Best towns North and south of Portland (home, employment)

[flycessna]

Originally Posted by Vera206

Thank you for all your information. I have to sell a rental prop. here in CA. The market is very bad here, as all over. Real Estate prices have not come down as much as I thought in MA. I want to buy a two family (much harder to find) for about 350K or under.....but still big enough. Actually looked a bit in Beverly. The north shore in MA is so crowded now, although things are much lower as you go west (common knowledge). I spent many years in Winthrop and Beachmont (Revere), know about the fact that we get much less snow being on ocean. Had to vacate home during "the perfect storm" of Oct. 31, 1991.......almost in labor. They say never buy property without living in the area (renting first). I tend to want to go back to familiar area of MA........but too stressful and crowded now. Winthrop MA, no real estate deals there...cannot afford. So maybe time to take a trip to Maine and really look. Thank you for info regarding taxes, that really matters and can vary greatly from town to town. That is the little hidden secret in New Hampshire, no state tax, no sales tax (I think that is right).....but they kill you on PROPERTY TAX. Got to get it somewhere! BUt, I did read that Maine had one of the highest property tax bases in the country.........so you find this lovely house for say, 339,000 and the taxes are $5,000/yr. That is a very important thing to have knowledge about....even if you pay for the house outright. Thanks again.

Vera

Maine is number 1 for taxes. There has been a long debate about mainers only having the highest "tax burden" (when per capita tax is pegged to our unusually low per capita income) but make no mistake.......our taxes are high and the more you make the more they will take.

Just looking at the $5,045 each citizen paid to the great state of maine (on a per capita basis) ONLY 6 STATES AND DC COLLECTED MORE FROM THEIR CITIZENS.

1. DC $7,873///2.CT $6,756///3.NJ $5,991///4.MA $5,419///5. VT $5,387///6. MD $5,341///7. RI $5291///

And our beloved neighbor to the west and south (NH), that doesn't tax income or sales and rated 2nd best for lowest taxes, paid a per capita average of $3,504.

In auburn our mil rate is $21 per $1000 of valuation. We have had a recent revaulation of the whole town but to put in some perspective my house is really only worth about 200,000 and my taxes are $3600. The kicker is they were $2600 3 years ago so our taxes are still going up. You can find lower mil rates in the towns I mentioned near portland but then the values will be higher.

My parents retired and moved here 5 years ago from Ma. Last year they sold and are planning to move back when prices drop. Winters, taxes, political climate, and business climate, in that order, is what forced them back to Ma .

[Vera206]

Originally Posted by ihateillegals

Hi I lived in SoCal for a while (mostly LA and OC) but I'm pretty familiar with it all. I moved to Southern Maine for my sanity. Feel free to message me. Good luck.

Are you from New England originally??? When you are an adult, it is very difficult to adapt. As soon as I came here 4 1/2 yrs ago, I have been trying to GET OUT (Los Angeles county). My daughter, just to be turning 16 has really been infulenced by lifestyle here. Both my children were born in MA, nasty divorce sent us out here as we have family here.
Why were you in So. Cal???I will refrain from going on a California bashing tirade (but I could)......I hate everything here. Went back to MA last summer and spent couple of weeks looking at property, but even MA is too crowded and a lot of sad memories.
You are right, I want to move for my sanity.....I want a quiet life but do not want to be in the "tullies". I want to sell a rental property here (and the market is horrible now) and buy a two family. It appears that there are more two families in Portland than the surrounding areas. I must do what is called a 1031 exchange.....or you get socked with something called Capital gains tax. Well, look for to hearing from you.....

Vera, lover of New England
hater of Spainsh pseudo architecture, plastic people, hot weather and traffic jams!!

[Vera206]

Originally Posted by flycessna

Maine is number 1 for taxes. There has been a long debate about mainers only having the highest "tax burden" (when per capita tax is pegged to our unusually low per capita income) but make no mistake.......our taxes are high and the more you make the more they will take.

