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Old 07-07-2018, 11:01 AM
 
2 posts, read 3,697 times
Reputation: 10

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Hello,

I am originally from NYC (which I hate) and I have lived in Seattle (which I love) for the last 9 years. I just moved back to the NYC area to take a couple months off and spend time with my family. Over the last 2 months it is confirmed that I still hate it here.

Am Looking to move to Maine by Early October. I will be in Europe for 5 weeks in September and will be looking to move ASAP when I get back in Early October. I have a flight to Maine for a week at the end of July to go on some interviews and check out some towns and looking for a list of places to check out.

I will be working in Portland, and love being close to the water, restaurants, cafes, and nature. Something I am desperately missing about Seattle. But I also want to be on a budget and safe. I would love to be within 30 mins of downtown portland for work (the closer the better) , but also have a neighborhood that is affordable, safe, and has a few coffee shops and restaurants in town.

I will probably rent for a year before looking to buy. To rent I would love to spend under $1500 a month. To buy, 220K or less.

Best safe towns close to portland?
Thanks
Andrea
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Old 07-07-2018, 02:44 PM
 
Location: Caribou, Me.
6,928 posts, read 5,903,185 times
Reputation: 5251
The devil will be in the details for your commute time..........in other words, which particular route you need.
It took me at least 45 minutes to travel the 20 miles from West Buxton to Portland, because of the route I took (a common commuter route). Some days it was closer to an hour. For a small city, Portland can have some pretty bad commuter traffic.

(And that was 20 years ago...........things have just gotten worse since then).
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Old 07-07-2018, 03:52 PM
 
Location: Maine
22,920 posts, read 28,263,704 times
Reputation: 31234
Quote:
Originally Posted by drea85 View Post
Hello,

I am originally from NYC (which I hate) and I have lived in Seattle (which I love) for the last 9 years. I just moved back to the NYC area to take a couple months off and spend time with my family. Over the last 2 months it is confirmed that I still hate it here.

Am Looking to move to Maine by Early October. I will be in Europe for 5 weeks in September and will be looking to move ASAP when I get back in Early October. I have a flight to Maine for a week at the end of July to go on some interviews and check out some towns and looking for a list of places to check out.

I will be working in Portland, and love being close to the water, restaurants, cafes, and nature. Something I am desperately missing about Seattle. But I also want to be on a budget and safe. I would love to be within 30 mins of downtown portland for work (the closer the better) , but also have a neighborhood that is affordable, safe, and has a few coffee shops and restaurants in town.

I will probably rent for a year before looking to buy. To rent I would love to spend under $1500 a month. To buy, 220K or less.

Best safe towns close to portland?
Thanks
Andrea
Check out Brunswick when you come for your visit. It meets all your needs.

But you might have a hard time finding a rental in October. By then, Bowdoin College is back in session, and most rentals are full up. You'll have more luck moving in early to mid-summer.
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Old 07-07-2018, 04:04 PM
 
369 posts, read 325,401 times
Reputation: 924
Just spent 30 days in the Brunswick area. Downtown traffic gets tourist congestion but, you can find end runs once you know the area. One big hit of owning anywhere but Harpswell is huuuuge property taxes. You won't find much of a dwelling for 220k. If you stay east of 1 & 295 it's pleasant. West of those it gets very humid and infested with mosquitos, got to have the ocean breeze, air conditioning there not needed.
Get ready for looong winters. Love the lobster and fresh fish, clams. Sea Dog Brewing right downtown Brunswick is killer for great brews and chow, watched six ft. Sturgeon jumping off the deck.
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Old 07-07-2018, 04:33 PM
 
2 posts, read 3,697 times
Reputation: 10
How is traffic compared to NYC and Seattle traffic? I am used to NYC and Seattle Traffic. 1 to 2 hours to go 8 to 10 miles.

I am also used to $13000 a year taxes for property taxes, so anything under 10K a year is low to me!

I will check out Brunswick for sure when I come. I can't change my moving date unfortunately.

I am trying to ready myself for 6 months of insane snow and cold. But I am aware I might not be prepared after 8 years of Seattle temperate weather.
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Old 07-07-2018, 08:31 PM
 
Location: Maine
2,272 posts, read 6,668,304 times
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The $220k limit will make it tough most anywhere 30 min from downtown Portland, though you can find some condos or more modest small homes.

Maybe check out Westbrook? It seems to be more up and coming than it used to be I think.
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Old 07-08-2018, 05:16 PM
 
Location: Maine
22,920 posts, read 28,263,704 times
Reputation: 31234
Quote:
Originally Posted by drea85 View Post
How is traffic compared to NYC and Seattle traffic? I am used to NYC and Seattle Traffic. 1 to 2 hours to go 8 to 10 miles.
Traffic is nothing compared to Seattle. I used to commute from Federal Way to Renton, and on a good day I could do it in forty minutes. Most days it took over an hour. Some days it took an hour and a half. To go 17 miles.

