Thinking about moving to Maine this year or next

[OpinionExperience]

Originally Posted by maineborzoi

Ohhh I don't know about that. Take our home for example- it is 162 years old, and did not last that long if it had been poorly insulated. Someone would have torn it down Years ago... The price we paid for this house was shocking compared to any home we would have been able to find in Virginia. Shoot- ended up being the price one would pay for a new car !

In general, I have found, houses are well insulated. This past winter, the price of oil did a nose dive, so many people did not burn wood but rather use the oil. We are more like " wood purist" and kept to our pattern of using wood only. There are alot of old homes around here- that's for sure. There is something to be said for " the old ways" as it seems newspaper, horse hair etc was added as time went along.

What we did have to fix on moving here- was the plumbing. This home obviously had gone through a few renovations, so the types of plumbing used did not match- and created its own issues. Once we put in PEX through out, the worry over freezing the basement etc lessened. It truly was worth the price to pull out the old copper and replace it.

Have you done a blower door test? Infrared pictures in the winter?

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by OpinionExperience

Have you done a blower door test? Infrared pictures in the winter?

You do not want a house that is too tight.

Our house was too tight, and we had moisture problems. A house needs to breath.

[maineborzoi]

Originally Posted by Submariner

You do not want a house that is too tight.

Our house was too tight, and we had moisture problems. A house needs to breath.

Absolutely ! Especially in your attic as otherwise you are also risking frost damage...

[dubthang]

Originally Posted by Submariner

You do not want a house that is too tight.

Our house was too tight, and we had moisture problems. A house needs to breath.

Originally Posted by maineborzoi

Absolutely ! Especially in your attic as otherwise you are also risking frost damage...

You will only have moisture issues if you don't have a proper ERV or HRV. A modern passive solar, energy efficient house will out perform any traditionally built house. Frost damage in attics occurs from improper attic insulation and lack of an air exchange (ERV or HRV).

[NorthernGator]

Originally Posted by elkelives

I have been reading posts on here about people who have moved to Maine or are contemplating it, and how Mainers view people who are outsiders, and I thought I would ask your thoughts about a possible move to Maine.

I am definitely NOT from Maine, although I apparently did have a grandfather born in Scarborough in the 18th century, and a couple more from Yarmouth, so I guess that is something.

My son and dil moved to Portland about a year and a half ago and then had a little Mainer--they were pregnant when they moved. They are thrilled with everything about Maine, and have bought a house. My brother and his wife have had a place in Maine for 20 years (they split year with Boston) and absolutely love living where they live. We are trying to get my elderly parents to come live with one of us, and thought it would help if I were there with the others.

We looked at Bridgton and the lakes area and I really liked it, but it's frankly kind of out of reach financially for us. We own a place outright now and are too old to want a mortgage again; I semi retired this year and money is a lot tighter. We want to be in the country but not too far from the kids and my brother, but I don't want to go bck to less land than we have here, 5 acres, and I want a barn, which we have here. My son suggested Belfast area, but it's a longer drive to them. But I really can't see giving up our little farm, which we love, and I wonder what is out there drivable to them within an hour and a half, under 75k, that we can fix up/.

We have bought foreclosure houses and replaced stuff like kitchens and scraped all kinds of s&&t off floors and walls and lived in an 1830 cape that we loved best of all our houses. We are hard workers but getting older-- early 60's, and husband has been told he needs a hip replacement--he shattered his pelvis falling out of a tree he was trimming, so he is game to try renovation, sometimes way too game.

What I guess I am worried about is moving out there and finding that people dislike outsiders. Where we lived in upstate NY was like that--it took 10 years for people to warm up, and they were really clannish. We have no desire to make Maine anything but what it is, of course. But we would like some friends. We love our dogs and our family and growing things, and we're not loud and we don't criticize our neighbors and my husband pulls them out of their driveway when they're stuck, etc. etc., but we dokeep to ourselves,and we are not super chatty. I am actually extremely, although my husband is an extrovert. We have usually met friends at church, and our son is a friendly, gregarious guy who brings HIS friends around, but I am getting older and just don't want to make this move if you all think that Maine really doesn't take to people coming in from out of state.

My trepidation with the possible move has more to do with health issues--COPD and arthritis for example, and the winters--than with any innate criticism of Maine or Mainers. But I don't snowshoe or snowmobile or hunt (although I grew up in a hunting family) and I just like to grow things and ride horses.