Just looking at the $5,045 each citizen paid to the great state of maine (on a per capita basis) ONLY 6 STATES AND DC COLLECTED MORE FROM THEIR CITIZENS.

1. DC $7,873///2.CT $6,756///3.NJ $5,991///4.MA $5,419///5. VT $5,387///6. MD $5,341///7. RI $5291///

And our beloved neighbor to the west and south (NH), that doesn't tax income or sales and rated 2nd best for lowest taxes, paid a per capita average of $3,504.

In auburn our mil rate is $21 per $1000 of valuation. We have had a recent revaulation of the whole town but to put in some perspective my house is really only worth about 200,000 and my taxes are $3600. The kicker is they were $2600 3 years ago so our taxes are still going up. You can find lower mil rates in the towns I mentioned near portland but then the values will be higher.

My parents retired and moved here 5 years ago from Ma. Last year they sold and are planning to move back when prices drop. Winters, taxes, political climate, and business climate, in that order, is what forced them back to Ma .

Where are you in Maine?? I don't know, seems like you have to balance everything out. And surviving in Maine, I guess it depends on the type of work you do. Say I bought a house in/around Portland for say 325,000......same house in any decent burb of Boston for 425,000, my taxes will be higher in Maine?? Doesn't that depend on assessed value and tax rate of a particular town. I see houses in MA, for same price, same town, but yearly taxes (property) vary sometimes more than $1,000/yr.
It is understandable that there are more emplyment opportunities in MA and much higher salaries......that is the decision I am trying to make. Outside 495 belt in MA, southern NH or MAine (somewhere near Porland)......just want to get the F**k out of So. Cal or CA period. I am sure that the winters are much harsher in Maine than MA/ any extreme weather wears on you after a while. Thank for the info.....

Vera

[Zymer]

Originally Posted by Vera206

Thank you for all your information. I have to sell a rental prop. here in CA. The market is very bad here, as all over. Real Estate prices have not come down as much as I thought in MA. I want to buy a two family (much harder to find) for about 350K or under.....but still big enough. Actually looked a bit in Beverly. The north shore in MA is so crowded now, although things are much lower as you go west (common knowledge). I spent many years in Winthrop and Beachmont (Revere), know about the fact that we get much less snow being on ocean. Had to vacate home during "the perfect storm" of Oct. 31, 1991.......almost in labor. They say never buy property without living in the area (renting first). I tend to want to go back to familiar area of MA........but too stressful and crowded now. Winthrop MA, no real estate deals there...cannot afford. So maybe time to take a trip to Maine and really look. Thank you for info regarding taxes, that really matters and can vary greatly from town to town. That is the little hidden secret in New Hampshire, no state tax, no sales tax (I think that is right).....but they kill you on PROPERTY TAX. Got to get it somewhere! BUt, I did read that Maine had one of the highest property tax bases in the country.........so you find this lovely house for say, 339,000 and the taxes are $5,000/yr. That is a very important thing to have knowledge about....even if you pay for the house outright. Thanks again.

Vera

I know of a house for sale in Weymouth, on a hill overlooking the water. I'm not sure how much, exactly, he's asking, but I know that he just wants out for a little more than he owes. He got rooked by one of those supposed "credit repair"/creative financing outfits and is having trouble making his mortgage payments. He wants to move to Alabama, where his wife comes from.

I have a house in MA that will be going up for sale at some point, and there are plenty more around me that are also up for sale. This isn't on the coast, though.

[flycessna]

Originally Posted by Vera206

Where are you in Maine??
Vera

I live in Auburn and own rental property in Lewiston. You will not find many opportunities to buy rental property in the small towns outside of Portland. You could find some in South Portland, Westbrook and maybe Scarborough but the city of Portland has the most opportunities to buy something. Portland has a population of only 65k people and is very livable. I love the city and wouldn’t hesitate to live there. Prices are higher, rents are higher, but I still get a better cap rate in Lewiston.

