Moving from Fairbanks, Alaska to Portland, Maine (South Portland, Brunswick: renting, good credit)

[diablogun]

Originally Posted by NorthPoleMarathoner

It won't hurt to try ahead of time. Things might have changed since I worked there. I just wouldn't count on it.

I would call the Boston Office at 1-800-562-5721 and ask to speak with someone about the 10-year Census to make sure.

It's possible they would have a temporary office set up in Portland, so you may want to ask for that number.

It would probably be a good job to get while looking for something permanent.

Hyakurin,
I rented a new townhouse in Yarmouth very easily, I just had to fill out an application and send them 100 dollars for a deposit. It was 975.00 a month, which I didn't think was so bad for a decent area and a 2/2 1200 sf place. There were many others available elsewhere for considerably less money. :-)

[Hyakurin]

Originally Posted by diablogun

Hyakurin,
I rented a new townhouse in Yarmouth very easily, I just had to fill out an application and send them 100 dollars for a deposit. It was 975.00 a month, which I didn't think was so bad for a decent area and a 2/2 1200 sf place. There were many others available elsewhere for considerably less money. :-)

Hey, that's fantastic! Great news for you & me. I'm going to try to find something that's considerably lower just at first until I can get a job. I've seen lots of cool places on Craig's list that are 600 bucks or less (my range) and I wouldn't mind living in hovel for a little while. I'm not planning on tv or cable or anything. Anything in downtown Portland or Munjoy Hill (which from what I saw generally starts out at 700 + ) would be fantastic. I'll probably move up in rent when we both have jobs.

Did you go through an apartment complex or more of a private landlord bit? Does anybody know if Craig's List is a reasonable way to go about it?

Congratulations on your place though! Townhouses are so fantastic. I'll let you know (however curious you might be) when I land a place... I have to wait a small while still until I can start approaching people. Unless now would be a good time to start searching for when I show up at the end of May? I don't know how far in advance people are comfortable in opening up apartments to people who aren't there yet. I imagine they won't hold them for very long.

[Danmac]

I'm about to undertake the same feat as yourself, w/ one huge exception I'm moving from the NC Mtns (Beautiful here by the way).

But best thing to do is do what your doing, talk to enough people that are from the region and those that have done what you and I are about to do soon by moving to the area, only those can tell you what to expect.

Have you given any thought to moving somewhere else on the East Coast that's more affordable? Living and working there for a year to get used to everything, cause from what I've been told it's a huge diff people wise from those on the West Coast to those out here? But move somewhere for a year live on the cheap save up and then you could take a couple visits first, and the move wont' be so darn difficult?

I'm going up this summer, but visiting doesn't always tell you what you need to know, which is why I'm here on this site as well.

Hope all goes well! Good Luck!

[Hyakurin]

Originally Posted by diablogun

Hyakurin,
I rented a new townhouse in Yarmouth very easily, I just had to fill out an application and send them 100 dollars for a deposit. It was 975.00 a month, which I didn't think was so bad for a decent area and a 2/2 1200 sf place. There were many others available elsewhere for considerably less money. :-)

Originally Posted by Danmac

I'm about to undertake the same feat as yourself, w/ one huge exception I'm moving from the NC Mtns (Beautiful here by the way).

But best thing to do is do what your doing, talk to enough people that are from the region and those that have done what you and I are about to do soon by moving to the area, only those can tell you what to expect.

Have you given any thought to moving somewhere else on the East Coast that's more affordable? Living and working there for a year to get used to everything, cause from what I've been told it's a huge diff people wise from those on the West Coast to those out here? But move somewhere for a year live on the cheap save up and then you could take a couple visits first, and the move wont' be so darn difficult?

I'm going up this summer, but visiting doesn't always tell you what you need to know, which is why I'm here on this site as well.

Hope all goes well! Good Luck!

Hello! Thanks for your thoughts and suggestions. I have considered other places but I figured it might be best to just hit the ground running and set my roots (Wow that sounds generic) in Portland and go at it from there. I dont want to move somewhere else with the intention of saving money and -then- going to Portland. From my experience (just from mine) it never works out very well and life has a very real habit of flaring up and getting in the way.

I myself have lived all over the place, being a military brat and all to begin with. I lived in New Jersey when I was younger and I loved that but I know I definitely can't afford it there. My intention with Portland isn't to land a dream apartment and a dream job right away. That would be foolish and arrogant. Mostly I'm hoping to start out low and make my way up.

