Looking to Move to Maine, Portland Area (from Ohio)...advice please! (Bangor: for sale, mortgage)

[mrspink]

Well, first of all, we are not moving to Portland without coming to visit. We do have some common sense.

Second of all...we are nowhere close to Cleveland or any large city for that matter. The town we live in is oh about...2000-5000, so no...jobs in my location are no better off than in Maine, in my opinion. And let's not get started on teaching jobs/even the economy in Ohio. My husband was lucky to find a job, but many he graduated with did not get hired in Ohio and had to go out of state. I guess the same can be said for Ohio as Maine...you can't really judge the economy or available jobs until you've lived here a while and seen what it is like.

I think I will get some of these negative sentiments wherever we choose to move. (ex. Seattle with the rain) Obviously teaching jobs are available most in the south, but I cannot STAND the heat there...yuck (sorry if you enjoy it but I hate that humidity). We want a laid back lifestyle like we have now, but we are young and want to explore our options as to where to live.

Also...apartments/houses in the Portland area are less than say...Columbus and most have a 10x better view.

I'm not trying to sound defensive or anything, but really...we just need a change and Maine seems like a good choice for us.

I also appreciate the honest yet positive feedback. We know it will be difficult, but it would be just as hard if not worse in Columbus...and we have no desire to live in Cleveland or Cincy...we are VERY interested in Portland.

[genmomto5]

If you want to teach and you know where you'd like to live, then go there and start there. I am not an educator but I've noticed it can be more difficult to change from state to state once you've gotten started in one place.

It may take you quite some time to get the perfect teaching position but if you start out subbing, prove you are serious about living in Maine, and become part of the community I bet you'll do just fine. Life will never be easy, if you spend all your time making choices designed to make life easier you may never achieve that goal and you may never truly live.

I made the mistake of making safe choices at your age and lived in my "safe" prison for years. It wasn't until I started taking the riskier paths, the choices without safety nets, that I truly felt alive. Those riskier choices ended up leading me to Maine. A huge leap of faith. And finally, I feel at home.

[mrspink]

Thanks! That is what we are thinking. We don't want to be "safe" as you say, which I think fits appropriately! We are "comfortable" where we are living, but don't want to be afraid of trying out a new home. I am earning my degree here in Ohio in education, but it is quite possible that I may want to try some other type of career...who knows!

But again, I appreciate all the feedback! Keep the posts coming...any info helps! Every day we are becoming more set in our decision and have really been researching online and chekcing out some books that have info on the area.

[skytrekker]

I know the economy in Ohio mrspink is not in the best of shape-
however in New England we have 3 states in recession; Massachusetts, Maine and Rhode Island, Connecticut and Vermont are borderline- only New Hampshire has some growth- though slow at that.

The economies here are more diversified then the Midwest- relying less on Manufacturing and more on health care, bio tech, IT, education, services and finance. Nonetheless we are slowing here rapidly- perhaps not with the kind of thud elsewhere.

You might also consider New Hampshire, and CT- which also have many education jobs.

[mrspink]

I am simply saying when I graduate in a year, since I am MC ed. it is going to be EXTREMELY difficult for me to get a job in Ohio with my two concentration areas. The baby-boomer generation has not retired yet (not for about another 5 years) and Ohio's retire-rehire plan isn't helping us graduates.

I noticed rent in Maine, while it is what I expected it to be, is pricey for a young couple. Are there some nice areas about 10 minutes from Portland where it would be just as reasonable to purchase a home? Say on a budget of...100-115? I am not familiar with the area again, so I don't know what kind of "bang-for-your-buck" you can get with that kind of money. I would prefer a nice lawn for our little Pomeranian...and just out of curiosity, how much do small farms go for? These are just some things I have been thinking about. Thanks for all the help!

[AlisonL]

You won't find much within 10 minutes of Portland for $100-115k.
I lived in Maine all my life and recently moved to NM. I love Maine with all my heart, but we won't return (other than to visit). Its much cheaper for us to live out here, not to mention my asthma is much much much better here.

[mrspink]

What about 20-25 minutes outside the city?

[elston]

Its not impossible but it will be hard to find what your looking for at your budget. I had retired when I relocated to Maine so none of my circumstances matched yours.....but I have two grown sons who both moved to Maine shortly after college and now have found jobs they like; one in human services and one in graphic design. They did more than their share of waiting tables, tending bar and selling siding and storm windows....to start with. And the economy doesnt instill confidence...so life continues to come with stressors.

Housing in the Saco/Biddeford area tends to be more reasonable than closer to Portland. Buxton might be a good place to look as well. One of my kids recently bought a converted camp (with some nice land) for under 200K and another just sold a little house with a fenced yard in Saco for under 150k there isnt a lot in that range in southern Maine...but it is possible.

I agree with GenMomto5....that it might be better to come and get established here from the get go, rather than put it off.....once here you will be starting all over...whether now or later. The only thing that would help a lot would be to come with a little nest egg to tide you over.....but nest eggs are things that most don't have coming out of college.

Health care is a concern.

I wish you well; I am glad I am not starting out just now.....but it wasnt all that easy back when I was just getting out of college either. The more flexible you are....the better it will be. Good Luck.

[K-Luv]

I wouldn't recommend Biddeford to anybody unless you have $$$, as Biddeford is either nice (at a cost) or not nice (real trashy). It is known around here as the armpit of Maine. Saco or Scarborough could be cool, though.

There are basically three Portland's; the Portland that is the peninsula, which contains the East End, West End and downtown. The majority of entertainment is found here, as well as the arts district. So the peninsula is the more desirable place to live. Housing stock is limited, so with that and the desirability, land lords can, and do, charge a premium for such a convenient location. The second Portland is off the peninsula and has more of a suburban feel to it, although it is not a suburb. Rent in this other Portland is considerably cheaper, but like most suburbs, there is not much to do. The third Portland is what some people refer to as the entire region, AKA the Greater Portland Area (Portland, South Portland, Westbrook, Gorham, Scarborough, et. al).

Anyways, South Portland is considerably cheaper then Portland, as well as Westbrook. Both are within five to ten minutes of Portland.

[mrspink]

Thank you for the responses! We will have to check out those areas!