Don't believe all the hype. Lewiston is a fine city, very very very affordable and low crime. It has somewhat of a run down, down town (small area). The biggest problem I see is that the city still lacks a large white collar base and is still predominantly a blue collar town. A city like Portland has its bad areas as well but Lewiston’s can sometimes overshadow its large suburban community outside of the downtown area.

Auburn, the sister city of Lewiston also has opportunities to buy a multi. Auburn has a lot more rural land to it. Lew/Aub pop is about 65k but has a total land area of 100 sq miles compared to Portland’s 15-20 square miles. Lewiston has changed a huge amount in the last ten years. A lot of revitalization brought a huge amount of new investment. It’s home to Bates college and centrally located in the state. 35 minutes to Portland, Augusta, Mountains ect. I like owning rental property in Maine. The hardest part is Maine notoriously low wages. I get on average $750 for a 2br 1ba. I pay the heat and hot water. Should I get $900…probably…but its hard when people are only making 10-12 hr

You can do a 1031 reverse. I “think” you have 3 months to find a property and 3 months buy something. Finding something here should probably go a lot easier than selling what you have so I would focus on selling first. Worse case scenario is you pay your gain tax this year when gain taxes are historically low 10% rate with I believe 15% recapture. I sold a property last year and the gain tax….though I hated paying it….was reasonable.

I am not a realtor but did have my license for while. I know rental property and the Lewiston Auburn area extremely well. If you decide to consider buying here then let me know and I can help. Good luck

[Vera206]

Originally Posted by flycessna

I live in Auburn and own rental property in Lewiston. You will not find many opportunities to buy rental property in the small towns outside of Portland. You could find some in South Portland, Westbrook and maybe Scarborough but the city of Portland has the most opportunities to buy something. Portland has a population of only 65k people and is very livable. I love the city and wouldn’t hesitate to live there. Prices are higher, rents are higher, but I still get a better cap rate in Lewiston.

Don't believe all the hype. Lewiston is a fine city, very very very affordable and low crime. It has somewhat of a run down, down town (small area). The biggest problem I see is that the city still lacks a large white collar base and is still predominantly a blue collar town. A city like Portland has its bad areas as well but Lewiston’s can sometimes overshadow its large suburban community outside of the downtown area.

Auburn, the sister city of Lewiston also has opportunities to buy a multi. Auburn has a lot more rural land to it. Lew/Aub pop is about 65k but has a total land area of 100 sq miles compared to Portland’s 15-20 square miles. Lewiston has changed a huge amount in the last ten years. A lot of revitalization brought a huge amount of new investment. It’s home to Bates college and centrally located in the state. 35 minutes to Portland, Augusta, Mountains ect. I like owning rental property in Maine. The hardest part is Maine notoriously low wages. I get on average $750 for a 2br 1ba. I pay the heat and hot water. Should I get $900…probably…but its hard when people are only making 10-12 hr

You can do a 1031 reverse. I “think” you have 3 months to find a property and 3 months buy something. Finding something here should probably go a lot easier than selling what you have so I would focus on selling first. Worse case scenario is you pay your gain tax this year when gain taxes are historically low 10% rate with I believe 15% recapture. I sold a property last year and the gain tax….though I hated paying it….was reasonable.

I am not a realtor but did have my license for while. I know rental property and the Lewiston Auburn area extremely well. If you decide to consider buying here then let me know and I can help. Good luck