For me Portland provides everything that I'm looking for with everything in close proximity but still having that large town/city feel which would be fantastic. The cost of living won't hit me very hard. Every time I've visited anywhere outside of Alaska whether it's Portland, Oregon or Seattle, Washington I'm always amazed at how much cheaper everything is. In Seattle the housing not necessarily, but food and other things aren't very expensive.

For example, its not uncommon up here to pay 80 dollars for two half filled plastic bags of food. It's absurd. And part of the reason that I can't continue to stay up here. I would never be able to save money, pay for rent and food and other things (I am not a big spender by any means) to be able to go. Whenever people from the lower forty-eight come to Alaska they are always flabbergasted by the prices. It costs 3 to 4 dollars for one bellpepper here.

I wish I could visit! I'd love to! But I think moving anywhere would be difficult at first and might eat up a lot of resources, by then I might have to spend all my money on rent, loans, food, etc that I wouldn't be able to make the trips. You know? I mean, it's fantastic advice but for me it doesn't work, or maybe I'm just being really obnoxious and insistent about Portland. Believe me I'm doing a lot of research.

Thank you very much for the idea, if I had more money saved up I would definitely do it. Good luck to you, when you move! Maybe one day you'll run into me and with your much better apartment and job you can laugh.

[NorthPoleMarathoner]

Originally Posted by Hyakurin

Hey, that's fantastic! Great news for you & me. I'm going to try to find something that's considerably lower just at first until I can get a job. I've seen lots of cool places on Craig's list that are 600 bucks or less (my range) and I wouldn't mind living in hovel for a little while. I'm not planning on tv or cable or anything. Anything in downtown Portland or Munjoy Hill (which from what I saw generally starts out at 700 + ) would be fantastic. I'll probably move up in rent when we both have jobs.

How many square feet for $600?

[Hyakurin]

Originally Posted by NorthPoleMarathoner

How many square feet for $600?

Ha! Are you asking how much I'd take or how big they are? I don't remember off the top of my head but they were bigger than my current apartment. As for what I'd take, hey, as long as I can set a bed down, I'm set.

[NorthPoleMarathoner]

I was wondering how big they were for that price?

[Hyakurin]

Originally Posted by NorthPoleMarathoner

I was wondering how big they were for that price?

I have no idea. Some of them look pre-tty small from the pictures, but nice enough for me. I guess it all depends on what you're willing to deal with. I'm pretty much selling everything before I get there, so.

classifieds - craigslist

Check it out!

[lrfox]

In the Portland area, $600 or less is likely to be a studio, efficiency, or maybe a small 1 bedroom. I saw a 900 sq. ft. 1 bedroom in a good location (2 blocks from Downtown Portland, adjacent to a nice park) when I was looking for apartments last summer for $630/mo- all utilities included including internet... it was one of the better deals I have seen (though prices have since dropped a bit) which is likely why it was rented out by the next day. I'm happy with my place which is a 2 br (1 primary bedroom and a smaller bedroom/ office) in a good location for $795/ mo heat/hw/electric included as well as off-street parking, and plowing (landlord lives in an adjacent unit). The building is quiet, comfortable and the unit was renovated before we moved in. The apartment is 1,000sq ft. It's a pretty good deal.

I think there are some good deals to be had, but the trick is that you have to be ready to put first/last/security on the day of showing to lock it up... the good ones go fast. I wouldn't even start looking until about 2 months before you move in and I wouldn't expect to find a place until a month before you're here.

Keep you're eye open, you'll find something good.

[Hyakurin]

A lot of the ones I've seen are studios or efficiencies, which is just fine by me! I've got my plane tickets lined up so I'm going to be there a few days before June. I guess now would be a good time to start looking. Well, I look every day, really. What I'm worried about is if people would be willing to hold something for me that far in advance, which I don't know that they would be. Maybe in May they'd be willing to hold it?

Your place sounds -fantastic-. I'm jealous.

I figured I would have to have first, last and security to get a place. Do you think I should start calling people now? I don't want to go through some retail agent or anything because from what I've seen those places tend to be more expensive.

630 with all utilities included and internet would be -fantastic-. If i land something half as nice i'll be thrilled! For something like that I might actually go for it. Again, I'm fine with a studio. What I'd like is a kitchen and bath, everything else, as long as I can get a bed in, will be just fine!

Thanks again!