Are there areas that are friendlier than other areas, within an hour or so of Portland? Will people be angry at someone coming in and buying a foreclosure for cash, and think, oh they are showing off? Because that was what NY was like.

We actually moved to our current place to be closer to the kids, so the only reason we are doing this is for the extended family reasons, and a desire to help care for my parents, and a desire to be closer to my granddaughter.

Hello!
First thing- depending on where you go in Maine the people are very different. It's not unlike most other states in that way. In Maine when people seem unfriendly it is often because they don't want to be seen as nosy, they respect privacy. Of course like anywhere else some people actually don't like people! I find Portland very politically correct for better or worse. So check around, personalities and values are varied. You'll find a good match.


And the good/bad thing about Maine is because it isn't a red hot job market you can often get good deals on houses. I'd work with a couple realtors before thinking any place is out of your range BUT- be careful on the taxes and "hidden costs" some cities like Portland will require you to buy special trash bags. Have you considered South Portland? It has all the "creature comforts" nearby such as the mall , but also has trails and is next door to Portland.


Depending on how comfortable you are about being in the country should dictate where you live. Driving, slow down. The crews are awesome about the roads. Unlike southern and other states they stay right on top of it. I think it's safer to drive in sleet, snow and hail up north than it is to drive in 1/2 inch of snow in the south. When it's real bad the news- other places are very good about letting everyone know. If the mall closes, stay home.


I'd also consider Gorham/ also next to South Portland (creature comforts) as well as Portland, but Gorham was getting a bit pricey starting about 10 years ago, but again, if you're willing to fix-er-up there are homes there and in Buxton-- just be careful if you're someone that needs to be right next to a lot of stores. The towns are spread out, so parts of Gorham are a 5 minute drive to what I call civilization- other parts are much longer. In the summer you might not care, but in winter the long hills at night aren't much fun- my opinion, safer in the city.


I'd stay in southern maine for sure but keep your options open because one town might be expensive but the one next to it, even nicer and much more reasonable. (ask any native mainer about yarmouth, "Cumberland foreside", "Falmouth foreside" before they became popular).


By the way- in the winter the beach communities (old orchard beach, likely southern beaches, maybe York??) will have winter rentals often dirt cheap. If it's an option you could always do a rental and have time to check things out in person!


Welcome to Maine- it's awesome, and there are other activities besides winter sports! Especially in Portland area.

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by NorthernGator

... When it's real bad the news- other places are very good about letting everyone know. If the mall closes, stay home.

What mall?

[dubthang]

Originally Posted by Submariner

What mall?

I assume its the Maine Mall in South Portland.

[elkelives]

Well, we are finally moving, out to the Bridgton area, because it is closer to family. In the end, family illnesses and emergencies have ended up deciding the timeline and the where. Hoping to move my parents up there where there will be three sets of adults to help with their care. Being close to the family ended up being the deciding factor, with proximity to hospital for me, a little land for my husband, and we like how much there is to do there for the grandchildren.

I loved the Belfast area, but too far from where we hope my parents end up, and they need daily visits, and I can't spend all my life in the car. I wish the whole family would relocate farther north to suit us (haha, like that would ever happen), as Portland isn't really my thing, no offense, just liked it up north a lot, but they aren't going to, they are all in Portland, so we are moving down south.

[dubthang]

Originally Posted by elkelives

Well, we are finally moving, out to the Bridgton area, because it is closer to family. In the end, family illnesses and emergencies have ended up deciding the timeline and the where. Hoping to move my parents up there where there will be three sets of adults to help with their care. Being close to the family ended up being the deciding factor, with proximity to hospital for me, a little land for my husband, and we like how much there is to do there for the grandchildren.

I loved the Belfast area, but too far from where we hope my parents end up, and they need daily visits, and I can't spend all my life in the car. I wish the whole family would relocate farther north to suit us (haha, like that would ever happen), as Portland isn't really my thing, no offense, just liked it up north a lot, but they aren't going to, they are all in Portland, so we are moving down south.

Congrats on the move. Bridgton is quite pretty depending on where you will be located.

[OutdoorLover]

Belfast is a nice small coastal city and has some amenities like a supermarket, a small hospital and some things going on. Prices are pretty reasonable. I think it's about 2hrs from Portland. Damariscotta has similar attributes and is more like 1&1/4hrs from Portland. Bath is also worth a look, and is something like 3/4 hour from Portland.

P.S. Oops, didn't see your latest post - please disregard if you already got a place.