Thank you for all the details. I have to come back again and really decide. Luckily I have people in MA that I can stay with. Everything in life in the proverbial "catch 22". I know that Maine has lower wages......that is why one must look over every knook and crany before buying property. I spend 3 weeks looking at prop. in MA....not long enough. Realtors are sending me props. for sale everyday in different locations.
2-family houses: If you are buying investment prop., it takes on a whole new slant. I already figured that Portland would have more 2-families. If buying a single family your options are much broader. You have to be in an area where renting is more of an option, i.e. near colleges, near a particular industry. Some towns in MA have a good mixture of both.......Salem MA for example has a ton of two families compared to many of it's surrounding towns. And if you are going to live in one of the units, make sure that you, the owner would be happy also.
What is the difference between Portland and So.Portland??? Is one better, nicer, cleaner, more expensive than the other........something to start a new thread about. Where are the "bad sections"? Like Andover v. No. Andover (MA), I forgot, but isn't one pricier than the other???
I know that I am asking too many questions.....where are you from in MA? HOw would you compare living outside 495 in MA (cheaper, less crime, less stress) to living in Maine???? ANything as nasty as Lynn or Lowell, sections of Portland that look like Chelsea???This is just a question becasue I do not know, I only saw downtown and waterfront parts of Portland.

[flycessna]

Originally Posted by Vera206

Thank you for all the details. I have to come back again and really decide. Luckily I have people in MA that I can stay with. Everything in life in the proverbial "catch 22". I know that Maine has lower wages......that is why one must look over every knook and crany before buying property. I spend 3 weeks looking at prop. in MA....not long enough. Realtors are sending me props. for sale everyday in different locations.
2-family houses: If you are buying investment prop., it takes on a whole new slant. I already figured that Portland would have more 2-families. If buying a single family your options are much broader. You have to be in an area where renting is more of an option, i.e. near colleges, near a particular industry. Some towns in MA have a good mixture of both.......Salem MA for example has a ton of two families compared to many of it's surrounding towns. And if you are going to live in one of the units, make sure that you, the owner would be happy also.
What is the difference between Portland and So.Portland??? Is one better, nicer, cleaner, more expensive than the other........something to start a new thread about. Where are the "bad sections"? Like Andover v. No. Andover (MA), I forgot, but isn't one pricier than the other???
I know that I am asking too many questions.....where are you from in MA? HOw would you compare living outside 495 in MA (cheaper, less crime, less stress) to living in Maine???? ANything as nasty as Lynn or Lowell, sections of Portland that look like Chelsea???This is just a question becasue I do not know, I only saw downtown and waterfront parts of Portland.

Google "American fact finder". US link to th e last sensus. You can search buy name or even zip code and find all sorts of usfull demographic information. Pick a place you know well research it then compare with somewhere else. If you know a particular area you like and find the average salery, population, ect ect then you can search to see where else looks similiar. Of course you can't compare Portland Maine's income figures to Brookline Ma but you get the point. The real kicker is you can map what stat your interested in and see what particular neighborhoods match what you like. Things to keep in mind: The last sensus was 2000. so some things have changed but you get my point.

I am from walpole. Most will know the community as the place where the prison is but the reality is Walpole is a great and quiet bedroom community of Boston. Great schools, excellent athletics, low crime. it was a pleasure to call home. I miss it and wish I could afford to move back and raise my own children there. People here often think of Ma as some place with massive amounts of angry people and lots of crime. Nothing could be further from the truth. Yes some things have changed there but overall its still a great place. Walpole...with a population of about 20-22k...nothing in Maine with more than 15k people has less of a crime rate...beautifull downtown with tree lined streets and 'SIDEWALKS". We never locked our doors. And don't stop there...howabout Sharon, Medfield, Dover, Needham, Westwood, sherborne. All gorgous towns with wonderfull scenary and low crime. Anyways just dreaming. Maine is not a bad place...and there is definately way less of a frenzy living here, and its much much more affordable north of portland. As time goes on and things get better here and worse in ma I feel better about being here but there are those days I would move back in an instant. Well I could keep going on but you get my point...good luck

[Vera206]

Originally Posted by flycessna

Google "American fact finder". US link to th e last sensus. You can search buy name or even zip code and find all sorts of usfull demographic information. Pick a place you know well research it then compare with somewhere else. If you know a particular area you like and find the average salery, population, ect ect then you can search to see where else looks similiar. Of course you can't compare Portland Maine's income figures to Brookline Ma but you get the point. The real kicker is you can map what stat your interested in and see what particular neighborhoods match what you like. Things to keep in mind: The last sensus was 2000. so some things have changed but you get my point.