I now have a commute of about 15 miles, and it is a rare day I can't do it in 20 minutes.


Quote:
Originally Posted by drea85 View Post
I am trying to ready myself for 6 months of insane snow and cold. But I am aware I might not be prepared after 8 years of Seattle temperate weather.
We don't get six months of winter. There are variations every year, of course, but here is an average year in coastal Maine …

Winter usually starts around the end of November. By the first weekend after Thanksgiving, we generally have our first good snowfall. Some years it is earlier. Some years it is later. But most of the time the snow sticks around until early March. So about 3 months of real winter. But it isn't like Seattle where an inch of snow cripples the city for three days. We can get nine inches of snow in a night and people still go to work the next day. It really isn't a big deal. But it does get cold. MUCH colder than Seattle. January is the coldest. The first time you go outside at night and all the mucus in your nose freezes solid on your first breath, you'll know winter has arrived.

Spring begins to arrive usually by late March. Some years later. And some years spring barely shows up before we go right into summer. Weather is great, but it is also mud and mosquito season.

Summers are warm and humid. MUCH warmer and humid than you're used to in Seattle. You probably will want to get an A/C unit for at least one window in your house. And we get lots of bugs you don't in Seattle --- mosquitos and brown-tail moths and M*******s ( https://www.boston.com/news/local-ne...ish-dictionary ) are the worst pests. Ants can be a problem if you don't spray for them. The warmest months are definitely July and August, but even in September it is still warm enough to outside in short sleeves.

And then there is Autumn, and that is the reason to live in Maine. Autumn usually kicks in by late September to early October. Days are gloriously sunny and pleasant, and nights are crisp and cool. Generally, in October and early November you can still wear short sleeves and only a jacket at night. You'll recognize the real Maineahs, because they are the ones still wearing shorts and sandals until Thanksgiving.
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Old 07-10-2018, 12:11 PM
 
Location: Gorham, Maine
1,973 posts, read 5,223,779 times
Reputation: 1505
Quote:
Originally Posted by drea85 View Post
Hello,

I am originally from NYC (which I hate) and I have lived in Seattle (which I love) for the last 9 years. I just moved back to the NYC area to take a couple months off and spend time with my family. Over the last 2 months it is confirmed that I still hate it here.

Am Looking to move to Maine by Early October. I will be in Europe for 5 weeks in September and will be looking to move ASAP when I get back in Early October. I have a flight to Maine for a week at the end of July to go on some interviews and check out some towns and looking for a list of places to check out.

I will be working in Portland, and love being close to the water, restaurants, cafes, and nature. Something I am desperately missing about Seattle. But I also want to be on a budget and safe. I would love to be within 30 mins of downtown portland for work (the closer the better) , but also have a neighborhood that is affordable, safe, and has a few coffee shops and restaurants in town.

I will probably rent for a year before looking to buy. To rent I would love to spend under $1500 a month. To buy, 220K or less.

Best safe towns close to portland?
Thanks
Andrea
Being 30 minutes from Portland and buying a suitable home for $220,000 will be challenging. The median sales price in Cumberland County for a single family home for the 3 months ending May 31 was $310,000 and that was for 888 units, a substantial sample size. That's nearly 9% higher than the same period in 2017. I don't see that trend changing anytime soon and the consensus is that rates will be higher a year from now, making it even harder for a buyer.
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Old 07-10-2018, 04:09 PM
 
369 posts, read 325,401 times
Reputation: 924
Quote:
Originally Posted by Copymutt View Post
Just spent 30 days in the Brunswick area. Downtown traffic gets tourist congestion but, you can find end runs once you know the area. One big hit of owning anywhere but Harpswell is huuuuge property taxes. You won't find much of a dwelling for 220k. If you stay east of 1 & 295 it's pleasant. West of those it gets very humid and infested with mosquitos, got to have the ocean breeze, air conditioning there not needed.
Get ready for looong winters. Love the lobster and fresh fish, clams. Sea Dog Brewing right downtown Brunswick is killer for great brews and chow, watched six ft. Sturgeon jumping off the deck.
Just reread my post. the sturgeon weren't jumping off the deck. I was on deck watching them. Didn't want to mislead you
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Old 07-17-2018, 09:03 PM
 
43 posts, read 57,643 times
Reputation: 53
Don't give up on trying to find a house in Portland. My wife and I bought one in December 2017 for $185K.

Watch the market and be ready if something pops up that interests you.
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