welcoming. I was born and raised in Van Buren and have been out of Maine since 1997 and am anxious to return.

Any input will be greatly appreciated!

[pell07]

One other thing - we are taking some time in the next couple of months to check out each of these 3 towns. Can anyone recommend what specifically we should check out to convince us or otherwise to choose one over the other.

Thanks so much.

[jpeebs]

I'm also interested in information. Been researching for quite some time. Cape Elizabeth a little pricey. Also looking at York, Kennebunk and Kennebunkport.

[Maineah]

No beaches in Gorham. Busy down town with lots of traffic on RTE 25. Nice college town with an artsy flair. Scarborough is spread out all over the place. The main parts being Oak Hill, Route One and the New development near the South Portland line where Cabela's is. Not much of a down town feel to it. There are some beaches nearby but they won't be in walking distance unless you buy or rent near the beach and here you're looking at Cape Elizabeth prices for a house or rental. Brunswick has a nice downtown area with a town green they flood for skating in the winter. No beaches to speak of in Brunswick though there are some tidal beaches. Again you'll pay big dollars to live anywhere near the water. Brunswick to the Old Port is a half hour easily. There are places in Portland that are nice though I'm not sure how good the Portland school system is.
The place I'd pick in your situation is Yarmouth. Nice quiet downtown, walking /bicycle paths all over the place,very highly rated schools, a beach on Cousin's Island, (not walking distance though a short drive) and only about 15-20 minutes from the Old Port area.

[elston]

Gorham is a very nice town....relatively quiet and very laid back. It's main street has a hardware and drug store....supermarket....several fast food places. It has very nice neighborhoods, a beautiful library.....because of the college it has concerts and plays....and an ice rink/gym. It is a family type town....everyone seems quite pleased with the schools....low crime...neighborliness. I am older than you .... but I love it here. It is not a tourist mecca....just a nice small town...in proximity to everything....but still "country".

[jpeebs]

I have a question about Scarborough. Since it is so spread out as all of you seem to agree...what area of Scarborough would be most desirable for a young family with kids?

[WhoFanMe]

Hello jpeebs,

As somebody who has recently worked with a young family with kids specifically in Scarborough, your question is timely. Unfortunately there is no simple answer. Do you want to be within walking distance of a beach? Do you want a large lot? Do you want city water and sewer? Do you want a home built after 2000 or an older home? Have you been to a local loan officer to get pre-qualified for a loan and do you know what your price range is? How far do you want to be from the primary, intermediate, middle and high schools? These are just some of the questions that I ask buyers before we start working together and viewing homes and neighborhoods.

A good start, if you haven't already seen it is the official web site and the Wikipedia site. Good luck.

[jpeebs]

Hi Who Fan Me...thank you for your response. I'll tell you exactly what I'm looking for. My husband and I are in our late 50's near retirement and living in NJ (can't wait to get out). We have vacationed in Maine and love it. We despise the rat race and mentality in NJ. My daughter, husband and 3 yr. old feel the same way. We would like to buy a larger home for all of us to live in an area that has good schools, community feel. We would be spending approx. 600K for a home (give or take). We would not need a mortgage. 4 BR's. House doesn't have to be within walking distance to beach. Would prefer a newer home built after 2000. Not really fond of the very cookie-cutter house...prefer a craftsman style home...something a little unique....and a Maine feel to it. Yet, my daughter would like an area where her children are within playing distance of other neighbors. Close proximity to primary, inter. and high schools is important. City water and sewer are preferable unless it's a newer septic system. We have been looking in other areas but I keep coming back to Scarborough. I like a downtown and I kkow Scarborough doesn't really have that, but as long as I can easily get to shopping, etc. Would not go north of Portland. We've thought of selling our home here and going to an apt until we retire, buying in Maine so that my daughter can move in now and get adjusted and we can join them in retirement.
By the way, my son-in-law is an expert in marine canvasing on the Delaware in NJ. He would easily be able to find work in Maine as he is such a talented canvaser and businessman. His family is notable for building sailboats years ago..It's in his blood.

[Mark S.]

Come for a visit. Sounds like you've done your homework, which is good, but no amount of homework can compare to the reality.

We did years of homework before taking a visit. There were places we loved on paper that when we visited we didn't like very much. And there were places that looked bad in the research that we ended up liking quite a lot. And the place we ended up coming was a place that wasn't even originally in our Top 10 choices.

And if you have $600k in your home budget, you'll have your pick of homes in just about any decent neighborhood in Maine.

[Roland 544]

I would second that, with the $$$ you want to spend on housing, there is a lot of choice,pretty much anywhere you like. Good luck