I am from walpole. Most will know the community as the place where the prison is but the reality is Walpole is a great and quiet bedroom community of Boston. Great schools, excellent athletics, low crime. it was a pleasure to call home. I miss it and wish I could afford to move back and raise my own children there. People here often think of Ma as some place with massive amounts of angry people and lots of crime. Nothing could be further from the truth. Yes some things have changed there but overall its still a great place. Walpole...with a population of about 20-22k...nothing in Maine with more than 15k people has less of a crime rate...beautifull downtown with tree lined streets and 'SIDEWALKS". We never locked our doors. And don't stop there...howabout Sharon, Medfield, Dover, Needham, Westwood, sherborne. All gorgous towns with wonderfull scenary and low crime. Anyways just dreaming. Maine is not a bad place...and there is definately way less of a frenzy living here, and its much much more affordable north of portland. As time goes on and things get better here and worse in ma I feel better about being here but there are those days I would move back in an instant. Well I could keep going on but you get my point...good luck

Yes there is always pros and cons no matter what......I have never been in Walpole but never heard anything bad. I lived along time in Revere, talking about a bad rep. Well good with the bad, A lot of nice sections and I miss it strangely enough. I would move back to Winthrop, MA in a heartbeat but too expensive, but who knows. Everyone's situtaion is different and so is what they can spend. All I know is that I want to get the hell out of california. Thank you for all of your input.

[flycessna]

Originally Posted by Vera206

Yes there is always pros and cons no matter what......I have never been in Walpole but never heard anything bad. I lived along time in Revere, talking about a bad rep. Well good with the bad, A lot of nice sections and I miss it strangely enough. I would move back to Winthrop, MA in a heartbeat but too expensive, but who knows. Everyone's situtaion is different and so is what they can spend. All I know is that I want to get the hell out of california. Thank you for all of your input.

Revere.......did you have big hair

It's all subjective. I can tend to rant. But my heart is in the right place. I do appreciate how living here has afforded me an opportunity to live comfortably...not worry about having my home broken into ect.

[genmomto5]

Originally Posted by flycessna

Maine is number 1 for taxes. There has been a long debate about mainers only having the highest "tax burden" (when per capita tax is pegged to our unusually low per capita income) but make no mistake.......our taxes are high and the more you make the more they will take.

Just looking at the $5,045 each citizen paid to the great state of maine (on a per capita basis) ONLY 6 STATES AND DC COLLECTED MORE FROM THEIR CITIZENS.

1. DC $7,873///2.CT $6,756///3.NJ $5,991///4.MA $5,419///5. VT $5,387///6. MD $5,341///7. RI $5291///

And our beloved neighbor to the west and south (NH), that doesn't tax income or sales and rated 2nd best for lowest taxes, paid a per capita average of $3,504.

In auburn our mil rate is $21 per $1000 of valuation. We have had a recent revaulation of the whole town but to put in some perspective my house is really only worth about 200,000 and my taxes are $3600. The kicker is they were $2600 3 years ago so our taxes are still going up. You can find lower mil rates in the towns I mentioned near portland but then the values will be higher.

My parents retired and moved here 5 years ago from Ma. Last year they sold and are planning to move back when prices drop. Winters, taxes, political climate, and business climate, in that order, is what forced them back to Ma .

LOL I guess since I lived in NJ, then MD, and worked out of DC it now makes sense to me that moving here and checking out what our taxes will be didn't seem like that great a change either way. Sheesh! I guess I sub-consciously like to pay taxes. By the way, in my opinion Maine is doing better applying their tax money than those other places. The quality of life is better here by far. Oh and not on your list for high taxes but of interest in my personal comparison is Philadelphia. I lived there and nearby for years and always loved the city but recently it seems dingier and the crime rate is skyrocketing. I think CNN is doing a special entitled "Blood on the Streets" about the "City of Brotherly Love" this week. I have no idea what they pay in taxes but maybe it should be more.